Mina: tapering sertraline

[Mina]

Hey guys, hope you have been well! 

 

I have been on Zoloft/Setraline for the past 8 years of my life, started from the age of 16. I have been on 50mg for however long I can remember, when things got really tough I would go to 100. Anyways, I'm starting to taper off, from 50 which I have been on for the past 3months. I'm now at around 20mg, I made a sudden jump from 50 to 25, started to feel more irritable and started to cry. Been having headaches and just feeling foggy. Now I'm starting to taper of using the 10% method, sitting on 20mg over the past week. I'm just wondering if anyone had any success weaning off setraline after 8 years, and should I stick to 25mg tapering? Instead of going back to 50 and doing it properly. 

 

My main motivation, is because I'm starting to see this girl. But I feel emotionally numb towards her and I want my emotions back so I can give us a chance. Because logically this relationship makes sense, but at the same time I feel that my tapering off is affecting my emotional judgment, and I have been having intrusive thoughts. Any help would he appreciate

[ChessieCat]

Hi Mina and welcome to SA,

 

Another Aussie, g'day mate!

 

Yes, it is possible to get off your drug.  I''ve been an an ADs for 25 years and have managed to get down from 100mg Pristiq to 7.5mg. 

 

You have been tapering much faster than SA recommends.  Going back to 50mg at this stage would be too much.  It is possible to get doses by dissolving the tablet in water. 

 

Q:  Are your withdrawal symptoms bearable now?

 

If the answer is no, then you might do better updosing to 25mg and holding at that dose for 3 or 4 months which would allow your brain a chance to catch.  SA suggests listening to your body and if you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms hold at that dose if it is tolerable or updose by a small amount.  In your case, you made a very big jump going from 50mg to 25mg and might have started reducing again too soon.

 

If the answer is yes, then it will depend on how you feel when you would reduce again.  Withdrawal Normal

 

Please create a drug signature.  Show all drugs, dates and doses, no symptoms or diagnoses.  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

Here are some links which you might find helpful:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Please read Post #1 of this topic:  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)  

 

Brain Remodelling

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.  We encourage members to visit others topics and support each other.  There are other members here who are tapering Zoloft.  You can use the site search to find them.

[Mina]

So I have been on 50mg of Setraline for roughly 7 years, from the age of 17. Both my parents are doctors and they decided to put me on SSRIs (my dad mainly who is on SSRI's himself). The main reason was because of in my opinion silly reasons. I had a relationship when I was younger, head over heels for this girl and I use to see her during the middle of night and sometimes skip school. Parents thought this was impulsive behaviour, also I was participating in thai boxing (an extreme martial arts). Mind you I was going very well academically. From all the pressure from my parents, school I suffered from a panic attack and I couldn't concentrate properly and my parents decided I should be on SSRIs. 

 

During those time of Anti-depressants, I suffered from insomnia, severe anxiety during competition times and exams. Also in terms of concentration and ability to keep focused was affected, I can't remember how long I have been in this memory/brain fog for. I think it's been for the past year or so, but as I am tapering, in starting to feel fatigue, migraines, and a feeling that I have very hard concentrating and keeping focused at work and even remembering things. I also feel Emotional Apathy, currently find it very hard to have emotions towards anyone, my family, friends and my current girlfriend. I've had a rough upbringing in a sense of expectations from family, my dad being quite emotionally volatile and screaming alot to us when we where younger and even to this day. There is a fair bit of negativity in my house. So it made me question, is it me or is it the drugs? Or is it just my negative mindset that I have been around for so long that has made me feel like this? 

 

The reason for my start of discussion, is because I'm currently dating a girl that I had very strong feelings for chased her for 5months, started dating and I decided to taper off so I can be the real me. But I have realised alot of things have triggered me, had a lot of intrusive and obsessive thoughts. Also I would like to add, before that there was a girl who was interested in me, pretty, hard working girl and a beautiful personality. However I couldn't bring myself to feel any emotions towards her. So it makes me question can it be a mindset or the tapering of drugs. Because people can feel quite similar to how I'm feeling without being on this SSRI's in my opinion? 

 

 

[Altostrata]

On 8/21/2018 at 8:45 PM, Mina said:

Hey guys, hope you have been well! 

 

I have been on Zoloft/Setraline for the past 8 years of my life, started from the age of 16. I have been on 50mg for however long I can remember, when things got really tough I would go to 100. Anyways, I'm starting to taper off, from 50 which I have been on for the past 3months. I'm now at around 20mg, I made a sudden jump from 50 to 25, started to feel more irritable and started to cry. Been having headaches and just feeling foggy. Now I'm starting to taper of using the 10% method, sitting on 20mg over the past week. I'm just wondering if anyone had any success weaning off setraline after 8 years, and should I stick to 25mg tapering? Instead of going back to 50 and doing it properly. 

 

My main motivation, is because I'm starting to see this girl. But I feel emotionally numb towards her and I want my emotions back so I can give us a chance. Because logically this relationship makes sense, but at the same time I feel that my tapering off is affecting my emotional judgment, and I have been having intrusive thoughts. Any help would he appreciate

 

Mina, if you're getting withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and feeling foggy, please stop tapering right now. Drug changes upset your nervous system. You need to let your nervous system settle down and get used to 20mg.

 

How are you doing now?

[Mina]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

 

Mina, if you're getting withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and feeling foggy, please stop tapering right now. Drug changes upset your nervous system. You need to let your nervous system settle down and get used to 20mg.

 

How are you doing now?

Thanks for your response @Altostrata, 

 

Well over the past month and a half I have tappered at a linear progression, I just started 5mg, I went to a compound pharmacy and they have made 15mg, 10mg, 7.5mg, 5mg, 2.5mg and 1.25mg. Currently cutting down every 2 weeks. 

 

I'm currently travelling around the world, so I'm not in a stressful environment at all really. I have kind of aimed to taper off during my holiday.

 

Everytime I reduce my dosage I kind of feel the same way I have been on 25mg, which I was on for roughly 3 months. I have still have the symptoms of feeling foggy, ability to concentrate, lack of emotions and having headaches here and there. Fish oil, vitamin D and magnesium I feel have helped alot. I feel fatigued but I'm getting myself involved in activities I.e. mountain biking, paragliding, long walks every day, and I have the energy to do these activities. I think the major thing for me is the mind fog, lack emotions and my ability to concentrate. 

 

Should I hold off my taper in this scenario? Or is this something expected throughout the tapering process? 

[Mina]

Just wanted to add I just finished my engineering degree, last semester I personally don't know how I passed and got good grades with all the symptoms I have mentioned above. 

 

Also in terms of my concerns about my symptoms, I have also noticed intrusive and obsessive thoughts, however I feel I've been able to control them and gently quiten them down. 

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Mina, how are you doing?