SunThroughTheStorm: debilitating WD and reinstating

October 5, 2018

Hi guys,

I've been without Zoloft for a little over two months (tapered from 75 mg to 0 in about a half year) and just found this site.

My withdrawal symptoms started around three weeks after my last dose, beginning with intense nausea and full body tremors. The most severe symptoms went away in three days, and I experienced gradual progress for about a month. Last week though I started having dizzy spells, and this past Tuesday the hypnic jerks/muscle tremors/nausea all came back at once and aren't showing any signs of letting up. I went to my doctor and he prescribed me 25mg Zoloft, which I started taking yesterday. I made a bit of a mistake while trying to reinstate, and took two of these 25 mg doses in a 12 hour period, and now I feel absolutely miserable. Time is passing incredibly slowly and I feel totally listless.

I have a few questions:

1. I just want to be able to sleep and eat again. Do nausea and sleeplessness typically go away within a few days of reinstating?

2. The reinstating post didn't have any information about Zoloft starting doses. What dose should I take to start reinstating?

3. I have leftover valium. Should I take it? Will taking it reduce the symptoms?

4. Does anyone have any words of encouragement? I'm having a really hard time dealing with this mentally and would love someone to tell me it'll be okay.

Thanks.

SunThroughTheStorm

October 6, 2018

Hi SunThroughTheStorm and welcome to SA,

Firstly, it is not a good idea to take valium. It is a benzo and you can quickly become dependent on it.

The only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms is to take the same drug you were taking. 25mg is most probably too much and it's unfortunate that you accidently took an additional 25mg 12 hours later. However because you have only just started your reinstatement it should be okay to reduce to a much smaller dose (please see next paragraph). When reinstating SA recommends starting with a small dose and if needed increase by a small amount. The idea of reinstating isn't to get rid of withdrawal symptoms completely but to bring them to a bearable level. About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms Please read Post #1 carefully.

It would depend on what you had last taken and when what dose we would suggest. We will need further details before we can suggest what amount to take. Please create your drug signature. Keep it simple - no symptoms or diagnoses just:

details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
summary for older than 2 years - just years and ALL drugs

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

I will provide some helpful links for you to check out:

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline) This topic explains how to get a small dose.

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

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

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

Brain Remodelling

Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

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

October 6, 2018

Hey Chessie,

Thank you so much for the response. I'll give the 12.5mg dose a shot tomorrow morning then and see if I get any reduction in symptoms.

And noted, I'll leave the valium where it is.

Best,

Sun

October 6, 2018

18 minutes ago, SunThroughTheStorm said:

I'll give the 12.5mg dose a shot tomorrow morning

You might find that 5mg is enough. It's been 2 months since you took 12.5mg.

October 6, 2018

Hmm, okay. I'll try that first then.

October 6, 2018

It takes about 4 days for a dose change to get to full level in the blood and a bit longer for it to register in the blood. You will need to be patient and try to stay calm and not panic. Please keep daily symptom on paper. Keep Notes on Paper Rate Symptoms Daily to Check Patterns and Progress There are several formats available here to use: Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

It's also important to learn and use Non-drug techniques to cope with any discomfort.

Please update your signature with new info when you make a change.

Let us know how things go. Once you get stable on a dose it would be as good idea to stay on that dose for about 3-4 months before tapering.

October 6, 2018

11 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

try to stay calm and not panic

Much easier said than done, but I'll try my best.

October 6, 2018

Yes, the mods are going through, or have been through, their own withdrawals so we know how hard it can be.

Understanding what is happening is helpful because then you don't become fearful (second fear) and end up with additional feelings etc which are not related to withdrawal/reinstating.

Audio: First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

Audio: How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

CBT Course: An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

October 7, 2018

Thanks for the resources!

So it's been ~two days since I reinstated, and I'm noticing some of my symptoms going away. My digital scale is only arriving in the mail today, so instead of doing 5 mg like you suggested, I eyeballed about half a pill, which is 12.5 mg. However, every time after I take a pill, I get really consciously anxious for at least a few hours. Is this a sign I should lower the dosage again? Or should I hold here and see where it gets me. For the record:

I took two 25 mg pills, one Friday night, one Saturday morning.

Sunday morning I took a 12.5 mg pill.

This morning I also took a 12.5 mg pill.

Thanks again for all the help, Chessie.

Best,

Sun

October 7, 2018

6 minutes ago, SunThroughTheStorm said:

However, every time after I take a pill, I get really consciously anxious for at least a few hours.

If this has happened every time then it might be better to take 5mg.

October 7, 2018

Alright, thank you.

October 26, 2018

Hey Chessie,

I really want to thank you again. I saw pretty much constant improvement for two weeks. The worst symptoms went away, I was able to sleep 7-9 hours each night, and by this past Sunday, I was back to eating three meals a day. I even went out with friends for the first time since my PAWS started. I didn't feel anywhere close to 100%, but after some CBT and a lot of focus on accepting my condition for what it was, I felt like I could easily handle the symptoms I was feeling long term. However, I think this made me a little overconfident, and after pushing myself a little too hard at work on Monday and Tuesday, I crashed really badly and my symptoms have been pretty intense since.

As I was improving, that feeling of being constantly anxious for a few hours right after taking my medication became less and less pronounced. However, during this dip, it has come back to about 70% of what it was when I reinstated two and a half weeks ago.

Also, some old symptoms which I hadn't experienced for a while, like brain zaps and heart palpitations, came back seemingly all at once. Others, like tremors, muscle spasms, and hypnic jerks, haven't come back, and I'm counting that as a victory. I tried heading back to work today after two days off but had really bad akathisia, almost vomited and had to go home.

Is it normal for symptoms to come back all at once after a period of high stress and persist/morph for a few days during the reinstatement period? My symptoms still aren't the same day-to-day. It's been 20 days since I reinstated at ~6 mg. Should I consider updosing to 12.5mg?

Honestly, it's thanks to your advice that I saw any progress at all, and hopefully you can continue to guide me to a point where my symptoms finally stabilize.

Thanks again. You seriously rock.

Best,

Sun

October 27, 2018

13 hours ago, SunThroughTheStorm said:

Is it normal for symptoms to come back all at once after a period of high stress and persist/morph for a few days during the reinstatement period?

It's normal for symptoms to appear and change at any time during a regular taper and yes, if you get sick or experience external stress that can worsen the symptoms.

13 hours ago, SunThroughTheStorm said:

It's been 20 days since I reinstated at ~6 mg. Should I consider updosing to 12.5mg?

DO NOT go back up to 12.5mg. It will be too much for your brain and could even make things worse.

You need to be patient. Understanding what is happening and that it is part of the process of stabilising can help. It's important not to panic and to try and stay as calm as possible. When we panic we add a second fear to the mix and that itself can cause uncomfortable feelings in the body.

Because your worsening symptoms are most probably due to the increased stress the best thing to do is hold at this dose. It's important to learn and use non drug techniques to get through the tough times, instead of resorting to the drug. Changing your dose can end up destabilising your CNS. And dose changes are cumulative so what worked once before may not necessarily work the next time you try it.

You could try taking Magnesium which is one of 2 supplements that SA recommends. The other is Omega-3 Fish Oil. Only make one change at a time and start with a small dose to see how you react. Magnesium is best taken throughout the day, not just once a day. Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

If in the future you do feel the need to increase your dose, it would only be by a very tiny amount, such as 0.5mg.

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline) This topic explains how to get a small dose.

October 27, 2018

On 10/26/2018 at 9:07 PM, SunThroughTheStorm said:

I crashed really badly and my symptoms have been pretty intense since.

See 3 minute mark: Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

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SunThroughTheStorm: debilitating WD and reinstating

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