sbanksby: Zoloft withdrawal and long lasting digestive issues

[sbanksby]

Hi everyone,

 

I was on Zoloft for 8 weeks from June-August. I had a pretty rough time on it, I was nauseous all the time and it was difficult to eat. However not eating made the nausea even worse, I would gag constantly. I had tons of other issues with it and eventually I had to stop the 50mg abruptly because I had such severe insomnia from it I was only sleeping 1-2 hours a night. 
 

Withdrawal was pretty rough, a was a shell of a person. Really irritable, exhausted, awful night terrors, dizziness etc. However the worst part that has now lasted over 3 months is the digestive issues. I’m fairly fit and workout, eat a healthy diet and so on, never had any issues with bloating or digestive problems. A few days after stopped Zoloft any, and everything made my stomach so bloated it felt like it would explode. It has gotten slightly better since I’ve been learning to manage it but I’m still sad it’s ongoing. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced this? And how long it took to subside?. I’m at a total loss for next steps. The Gastroparesis page on Reddit is fairly relatable but I’m not sure what my stomach issue actually is. 
 

Any common experiences, guidance, and opinions are welcome! 
 

thanks 

[Kiasofia]

Welcome @sbanksby

I'm sorry for the problems Zoloft has caused and is causing you, but glad you found your way here. Are digestive issues the only current withdrawal symptom? Have the others subsided?

 

It is common to develop food sensitivities after quitting (or while tapering) psychiatric drugs. You can try eliminating or reducing the common "problem causers" and see if that helps. (gluten, dairy, corn, sugar, additives) I've been (more) bothered with my stomach since tapering and I do better when I avoid these things and eat mostly whole foods. I occasionally indulge, but I get very bloated, so at least I now know what to do if I want to avoid it. I find my mood and energy improves when I avoid these things, so I plan to continue limiting them, but do hope to get my more robust digestive system back.

 

Here are some of the threads we have on food and diet:

 

Elimination or exclusion diets for reactions to food (food intolerance)

 

Eating as an activating factor

 

Probiotics and gut health

 

Gluten and depression

 

Gut health influences emotions, thinking

 

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