Kelku85: Hi Everyone!!!

[Kelku85]

Its been 3 days since I stopped sertraline. I was taking it since about a year. Dose was 50mg. Then 25mg. Then 12.5mg… after being on 12.5mg for 6 weeks I started cutting half of it until I couldnt cut it no more. Someone recommended this forum to me so I wish I could resolve many doubts!!

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a peer owned and run forum of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  You have come to the right place.  

 

Can you please give us specific information about your drug history for all drugs you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  Please list the dates you did each of the dose reductions.  It would be especially helpful to have the details of your drugs in a concise vertical list (no symptoms), only drug names, specific dates (as best you can say for example early March if you don't recall the day) and dosages of each medication decrease or increase.  Please read the link below for instructions.  This will allow us to give you the best guidance.  

 

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here is some information about how these drugs actually work.

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

 Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

What is Happening in Your Brain

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

It sounds like you may have done an overly fast taper.  Your dose reductions were 50%.  Tapering is best done extremely slowly, and we generally taper by 10% of the current dose no more than once every 4 weeks, so that the taper becomes exponentially smaller.

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

 

Are you having any symptoms now?  If so, which ones?  I may suggest you do a partial reinstatement to avoid a future withdrawal situation.  This is important, because it can take months to even possibly years for a brain in withdrawal to recover.  Sometimes it can take weeks or months before significant withdrawal shows up. First, I will need to see your drug history before I suggest a reinstatement dose.  The sooner reinstatement is started the better.  

 

Also, as we are recovering, we suggest keeping things slow, simple, and stable. 

 

Keep it Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

Considerations About Stability - Stop Jumping Around

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

 

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

I've given you quite a bit of information here.  Please read through it, and mull it over, and we will take it from there.  I look forward to hearing back from you.