Katty: sertraline

September 7, 2017

This may have been answered before but I've gone from 100mg sertraline straight to 50 mg. It's been less than 1 week and I feel dizzy and nauseous.as it hasn't been long at all should I go straight back to 100ml then try and taper slowly from there?

September 7, 2017

Hi Katty, welcome to SA. Cutting 50% is far too much and you are right to think of going back to 100. You will need to wait until you have been stable for a few weeks before attempting to taper. Most of us here tried to go too fast and ended up here, in withdrawal. The drug needs to be sneaked away so slowly that your brain doesn't notice. It is more difficult to taper ADs than street drugs! I will get some links for you to help you to understand the tapering process. The way we advise is very slow but means you can get off safely. Taper too fast and people end up back on again. Doctors say the drug is needed for life because people just can't get off but that is not true, they just need to go very slow.

Here is our topic on tapering sertraline .

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1441-tips-for-tapering-off-zoloft-sertraline/

Why taper 10%

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

We ask all our members to fill in their signature with drugs and tapering history. When started and stopped plus doses.

You can find instructions here..

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

September 7, 2017

Hi Katty and welcome to SA,

I had a very similar experience with Pristiq. I was taking 100mg and dropped to 50mg and suffered extreme cog fog for 3 weeks. I even got to the stage that I was unable to type. Being a professional typist of 40+ years I knew that something was definitely wrong. Thankfully I found SA and they suggested that I updose. I did that and after about 4 hours I was able to type again. I have since been tapering and am now down to 20mg.

This is the preferred format for your signature:

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly?

Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.
A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.

Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.
Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

Here are some more links:

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

Brain Remodelling

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

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

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress.