how do i take myself off of zoloft - Drug Interactions / Side Effects Message Board

msuguy01010 · 05-13-2009, 09:11 AM

I started taking Zoloft a year ago for anxiety. I take 50mg once a day. I've decided I don't want to use a drug to help with my problems. I've been taking half my daily dose for a week now and I can definitely feel the withdrawal of the drug from my system. I have an increased anxiety that causes tightness in my chest. I also feel very unmotivated. However, I found that working out helps with the withdrawals. I go to the gym daily for at least 90 minutes. Working out has helped and hope it will continue to help.

eyesworld · 05-22-2009, 06:35 PM

I really think you should wean off under a doctor's supervision. How are you doing?

Chihiro76 · 05-26-2009, 03:21 AM

I'm new here, but I joined to get a better handle on my own Zoloft withdrawal symptoms.

I started taking Zoloft 50mg in late 2005, and that dosage was increased to 100mg by early 2006. By the beginning of 2007 the situation I had been in which was causing my original symptoms had abated and I felt much better and in control of things. I decided to taper off (with my Drs approval and guidance) and got completely OFF the drug and through the brain shivers and other physical symptoms and was drug free before a few major depressive episodes caused me to go back on them. Looking back I realise that these episodes were part of the withdrawals, but I didn't recognise them as such because the brain zaps etc had finished (in my experience, the brain zaps lasted about three weeks, just FYI).

So I remained on Zoloft for another 12 months, and again proceeded to taper off again in mid 2008 - this time I tapered over 3 months instead of 6 weeks. Again, I was drug free and zap-free for about a month before resuming the drug - because I felt the depressive episodes weren't fair on my family.

Knowing that a much longer taper was necessary, I commenced the taper as soon as the Christmas/NY period was over at the beginning of this year (2009) - this was now my third attempt, and I planned it out to military precision - incorporating potentially stressful events into a schedule and opting not to decrease dosage during those events. I would reduce the dose by 12.5mg every four weeks (using a complicated formula of taking 100mg for 6 days, 87.5mg for 1 day for the first week, then 100mg for 5 days, 87.5mg for 2 days etc) until I was down to 12.5mg every three days - as soon as the brain shivers came on, I would take 12.5mg and then nothing for three days and so on. Eventually I was down to 6mg every four days (I'm not kidding, I was shaving the tablets right down, it was ridiculous).

So even after my last dose, the brain zaps still continued for 2.5 weeks before they stopped. That was 12mg PER WEEK, and I was still having withdrawals.

It's now been 4 weeks since that last dose - it was a 17 week taper - but I still find that I am suffering from mood swings and depression every so often. Some days I feel completely fine, and other days everything gets on top of me, I feel like a failure, a bad mother, a terrible wife etc. I sat in a hairdressers chair on the weekend listing out (in my head) all the blessings I have to be grateful for, but could not stop the tears from spilling out. For no reason at all.

It was the usual period I've lasted in the past before I freak out and think I should resume the drug, but this time I thought of all the posts from commenters on forums such as this one and thought, "NO. WAY. NOT. THIS. TIME." I'm NOT depressed, this is the long term Zoloft use that has done this to me.

So gradually since then I've been feeling a little better each day, and hope to feel back to normal eventually - from what I read this could be as long as 3-6 months away, maybe longer.

Do any other users have any stories about how they felt after the physiological symptoms abated? How long did it take?

The most frustrating thing was that when I was first prescribed Zoloft, I was going through something that no normal person would cope well with - a critically ill infant, in and out of hospital. Why did they prescribe Zoloft for me rather than just telling me that everything was going to be OK and to just ride it out? Why do they just give these things out because you're having a rough couple of months. Anyone would be an emotional wreck while spending a few months in the ICU of a childrens hospital, for heaven's sake. And once you start these things, it's next to impossible to get off them!

My doctor just told me that the drugs would help me get through the difficult period - she said nothing about the side effects and withdrawals. Foolishly, I believed her.

blueplate · 07-01-2009, 03:52 PM

I have reduced dosage from 100 to 50 per day over 2 weeks, then 50 to 25 in the last week. I have started feeling head whooshes, lethargy, and anxiety for the past week. I was familiar with the "zaps" from when I would run out and not refill for a few days. Day 3 would guarantee zaps. I am glad I found this board, because it sounds like a pretty common experience. However, my doctor didn't ever warn me of the weaning effects, and it doesn't look like any of your doctors had much to say specifically, either. Btw, this tapering is doctor-prescribed. Good luck all.

hamstachick · 07-19-2009, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chihiro76

I'm new here, but I joined to get a better handle on my own Zoloft withdrawal symptoms.

I started taking Zoloft 50mg in late 2005, and that dosage was increased to 100mg by early 2006. By the beginning of 2007 the situation I had been in which was causing my original symptoms had abated and I felt much better and in control of things. I decided to taper off (with my Drs approval and guidance) and got completely OFF the drug and through the brain shivers and other physical symptoms and was drug free before a few major depressive episodes caused me to go back on them. Looking back I realise that these episodes were part of the withdrawals, but I didn't recognise them as such because the brain zaps etc had finished (in my experience, the brain zaps lasted about three weeks, just FYI).

So I remained on Zoloft for another 12 months, and again proceeded to taper off again in mid 2008 - this time I tapered over 3 months instead of 6 weeks. Again, I was drug free and zap-free for about a month before resuming the drug - because I felt the depressive episodes weren't fair on my family.

Knowing that a much longer taper was necessary, I commenced the taper as soon as the Christmas/NY period was over at the beginning of this year (2009) - this was now my third attempt, and I planned it out to military precision - incorporating potentially stressful events into a schedule and opting not to decrease dosage during those events. I would reduce the dose by 12.5mg every four weeks (using a complicated formula of taking 100mg for 6 days, 87.5mg for 1 day for the first week, then 100mg for 5 days, 87.5mg for 2 days etc) until I was down to 12.5mg every three days - as soon as the brain shivers came on, I would take 12.5mg and then nothing for three days and so on. Eventually I was down to 6mg every four days (I'm not kidding, I was shaving the tablets right down, it was ridiculous).

So even after my last dose, the brain zaps still continued for 2.5 weeks before they stopped. That was 12mg PER WEEK, and I was still having withdrawals.

It's now been 4 weeks since that last dose - it was a 17 week taper - but I still find that I am suffering from mood swings and depression every so often. Some days I feel completely fine, and other days everything gets on top of me, I feel like a failure, a bad mother, a terrible wife etc. I sat in a hairdressers chair on the weekend listing out (in my head) all the blessings I have to be grateful for, but could not stop the tears from spilling out. For no reason at all.

It was the usual period I've lasted in the past before I freak out and think I should resume the drug, but this time I thought of all the posts from commenters on forums such as this one and thought, "NO. WAY. NOT. THIS. TIME." I'm NOT depressed, this is the long term Zoloft use that has done this to me.

So gradually since then I've been feeling a little better each day, and hope to feel back to normal eventually - from what I read this could be as long as 3-6 months away, maybe longer.

Do any other users have any stories about how they felt after the physiological symptoms abated? How long did it take?

The most frustrating thing was that when I was first prescribed Zoloft, I was going through something that no normal person would cope well with - a critically ill infant, in and out of hospital. Why did they prescribe Zoloft for me rather than just telling me that everything was going to be OK and to just ride it out? Why do they just give these things out because you're having a rough couple of months. Anyone would be an emotional wreck while spending a few months in the ICU of a childrens hospital, for heaven's sake. And once you start these things, it's next to impossible to get off them!

My doctor just told me that the drugs would help me get through the difficult period - she said nothing about the side effects and withdrawals. Foolishly, I believed her.

Hi there! I was reading your post about Zoloft and your experience with it. I was wondering if you could tell me how you are doing now? I have panic disorder and debate daily whether I should start taking Zoloft or not. It's agonizing for me to have to take another SSRI, but so are panic attacks. I am wondering if once we start SSRIs, we are doomed to stay on them forever. I took Lexapro and stopped it; tried it again 3 months later and it made things worse, so I had to stop. Now I feel I need something again and I've read Zoloft helps with PD. But to start it all over again. Side effects, withdrawls, starting again, stopping and not being able to use the same med, and having to find another, then the same thing...or running out of meds I can take. Any help would help.

Thanks!