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Serenity23: Neurological symptoms - medical, stress, or SSRI withdrawal?


Serenity23

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Post 139: 

"I am mildly freaking out here. What the heck?! My pdoc made Trazadone sound like nothing. And even when I had GI issues from it, he said, "stop taking it and see if that helps."

 

Seriously.

 

What the heck is going on with these meds?! And why doesn't my pdoc know about this?!

 

I was told Trazadone was extremely safe to take with both Zoloft and with Xanax.

 

I'm wondering now if the jitteriness I am getting during the day is because of taking both Trazadone and Zoloft?!"

 

I believe we have a responsibility to give our doctors feedback and try to create an open dialogue about our treatment.

You might let him know that after your last appt. you were worried about taking Trazodone with Zoloft , so you did some reading and were surprised that it was another ssri.  Tell him what it says on www.drugs.com about the interactions.   Ask what he thinks about that , that it might be dangerous.

You will be opening his eyes to the repercussions of prescribing in this manner.  

It might just save the woman sitting next to you in the waiting room from having the same experience.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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Post 139: 

"I am mildly freaking out here. What the heck?! My pdoc made Trazadone sound like nothing. And even when I had GI issues from it, he said, "stop taking it and see if that helps."

 

Seriously.

 

What the heck is going on with these meds?! And why doesn't my pdoc know about this?!

 

I was told Trazadone was extremely safe to take with both Zoloft and with Xanax.

 

I'm wondering now if the jitteriness I am getting during the day is because of taking both Trazadone and Zoloft?!"

 

I believe we have a responsibility to give our doctors feedback and try to create an open dialogue about our treatment.

You might let him know that after your last appt. you were worried about taking Trazodone with Zoloft , so you did some reading and were surprised that it was another ssri.  Tell him what it says on www.drugs.com about the interactions.   Ask what he thinks about that , that it might be dangerous.

You will be opening his eyes to the repercussions of prescribing in this manner.  

It might just save the woman sitting next to you in the waiting room from having the same experience.

Thank you, Fresh. But it has been my experience whether speaking with my dog's veterinarian or my own doctor, that anytime I bring up something from the internet, I am immediately told not to believe everything I read on the internet....even if it's from a scientific based website. I don't know anything about drugs.com. Is that a website doctors will think is accurate? 

 

In the past when I've brought up side effects, I've been mostly dismissed. When I called this time about the bad diarrhea I was having, he sounded like he was patting me on the head so to speak. When I asked if he thought it was from the Trazadone, he did abruptly say "then stop taking it and see if it goes away."

 

I remember years ago telling him about the brain zaps I was having when I followed his taper schedule for Effexor. He had nothing to say. No response. The only time he did say something about a side effect I was having was when I was on Cymbalta while trying to get off Effexor.

 

It's been my experience that anytime I have a side effect either from the meds or while trying to get off of them, I am told that it is "anxiety". It's very frustrating to say the least.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Update:

 

I am doing well on the 6mg Trazadone. Only problem is morning and late evening physical jitteriness feeling under the skin. (What is the word for that?) I also haven't needed a Xanax for quite a while.

 

What tools do you all use to keep the physical anxiety from turning into mental anxiety?

 

I'm continuing to find the coloring for adults very relaxing (thank you, Fresh).

 

I guess once I'm off the Trazadone, I will focus on staying steady with the 25mg generic Zoloft for a few months before starting to taper that. What's a good time frame for that?

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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The physical anxiety might not turn into mental anxiety though? Your anxious incase you get anxious. :). It's a pickle. I would enjoy just having no mental anxiety :)

2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare!

 

On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect.

 

Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan.

 

 

Nightmare that could have been avoided!

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The physical anxiety might not turn into mental anxiety though? Your anxious incase you get anxious. :). It's a pickle. I would enjoy just having no mental anxiety :)

Sometimes the physical anxiety causes mental anxiety. I have to try not to not think about it to keep it at bay.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Update:

 

Made my final cut of the Trazadone. I am sleeping pretty good. I'm not having any more morning jitteriness but I'm still having occasional evening jitteriness. Hoping that will go away.

 

Any suggestions for how long I should hold at the 25mg Zoloft? I'm thinking it's going to have to be another 4-6 months. :-(

 

I've still been using my coloring books for adults. I'm finding them quite meditative. Thoughts go in and thoughts go out as I focus on the coloring without forcing myself to not pay attention to the thoughts.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Hi Serenity23,

Just stopping by to see how you are doing.

Just to reassure you that wd can bring on OCD symptoms and intrusive thoughts.

Fluctuations in a body' stemperature is also a common wd symptom.

 

Best wishes, Hopefull

DRUG HISTORY:

 

November 2013- Zoloft, ( Bad reaction).

January 2014 - March 2014 Seroquel.( Quit Cold Turkey).

January2014- Mirtazapine, I was taking 15mg at one stage, reduced to 7.5mg, Pgad reactions to Mirtazapine. Doctor kept increasing it to 37.5mg, until July 2014. No improvement, experiencing panic attacks, on 37.5 mg. I had enough by October 2014. Began tapering.

October 2014- Started tapering Mirtazapine from 37.5mg.

September 2015- Down to 4mg of Mirtazapine. Crashed.

September 16th- Up dosed to 5mg. Held this dose for almost 5 months. Stabilised.

February 2016- Began tapering again. From 5mg to 4.5mg of Mirtazapine. (Rocking the boat, again)! Lol. :(

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Hi Serenity23,

Just stopping by to see how you are doing.

Just to reassure you that wd can bring on OCD symptoms and intrusive thoughts.

Fluctuations in a body' stemperature is also a common wd symptom.

 

Best wishes, Hopefull

Hi Hopefull! Thank you for stopping by and checking in. I am doing better. I am finally back to the way I was before my July 9th incident.

 

Thank you for letting me know about OCD and intrusive thoughts. The intrusive thoughts seemed to have disappeared for the most part. The OCD--well that's still there. I'm not sure if it was always there, if it was just more apparent during withdrawal. I'm not sure. My therapist is going to have me do something called "exposure therapy" for the OCD and if it cures it then I guess it doesn't matter. My OCD is more mental than physical if that makes sense. 

 

The fluctuations in body temp I had during the 3 weeks off Zoloft were very bizarre! I thought I was going into menopause or something, but those have also stopped.

 

Now I just have to figure out what to do with the 25mg...when to consider my taper....how to do it....I'm thinking since I've been on meds for 20+ years I will need to follow Brass Monkey's type of withdrawal. I don't know when I'll be ready for it. Although I am back to the way I was, I am still quite fatigued. I thought the fatigue was just my typical Zoloft fatigue, but my therapist thinks it's fatigue from what my body and mind have gone through since July. I think he may be right but I just am not sure.

 

I am also unsure what to do about caffeine. I haven't had any caffeine since July 9th. On Saturday, I tested the waters and had one cup of green tea. I felt jittery a few hours later and am unsure if it's related or not. I've been drinking 1 cup of green rooibos (caffeine free) since July but I do miss drinking green and white tea.

 

I still don't understand why my brain reacted so badly being off of the meds but maybe it has something to do with how long I've been on them.

 

I haven't taken a Xanax for quite a while and forgot I even have them. I am also no longer needing the Trazadone and am sleeping pretty well. I am so appreciate to those who helped me with the Trazadone. Tomorrow I see pdoc and will let him know it caused "D" because the "D" went away once I got to 6mg of the Trazadone.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Update:

 

I saw my pdoc. I told him I've been off the Trazadone and don't need it anymore. He didn't say anything. I also told him it caused bad morning diarrhea. Again he didn't say anything. He asked if I was off everything, and I said no, I'm still on the generic Zoloft 25mg but that I would like to get off of it. Without even asking, he mentioned using liquid Zoloft as a way to taper off of the medication!! I was pleasantly surprised. He said every 3 weeks decrease by 0.25cc's. He also said with any anxious side effects I have, to not feed into them. That was all he said when I asked about side effects from tapering. I was very happy he was willing to write a script for liquid zoloft, despite his having me taper 3 weeks plus prozac in the past.

 

I often chat with his wife (she works there as his receptionist) for a good 15-20 minutes after my appointment. We talk about different things but today we talked about my appointment. She told me that he respects the patient's wishes fully (that's admirable and I'm guessing rare). I said, "So he wouldn't tell me if he thought it was a bad idea coming off meds?" She said that he wouldn't say that, because he'd let me try to go off of them once again and see what (always) happens. She then said that I need to realize the meds for me are because I have a chemical imbalance and to view it like Insulin for a Diabetic. But then she said that everyone has chemical imbalances so it just confused me. And then she added that he has one patient who tapered down from Prozac and she is happy just being on 2.5mg and says she's doing well. I also said to her that I've been on them way too long, (I don't need them anymore), and what about meds pooping out or causing strokes? She said that's why he has his patients follow up with him, in case of poop-out, and that I shouldn't be concerned about strokes because I'm on such a tiny dose and that's more for people on 500mg or something like that. Again I know this wasn't the doctor himself saying these things, but I don't think she'd say them to me unless it's something she's seen repeatedly or something he has said.

 

I admit I am just absolutely and utterly confused and scared. Reading some people's pages here it sounds extremely scary with the side effects you all have, like impending doom type depression, suicidal impulsive thoughts, etc. Is there any way I can taper off this medication without having those sort of side effects? Because I don't think I am strong enough to deal with those sorts of withdrawal side effects.

 

How do you all differentiate between withdrawal side effects, and returning depression and anxiety? I seriously do not think my depression/anxiety will be anything like it used to be. Not that my situation in life has changed; but my perceptions have changed greatly and that's helped a lot. I am not the same person I was when I was depressed and anxious and I've worked very hard to change. But I just don't know if I am capable of handling depression/anxiety/suicidal type withdrawal side effects.

 

Yet I would do anything to get off these meds already.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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I think if you taper v slowly you will be fine..it's possible to do it without too much strife..so I've read..I didn't take the proper road though so I wouldn't know. Best of luck..you will manage bu then if you feel ok on this dose, the other option is to stay on but decrease a little every year your still improving your general health, I'd say :)

2000 - sertraline for job anxiety low confidence (17 years old) ..which turned the next 16 years into nightmare!

 

On/off sertraline severe withdrawals every time. 2014 - felt better as reduced dose of sertraline no more inner restlessness. Doctor rushed off again. Hit severe withdrawal. Lost the little I had in life. Couldn't get stable again on 12.5mg. Was switched to prozac. Had severe reaction to prozac..came off in November 2015 at 6mg as felt more confused and damaged on it..Even more withdrawal ..rage, depression, dyphoria, near constant suicidal ideation, self harm impulses, doom, concrete block in head, unable to do much of anything with this feeling in head..went back on 6mg of sertraline to see if would alleviate anything. It didn't..reduced from December to June 2016 came off at 2.5mg sertraline as was hospitalised for the severe rage, suicidal impulses, and put on 50mg lofepramine which in 2nd week reduced all symptoms but gave insomnia which still have..psych stopped lofepramine cold turkey..no increased withdrawal symptoms new symptoms from lofepramine except persistant insomnia which has as side effect.

 

Taking Ativan for 8 months for the severe rage self harm impulses 1-3 times a week (mostly 2 times a week) at .5mg. Two months (I'm unsure exactly when the interdose started to happen) ago interdose withdrawal seemed to happen..2 days I think after the Ativan.

 

 

Nightmare that could have been avoided!

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I think if you taper v slowly you will be fine..it's possible to do it without too much strife..so I've read..I didn't take the proper road though so I wouldn't know. Best of luck..you will manage bu then if you feel ok on this dose, the other option is to stay on but decrease a little every year your still improving your general health, I'd say :)

Thanks, LoveandLight. I appreciate your reading my update and replying. I hope you are feeling better. I'm curious why your opinion is decrease a little every year, vs decreasing every few weeks?

 

What do you think caused your crash when you held the 21.5mg at 4 weeks, cut 10% but then crashed? I'm curious why did you switch from the 20mg generic Zoloft to the Prozac? Do you feel better?

 

In reading your signature, you said you reacted to a brand change. I asked my pdoc if I will feel a difference going on liquid Zoloft since I take generic Zoloft. He said I wouldn't. Is that what you meant to brand change?

 

I want to plan this out appropriately. If I taper a little every year, I doubt the liquid Zoloft will still be good and not expire. Without my pdoc (he's in his 80s and still functioning fantastically but I am sure he'll retire eventually), I would have no one to give me a script for the liquid Zoloft. My GP still wants me to increase the Zoloft and would likely not be agreeable to the liquid Zoloft script.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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What's everyone's experience with flu shots? Has anyone found their systems to be overly-sensitive to them during WD?

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Got one last year and had no trouble. Didn't get one the year before and really wished I had.  Need to make an appointment to get one in the next few weeks.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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Got one last year and had no trouble. Didn't get one the year before and really wished I had.  Need to make an appointment to get one in the next few weeks.

 

Thanks, Brassmonkey! I was curious if it could affect us folks who are sensitive to various meds, etc. Congrats again on your taper anniversary!!!

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Hang in there Serenity23.

Things will get better.

I hope that the exposure therapy works for you.

I have experienced fluctuating body temperature post Zoloft and on Mitrazapine.

Not so much now.

Best wishes, Hopefull.

DRUG HISTORY:

 

November 2013- Zoloft, ( Bad reaction).

January 2014 - March 2014 Seroquel.( Quit Cold Turkey).

January2014- Mirtazapine, I was taking 15mg at one stage, reduced to 7.5mg, Pgad reactions to Mirtazapine. Doctor kept increasing it to 37.5mg, until July 2014. No improvement, experiencing panic attacks, on 37.5 mg. I had enough by October 2014. Began tapering.

October 2014- Started tapering Mirtazapine from 37.5mg.

September 2015- Down to 4mg of Mirtazapine. Crashed.

September 16th- Up dosed to 5mg. Held this dose for almost 5 months. Stabilised.

February 2016- Began tapering again. From 5mg to 4.5mg of Mirtazapine. (Rocking the boat, again)! Lol. :(

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Hang in there Serenity23.

Things will get better.

I hope that the exposure therapy works for you.

I have experienced fluctuating body temperature post Zoloft and on Mitrazapine.

Not so much now.

Best wishes, Hopefull.

Thanks Hopefull. Your message means a lot. :-) My therapist and I are going extremely slowly with the exposure therapy because I am so fearful of having another bad anxiety/panic attack. Did you use exposure therapy? I still wonder if the OCD started from my meds but I don't know and I guess it doesn't matter.

 

The fluctuating body temps are the weirdest thing. I'm glad I'm not the only one who went through that. My doctor thought I was nuts. I thought I was in menopause or something. Plus it made it difficult to figure out the thirst/hydration stuff too. The extreme body temp stuff has dissipated, but it's still there somewhat in that I can't seem to figure which weight of clothing I should wear or which blanket to use, etc. It's the strangest thing. And I just worry about getting overheated and dehydrated because of what happened in July.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Update: October is here and that's when my motivation dips even lower from being on Zoloft. I hate this side effect the most. I just can't seem to do anything. I feel stuck to the couch. It sucks. This is the time of year I want to reach for coffee again, to at least get some push from the caffeine. I am trying to avoid coffee, however, so I will be caffeine-free for when January comes and I start to tapper. I'd love to hear from others who dealt with the lack of motivation/energy while on Zoloft, and what helped.

 

I'd also be curious to hear other's opinions about caffeine.

 

I need motivation to figure out how to use the light box that I bought 2 years ago and haven't used. I don't get "depressed" per say, but definitely October-March I feel more down. Any tips would be greatly appreciated, as always.

 

This forum has really been a god send, not just for the advice and support but just to hear from others who say, "Yes, I had that too."

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment

I'd love to hear from others how you get through that Zoloft-lethargy, and if it seems to hit you more in fall/winter.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Still unsure what to do with this extreme lethargy and fatigue. I know it's only going to get worse as the season progresses into the holidays, winter, the cold, etc. I did go back to drinking 1 cup 1/2 caf, 1/2 decaf in the morning as much as I hate how edgy and jittery it makes me feel. I feel like being on an SSRI like Zoloft that also is given to help with anxiety, really just shuts down my brain from functioning at all. I certainly miss that week in July when I was "hypomanic" and got a lot done. I can't help but wonder, though. Was I really hypomanic, or did I actually have just a normal, non-SSRI side effect, energy?

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Serenity ,    glad to hear you've been feeding back your experiences to your doc , and that you're feeling fine since

stopping the trazodone  :P .    

The fact that you had a week of energy is great regardless of what label you put on it.  It's unlikely to be a normal ,

non-ssri state  , more a case of your brain bouncing around in an attempt to find equilibrium.  

Be reassured that you won't be stuck feeling lethargic forever . . . and in the meantime if you find a cure , please let me

know , lol.

You'll find discussions that may be helpful in the Symptoms section . . . the lethargy can come from any ssri ,

it isn't specific to zoloft.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

Link to comment

Hi Serenity ,    glad to hear you've been feeding back your experiences to your doc , and that you're feeling fine since

stopping the trazodone  :P .    

The fact that you had a week of energy is great regardless of what label you put on it.  It's unlikely to be a normal ,

non-ssri state  , more a case of your brain bouncing around in an attempt to find equilibrium.  

Be reassured that you won't be stuck feeling lethargic forever . . . and in the meantime if you find a cure , please let me

know , lol.

You'll find discussions that may be helpful in the Symptoms section . . . the lethargy can come from any ssri ,

it isn't specific to zoloft.

Hi Fresh,

 

It's nice to hear from you. :-) Yes thankfully I followed apace's and everyone's advice here with the Trazodone instead of just stopping it. My sleep is normal again. My normal while on Zoloft is this: I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow, and I only wake up if a neighbor's dog is barking it's head off outside, or if I am extremely stressed about something.

 

I didn't realize that was my brain bouncing around trying to find equilibrium. Well whatever it was, my doctor's office thought I was nuts, my vet's office saw I was acting nuts but they know me long enough to know that was out of character and were kind and patient during the duration of it (they didn't know the details of the meds but knew I was in the hospital for a medical thing). But honestly I got so much done and although I was very hyper, I felt like I was functioning. I want that back.

 

The lethargy is killing me. I have no life. If I could stand the flatness of Prozac, I would've stayed on that because at least that didn't make me lethargic. Thank you, I will look into the symptoms section.

 

I hope you are well.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

Update - I was hoping I'd be ready to taper in January, but it doesn't look that way. I still have crushing fatigue and lethargy. It's like a physical depression, but not a mental depression, if that makes sense.

 

Also whatever is going on with my brain, whether it's from the July encephalopathy or just long term SSRI's, is still ongoing and I have no idea what to do about it. I still get dizzy-type headaches. My hunger/thirst mechanism and body temp mechanism are still very screwed up. 

 

I don't know what to do. This isn't living.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Happy Christmas Serenity.    I suspect the crushing fatigue will start to reduce once you start tapering , but you've

been doing exactly the right thing by holding for a good long stretch.

 

Apart from the symptoms you mentioned , what are you days usually like?  Are you able to go out , walk , shop ,

anything?  How are doing with maximising your nutrition to help you heal?

It's certainly not an ideal way of living , but remember this is a temporary situation , not a permanent lifestyle.

 

:)

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • Moderator

Wishing you a nice holiday Serenity and a greatly improved New Year.

 

(((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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Thank you so much, Brassmonkey. Your post made me smile. :D I hope you are doing well. :-)

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Happy Christmas Serenity.    I suspect the crushing fatigue will start to reduce once you start tapering , but you've

been doing exactly the right thing by holding for a good long stretch.

 

Apart from the symptoms you mentioned , what are you days usually like?  Are you able to go out , walk , shop ,

anything?  How are doing with maximising your nutrition to help you heal?

It's certainly not an ideal way of living , but remember this is a temporary situation , not a permanent lifestyle.

 

:)

Hi Fresh!! Thank you so much for your post!!! I think I accidentally missed it. I hope you had a happy Christmas!

 

Hmm what are my days like? Well I am sometimes able to go out, some days are better than others. I can run an errand or two, take care of my dogs, make simple meals, but that's about it. Actually, I did start reading again, and I got through 2 novels since January which is an absolute miracle. I didn't think I'd have the focus for that. I do well with my nutrition--I eat healthy for the most part and try to watch my carb cravings during the winter. I'm still a mess with my water intake. Some days I wonder if I am drinking enough because I am so fearful of drinking too much. I don't drink coffee except for 1 decaf in the morning which isn't much caffeine. But the crushing fatigue is still there and I don't think anyone believes me that a "baby dose" like 25mg Zoloft can cause this amount of fatigue. They think it's the depression/anxiety.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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Update:

 

I think my eye doctor is on to something. I don't recall if I wrote here or not that one day a number of months ago I was seeing white light circles of some sort in my field of vision and I went to see my eye doctor as an emergency visit thinking I had a detached retina. She examined me and said my retinas were fine. Then about a month ago, I went back because of migraines and thinking maybe it's just that I need new glasses. She examined me and said my eyes were fine. But she said she was concerned about these migraine-type headaches and wanted me to go see my doctor. We got to talking about my neurological symptoms from January, and she thinks that, plus the detached retina symptoms, could've been a type of migraine with aura called hemiplegic migraine. I've read that this type of migraine is rare and can cause strokes. This is all very confusing. I've never had migraines, although in 1994 I remember having symptoms of a TIA but I didn't know what they were then. Plus I was new to SSRIs back then. I may have been on Paxil then but I don't recall.I used to get TMJ headaches that seem very similar to these migraine headaches. But I don't know how to distinguish them. So when the neurologist in January 2015 asked if I had a history of migraines, I said no.

 

I have noticed that I have been getting more frequent migraines or head/neckaches. My doctor gave me some meds to take, but I found that Excedrin Migraine helped. I wish I knew if this was related to the January 2015 incident, the July 2015 incident, SSRIs, or what. I'm trying to pay attention to triggers, but I'm not really seeing commonalities. I wish I knew what the underlying cause of these were. I probably should see a neurologist, but he didn't suggest it, and I don't want to go back since after the Jan 2015 incident I was practically laughed at by the neurologist who examined me and diagnosed this all as "STRESS". How humiliating. I know this isn't just "stress". My brain reacted to the zoloft taper. Plain and simple.

 

I am fearful of a stroke. I am fearful of never getting off zoloft. And I really wish I wasn't so lethargic. Plus my cognition isn't so great and I don't know what that's about.

 

The only other thing I can think of, is that I am working extremely hard in therapy--my therapist says I'm a rarity in how hard I'm working. Yeah ok so I can understand if maybe I'm tired after a draining session, but that's not it. this lethargy is there around the clock. Even after sleeping around the clock, I still wake up lethargic. I can't remember the last time I actually woke up feeling refreshed.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

We got to talking about my neurological symptoms from January, and she thinks that, plus the detached retina symptoms, could've been a type of migraine with aura called hemiplegic migraine. I've read that this type of migraine is rare and can cause strokes.

 

Hi, Serenity.  I'm not sure that I've ever heard that hemiplegic migraine can cause stroke.  What is very frequently said is that hemiplegic migraine can be confused for stroke.  I think that diagnosis fits very well with your situation and should be relieving to you because it is NOT A STROKE and can be controlled in many cases with migraine prophylaxis.  Have you tried things like a calcium channel blocker? They are frequently prescribed to prevent the occurrence of migraine (or, in my case, cluster headaches a/k/a "suicide headaches" -- don't ask but trust me!).  Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, has been a godsend for me in preventing these debilitating clusters.

 

I am fearful of a stroke. I am fearful of never getting off zoloft. And I really wish I wasn't so lethargic. Plus my cognition isn't so great and I don't know what that's about.

 

I can totally relate to this. My father had a stroke at 51 and a bigger one at 52 (I'm 53 and the health anxiety of withdrawal has made my fear of stroke increase dramatically). I have lived to the best of my ability in a way that should help me prevent one and I've been screened on several occasions with carotid Doppler, etc.  The best you can do is get as comfortable as you can and then live your life.  If the fear you have is associated with the migraine diagnosis, I do not believe there is any known link between the two and "increased risk" if that is stated anywhere can be indistinguishable from the increased risk of watching too much TV and eating too many Ring-Dings.

 

I can't remember the last time I actually woke up feeling refreshed.

 

I can totally relate to this.  It got a little better for me after I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and started CPAP (have you done a sleep study?), but it's still not great and I think it HAS to be the meds.

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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We got to talking about my neurological symptoms from January, and she thinks that, plus the detached retina symptoms, could've been a type of migraine with aura called hemiplegic migraine. I've read that this type of migraine is rare and can cause strokes.

 

Hi, Serenity.  I'm not sure that I've ever heard that hemiplegic migraine can cause stroke.  What is very frequently said is that hemiplegic migraine can be confused for stroke.  I think that diagnosis fits very well with your situation and should be relieving to you because it is NOT A STROKE and can be controlled in many cases with migraine prophylaxis.  Have you tried things like a calcium channel blocker? They are frequently prescribed to prevent the occurrence of migraine (or, in my case, cluster headaches a/k/a "suicide headaches" -- don't ask but trust me!).  Verapamil, a calcium channel blocker, has been a godsend for me in preventing these debilitating clusters.

 

Hi Andy, thanks for the reply. Hmm maybe I read it wrong, ok thanks for clarifying that. That actually makes me feel better. But I can't help but wonder if all these years on meds caused the hemiplegic migraine when I tried weaning off generic Zoloft. I am relieved it wasn't a stroke. I haven't tried the meds yet, but was given one type to take as soon as I feel a migraine coming on, and another med to take if I have a migraine lasting several days (that is what happened about a month or so ago). I am sorry you had cluster headaches. My husband had those about 30 years ago. I've heard how horrendous those are. I'm glad Verapamil helps you!

 

 

I am fearful of a stroke. I am fearful of never getting off zoloft. And I really wish I wasn't so lethargic. Plus my cognition isn't so great and I don't know what that's about.

 

I can totally relate to this. My father had a stroke at 51 and a bigger one at 52 (I'm 53 and the health anxiety of withdrawal has made my fear of stroke increase dramatically). I have lived to the best of my ability in a way that should help me prevent one and I've been screened on several occasions with carotid Doppler, etc.  The best you can do is get as comfortable as you can and then live your life.  If the fear you have is associated with the migraine diagnosis, I do not believe there is any known link between the two and "increased risk" if that is stated anywhere can be indistinguishable from the increased risk of watching too much TV and eating too many Ring-Dings.

 

My father also had a stroke in his early 30s and had headaches all his life. He has a non cancerous brain tumor that supposedly he's had for a long time and I think if I remember correctly it did begin to finally shrink recently but I don't recall exactly. But like with my headaches, he always thought his headaches were related to TMJ. He was on antidepressants about 30 years ago, but only for a very short time. You bring up an excellent point about the health anxiety of withdrawal. I think that's another reason I am fearful of trying to taper again, because of what happened to me in Jan 2015. It's a double-edged sword. I don't know what a carotid Doppler is, but I doubt my doctor would screen me for one unless he thought I was at an increased risk of a stroke. I don't have any risk factors of having one.

 

I can't remember the last time I actually woke up feeling refreshed.

 

I can totally relate to this.  It got a little better for me after I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and started CPAP (have you done a sleep study?), but it's still not great and I think it HAS to be the meds.

 

I have never had a sleep study done. I don't snore, and I don't have the risk factors. But I might clench or grind my teeth sometimes. I have heard that the CPAP helps tremendously for people with sleep apnea. I hope it's helping you, although you say still not great. I still don't understand how only 25mg generic zoloft could make me so extremely lethargic. Do you find anything else that helps you with that? I have been tempted to call my p-doc and ask to add on another SSRI that's supposed to give you energy, like Wellbutrin or something, but that would be going backwards.......

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

 

 I haven't tried the meds yet, but was given one type to take as soon as I feel a migraine coming on, and another med to take if I have a migraine lasting several days (that is what happened about a month or so ago).

 

The beauty of verapamil for me is that I take one a night and it prevents headaches.  Things like Imitrex (which sounds like the abortive the doc is offering you) require you to have the drug when you get hit with the onset.  Easier to do it the other way if that might work.

 

It's a double-edged sword. I don't know what a carotid Doppler is, but I doubt my doctor would screen me for one unless he thought I was at an increased risk of a stroke. I don't have any risk factors of having one.

 

Your father had a stroke in his 30s.  That's a big risk factor. In actuality, it's not such a big risk factor because the amount of disease we inherit is not as big as the docs think (look into epigenetics) but the docs think it is really big.  On that basis, I would think you could get covered screening if that would help calm your fears.  A carotid Doppler is a simple, non-invasive ultrasound of the carotids that run up your neck to you brain.  If they are not thickened your stroke (and CVD) risk is lower.

 

Do you find anything else that helps you with that? I have been tempted to call my p-doc and ask to add on another SSRI that's supposed to give you energy, like Wellbutrin or something, but that would be going backwards.......

 

That would be going WAY backwards.  Don't do that -- the docs don't know how they will interact in any given person.  I haven't really found anything great but one thing to try is to have a full 8-12 ounces of water first thing when you wake up and try overhydrating for a couple of days.  I have heard some anecdotes of increased energy generally from doing that.  Also, add protein of some kind to your breakfast.

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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The beauty of verapamil for me is that I take one a night and it prevents headaches.  Things like Imitrex (which sounds like the abortive the doc is offering you) require you to have the drug when you get hit with the onset.  Easier to do it the other way if that might work.

 

I'll talk with my doctor about Verapamil when I see him next to check my sodium level, etc.  Do you also have the teeth grinding from the generic Zoloft? I think that may have something to do with my migraines.

 

Your father had a stroke in his 30s.  That's a big risk factor. In actuality, it's not such a big risk factor because the amount of disease we inherit is not as big as the docs think (look into epigenetics) but the docs think it is really big.  On that basis, I would think you could get covered screening if that would help calm your fears.  A carotid Doppler is a simple, non-invasive ultrasound of the carotids that run up your neck to you brain.  If they are not thickened your stroke (and CVD) risk is lower.

 

 

I honestly didn't realize that was a big risk factor. I'm assuming my doctor just doesn't want me to worry.

 

Actually, now that you explained what a Carotid Doppler is, I did have that done was I was in the hospital in January 2015. It was one of the last tests they performed on me. I don't recall what they said if they were thickened or not. I have to get a copy of the reports. This was when they said I may have had such a tiny stroke that it didn't show up anywhere.

 

Do you find anything else that helps you with that? I have been tempted to call my p-doc and ask to add on another SSRI that's supposed to give you energy, like Wellbutrin or something, but that would be going backwards.......

 

That would be going WAY backwards.  Don't do that -- the docs don't know how they will interact in any given person.  I haven't really found anything great but one thing to try is to have a full 8-12 ounces of water first thing when you wake up and try overhydrating for a couple of days.  I have heard some anecdotes of increased energy generally from doing that.  Also, add protein of some kind to your breakfast.

 

 

Ok. That's what I thought. Also my husband reminded me that when I took Zoloft + Wellbutrin in 2004, it made me very angry. Not good. So adding the Wellbutrin was activating, but in a bad way. I also remember that at one time I took just Wellbutrin, and although I felt absolutely amazing for a week or so, that did not last. I was told it was a common phenomenon with Wellbutrin, In looking back, I am wondering it was hypomania induced by the Wellbutrin.

 

I do drink 8-12 ounces of water as soon as I wake up, to rehydrate. I need to be careful of overhydrating, because of the hyponatremia episode from July. I am only supposed to drink 6-8 servings of beverages. Funny you should mention protein and breakfast. Back when I was eating plant-based, I never found that the nuts and seeds in my morning oatmeal filled me in the least. I often felt I had low blood sugar. I do find when I eat enough protein, I do feel better. But I still haven't changed up my morning oatmeal with nuts and seeds. Last week, I bought a protein supplement at the health food shop, and this morning I bought more eggs. I am going to be more regiment with having protein for breakfast and see if that helps.

 

I really had high hopes that following the plant based diet would increase my energy and help resolve my depression/anxiety, but it really didn't.

 

I know I feel worse if I drink regular coffee and have refined carbs, but I am very curious if also focusing now on protein at breakfast will help.

 

Thanks, Andy! :-)

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi everyone, I'm still on 25mg Sertraline. I'm going through some personal things and it's just not the right time to be tapering off this medication. I did have a question. My doctor gave me Rizatriptan for these new migraines I've been experiencing, and I read something about Serotonin Syndrome occurring if you take a medication like Rizatriptan and you don't wait 6 hours before taking an SSRI. I was not aware of this. Does anyone know if this is true?

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Serenity , nice to hear from you. Did you put them into the interaction checker at www.drugs.com?

Rizatryptan is also known as maxalt.

 

With regard to your ongoing fatigue , have you had your thyroid checked lately? It may be causing

fatigue if it's not producing the correct hormones. Worth checking out with your doctor.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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Hi Fresh,

 

I have had symptoms of hypothyroidism for decades. My maternal grandmother was diagnosed finally late in life with hypothyroidism and my mother was diagnosed at around age 70. Because the labs that the medical doctors run always come back normal, (T3, T4, TSH) I am told my thyroid is fine. It's very frustrating. I just looked at the symptoms of hypothyroidism on Mayo Clinic's website and I have had the majority, though not all, of these symptoms for a very long time. I know there is a school of thought that medical doctors don't run all of the necessary labs for hypothyroidism, but I just don't have the energy to discuss the other tests with my doctor. If I ever hear of a local endocrinologist who does other tests, I'd sign up for them in a heart beat.

Since 1990s: Various meds depression/anxiety. A little benefit from Effexor; Zoloft/Sertraline. Unsuccessful tapers

Feb 2015: Neurological crash / Hemiplegic Migraine after Sertraline taper slower than pdoc's suggestion 50-37-25-12-6-0mg.

Found SA. Reinstated 25mg Sertraline

July 2015:  Medical occurrence thought to be due to Sertraline. Told to D/C. Hypomania/anxiety resulted. Reinstated

Sept 2016: Increased to 37mg Sertraline due to depression/anxiety symptoms or more likely withdrawal symptoms

Dec 2016: Insurance company refused to fill 37mg (1 1/2 pills) Given 25mg.

2017: Started taper, got fearful of possible withdrawal effects, stopped.
May 2018: Still dealing with side effects. New pdoc. 25mg Lamictal added to 25mg Sertraline. 5 mg Melatonin added. Feeling better. Would still like to wean off Sertraline and then Lamictal, but holding for now. I have a very sensitive system with meds.

No other meds. Supplements: Multivitamin, Vitamin D, Probiotic, Fish oil.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Serenity,

 

You just need to have them run the test for thyroid antibodies. That will pick up any chance of Hashimoto's.

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Yes , the thyroid situation is complex , I'm just learning about it now.

You need to have levels of TPO , Reverse T3 , TSI , TrAB , and TgAB taken as well.

There are lots of facebook groups that are very helpful ... I saw an article recently that explained why

the usual tests that show function within "normal" parameters are not sufficient. I'll post the link here

if I can find it.

 

Did you see the interaction of maxalt with sertraline?

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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