Mariamp: sertraline withdrawal

[mariamp]

This is pretty much my journey with Sertraline:

Started taking 25mg Sertraline in February 2018, 
50mg Sertraline from mid February 2018 to November 2018
25mg Sertraline from November 2018 to February 2019
12.5mg February 2019 - April 2019

Intermittent 12.5 through May 2019

Took last Sertraline dose May 27th 2019

I started taking Sertraline when I was diagnosed with clinical depression in a rehab program back in February 2018. Being medicated really helped me understand I could live life differently but eventually I started thinking that I wanted to be clean from any drug and spoke with my psychiatrist about getting of the Sertraline. I started tampering back in November and now I'm completely off from it.

Have had a bunch of withdrawal symptoms, my psych automatically wanted me to get back on Sertraline but finding this community has made me understand that this too shall pass and if I take it one day at a time I will heal. I've felt super sensitive and now I'm going trough premenstrual syndrome and this! I'm trying really hard to be compassionate with myself but one of my biggest character flaws is that I'm a perfectionist. 

I can't lie, in the past week weeks I've felt desperate at times, last night was really hard for me. My mind made me believe I would feel anticipatory anxiety for ever but I was able to fall asleep with some meditation music. I even had a couple of suicidal thoughts race through, because I feel so desperate and forget that I don't feel like that all the time. It's so easy sometimes to think my thoughts and feelings are facts when they're not. 

I've only been in this community for a few hours and even if I don't know anyone I hope that others will identify with me and I will identify with others.

I'm also a recovering addict and I think applying the NA program to what I'm going through will help me a lot.

Right now I feel fatigued but hope starts to linger. Today has been much better I actually woke up in a pretty good head space, have gone through a lot of anxiety and sensibility but feel much more relaxed now and present. So important to stay present!

[Gridley]

Hello, Mariamp, and welcome to SA.

 

To start, could you please complete a drug signature?  What you've written in your post is fine, all you need to do is enter it using the following link and it will appear below each of your posts.  It's very helpful to the moderators.  Here's the link:

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

You've tapered a bit faster than we recommend (10% of current dose every four weeks), which explains the withdrawal symptoms you're experiencing.  You're right, this too shall pass.  Unfortunately, everyone is different and we can't give you a timeline, but yes, this too shall pass.  Later in this post I'll give you some links to techniques that many members have found very helpful in dealing with withdrawal.  Here's some information on withdrawal:

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

 

This explains it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

We very much recommend using non-drug methods to cope with withdrawal.  These will be useful throughout life.  Please browse through the topics in this link and see which appeal to you.

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

For anxiety, here are some great techniques:

 

Books and recordings by Dr. Claire Weekes:  The Dr. Claire Weekes method of recovering from a sensitized nervous system

Relaxation exercises for calming the nervous system:  Relaxation exercises, guided meditations, calming videos, sleep hypnosis

 

You are so right when you say your thoughts and feelings are facts when they are not.  This is especially so when going of psychiatric drugs.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/14397-neuro-emotions/

 

There will be ups and down in withdrawal as your brain works to regain homeostasis.  I know you are a perfectionist, but withdrawal is a tender time and you need to be kind to yourself.  You may find you can't do as much as when you were on the drug, can't exercise as hard, etc.   Please work to accept these limitations as your system heals.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

While it is often a first response to stress to take a B-Complex, in withdrawal it can be overstimulating.

 

Hypersensitive to B Vitamin or B-Complex  

 

This is your Introduction topic, the place for you to ask questions, post updates and connect with other members.  I'm glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MoreMeditateLessMedicate]

@mariamp

Hello! I'm relatively new here myself.

I quit sertraline back in 2014 on a horribly irresponsible taper that I decided to do on my own. You're doing it the right way - that's one thing I can say for certain.

Take care and welcome!

[mariamp]

@Gridley Thank you so much for the feedback, I was trying to figure out how to change my signature!

 

@MoreMeditateLessMedicate Thank you so much 😊