AshleyG: Cold turkey off 25mg Sertraline

[AshleyG]

Started Zoloft in January (Sertraline) dr had me split 50mg pill for week and take 25 then up to 50mg after 7days I has terrible dizziness for four weeks. Dr told me to go back down to half a pill.25mg I've been doing that for 7months. Needles to say I don't feel like the meds helped. Always felt off numb. Gi issues. Anxiety worse. Heart palps. Dr said since I was on a low dose it was ok to stop. I'm three weeks in cold turkey. Pins and needles I'm weak,flu like symptoms, the dizziness is dibilitating. I feel like something is terribly wrong. I still have to work and take care of two kitties. Is this common what I'm going through?

Edited August 2, 2016 by scallywag
tags added

[PoetJester]

Hey Ashley,

 

I was on Zoloft and zyprexa for 14 years and everytime I tried to quit them I would get the same flu-like symptoms and feel lightheaded for a number of days up to a few weeks.  usually I would become nauseous after two days without the pills and also would find it was impossible to sleep.  I think your withdrawal symptoms are pretty common.  Hopefully, since you weren't on Zoloft for very long you can recover quickly.  I am still struggling with poor sleep and insomnia 2 1/2 years after finally quitting the drugs.

 

Poetjester

[Wishes19]

Hi Ashley,

 

Sorry you are having a hard time! Please consider going back on a low dose of the Zoloft and tapering down slowly! Cold turkey is so hard on the neurons. Others on here are more knowledgeable about tapering and can advise better than I can about the specifics, but take it from a cold turkey-er : please taper slowly.

[ChessieCat]

Hi Ashley and welcome to SA,

 

It's good that you have found SA at this time because you have the option of reinstating (information link is giving below).  I'm also including a link to Withdrawal Symptoms.

 

It will be helpful if you could Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature.  Please include ALL drugs, dates, doses and how you increased/decreased.  Details of the last year with a summary of any before that time is helpful for us to offer suggestions based on your individual situation.  Please also update as you make dose changes so it remains current.

 

Here is a list of links for you to read:

 

Introduction to AD Withdrawal Syndrome

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Symptoms Checklist

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

These helped me to understand why SA recommends a 10% taper with a 4-6 week holding period to allow the brain to adapt to not get as much of the drug:

 

Brain Remodelling (Rhi's Description of Brain Healing)

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

After reading those links please ask any questions you have here in your Intro/Update topic.  You can also use this topic to journal your progress.  Click "Follow" top right to receive notification when someone replies.  Edit: have just seen that you already have

 

If you do decide to reinstate, I suggest you post your decision here so we can suggest a dose because your brain will have made some adaptation in the weeks since you stopped taking.

 

And we love kitties here at SA!!!  I have one that is nearly 18 years old.  Her name is Aimee but I've nicknamed her LOL = little old lady.

Edited August 2, 2016 by ChessieCat
Already following

[RachelSusan]

Welcome Ashley,

I am so sorry to hear about your suffering.  I am fairly new here as well, about 3 weeks now.  I too went off of Zoloft too quickly and had some of the same symptoms that you do. Tremors, flu like symptoms, the dizziness, headaches, and so on. The moderators will guide you, I just wanted to say hello.  I hope you find relief soon.

Best,

Rachel

[JanCarol]

Hey Ashley, 

 

Your symptoms are sadly, very normal for withdrawal.  Your doctors may try to tell you it is "relapse."  They've been trained that anything after 3 weeks must be "relapse" even though withdrawal symptoms can happen months or a year out.

 

These are symptoms, they are not damage.  They will heal with time.

 

As Chessie suggested this is a perfect time to reinstate a small dose of Zoloft.  A small dose will be less "numb" and fewer "side effects" that you had before, but should be enough to take the edge off of your symptoms so you can live your life.

 

So many people that have reinstated are glad that they did (and conversely there are many who didn't reinstate who wish they had).

 

Don't wait too long.  "Toughing it out" might just make things harder for you later.

 

Do you have a supply of Zoloft?  At 25 mg?  Can you go back to that doctor for more, or would you need to find a new doctor?  It doesn't sound like you trust that doctor very much any more.  I wouldn't.

 

Chessie already gave you the best links for you.  I know it seems overwhelming, that is a lot of reading - but keep going back and reading, and see if you can learn something new about your situation each day.

 

And it's also good to take care of yourself - listen to your body - avoid exciting or sudden startles (sometimes the movies are a bit much in withdrawal).  Be patient with yourself, your brain and nervous system is raw and struggling - the kinder you are to yourself, the easier this will go.

 

And it can get better.  It usually does.  

 

Welcome to SA - I'm sorry you had to look for us, but glad that you did.

[ChessieCat]

Here are a couple more links which you might find useful:

 

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

[AshleyG]

**moved from a duplicate Introduction topic

 

Good Morning, I'm new to this site and haven't quite figured it out. I started Sertraline 25mg back in Januaryof this year. I stopped cold turkey 25mg of Sertraline July 10th my Obgyn said since it's a low dose I'm fine. The first 3weeks symptoms I could tolerate.

 

Starting into week 3 I woke up very shaky, weak had a hard time walking numbness in my arm hand, extremely dizzy not balanced can barely drive, watch tv or work which I work on a computer all day. The feeling is awful. Can't drink anything with caffeine. My anxiety as at a all time high because now I'm questioning am I withdrawing or is something terribly wrong.

 

I started taking my Zoloft again this past Thursday 25mg hoping I would feel better. I still feel the same.

 

My ob wants me to start lexapro since the whole reason I stopped is Zoloft had bad side effects from the get go. I'm having a hard time trusting him because he told me to quit Sertraline cold turkey. I feel like I'm going mad!!!!! I'm lost and I don't know what to do. I have two little ones that I need to be a mom to work and I can barely make it through the day. What should I do???? Thank you

Edited August 10, 2016 by scallywag
added paragraphs and tags

[CJAJ16]

Hey Ashley it's Claire,

Someone will be along soon with the best advice to get you through this. Hang in there xxx

[scallywag]

Hi AshleyG -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
What you were experiencing after the cold-turkey stop were symptoms of withdrawal syndrome:

What is withdrawal syndrome
 
Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list  
 
 
It can take 7-10 days to feel any improvement from reinstating. Hang on -- please don't make any changes. Bouncing around doses or changing drugs will probably make your symptoms worse, or at the least do nothing.

3KIS: Keep it slow. Keep it simple. Keep it stable.  
 
After you get settled back on 25 mg, probably in no less than 6 weeks, you *might* consider a slow taper. A slow taper is cutting your current dose by 10% or less and holding steady at the dose for at least a month.
 
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 
A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly? Any drugs prior to that can just be listed with start and stop years. Please put your withdrawal history in signature

You may way want to follow this topic so that you get notifications when someone posts in your thread. Click the gray "Follow this topic" button. A dialog box appears: select one of the notify options, then click follow this topic in the dialog box.

[AshleyG]

Thank you so much!!

[AshleyG]

Thank you. I feel lost. I'm supposed to see my normal dr tomorrow. They're not the ones that prescribed meds. I'm scared to listen to them. So I should remain on the Zoloft I reinstated and than taper? I'm a mess

[scallywag]

Since you've started back at 25 mg, stay there. Be sure to take your dose at the same time every day. Record the time of your dose and your symptoms on paper -- when they occur, when intensity changes.

 

Symptoms improve for many people after reinstating a dose. It won't happen overnight, as you know.   It takes about 4 days for the drug to reach a steady state (same range of levels in your body) and then another week or more for your CNS (central nervous system) to readjust to the presence of Zoloft.

 

You may want to read these before your doc appt. tomorrow:

 

How do you talk to your doctor about tapering and withdrawal

 

What to expect from your doctor about withdrawal symptoms

[AshleyG]

Ok. Thank you I'll read it. So happy to be here I've been lost!!!

[AshleyG]

I saw my dr. He told me it's the cold turkey withdraw from Zoloft that I have vertigo!!!!!! I'm seriously a mess now what do I do they look at me like I'm crazy

[CJAJ16]

At least he acknowledged what's happening to you, What did the Dr suggest you do?

Stay calm, once you level out again on the 25mg dose things will get easier and you can begin to taper slowly again X

[scallywag]

Vertigo is just the name for a specific set of symptoms. If you look at our topic on withdrawal syndrome, you'll see several of the symptoms of vertigo.

[AshleyG]

Thanks everyone so much reading these comments make me feel better. He referred me to a neurologist because he says it's not the meds? Is this something I should do? After hearing from you guys I feel this is just the withdrawal?

[scallywag]

I'd meet with the neurologist to get his/her opinion. If it makes sense to you, you can choose to follow the recommendations.

 

Do the symptoms of vertigo reflect what you are experiencing?

[AshleyG]

I've been very anxious about reinstating the Sertraline. Still dizzy and numb in right arm with pins and needles. Exhausted just not me. I read stories I'm so scared I'll be stuck messed up!!!!!!!! Can anyone tell me if tapering worked to lessen the side effects? The whole reason I stopped is because the meds made me feel worse. I had post partum anxiety after having my son. He's one and I have a 3yr old daughter. I can barely function it's breaks my heart loosing time with my kiddos. All I can do is think about how awful I feel and scared I'll never be my happy energetic self. I'm just looking for posture outlook that reinstating was the right thing and that I won't be stuck feeling this way.

 

 

Topics merged

[mammaP]

Hi Ashley, I have moved your latest post to your original introduction, members have one introduction topic per person for continuity. 

 

You had many side effects from sertraline from the start, but managed to cope with them for 7 months, then cold turkey made things even worse. Withdrawal send the nervous system into chaos and it takes time to stabilise after reinstating. When you have reached the same level that you were at when you quit you can start a  slow taper. Side effects tend to be dose related and should get easier as the dose lowers.  Your doctor doesn't know what to do for you and is experimenting by suggesting lexapro, which is the same family of drugs as sertraline so is likely to cause more problems.

 

This will pass, but will take time. Magnesium and fish oil are amazing for an unstable nervous system, the magnesium is calming and the fish oil is very good for the brain.  Take good care of yourself, make sure you eat regularly and take gentle exercise. It is very hard to go through this when you have little ones to care for but it will get easier, hang in there.

[RachelSusan]

Hi Ashley,

You and I have similar stories so I just wanted to say I understand how bad it is. I have a lot of physical symptoms, headaches, balance problems, shaking, nausea, and so on.  For me I can have them an entire day and they might disappear for a day. I've gotten to the point where I savor every minute I don't have the symptoms.  I truly do not believe we will be stuck this way, not from my reading on this site.  The Moderators are a huge help. Hang in there.  I am doing the same.

RS

[AshleyG]

Thank you guys!! So much!!! This is by far the hardest thing I've ever went through. Praying this disaster quickly so I can fully enjoy my sweet children and not be stuck on feeling awful!!!!