Eric5: Withdrawal from Zoloft

[Eric5]

I was on Zoloft 50m for 10 years for anxiety and it worked well. Last September it stopped working! I started having panic attacks. My doctor upped the dose to 100m but it didn't help. So he switched me to Effexor 75 and didn't help made me feel worse switched again to celexa which made me feel drunk after 6 weeks. So we tried Prozac and had the same reaction. So I stopped taking anything and felt a little better for a few days. Then the withdraw symptoms came in brain zaps, extreme fatigue, memory problems, dizziness, anxiety ext. I fought it for nearly a month and decided to try going back on Zoloft 25m. Three days in the zaps stopped but I still feel terrible. Is this good idea or should I keep trying other meds? Just want to feel normal again.

[Songbird]

Hi Eric5, welcome to SA.  

 

It would be helpful if you could create a signature with your med history, including all drugs, doses and dates (starting and stopping).  You can edit your signature under your Account Settings.  See this topic for more info: Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

It sounds like after 10 years the Zoloft pooped out (stopped working).  Trying several other meds has not worked, so I don't think it is a good idea to keep trying other meds.  How long has it been since you reinstated 25mg Zoloft?

[Eric5]

I just started back on Zoloft 25mg four days ago in hopes it will at least make me feel normal and  then try to taper off the right way. I do wonder though if while I was trying low doses of other meds I was withdrawing from Zoloft also. Not sure if that's possible. I'm hoping the Zoloft will work again. Then taper off down the road I really want off antidepressants. It's scary how they can make you this sick!

[Songbird]

Yes, as you have found by trying various other meds, often these meds do not cover for each other very well at all.  Please can you create a signature showing all the meds you've taken with the doses you took and the dates you started and stopped.  Have you noticed any changes in your symptoms since reinstating Zoloft?

[Eric5]

Yes I'm feeling better slowly. Most of the really bad zaps and dizziness are calming down. Five days in still having brain fog and the feeling I can't breath.

[Songbird]

That is good news, Eric.  I hope you get more improvement soon.

[Eric5]

Two weeks in on Zoloft 25 feeling tired and drugged and sick if I do anything physical. I'm hoping it's just temporary. I never felt bad like this on Zoloft but I did on all the other drugs. Can you just build an intolerance to a drug you've been on for years? Not sure if I should stop or keep going and hope it goes away.

[Songbird]

Yes, it's possible once your med poops out that you can have withdrawal-like symptoms.  It's still best to taper very slowly to prevent worse withdrawal symptoms.  Bear in mind your system is likely still in a state of confusion from all the med switches.  It's usually best to stick with the same dose for a good long while, keeping things consistent so your body can work at sorting it all out.  It seems you have had some improvement since reinstating Zoloft, so that's a good sign.  It's normal for things to be up and down for a while.  Here is some more info:

 

the windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

the rule of 3KIS keep it simple keep it slow keep it stable

[Carmie]

Hi Eric, 

 

How are you doing?💚