camomille: Need help please

[camomille]

Hi, I am feeling rather desperate with increasing symtoms. Here goes:

 

I have been microtapering Valium since 2012 without major problems. Also on Sertralin 25 mg since 2007. In september 2016 I accidentely missed a dose Valium, 0,30 mg and went into withdrawal. Continued microtaper (tital 0,03mg) until Feb 2017. Was symptomatic. Then started new batch Sertralin (same dose 25 mg) and the day after developed new symtoms - very dry burning mouth, dizzieness, derealisation. New symtoms for me. Called manufacturer who confirmed that new batch was 1% more potent.

 

Waited two weeks for stabilisation which did not happen. Developed nightly panicattacks and agitation. Decreased Sertalin 1%. Better for one week. Now increasingly more severe symtoms by the day with occasional windows.

 

What is happening? What should I do?

 

Thanks for you advice.

[Petunia]

Welcome Camomille,

I'm sorry you have run into some difficulties with your taper, but you have come to the right place for help.

 

It would be great if you would put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature. Doing this helps people understand your context, it appears below each of your posts. Here are instructions for how to do it:

 

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

It sounds to me like you are having an adverse reaction to the new batch of Sertralin. Am I right in assuming this is Sertraline, the generic version of Zoloft?

 

Are you taking any other medications?

 

Perhaps you might consider holding your Valium taper for now, and continue tapering Sertralin. Because you had some initial improvement when you decreased the dose, perhaps you would do better with a slightly lower dose.

 

Your nervous system may have become sensitive, due to the missed dose of valium, withdrawal and now a change in the formula of Sertralin. A sensitized nervous system can sometimes become intolerant of previous drugs and dosages which were fine before and reducing the dose a little can sometimes help.

 

Here is our Sertraline tapering topic with more information:

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

If I were you, I would try decreasing by another 1 - 2% and see how you feel.

 

It takes at least 4 days for your body to fully register the addition or dosage change of a neuroactive drug. Observe your symptom pattern for about a week to see if the decrease is helping.

 

Once you feel symptoms are reduced, give your nervous system time to stabilize before attempting any more tapering. Think in terms of months, not days.

 

Be patient. You may still experience waves of symptoms, which usually lessen as time goes on.

 

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you wait to stabilize.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

 

For more information and support with benzo tapering see:  Members-only benzo forum

 

You can use this thread as your ongoing journal to track progress, write about symptoms, ask questions and communicate with the community, add to it whenever you want. Its a good idea to bookmark it or follow it, so its easy to find again.

 

You will find a lot of friendly help and support here.

 

Petunia.

[camomille]

❤️ Thank You Petunia for your informative and extensive reply. Your observation on my situation is most likely right on the spot. It seems like I am having an adverse reaction to the Sertralin (generica) - that I have been stable on at the same dose for years.

 

I will try decreasing by 1% tonight. I have to do something. What is strange is thar I felt better after decreasing with 0,7% (to be exact) in februari but now my symtoms are getting worse again. But considering my options decreasing slightly and then holding seems like my only option now.

 

Thanks a million for your support. I will let you know how it goes.

 

I take 0,60 mg Valium. That is all. Never took any other neuroactive drugs. I also stay away from supplements.

 

Camomille

[camomille]

❤️ Thank You Petunia for your informative and extensive reply. Your observation on my situation is most likely right on the spot. It seems like I am having an adverse reaction to the Sertralin (generica) - that I have been stable on at the same dose for years.

 

I will try decreasing by 1% tonight. I have to do something. What is strange is thar I felt better after decreasing with 0,7% (to be exact) in februari but now my symtoms are getting worse again. But considering my options decreasing slightly and then holding seems like my only option now.

 

Thanks a million for your support. I will let you know how it goes.

 

I take 0,60 mg Valium. That is all. Never took any other neuroactive drugs. I also stay away from supplements.

 

Camomille

[camomille]

I am so scared decreasing my dose, what if I further destabilize my nervous system? I am already on the verge. Do you think I could try lowering in tiny tiny increments like one little drop every 3 days or so? Instead of a whole 1-2% in one go?

 

And what do I do if I dont get relief? This is clearly an adverse reaction that was triggered by withdrawal from Valium. What are my options? Hang on and try to stabilize even though my symtoms are from an adverse reaction to Zoloft? Taper in the midst of destabilization? Oh dear.

[camomille]

Hi, now almost 14 days have passed since my small decrease. Decreased 0,4 % that is all I dared. Exactly 7 days later symtoms increased significantly and then all of a sudden a very good nights sleep and a clear one day window. Then symtoms came back but sleep has been a little better over all since decrease. Fragmented sleep but at least I get 6 hours. Waves and windows. Symtoms change every day no pattern yet apart from waking up 2-4 hours after dosing at midnight. I wake up with tinnitus, dry mouth and light panic every night. I think this is a reaction to the drug. Or an unstable nervous system.

 

I also have burning that comes and goes among other symtoms that come and go during the day.

 

My question is, do you think I should continue decreasing very very slowly as it seems I have had an adverse reaction to the Zoloft? Or will I still benefit from a long hold if I have become intolerant to the drug? Can a sensitised nervous system calm down and I become symtom free still taking a drug which have started giving me possible adverse effects? (After many years without problems, no CT or drastic dose decreases in history)

 

I cant figure out if my ongoing problems are from intolerance to the Zoloft or a destabilized nervous system.

 

Holding valium taper for 2 months. I take 0,40 mg Valium.

 

So much appreciate your advice.Scared.

[Petunia]

Hi Camomille,

If I were you, I would hold where you are for now. It sounds like you are in a windows and waves pattern of stabilizing, which is good. Its going to take some more time, but your symptoms should slowly reduce and sleep should continue to improve.

 

Its a good idea to rate your symptoms daily to help you keep track of how you are doing. Symptoms can distort our memory and make it difficult to accurately recall how we felt days and weeks ago. Here are some tips on how do do this:  

 

Rate symptoms daily to track patterns and progress

 

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

Here is another useful topic with some good basic information about how to keep the nervous system stable: The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

[camomille]

Thank you. Your support means so much to me ❤ I will hold now as long as it takes.

 

 

[camomille]

Hi, please I need some advice.

 

I am holding my Valium taper and have decreased my Sertralin by 0,5%. Started feeling more stable but then I got a new batch of Valium which seem to have been weaker as I started having withdrawal symptoms even though I did not decrease the dose. Pretty stable on that now again I think.

 

BUT,  after the Valium causing a bit of instability Ihave started to notice sideeffects from the Sertralin. Directly after taking my dose Tinnitus increases and I get restless legs and very weird felling in my head. Also depersonalisation and other rather severe symtoms.

 

I am very unstable and getting desperate! Should I continue holding or decreasing? I am afraid the sideeffects will continue to get worse.

 

Please?

 

Hugs

[nz11]

How are you doing Camomile?

With ever increasing traffic on this site it only takes one sleep and a post can go from the leader board to page 3 and be easily missed.

nz11

 

[camomille]

Hi, thanks for asking how I sm doing. In fact not so well but maybe slightly better efter the mishap with the Valium 5 weeks ago. 

 

I still have the same questions as in my previous post for the moderators. I am having reactions now when I take my doses, I dont know if I should keep on holding or start reducing slightly. I prefer microtaper. Any feedback please?

 

hugs

Camomille

[nz11]

Camomile are you able to update your signature.

its also easier to follow if you talk of your current dose and from when, rather than a 0,5% decr ? a 1% decr etc which keeps us all guessing especially as its not clear from what dose you decreased.

 

I am also not sure from the drug sig when you dropped to 0.4 mg of valium.

Im not a benzo expert but it could be that the current instability is from the benzo taper. So you went from 0.6mg to 0.4mg ? well thats a 33% drop. Do you think 33% drop is a big drop for a benzo dose?

You say that the new zoloft batch was 1% more potent so that makes it a 25.25 mg dose rather than a 25mg dose then you dropped by 1% which pretty much puts you back to 25mg (was it the same manufacturer or different?)...then you dropped it by 0.5% which means you are now on 24.88mg (right? [24.875]). What do you think is the cause of the instability a 0.5% drop in zoloft or a 33 % drop in valium?

 

Why not just sit for a while longer until you feel more stable. Dont drop anything.

You say you are "slightly better" than 5 weeks ago, so thats an improvement right?

 

I am having reactions now when I take my doses,

What do you mean by this?

do you mean this... "Ihave started to notice sideeffects from the Sertralin. Directly after taking my dose Tinnitus increases and I get restless legs and very weird felling in my head. Also depersonalisation and other rather severe symtoms. "

Do you take your sert and valium at the same time? How do you know this is from the sert?

 

nz11

 

 

 

[camomille]

Hi, sorry for confusion, but I am still on 0,60mg Valium. Never decreased since february. BUT, I started an new batch of Valium 5 weeks ago which apparently was weaker as I started experiencing withdrawal after a few days. I think I am still recoverng from that. 

 

As a result from that I started experiencing sideeffects from Sertralin dosing, (and also withdrawal symtoms from the bad reaction in february) which I take at midnight (I take Valium in the morning). I also have started to feel a reaction when taking Valium, legs get weak. I never during my 3 year taper felt that before.

 

So it is a mess and I dont know what to do now. Wait for stabilizing and hope that the sideeffects decrease as my nervoussystem gets less sensitive? Or am I just waiting for something that never will happen? Am I better of starting a microtaper off both medications or one of them? Which one in that case?

 

My own theory is that the Valium (involontary) decreased dose also had a destabilising effect on the Sertralin, I am now on approximately 24,5 mg Sertralin.

 

Tried to update my signature but did not succeed ... 

 

Hugs

[scallywag]

If you're tapering diazepam (Valium) and keeping sertraline dose the same, you may be best to start a topic in the Members-only benzo forum and post there with your benzo taper questions.

[camomille]

Hi, no I am not tapering benzos. I have been holding since januari this year. I have other questions regarding Sertralin taper, please see my post above!

 

Thanks for any help I can get as I am so ill.

 

Hugs