Falloncat: going off Zoloft after 26 years

[Fallonkat]

Greetings,

I am reaching out to gain support for my efforts to recover from long term Sertraline use.

I am 65,  married , 2 grandkids. professional career. I have stayed on the drug because withdrawing is so difficult. 

 I started tapering 9 months ago, and stopped all together about 2 weeks ago. I was very careful about the taper, hoping that I could finally rid myself of the dependency.

Now I am dealing with major irritability and  weeping. I am trying to hide symptoms from husband and family, as I have not told anyone I am stopping.

I guess I am hoping to hear from others who have survived this phase and can figure out if this is a depressive episode or the effects of sertraline withdrawal. 

Thanks

 

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Falloncat.  A nine month taper, though it might seem long, isn't a very lengthy taper.  The irritability and weeping you're experiencing are typical withdrawal symptoms.  Once we have a little more information, we can better help you.

 

1.  What was your original dose of Sertraline before you started tapering?

 

2. What was the rate of your taper (how fast did you taper)?

 

3. What was your last dose before you stopped 2 weeks ago?

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

[Fallonkat]

Thank you for responding,

My original dose of Zoloft was 150 Mg. My last dose was 12.5 mg.

I inched down about 6 week intervals..

[Gridley]

50 minutes ago, Fallonkat said:

Thank you for responding,

My original dose of Zoloft was 150 Mg. My last dose was 12.5 mg.

I inched down about 6 week intervals..

 

Thank you for the information.

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks, and as you can see your taper was much faster than that.  We also recommend stopping much lower that 12.5mg.  Both of these have contributed to the withdrawal symptoms you're experiencing.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

When we take psychiatric 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.

 

Reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to help alleviate withdrawal syndrome.  The only other alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis.  Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take many months or longer.  

 

Reinstatement isn't a guarantee of diminished symptoms for everyone but it's the best tactic available.  You're still well within the time period where reinstatement predictably works, up to 3 months after last dose.  It is best to reinstate as soon as possible after withdrawal symptoms occur. We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose.  These drugs are strong, your system has become sensitized and If you take too much it may be too much for your brain.  Once you've stabilized on the reinstated  dosage, which can take several months,  you can begin a 10% per month taper down to zero.   Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

I'd recommend a reinstatement of 5mg Sertraline - no more.  It takes about 4 days for a dose change to get to full state in your blood a a few days longer to register in your brain.  It's a good idea to keep daily notes on paper to keep track how your reinstatement is going.

 

I'm not sure what method you used during your taper to reduce your dose.  Cutting pills is not the best method, as you can get inconsistent doses.  The following link is specifically about Sertraline and tell you how to obtain the 5mg dose you'll need for your reinstatement, either by using a liquid or weighing using a digital scale such as the Gemini-20 scale, available on Amazon.

 

Tips for tapering off sertraline (Zoloft)

 

Please let us know what you decide to do.  We can help guide you through the process.

 

Edited August 18, 2020 by ChessieCat
removed whate space at bottom of post