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MadelynA: Zoloft


MadelynA

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Hi there! I am so thankful to have found this forum. I have struggled for years wanting to get off of Zoloft, but every time I attempted to taper off (with my psychiatrist’s guidance) I became unbearably emotional. It has always been assumed that I “just can’t be off my meds.” But I believe that I can, especially after learning about why it has been so very difficult for me. I have been reading articles here, and purchased a mg scale. I am having trouble with converting the weight of my pill to the mg it represents. My 25 mg tablet weighs 0.07g (I did calibrate it correctly numerous times). No matter how much I bend my brain I cannot make sense of it. I have been tapering 10% of the weight per month and am down to 0.029g. I would think that would be about 29mg, but I started with 25 mg, so it should be considerably less. I have been looking for an explanation for this but have not found it. 

2014-severe postpartum depression, placed on 50mg Zoloft 2015-increase to 75mg Zoloft 2018-attempted to taper off Zoloft with MD guidance, large reductions (25-50%) leading to severe withdrawal 2019- remain on 75mg 

10/19-taper to 50mg, somewhat tolerated Beginning of 2020-taper to 3/4 of pill (had no scale) approx. 37.5 mg End of 2020-taper to 25 mg Zoloft (0.07 g pill weight)       found SA:

5/20/21- taper to 0.065 g pill weight, no adverse effects  6/20/21-taper to 0.06 g pill weight  7/20/21- taper to 0.055g PW, switch to liquid. 8/21 0.05 g PW 9/21 0.048 PW 10/21 0.045 PW 11/21 0.043 then 0.04 PW 11/21 0.38 PW then O. 032 PW 12/21 0.025 PW 1/22 0.02 PW toggled with 0.025 2/22 0.02 toggled with 0.01 PW 3/22 forgot dose several days in a row, off. Some tearfulness but decided not to updose 

currently off all meds but supplementing with Mg complex 

 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to MadelineA: Zoloft
  • Moderator
1 hour ago, MadelynA said:

Hi there! I am so thankful to have found this forum. I have struggled for years wanting to get off of Zoloft, but every time I attempted to taper off (with my psychiatrist’s guidance) I became unbearably emotional. It has always been assumed that I “just can’t be off my meds.” But I believe that I can, especially after learning about why it has been so very difficult for me. I have been reading articles here, and purchased a mg scale. I am having trouble with converting the weight of my pill to the mg it represents. My 25 mg tablet weighs 0.07g (I did calibrate it correctly numerous times). No matter how much I bend my brain I cannot make sense of it. I have been tapering 10% of the weight per month and am down to 0.029g. I would think that would be about 29mg, but I started with 25 mg, so it should be considerably less. I have been looking for an explanation for this but have not found it. 

Hi @MadelynA

welcome to SA. You are not alone in being told that you can't be off the drugs because doctors attribute withdrawal symptoms to a relapse. That is not true. You can come off of your drugs. These drugs are no better than placebo. 

 

Regarding your pill weights: 

Your pill is weighing 0.07g or 70mg because in addition to the active ingredient, it also has fillers, substances to make it into a pill form and hold the active ingredient stable under normal temperature etc. 

 

So If 70mg pill weight has 25mg active ingredient then approximately 36% (35.71% to be exact) of the pill weight is active ingredient. That means that 0.029g pill weight is 29mg pill weight (1g=1000mg) and the active ingredient in that is 29*0.3571=~10.36mg - you're down to about 40% of your original 25mg

 

For your calculations it doesn't matter whether you cut 10% of the pill weight or 10% of the active ingredient weight. However, if your pills change (i.e. a new manufacturer - new shape/color etc) your pill weight for the same active ingredient weight may differ.

 

Also, because there is some variations in pill weight, many people measure 10 different pills and then average the weight over that. 

 

You may find this thread helpful: Using a scale to weigh and measure doses - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

 

Welcome again to SA and kudos for doing this slowly and properly at 10%. Have you had any withdrawal symptoms? Hope you won't get any! 
 

Stay well, 
OMW

 

 

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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I have had some withdrawal symptoms. I did one cut about two weeks ago a little faster than the one month mark. I experienced severe emotional anguish and uncontrollable crying. Truly alarming effects, unwanted thoughts and fear of being admitted to a hospital. (Passive SI, etc). It causes major problems in my marriage when this happens bc my husband does not understand what’s going on. I reinstated the prior dose, and am waiting the full month now to taper again. I’m at such a tiny dose I may need to taper less at this point. Also I noted that my withdraw symptoms take a couple days to hit, which makes sense since the half life of Zoloft is about a day. Thank you so very much for the charts and tips—I think I have plenty of my current pills to last several months on the small doses I am on. 
 

 

2014-severe postpartum depression, placed on 50mg Zoloft 2015-increase to 75mg Zoloft 2018-attempted to taper off Zoloft with MD guidance, large reductions (25-50%) leading to severe withdrawal 2019- remain on 75mg 

10/19-taper to 50mg, somewhat tolerated Beginning of 2020-taper to 3/4 of pill (had no scale) approx. 37.5 mg End of 2020-taper to 25 mg Zoloft (0.07 g pill weight)       found SA:

5/20/21- taper to 0.065 g pill weight, no adverse effects  6/20/21-taper to 0.06 g pill weight  7/20/21- taper to 0.055g PW, switch to liquid. 8/21 0.05 g PW 9/21 0.048 PW 10/21 0.045 PW 11/21 0.043 then 0.04 PW 11/21 0.38 PW then O. 032 PW 12/21 0.025 PW 1/22 0.02 PW toggled with 0.025 2/22 0.02 toggled with 0.01 PW 3/22 forgot dose several days in a row, off. Some tearfulness but decided not to updose 

currently off all meds but supplementing with Mg complex 

 

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  • Moderator

Hi @MadelynA

it's quite hard when these symptoms hit, I totally understand. It may be good to wait even longer if you've had symptoms. Have you considered micro-tapering for an even gentler method. Brassmonkey has a method where he lowered by 2.5% of previous dose every week for 4 weeks and then held for an extra two week period to settle things down. This ends up being around 6% a month overall. I am currently following that method. You could also do even smaller and more frequent decreases such as 0.5% every day for 7 days, wait a week and then another 0.5% for 7 days. That would give you about 6.3% drop in four weeks. It would be hard to measure unless you did liquid but that's just an example - there are many possibilities. 

 

Sometimes, people have trouble at specific dosages - they will be stumped at 4mg or 6.7mg and if they hold for a few months then can pass that hurdle. We don't know why that is. At some point I had trouble tapering even 1%. But everyone does pass those hurdles with enough time. 

 

 

 

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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I would not mind a micro-taper, but I have found that cutting my pill and getting consistent weights is pretty tricky. I don’t think my doctor would support me in ordering liquid. I feel like all the “forces that be” want me on meds for life. I will try a slower taper, thanks for the suggestion! 

2014-severe postpartum depression, placed on 50mg Zoloft 2015-increase to 75mg Zoloft 2018-attempted to taper off Zoloft with MD guidance, large reductions (25-50%) leading to severe withdrawal 2019- remain on 75mg 

10/19-taper to 50mg, somewhat tolerated Beginning of 2020-taper to 3/4 of pill (had no scale) approx. 37.5 mg End of 2020-taper to 25 mg Zoloft (0.07 g pill weight)       found SA:

5/20/21- taper to 0.065 g pill weight, no adverse effects  6/20/21-taper to 0.06 g pill weight  7/20/21- taper to 0.055g PW, switch to liquid. 8/21 0.05 g PW 9/21 0.048 PW 10/21 0.045 PW 11/21 0.043 then 0.04 PW 11/21 0.38 PW then O. 032 PW 12/21 0.025 PW 1/22 0.02 PW toggled with 0.025 2/22 0.02 toggled with 0.01 PW 3/22 forgot dose several days in a row, off. Some tearfulness but decided not to updose 

currently off all meds but supplementing with Mg complex 

 

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  • Moderator

Hi @MadelynA

you could make your own liquid by dissolving the tablet. This thread has instructions and further links. 

 

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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Oh thank you!!! 

2014-severe postpartum depression, placed on 50mg Zoloft 2015-increase to 75mg Zoloft 2018-attempted to taper off Zoloft with MD guidance, large reductions (25-50%) leading to severe withdrawal 2019- remain on 75mg 

10/19-taper to 50mg, somewhat tolerated Beginning of 2020-taper to 3/4 of pill (had no scale) approx. 37.5 mg End of 2020-taper to 25 mg Zoloft (0.07 g pill weight)       found SA:

5/20/21- taper to 0.065 g pill weight, no adverse effects  6/20/21-taper to 0.06 g pill weight  7/20/21- taper to 0.055g PW, switch to liquid. 8/21 0.05 g PW 9/21 0.048 PW 10/21 0.045 PW 11/21 0.043 then 0.04 PW 11/21 0.38 PW then O. 032 PW 12/21 0.025 PW 1/22 0.02 PW toggled with 0.025 2/22 0.02 toggled with 0.01 PW 3/22 forgot dose several days in a row, off. Some tearfulness but decided not to updose 

currently off all meds but supplementing with Mg complex 

 

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to MadelynA: Zoloft

Hi @Madelyn

 

In the next couple of days i will be making the switch to making my own sertraline liquid.  I did a test and mine dissolves almost immediately in water.  I am still at a higher dose than you but i figured that i could get my dose more accurate with liquid.   Good luck! x

Sertraline (Lustral):  2014. Sept 50mg. Oct 100mg. Dec 150mg. 2015-2019. 150mg. 2019  Apr-May 0mg. Beg May 150mg. End May 100mg. Late June 125mg. Late Aug 100mg. 2020 Jan 75mg. April 50mg.

2022  50mg. 1Jan 45mg. 1Feb 40.5mg. Water T24Feb 39.5mg. 3Mar 38.5mg. 18Mar 38mg. 25Mar 37.5mg. 22Apr 37mg. 5May 36.5mg. 18May 36mg. 1Jun 35.3mg. 15Jun 34.5mg.  30Jun 34mg. 15Jul 33.5mg. 22Jul 33mg. 5Aug 32.5mg. 19Aug 32mg. 1Sept 31.5mg. 1Oct 31mg.  27 Oct 30.5. 16 Nov 30mg. 30 Nov 29.5mg. 14 Dec 29mg

2023. 2 Jan 28.5mg. 6 Feb 28mg. 10 Mar 27.5mg. 1 Apr 26.5mg. 1 May 26mg. 1 Jun 25.5mg. 1 Jul 25mg. 1 Aug 24.5mg. 17 Aug 24mg. 5 Sept 23.5mg. 9 Oct 23mg.

 

Desogestrel:  2014 -  present:  

Supplements Magnesium. 400mcg  Vitamin D. 10mcg.  Multivit/min. 1 tab. B Complex

 

Certirizine:   2022 May 10mg. Dec 20mg. 2023. 15mg.

 Omeprazole.:  2016 20mg. 2022  20mg.  15Jan 15mg. 9Feb 10mg. 25Feb 6.5mg. 15Mar 3mg. 3Apr 1.5mg.  15Apr 0mg   2023. 20mg. 15 Sept 15mg.

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  • 1 month later...

I have made my own liquid and have started using that. I am currently on 6mg and shifted to 6mg liquid. I figure I lose some due to inconsistency within the suspension, so I am allowing my body to adjust to the liquid. Even the switch to liquid has been difficult. I have cried all day long today and I am exhausted. Also experiencing some passive SI, but I know that will resolve. I want so badly for this medication taper to be complete! The end really is the most difficult! 

2014-severe postpartum depression, placed on 50mg Zoloft 2015-increase to 75mg Zoloft 2018-attempted to taper off Zoloft with MD guidance, large reductions (25-50%) leading to severe withdrawal 2019- remain on 75mg 

10/19-taper to 50mg, somewhat tolerated Beginning of 2020-taper to 3/4 of pill (had no scale) approx. 37.5 mg End of 2020-taper to 25 mg Zoloft (0.07 g pill weight)       found SA:

5/20/21- taper to 0.065 g pill weight, no adverse effects  6/20/21-taper to 0.06 g pill weight  7/20/21- taper to 0.055g PW, switch to liquid. 8/21 0.05 g PW 9/21 0.048 PW 10/21 0.045 PW 11/21 0.043 then 0.04 PW 11/21 0.38 PW then O. 032 PW 12/21 0.025 PW 1/22 0.02 PW toggled with 0.025 2/22 0.02 toggled with 0.01 PW 3/22 forgot dose several days in a row, off. Some tearfulness but decided not to updose 

currently off all meds but supplementing with Mg complex 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
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You new topic has been moved to an existing topic.  There are many existing topics on SA and SA likes to keep similar information in one place so it is easier for members to find.  Before creating a new topic please do a search to see if one already exists.  You can use the site search function or an internet search engine and add site:survivingantidepressants.org to the search term.  The following search term easily found the existing topic: site:survivingantidepressants.org cry.

 

deep-emotional-pain-and-crying-spells-spontaneous-weeping

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update: I have been slowly tapering my dose since making my own liquid. I have had some extra sensitivity and tearfulness, but overall this has been tolerable once my body adjusted to the liquid. Last month I became ill and because of the sickness and extra sleep I forgot my medication for several days in a row (since it is painstaking to mix up). I was feeling emotional, but not intolerably so, and I decided not to reinstate snd to ride it out. I do know this is not advisable, but I figured that if I felt overly miserable I could reinstate. It has now been about a month snd I can say that I feel about the same as I did on the meds. I have started supplementing magnesium (no difference yet), and am working towards increasing my physical activity level. I never plan on going back to psychotropic meds, snd I hope that I can handle my life’s next trauma when it comes. 

2014-severe postpartum depression, placed on 50mg Zoloft 2015-increase to 75mg Zoloft 2018-attempted to taper off Zoloft with MD guidance, large reductions (25-50%) leading to severe withdrawal 2019- remain on 75mg 

10/19-taper to 50mg, somewhat tolerated Beginning of 2020-taper to 3/4 of pill (had no scale) approx. 37.5 mg End of 2020-taper to 25 mg Zoloft (0.07 g pill weight)       found SA:

5/20/21- taper to 0.065 g pill weight, no adverse effects  6/20/21-taper to 0.06 g pill weight  7/20/21- taper to 0.055g PW, switch to liquid. 8/21 0.05 g PW 9/21 0.048 PW 10/21 0.045 PW 11/21 0.043 then 0.04 PW 11/21 0.38 PW then O. 032 PW 12/21 0.025 PW 1/22 0.02 PW toggled with 0.025 2/22 0.02 toggled with 0.01 PW 3/22 forgot dose several days in a row, off. Some tearfulness but decided not to updose 

currently off all meds but supplementing with Mg complex 

 

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