forestsNswamps: Zoloft - Short, terrible experience. Looking for help / opinions?

[forestsNswamps]

The past few months have been horrible, I'm confused and looking for answers. I should lead with the fact that I am a 26 year old former daily drinker. Three and a half months ago, I stopped drinking completely and have been sober since. I only share this because I think the vulnerability and healing process of my brain is relevant to the rest of my experience. 

 

February 2021 - I was prescribed Zoloft (Sertraline) at 25mg daily by my GP while complaining about feeling somewhat depressed during an appointment regarding a completely different issue. I took my first dose one week after quitting drinking. A day or two later I felt extremely depressed, hopeless, fatigued, and suicidal. I chalked it up to new sobriety, and had also been warned that I would experience side effects at the beginning of Zoloft. Rode it out for a week, then began to feel "normal". 

 

For the following two and a half weeks, I felt okay. Looking back, I had an extreme amount of physical energy but very little ability to feel anything. Sleep was restless and difficult. But I was functioning, and thought the Zoloft was working. 

 

At exactly the 30 day mark of being on Zoloft, I felt like I was put in hell. Extreme wave of suicidal thoughts, anxiety, agitation. I spent two days wrapped up in a blanket and then had to go to my parents' to be safe. I knew this could be a side effect of Zoloft. My GP told me to quit after a taper period of 2 weeks and see how I felt. I didn't listen, and quit abruptly (I was terrified). These symptoms lasted for 2 more weeks, but lifting slightly each day. Like slowly coming out of a fog. After 2 weeks I was okay for a time. 

 

Here follows 10 days of feeling okay. 

 

After these 10 days, nearly a month after quitting Zoloft, the symptoms returned. Fatigue, depression, severe anxiety, racing thoughts, suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, agitation. Not quite as severe as the original bout, but still debilitating. I'm back at my parent's house while I figure out what's going on. 

 

It has now been 3.5 months since beginning Zoloft, and 2.5 months since quitting. The symptoms are persisting. I record them each day, and have noticed an very small daily drop in severity and larger windows of time when I feel like my normal self (usually not more than a few hours out of the day). 

 

I'm confused. I was only at 25mg for a month, but my gut is telling me this has to be an effect of Zoloft wreaking havoc on my brain while it's in an already vulnerable state. So far the only solution from the doctor has been to take propanolol as needed, which I've so far refused to do. Bipolar disorder has been brought up as a possibility, but it's my opinion that it's too soon to begin the medication merry-go-round, and I need to know how my brain functions on a clean slate (i.e. no medications, no alcohol) before making that decision. That being said, I'm terrified and in psychological pain every day. There was no sign of any of these symptoms at any point in my life right up until beginning Zoloft.

 

Please, I'm looking for any opinions, comments, relatable stories, anything. Even if you think I'm wrong in my suspicions, that is also helpful. 

[Shep]

Hi, forestsNswamps.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA).

 

Congratulations on your continuing sobriety. I'm sorry that a clueless GP derailed you with a psychiatric drug. But please know these symptoms are temporary.

 

15 hours ago, forestsNswamps said:

I took my first dose one week after quitting drinking. A day or two later I felt extremely depressed, hopeless, fatigued, and suicidal. I chalked it up to new sobriety, and had also been warned that I would experience side effects at the beginning of Zoloft. Rode it out for a week, then began to feel "normal". 

 

For the following two and a half weeks, I felt okay. Looking back, I had an extreme amount of physical energy but very little ability to feel anything. Sleep was restless and difficult. But I was functioning, and thought the Zoloft was working. 

 

At exactly the 30 day mark of being on Zoloft, I felt like I was put in hell. Extreme wave of suicidal thoughts, anxiety, agitation.

 

It takes about a month to develop dependency on a SSRI. So it's unclear if you're dealing with only withdrawal or if it's a mix of withdrawal and an adverse reaction. 

 

For this reason, I'm going to report your first post to get some feedback from the other staff because you may be better off staying off this drug rather than reinstating a small amount to taper. I'll leave you some information to read while we wait for more feedback. 

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

Healing from antidepressants. Patterns of recovery video (4 minutes)

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

You may find some helpful information to handle your symptoms here: 

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements, as many members report their nervous systems are simply too fragile to handle them. However, magnesium and fish oil tend to be calming to the nervous system and many people report they do help. Please only add in one supplement at a time and at a small dose. For more, please see:

 

 King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

Please continue to use this thread to document your recovery and to post questions. 

[Shep]

21 hours ago, Shep said:

For this reason, I'm going to report your first post to get some feedback from the other staff because you may be better off staying off this drug rather than reinstating a small amount to taper.

 

@forestsNswamps The feedback I received from other staff was to not reinstate. Please check out the links provided on non-drug coping and maybe add in a bit of fish oil or magnesium (one at a time and at a low dose) and see if that takes the edge off your symptoms. Gentle exercise and a healthy diet will also help nurture your sensitive nervous system. 

 

Let us know how you're feeling and if you have any questions. 

[Altostrata]

Hello, @forestsNswamps

 

We have seen some people have a fairly immediate adverse reaction to an antidepressant and after they go off, they have symptoms identical to protracted withdrawal syndrome. It appears this is what happened to you, though your immediate adverse reaction was tolerable enough that you continued to take the drug for a month. When your nervous system had enough of the chemical stress, it sent up warning flares.

 

From what we've seen, you will see frustratingly uneven gradual recovery, as Shep has described.

 

On 5/24/2021 at 3:05 PM, forestsNswamps said:

The symptoms are persisting. I record them each day, and have noticed an very small daily drop in severity and larger windows of time when I feel like my normal self (usually not more than a few hours out of the day). 

 

This is a good sign, after only 3.5 months off the drug. Recovery will take months, not weeks.

 

You need to treat your nervous system very gently, especially since you have that history with alcohol and its adverse effects. Reinstatement or additional antidepressants or other strenuous drug treatment may cause "kindling" -- additional rejection of the drugs by your nervous system.

 

Try to stay calm as possible, eat fresh foods with plenty of fruit and veggies; minimize sugar, packaged food, junk food, artificial additives; be sure to get at least 1/2 hour of gentle exercise, such as walking, every day.

 

Good sleep is important, too. How is your sleep?

 

Many people find fish oil and magnesium supplements helpful, see

 

https://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

 

https://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

You might try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you.

[Paxil3days]

On 5/24/2021 at 3:05 PM, forestsNswamps said:

The past few months have been horrible, I'm confused and looking for answers. I should lead with the fact that I am a 26 year old former daily drinker. Three and a half months ago, I stopped drinking completely and have been sober since. I only share this because I think the vulnerability and healing process of my brain is relevant to the rest of my experience. 

 

February 2021 - I was prescribed Zoloft (Sertraline) at 25mg daily by my GP while complaining about feeling somewhat depressed during an appointment regarding a completely different issue. I took my first dose one week after quitting drinking. A day or two later I felt extremely depressed, hopeless, fatigued, and suicidal. I chalked it up to new sobriety, and had also been warned that I would experience side effects at the beginning of Zoloft. Rode it out for a week, then began to feel "normal". 

 

For the following two and a half weeks, I felt okay. Looking back, I had an extreme amount of physical energy but very little ability to feel anything. Sleep was restless and difficult. But I was functioning, and thought the Zoloft was working. 

 

At exactly the 30 day mark of being on Zoloft, I felt like I was put in hell. Extreme wave of suicidal thoughts, anxiety, agitation. I spent two days wrapped up in a blanket and then had to go to my parents' to be safe. I knew this could be a side effect of Zoloft. My GP told me to quit after a taper period of 2 weeks and see how I felt. I didn't listen, and quit abruptly (I was terrified). These symptoms lasted for 2 more weeks, but lifting slightly each day. Like slowly coming out of a fog. After 2 weeks I was okay for a time. 

 

Here follows 10 days of feeling okay. 

 

After these 10 days, nearly a month after quitting Zoloft, the symptoms returned. Fatigue, depression, severe anxiety, racing thoughts, suicidal thoughts, detachment from reality, agitation. Not quite as severe as the original bout, but still debilitating. I'm back at my parent's house while I figure out what's going on. 

 

It has now been 3.5 months since beginning Zoloft, and 2.5 months since quitting. The symptoms are persisting. I record them each day, and have noticed an very small daily drop in severity and larger windows of time when I feel like my normal self (usually not more than a few hours out of the day). 

 

I'm confused. I was only at 25mg for a month, but my gut is telling me this has to be an effect of Zoloft wreaking havoc on my brain while it's in an already vulnerable state. So far the only solution from the doctor has been to take propanolol as needed, which I've so far refused to do. Bipolar disorder has been brought up as a possibility, but it's my opinion that it's too soon to begin the medication merry-go-round, and I need to know how my brain functions on a clean slate (i.e. no medications, no alcohol) before making that decision. That being said, I'm terrified and in psychological pain every day. There was no sign of any of these symptoms at any point in my life right up until beginning Zoloft.

 

Please, I'm looking for any opinions, comments, relatable stories, anything. Even if you think I'm wrong in my suspicions, that is also helpful. 

@forestsNswamps I literally was on Paxil for 3 days and slowly recovering. I am shocked as you at how short of time these drugs can do so much .  But recovery is possibly hang in there we all need each other on here.

[Shep]

@forestsNswampsHow are you feeling?