Shazamichelle: 3 months after CT off Zoloft / sertraline

[Shazamichelle]

Hi, I am 3 months down the line of no Sertraline. 150mgs for 6 years.

I went cold turkey.

My withdrawal has been horrendous, to the point I wanted to take my own life.

I completely went to pieces. At times i could barely walk. I had terrible tremors, couldn't sleep, electrical shocks pulsating through my body, my body kept jerking, I could barely put a sentence together some days and when I did I sounded drunk. My eyes were darting everywhere even when i closed my eyes.

Today, 3 months later, I'm getting there, day by day. The symptoms have lessened, but I still don't feel right. I am not on any medication and for me no matter how bad things get, I will not go back down that route.

I have found self help groups on social media amazing. My therapy is bare feet in the mud and grass, planting and watching things grow. I also took up writing, I started  to write poems about my journey and started a blog. My aim is to try and keep peace all around me whilst I heal and learn about me without meds. I also have a thirst for knowledge on how to heal naturally. It can be done. X

 

[Carmie]

Hi Shazamichelle, 

 

Welcome to SA. I’m sorry you’ve gone through such severe withdrawals, but I’m glad you’re starting to feel a bit better. A lot of people have cold turkeyed off their meds, myself included in the past. I knew nothing about withdrawals. I got such severe akathisia that I also felt suicidal like you too. 

 

Jumping off at 150mg after being on it is a big jump.

 

The only thing that we’ve found when people have cold turkeyed that may help is reintroducing a really tiny amount of the medication that they were on, starting as low as 0.5mg and then tapering that slowly once a person has stabilised. It’s best done within the first three months though. The sooner one does it, the better. It doesn’t always work, and occasionally it makes things worse, but we’ve found a large majority have benefited from doing this. Everyone has to make their own decision as regards reinstatement though. 

 

The founder of this site, Alto, cold turkeyed and she went through withdrawals for over eight years. That’s the reason she started the site. She wanted to warn people not to cold turkey but to taper slowly. 

 

It looks like you’ve got your self care down pat. Well done! I love walking around in nature barefoot too. I live in a unit and only have a small balcony but I guess I could always add a few more plants there. I’ve only got two small trees on the balcony. I really want to plant herbs though, it would be great to have them at the ready. 

 

Are your symptoms worse at any particular time of the day? Are you sleeping okay?

 

Are you on any supplements? Some supplements can ramp up our symptoms too. The only two supplements recommended on this site are magnesium and fish oil, though I tried magnesium and it really ramped up my symptoms. A lot of people have found it really beneficial though. 

 

Please continue to let us know how you’re doing, sending hugs🤗

Edited August 28, 2019 by Carmie
Clarification

[Shazamichelle]

Can any one tell me please if they have heard of prolactin levels being affected by Sertraline?

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on this site.  Before creating a new topic, please either use the site search function or use a search engine and add survivingantidepressants.org to your search term.

 

This prolactin topic appears to contain some comments which may be controversial.  To get a balanced view please be sure to read all of the comments, especially the ones made by Altostrata, this site's founder.

 

Some other members have changes in their levels:  drug-induced-hyperprolactinemia-high-prolactin

 

[ChessieCat]

You might want to consider reinstating a very small amount of Zoloft.  You could try 1mg.  It is better to increase by small amounts than to risk taking too much.

 

Please do not go back on the last dose your were taking.  It has been 3 months since you took Zoloft and your brain will have made some adaptions since then.  If you take too much it can make things much worse.

 

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

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

[ChessieCat]

Here's some additional information which might help you to understand what is happening:

 

Recovery isn't linear it happens in a Windows and Waves Pattern

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

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

 

These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

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.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[Sassenach]

Hi Shaza

 

How are you feeling now?

 

Sassenach

[Shazamichelle]

Still can't get my head round this site. Where you are supposed to post , how to post etc. Starting a topic, posting in the right place.

[Shazamichelle]

I am looking at reinstating Sertraline after 9 months . I went cold turkey in May last year. Withdrawal has been horrendous, I have had no support from my GP .

I have been left with a functional movement disorder and have had all I can take,  I know what to expect with Sertraline . I know what is does to me.  I understand if I reinstate they are likely to go with 50mg to start. Has anyone done this after a long period of time of being off it and how did it go?

If I have posted in the wrong place I apologise , feel free to delete.

[manymoretodays]

Hi Shazamichelle, @Shazamichelle and welcome back,

I was able to find your Introduction, from last August, so moved your most recent post back here.

So sorry that you are still struggling.

It's good to have all your information in one place.  That way I can see, what information was given to you before.  And can read some of your previous posts.

 

Did you decide not to try a low dose reinstatement, back before you left then?

And so sorry, if that sounds redundant.

 

On 8/30/2019 at 2:41 AM, ChessieCat said:

You might want to consider reinstating a very small amount of Zoloft.  You could try 1mg.  It is better to increase by small amounts than to risk taking too much.

 

Please do not go back on the last dose your were taking.  It has been 3 months since you took Zoloft and your brain will have made some adaptions since then.  If you take too much it can make things much worse.

 

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

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

5 hours ago, Shazamichelle said:

I have been left with a functional movement disorder and have had all I can take,  I know what to expect with Sertraline . I know what is does to me. 

 

Please look at the reinstatement topic again , please.  We don't generally endorse large dose reinstatements after 9 months.  And there is more about the risks of reinstatements in that topic.

I think the quote from Ccat  still applies ^ to your present situation.  And......  in the Tips for tapering topic, you'll see more about how to get to the low dose, that you would use, for a more harm reduction method of reinstatement.

 

And I'm so sorry that you have developed a functional movement disorder......sounds awful.  Did you CT turkey off your sertraline 9 months ago?  We do, frequently, see WD syndrome at 9 months out.  When did this develop?  And have you seen any doctors for this?  Were you able to mention your WD to them?

 

What is Withdrawal syndrome?

Dr. Glenmullen's WD symptoms checklist

 

What WDsymptoms have you experienced in the last 6 months?

Any improvements noted?

Or any symptoms that have come and gone?

5 hours ago, Shazamichelle said:

I know what is does to me.  I understand if I reinstate they are likely to go with 50mg to start. Has anyone done this after a long period of time of being off it and how did it go?

If I have posted in the wrong place I apologise , feel free to delete.

 

What did the sertraline do for you at full doses?

 

I found a couple topics that might be relevent to your question ^

Did antidepressant reinstatement work for you?

 

Has anyone decided that it was best for them to stay on meds indefinitely?

this one somewhat applies.

 

You are welcome to post in those last 2 topics, if you'd like.  I'm not sure if your mind is made up or not......already.  I just felt obligated to give you, perhaps more information that you asked for. 

We are basically a site for tapering and WD, and then support around that......I think you are aware of that. 

You might find more around those who decide to remedicate in depression forums.

 

Meantime, welcome back.  You may want to stay around for support too, after all you are in WD. 

And again, so sorry, that it's been really hard.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

moderator manymoretodays(mmt)

Edited February 25, 2020 by manymoretodays

[Shazamichelle]

. 1mg???? As far as I am aware, that size dose is not available in UK. So no I didn't .

Yes I have seen doctors, its all in my mind. Functional . Withdrawal doesn't last longer than a few weeks according to them. They offered me a Psychiatrist and to go back on Sertraline. 

My 'functional neurological disorder' started about 2 weeks after cold turkey, my daughter said it was sooner, but I just thought it was a tremor. Its no longer a tremor. 

I no longer know what I want regards reinstating.