Valentina2112: Introduction

[Valentina2112]

I’ve joined this site because I recently stopped taking Zoloft, just about a week ago.

It might be soon to already be worrying about this, but the symptoms so far have been hard to deal with. I’ve been trying to get through college, and pursue my interests (like bass playing, which I’ve been doing for a while and now want to take more seriously and really get into), but I’ve had a hard time because I’ve been tired and weak, and have been forgetful and unable to focus. For a week or two (before and after stopping Zoloft) I was waking up in the middle of the night EVERY night with the worst anxiety, and it still happens every other night and I have a hard time getting back to sleep. I never had this issue before Zoloft. 

Another important thing I have never mentioned aloud but would like to mention here, is that I feel like I was coerced into taking Zoloft. The mental health center I go to only offered therapy and psychiatry together. I had to take meds to get therapy and vice versa.

In general, my goal is to not let my symptoms get in the way of doing what I want to do. My hope is that this site can provide me with connections to others with the same problem, because we are more powerful when we work together or at least in unison. 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Valentina and welcome to SA,

 

The only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms is to reinstate a small amount of the drug you were taking.  The idea of reinstating isn't to get rid of withdrawal symptoms but to bring them to bearable level.  Please carefully read Post #1 of this topic:  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

If you decide to reinstate we can suggest what dose you could try.  It may be less than the last dose you taking.

 

Thank you for creating your drug signature.  To help us out please add additional information:

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These topics have helpful information:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

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

 

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

[Valentina2112]

How should I go about reinstating Zoloft if I was taking 50mg, then stopped for about a week? I don’t have immediate access to any smaller doses of Zoloft than 50 (I have 100mg tablets that split in half), and it may be two weeks since stopping Zoloft by the time I get more (in liquid form or otherwise).

 

If I want to reinstate independently because I don’t want to wait, is there any safe way of splitting or crushing tablets?

 

This is a semi-immediate/urgent issue to me (I want to do it within the next few days). Should I consult my psychiatrist about this? This is what I would like to know before attempting reinstatement/tapering/etc. 

 

And final question: should I aim for half the original dosage I was at (which was 50mg, so 25mg) or shoot lower/how much lower? 

 

** No significance to differently formatted text, just can’t change it at the moment because I’m on mobile/not at my laptop.

 

Edited October 9, 2018 by ChessieCat
space added/text size changed

[ChessieCat]

No you do not need to see a psychiatrist.

 

Yes, I think reinstating at 25mg would be a good start.  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 brain.  Please keep daily symptom notes on paper which can help you tell how reinstatement is going.  It will take about 1 week to work out if you might need to increase, and if you do need to increase it will only be a small amount (depending on symptom improvement) so let us know how things are going and we can offer a suggestion about the increase.

 

Please take your dose every day and at about the same time.

 

It is possible to create your own Zoloft liquid by dissolving the tablet in water.  We have members tapering making their own.  Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

You could dissolve 100mg tablet in 100mL of water and take 25mL of the liquid.  This will be a 25mg dose.  The liquid can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container.  Please use the same method and tools each time you make your liquid dose.  it is important to be consistent.

[Valentina2112]

Tried to cut a 100mg pill into quarters with a knife today but it came out uneven. I took what I would say is ~20mg. I may have to go out and find a proper pill cutter/a means to weigh the pills for this today or tomorrow morning so my doses are more accurate, since at the moment I’m just depending on a knife and looking at the pill sizes, and I’d rather not risk big errors. 

I took the pill at ~5:35pm. I will be updating about my symptoms here within the next day/2 days. 

[ChessieCat]

3 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

It is possible to create your own Zoloft liquid by dissolving the tablet in water.  We have members tapering making their own.  Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

You could dissolve 100mg tablet in 100mL of water and take 25mL of the liquid.  This will be a 25mg dose.  The liquid can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container.  Please use the same method and tools each time you make your liquid dose.  it is important to be consistent.

 

[Valentina2112]

I reinstated Zoloft just two days ago, and I’m already getting symptoms like gas/bloating, which causes me to have pain/intestinal cramps. I also get a feeling of urgency like I might have diarrhea or something  sometimes but I go and it‘s all normal. The symptoms sound mild, but have really been bothering me, especially at night. 

It has started to affect my sleep because, for a few weeks now, I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night terrified I’m going to throw up. This hasn’t happened, and it’s mostly fueled by my terrible emetophobia. However, since I reinstated Zoloft I’ve been having more difficulty controlling this anxiety (because I have more “proof” that I’m sick, etc. not because Zoloft itself has increased my anxiety, I don’t think. It could play a role, but I’ll leave that to another topic). It’s really been ruining my quality of sleep. The anxiety itself I can sorta deal with, but it takes me a few hours to get calm enough to sleep again. 

I will be sticking to my tapering/reinstatement regimen, but I’m not sure how to go about trying to solve/control these gastric problems and anxiety. 

[ChessieCat]

On 10/9/2018 at 5:12 PM, ChessieCat said:

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

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

Claire Weekes' Method

 

Audio:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)
 

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

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes
 

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

Edited October 11, 2018 by ChessieCat