Alux Help to taper Zoloft

[Alux]

2014: Postpartum anxiety after child’s birth. Placed on Xyprex 5mg 2014-2015; Zoloft 2014-current; & Ativan 2014 off & on to current. Major weight gain. No withdrawals of Xyprexa and Ativan in 2015 with 1-2 week taper by doing simultaneous ultra detox by Mark Hyman. Zoloft stayed at 100mg. Lost weight. 

2017-2019: my child had severe medical issues.

2017 - 2018: I devt ptsd/ insomnia. *Zoloft increased to 200 mg over 2017 to 2019. Severe weight gain, causing sleep apnea (use cpap). *Ativan dose 0.5 mg 1- 3 times a day given in 2018/2019 after 30+ other meds to help sleep didn’t work. Weight gain created sleep apnea/ use cpap. 

Did intense DBT/ EMDR therapy 5 days a week for 5 months 2019/2020. *I tapered myself from 200 Zoloft to 175 & held 2022. No adverse affects detected. 

June 2022: Ativan increased 0.5mg to three times a day for sleep. Exhausted & some minor weight gain. 

 2020-2021: DBT therapy reduced to 1-2 times a week.

2022: DBT therapy once a week. 

GP, psychiatrist & I wanted to get weight under control before I have medical issues so decided to change Zoloft to Cymbalta. I requested to go slow.

1/2/23: Zoloft at 175mg & Cymbalta at 30 mg. Continue 0.5 Ativan 3/ day. I got severe serotonin syndrome 1/4/2023, which psychiatrist didn’t think I had. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Blood pressure skyrocketed to 160/100 daily, etc.

1/11/23: psychiatrist decreased Zoloft to 100 & kept Cymbalta at 30. Spiraled. Crying all the time. Put on beta blocker due to blood pressure & rapid heart rate. 

1/18/23 Cymbalta increased to 60 & Zoloft down to 50. Huge headaches, insomnia returned horribly. I stopped Cymbalta myself 1/21/23 for a few days but felt great. 

2/723: Told psychiatrist I had enough & want off ALL psych meds for good but safety bc “felt good” when I was off Cymbalta (for a few days). He had me hard stop Cymbalta 2/7 & decrease Zoloft to 12.5mg. I’m downward spiral now & out of control. What do I do now?????!!!!

Edited February 21, 2023 by Onmyway
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[Alux]

Went from Zoloft 175mg on 1/2/23 to 12.5mg on 2/7/24 under psychiatrist advisement. Throw in some Cymbalta at the start & I’m in a hot mess of a cocktail & spinning out of control. I want to reduce slowly. Go back up to what amount? 

 

1980s/1990s: Childhood trauma/ abuse age 5-15. No therapy & no medications. 

2014: My childhood complex PTSD was triggered with labor complications & had multiple panic attacks per day. Put on Xyprexa 5mg 2014-2016: Zoloft 50mg 2014-most recent 175mg; & Ativan 0.25mg in 2014 up to currently. Major weight gain. 

2016: No withdrawals of tapering off Xyprexa and Ativan together in approximately 1-2 months as I did Ultradetox Diet by Mark Hyman. Zoloft at 100mg. Lost some weight. 

 

2017-2019: my child had severe medical issues. My PTSD was triggered, devt chronic insomnia, major weight gain, sleep apnea, increase BP. 

2018: Zoloft 200mg. Ativan 0.5mg 1-3 times a day mostly to help sleep after trying 20+ prescriptions sleeping aids.  

2019: put on cpap and Amlodipine/benazepril (blood pressure meds). 

 

2019/2020: Did intense DBT/ EMDR therapy 5 days a week for 5 months. I don’t recall all the medications they tried on me but trazadone was one & had severe side effects. Back on Ativan 0.5 mg 3 times a day.

2020: one year of CBT for Insomnia once a week.

2020-Current: weekly DBT/ mindfulness therapy. 

2021: I tapered myself from 200 Zoloft to 175 & held. No adverse affects detected. 

2020-2021: tapered off Ativan down to 0.5mg a day. No side effects.

2020-2022: more wright gain.

June 2022: Ativan increased 0.5mg to three times a day for sleep because insomnia started coming back. Exhaustion all the time.

2015-2022: Gained 80 lbs. I was a marathon runner before 2014. Now, I’m too exhausted by the meds to go for a walk. 

2022: GP, psychiatrist & I wanted to get weight under control before I have major medical issues other than BP & sleep apnea so decided to change Zoloft to Cymbalta. I requested to go slow…

1/2/23: Zoloft at 175mg & Cymbalta at 30 mg. Continue 0.5 Ativan 3/ day. I got severe serotonin syndrome 1/4/2023 - Blood pressure skyrocketed to 160/100 daily, etc.

1/11/23: psychiatrist decreased Zoloft to 100 & kept Cymbalta at 30. I Spiraled. Crying all the time. Put on beta blocker due to blood pressure & rapid heart rate. 1/18/23 Cymbalta increased to 60 & Zoloft down to 50. Huge headaches, insomnia returned horribly. I stopped Cymbalta myself 1/21/23 for a few days but “felt great. “ 2/723: Told psychiatrist I had enough & want off ALL psych meds for good but safety bc “felt good” when I was off Cymbalta (for a few days). He had me hard stop Cymbalta 2/7 & decrease Zoloft to 12.5mg. I’m downward spiral now & out of control. First week I was mad at everyone. Second week I’m crying nonstop and ptsd from my childhood trauma is triggered several times a day which DIDNT HAPPEN EVER BEFORE. I usually recall my child’s medical issues & now I’m back to the 1990s flashbacks! I’m having lucid nightmares & some hallucinations that didn’t have before. The Ativan keeps me from totally losing it but not sure where to go from here. 2/18/23: decided to increase Zoloft to 25mg. 

Edited February 21, 2023 by Altostrata
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[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Alux

 

Are you still taking Ativan? How long have you been taking it every day?

 

What drugs are you taking now, at what times o'clock and dosages?

 

You were taking Cymbalta from January 2? Your last dose of Cymbalta was 2/7?

 

How has your symptom pattern changed since you went back to 25mg Zoloft on 2/18?

 

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