PMDD and Quitting Zoloft

Hi,

I quit Zoloft about ten days ago, after slowly tapering for months. Actually, I have only been on it for a year and a half. Last dosage was 12.5 mg. Nonetheless, the old anxiety is back in full swing. And now that ovulation has struck, I am feeling horrific. But my libido is reawakening. It was undeniably dead. Like the wicked witch in the Wizard of Oz. I am crying a lot too. I feel like I cannot keep a thought straight. My mind is running in circles like a hamster. Not good. Not good at all. Also, my muscles are achy. I feel sluggish and as if in a barrel under water. But, I knew it would be rough. And I wanted to quit the evil pharma crap because I wanted myself back. My libido mostly, and everything that comes with it, a sense of being alive and kicking.

Am taking nutritional steps, such as a clean paleo diet. More or less. Am having a very difficult time quitting coffee and dairy, but little by little. Am also trying to stay on top of my supplements, such as the Julia Ross recommended amino acids. And they are definitely taking the edge off. I need more time to sleep and exercise. That is a definite challenge, and I know those two things would help tremendously.

Nonetheless, this PMS (actually PMDD) business is kicking my behind!!! Lots of negative thoughts, judgments, quick vicious reactions, feeling of hopelessness and doom and gloom, not to mention intense anxiety..... You should see me drive! I feel like a walking bomb. Afraid my long-suffering relationship is doomed.... Wish I could just stay in bed for couple of weeks and stare at the wall, but cannot afford to, as I have a job and a five year old, inter alia.

Anyone have any thoughts to share? Does it get better? Is there light at the end of the tunnel?

Thanks

Hello and welcome. Wow, "evil pharma crap". What else were you experiencing while on that med to feel so strongly as to put it that way? Don't get me wrong, I'm trying my third antidepressant hoping the I won't get the same side effects as the first two.

I'm glad you are trying to clear your system of anything that might be 'harmful' to your state of mind, but the timing might be a bad combination just now.

I hope you find what works best for you. Families do seem to suffer right along with us. Keep seeking the answers. Keep posting, let us know how things are going.

Hi Forum Moderator and Pitmom,

Thanks for your kind responses and care. I couldn't remember how to get back onto the forum as at work we log off each night. I just googled my own posting:)

Well, I have nothing but evil feelings toward big pharma. They are making billions off our grief. They are marketing and targeting and doctors are prescribing these drugs as if they were Tic Tacs and/or panacea. Even to children!!! I resisted it for 20 something years, but broke down due to severe depression caused by years of unemployment (with a law degree and 200K in student loans). Now things are looking up some, at least, in this external context. I agree the timing is not quite ideal, but I just couldn't take the deadness any longer. And I really do not wish to be on any kind of prescription medicine. I will take excedrin for migraines, and an occasional muscle relaxant for bad knots, but other than that, I really don't like pills. Even the supplements aren't ideal in my book. I am one of those pesky holistically minded people. We tend to seek quick fixes in our society in which we simply don't have the time to BE. We must change our collective mindset and gravitate toward a certain quality of life we will refuse to go below. Beside lack of libido, it is also the incessant and painful tongue chewing that has been "blessing" my life on Zoloft. I am not willing to try other antidepressants. Will do everything I can through exercise, meditation, talking with my partner, eating as well as possible, and taking the right supplements. Am kind of looking forward to no longer ovulating some day in the future. Hate what the hormonal swings. It's like a light switch. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Ufff

Am walking down the hallways at work, putting one foot in front of the other, breathing and sensing my weight and my body displacing in space. Finally went for a quick swim last night, but could barely swim. My muscles feel awfully weak. Had a similar problem when first finding the right dosage of Zoloft. When I went up to 100 mg I could barely swim at all, and my heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Was getting strange aches and pains in my legs, out of the blue. Woke up with a stuffy nose and scratchy throat this morning. Feeling overall rather blah, but also unable to focus. Am trying to do ten things at the same time. Have accomplished something, but it feels like not nearly enough.

Talking to my doctor has never imbued me with any sense of confidence or well-being. They just don't get it. Their focus is on chopping and medicating, on body parts, bits of systems, not on the entire human being. Frustrating indeed. Without Chinese medicine I would, for example, not be menstruating at all. The western doctors kept putting me on the pill, but the pill was making me fat and crazy and not really menstruating naturally. Looks like I will have to find the time to get back to tai chi. That was the single most helpful thing I ever did for my health.

Pitmom, I hope you can find some modicum of normalcy without pharma. There has to be hope outside of pharma. There has to. I refuse to believe we all need to be on meds in order to function.

Will keep you posted how my struggle continues... who knows?! Perhaps as my period approaches I will return to Zoloft, but I sure hope not.

One footstep at a time, one breath at a time.....it will get better.....

Always remember you have the right to choose what is right for you. If medications aren't it, that is cool. Do what feels right.

Do you happen to know a good site about tai chi or book? I have always wanted to learn it. I do my own version, but would like to learn the right way. I bought a book awhile back, but it didn't explain it well. So I didn't comprehend it at all. I would love to learn more.

Are you into herbals? There are herbs that I believe can help with pms and hormones.

Best wishes to you.

Hugs, Karen...