HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Zoloft Withdrawal

Support Forums
>
Depression
✚ New Topic locked
1 23 4 5 6
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/19/2008 8:47 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Mtngurl,

It is so hard to say whether you will need medication for the rest of your life or not. Only a professional would really know. But in the meantime there are things that you can try to do to keep your anxiety attacks in check. Such as breathing, in through the nose out through the mouth. There is cognitive behavioral therapy you can do with a psychologist or counselor. There are so many things that you can try to do before resorting to medication. But I would work with a professional if you can.

Keep posting because we are here for you. I am so glad that you found us.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 10/19/2008 11:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks, Karen, I am glad I found this blog, too.  I am meditating daily, yoga occassionally, althought striving for a daily practice, walking on the beach.  I live in a third world country, and professional help is extremely difficult to find here, at best it is 4 hours away.  I do have some lovely friends, and I am beginning to share with them that I am having an internal struggle.  This type of support have helped me thru depression in the past.  I know I have to take it day by day, sometimes hour by hour.  Determined not to make any rash decisions. 

Posted 10/20/2008 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
The way my counselor explained medications to me is this:

Some people need medication for a short time to re-balance things. They may or may not need it again.
Some people need it for a while (years) and then they can stop. They may or may not need it again.
Some people need to be on it their whole lives.
Some people (VERY VERY few, extreme minority) do not respond to medications at all.

I have been on it on and off in my life. The biggest break was the last 10 years. I think I may fall into the category of needing it for my whole life. I don't really know though. But if so, I'm to the point where I'm ok with that. I'd rather be happy. My stepmom has been on meds for 2 decades and has tried to get off before, but has just accepted the fact that she needs them and wants to be happy.
Posted 11/1/2008 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi, all. I'm new here. I, too, just stopped taking Zoloft. It's been 2 weeks. I feel icky!! Maybe I should have tapered off. Hate the thought of going back on it, even for a short time. I wanna be tough! :) But I do feel really fuzzy, confused (speaking, reading, writing!), dizzy, and a bit nauseous. I was on 100mg for 3 years. Maybe I didn't do myself any favors going off it like this. Hmmm. I really wonder if it would make that much difference to go back on for a week or two at, say, 50mg, and then 25. Maybe I'll just do that. I was also taking Klonopin (0.5mg) for the last 6 years and quit that at the same time. What was I thinking?! I wasn't sleeping very well in spite of the meds. I'm beginning to get more sleep, but my dreams are off the wall!! Anyway, I'll let you all know how it goes. I think I just talked myself into going back on just the Zoloft at a half-dose for a week or so, then half of that for a week or so. This goofy feeling is the toughest part. Eating plain white rice helps with the nausea...Best wishes to everyone who's trying to live without "feel good" drugs!!
Posted 11/1/2008 10:14 PM (GMT 0)

coldturkey

It's unwise to quit taking these meds suddenly. Get back on the Zoloft and proceed to slowly taper off it. I would also involve your pysician with your weaning off the med.

My main concern is your health.

Kitt

Posted 11/1/2008 10:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Coldturkey,

Kitt is right. You should always taper off with the directions of your physician. You will feel a lot better that way. Also you are probably going through withdrawals from the other medication also. I hope that you feel better soon.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 11/4/2008 1:27 AM (GMT 0)
Hi All,
I just found this site and decided to reply since I've had the same symptoms. I'm an RN, so I knew I was supposed to wean off the Zoloft, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.
Between a new job and getting ready for work with a toddler and preschooler I was forgetting to take it sometimes, than ran low and took 1/2 tab sometimes. Between needing renewals for scripts and insurance changes it ended up being a week or so before my prescription was ready. By that time I was already off it for a week and had not been taking it consistently for a few weeks (although I think I was taking it enough, because the second week out I had severe headaches, nausea, light and noise sensitivity etc..) I thought I was getting migraines or something.

Now that my script is ready, I actually feel better, except for the moodiness., which could be from withdrawal, PMS or the general lack of being as tolerant than I would be while on the Zoloft. At this point I am going to try to stay off as I think the WithDrawal has stopped. I was on 50mg for about 3 years for post-partem depression and anxiety.

My comment to those out there that did it cold turkey is that although I don't recommend it, I can see how it happens. General Practioners do not know enough about it and it is difficult to get quick responses for things like this unless you're suicidal.

Good Luck to you all!
Posted 11/4/2008 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Busymom101,

I just wanted to welcome you to the depression forum. You have definately come to a good place. Everybody here is so kind and compassionate. You will get good advice here and I suspect that you will be giving some good advice too.

So keep posting. We do have an introduction thread if you are interested, or if you would like to, you can start your own thread. Either way keep posting, as we are here for all of our members.

Have a great evening,

Hugs, Karen
Posted 11/6/2008 10:56 PM (GMT 0)

Checking in with Thanks to Karen and others.  I have now had three good days in a row.  Not great days, but just normal good days.  Only fleeting moments of stinkin thinkin, but I can catch and banish these quickly.  Using physical work and exhaustion as a way to get thru it. Asking for help and understanding from others.  Sharing my reality of depression with loved ones.  Still not totally certain that getting off the Zoloft will work, but feel more positive now.  And if I can, it will be worth it.  If not, atleast I will know that I have tried, and that I absolutely need medication for mental wellness.   Appreciation for this forum, and the many kind and knowledgeable people who post here. 

Posted 11/7/2008 4:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,
I found this website through an internet search for "Zoloft withdrawal." I started taking 50mg of Zoloft about six years ago to treat anxiety and depression-- since then I was mostly on 25-37.5mg, and this past year I have been taking 25mg every other day, or even every third day, in preparation for stopping altogether.
In the past when I have tried to stop Zoloft (once, to switch to Effexor, but I gave up) or when I have missed a dose or two, I have had immediate withdrawal symptoms.
This past Friday, I took my last dose. Since by Sunday and on into Monday I was still feeling okay, I decided on the spot to try once and for all to stop altogether.
At first I felt really fine. Tired, a bit woozy, but almost euphoric at the same time. I have wanted to go off of this drug for a long time.
It is now Thursday. Since yesterday I have been suffering from brain zaps, disorientation, spatial/depth perception problems, inability to focus, nausea, dizziness, vertigo, and, beginning today, a feeling of deep sadness.
I do not want to take another pill. If I had known six years ago what I know today, I never would have gone on it. I was a teenager and didn't really think it through or think about long-term consequences.
In the meantime, I can't move. I can't blink. I can't focus. I can't turn my head or my eyes. I feel like my skull is stuffed up with sponges... I don't know how else to explain it. I can't concentrate. I feel sad and dispirited, and I have to keep reminding myself how badly I wanted off this drug.
Now I'm scared. I have been reading forums and some people say their symptoms last weeks-- even months. My dosage was never very high, but I'm quite sensitive and feel the effects very strongly. I don't trust my doctors-- they have denied the existence of withdrawal symptoms altogether.
What should I do? When will I feel normal again? Can I make this process easier? I feel so awful. And so alone. I try to explain to people what I'm feeling but if they haven't experienced the dreaded "brain zap" themselves they just don't get it... however sympathetic they may be...
Please help...
Thank you...
Posted 11/7/2008 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Sophia0505,

I'm sorry you have the zaps. I had them too on Effexor, and it's terrible. When I was withdrawing, it took over a week for me to get over it. It was exhausting and depressing. My doc said it would hopefully last only 3-4 days, but could last up to a week. It lasted more. But that was Effexor.

You probably should have talked to your doc about stopping. He/she might have been able to titrate you down and make it easier for you, regardless of there being no withdrawal symptoms. There's unfortunately nothing you can do about the zaps.

Try and make the best of it. I found I was okay watching tv as long as I sat still and it was a fairly quiet program (no car chases, etc.) I could read alright. But I had to sit quietly or lie down most of the time. Make people wait on you -- that's the fun part.

best wishes,
serafena
Posted 11/7/2008 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
Sophia0505,

Hello and Welcome to HealingWell and I am so glad yo found us.

I agree with Serafina if you have made it this far try to hang on for a bit more.

Otherwise I would see your physician and see if he thinks going to 12.5 might help and then keep bringing the dose down slowly.

I am not a professional but I have read so many stories about brain zaps that my heart goes out to you.

Take care all

Kitt

Posted 11/8/2008 12:24 AM (GMT 0)
HI all,

I've been off for about three weeks now and like I said before, the second week was rough. I did not even know the what the cause was until I searched the internet. Although the withdrawal was rough, I find that I am much less tired than I had been while I was on it. I also have less aches and pains. Depression comes and goes, but I am not as overwhelmed and anxious as I was before I started it. Anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed is what would make be depressed. Plus post-partem hormones which can be even more eratic after breast-feeding. Anyway, when the withdrawal and thoughts of going back on it came to mind I had to think about the stressors in my life, which for me, many times was caused by others. I decided to stand up for myself and not go back on the medication to deal with them. Then I felt a piece of the old me come back and realized this must have been the right time for me to get off Zoloft. Hope this helps anyone else out there feeling the same. And i hope I stay feeling this way:)
Posted 11/8/2008 2:50 AM (GMT 0)

Hi, to all the Zoloft crowd. Well, I started back on it the same day I wrote my first comment on this website (which I think is great). I was feeling so darn crummy: dizzy, nauseous, confused. I called my dr the very next day and got in to see her. She implored me not to stop taking it at this time of year, even though I told her I don't suffer from SAD (seasonal affective disorder). She asked me to come back in early spring to start tapering off under her supervision, which I agreed to do.

It really never occurred to me that I would go through real withdrawal, but I guess that's why the info sheets say NOT to stop taking it without first talking to your doctor! But it is something I want to do, to see if I'm really as together as I think I am now. I don't feel that taking it for a few more months will hurt anything.

And, as always, I find that all of my experiences enrich my understanding and knowledge of my body, mind, and spirit. It took me years to "get" that--we're all students AND teachers, ALWAYS. 

Love and Peace. And thank you, Kitt and Karen, for your feedback.

Chris

   


Post Edited (coldturkey) : 11/7/2008 8:02:27 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 11/21/2008 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
hello...my son (almost 18) has been on zoloft for anxiety for just over 2 weeks, and we stopped it 4 days ago abruptly because of suicidal ideation. He now is having anxiety, and is still having "bad thoughts"....I think this is withdrawl...how long does it last?
Posted 11/21/2008 5:56 PM (GMT 0)
HI Rosiescooter,

First of all welcome to the HealingWell depression forum. I am so glad that you have joined us.

Is there any way he can taper off slowly? If not, it could be a few weeks of withdrawals. Though it should be easier as time goes on.

Have you talked to the doctor about him going off of the medication?

Best wishes to you my friend, keep posting, we will try to help you.

Hugs, karen
Posted 11/27/2008 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
I was just doing a Google search for zoloft withdrawal symptoms when I ran across this forum. It is nice to know you're not alone.

I have been on 50mg for almost 2yrs. My husband is in the Navy, and was stationed on a ship for 2yrs, during which our 5 children and I remained in our home in another state. I went on zoloft temporarily to help me cope with his absence and the stress and depression, always intending to come off once he got home. I really cannot stand my new Dr., and she was making me come in every time I ran out of pills. My husband was coming home within a week, and I knew I would never get a Dr. appt before my rx ran out, so instead of waiting until after the holidays like I was planning, I decided to go ahead and taper off. This is the schedule I used:

Week One: Alternate one day taking 50mg, the next 25 mg (half a pill)
Week Two: Take 25 mg daily
Week Three: Take 25 mg every other day

I completely quit after week three, and I haven't felt normal since. I still get the electric jolts, and I am so sore and stiff I can't stand it. The jolts are worse in the evening when I am tired. As annoying as the jolts are, the stiffness and pain in my joints are the most difficult to tolerate. I work 4 days per week, and go to school 2 days per week, and have 4 kids at home now (my oldest moved away a year ago). Coming home from my day and feeling I am physically incapable of doing anything for or with my family is frustrating.

Any advice?

shakehead
Posted 11/27/2008 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
Mary,

I want to welcome you to HealingWell. You have come to a good place. Maybe in time you can go back on the medication. If it makes you feel better that is. The withdrawal symptoms should wear off soon. I wish for you the best.

Have a happy holiday today.

Luv and hugs, Karen
Posted 12/7/2008 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone.  I'm am new to this forum.  I am planning on getting pregnant soon so I am coming off my antidepressant.  I was taking Paxil 20mg.  My Doctor suggested that I go on Prozac because the withdrawl symptoms are not as severe.  I took 20mg Prozac with 10mg of Paxil for about a week and a half.  I took the prozac by itself for about two weeks.  I stopped taking everything altogether yesterday.  My muscles ache really bad in my neck and upper back.  I feel really weak and have absolutely no strength.  I went out and bought fish oil, Valerian root, and ginger root capsules.  I am hoping this will ease the withdrawl because I have to work!!!! Please let me know if there is anything else I can do.  Do these withdrawl symptoms sound normal????  Thanks alot.

Posted 12/7/2008 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Schooch,

I don't know if them are withdrawal symptoms of paxil or prozac, but they could be. It almost sounds like my fibromyalgia, though they could be symptoms of depression too. I hope that you find what works for you. I take the fish oil and that really helps. Did your doctor say that the valerian root was okay to take, since you are wanting to get pregnant? I hope that it is safe for you. I know that it is a natural form of valium.

I would like to welcome you to the forum. You have come to a good place, and hopefully somebody will come on that can help you more than I can.

Keep posting, I am sure that somebody will come on to give you some advice.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 12/22/2008 8:38 PM (GMT 0)

Hello -- I'm new to this forum but have been reading it for a few days now and all I can say is THANK GOD I found this.  I thought I was losing my sanity.

I have been on Zoloft 50 mg / day for over a year and I am a very athletic person.  I swim 5x week and weight lift 2x week.  I also watch what I eat.  During this last year, I have packed on 10 pounds.  I realize 'muscle' is dense but 10 pounds of muscle mass at 38?  No way.  In addition, it's all going to my butt and my skirts are fitting tighter.  I have done everything to try to cut the calories and NOTHING worked.  In fact, two weeks ago I practically starved myself and I put on another 1.4 lbs.  I started wondering if it's just age. 

Then I came across this forum and saw so many other people with 'unexplained' weight gain.  I beelined for my doctor and she took me off and replaced it with Wellbutrin 150 mg SR and upped me to Wellbutrin 300 XL.  Over the last week and a half, I have been dizzy, nauseous, suffering from major night sweats, and my dreams have been worse than taking LSD.  I thought for SURE it was the Wellbutrin so I cut the Wellbutrin in half today and took only a half of the 300 XL. 

Sounds like I have withdrawal symptoms.  It's better today but Saturday was brutal.  I had to skip out on holiday parties which was disappointing.  It's driving me crazy b/c when I move my head too fast, my head feels sea sick.  I hate it.

I've decided to talk to my doctor and see if I can just get off of these drugs b/c I'm starting to wonder if it makes things worse.

This forum is awesome and has provided me with more relief than one year of Zoloft has.

Thank you.

-Sahara 13

Posted 12/22/2008 9:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sahara,

Welcome to HealingWell and the depression forum. I'm glad it's been useful to you and you're already finding some of the answers you've been looking for. As to cutting the Wellbutrin in half without your doc's guidance, though, I'm not sure that's such a hot idea. Many side effects are temporary and only last a week or two as you first start taking the drug. I'd go back up to the full dosage and give your doc a call. You don't want to have any withdrawal symptoms.

Be patient with the drugs. There's a considerable trial and error period involved sometimes while you find one that works for you. Each time you try one, your doc learns more about you and your body. You will find one that works. Have faith.

serafena
Posted 12/22/2008 11:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sahara,

I agree with Serafina. You should talk to your doctor before changing your meds. But I am glad that you are feeling better.

I would like to welcome you to the forum. I am glad that you like it here. We have an introduction thread that I will bump up for you if you would like to post on it.

I hope that you have a good night and a good day tomorrow.

Hugs, Karen
Posted 12/22/2008 11:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you so much for the advice -- and you're right.  I should just stick with what my doctor prescribed.  I so much appreciate the warm welcome.  I struggle admitting that I even suffer from depression.  There is such a stigma associated with 'depression' as if we can just mentally overcome it by saying, "I won't be depressed anymore."  The problem is people see depression as the equivalent of sadness which is not the case. 

Yes -- I would like very much to be bumped into the introduction thread. 

Smiles,

-Sahara

Posted 12/22/2008 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Sahara,

A huge Welcome to HealingWell.  I have been on so many of the meds and I too had great hopes for the Wellbutrin,however when I got up to 300 mg I was literally walking into walls and felt drugged all the time.  So back on the Cymbalta.  WE have moved the cymbalta up and down like an elevator.  I am going to wean off of it very slowly.  I dropped from 90 to 60 mg and will stay there for a month or so until I can see my Pdoc again. 

I am doing this with her help.

I feel like you do, we don't know what causes what anymore.

I feel your frustration.

Stick with us.

Kitt


✚ New Topic locked
123456