My Positive Experience Quitting Zoloft

Thank you for your concern. I am trying to get help. We made an appointment with a psychiatrist in the first week of January. The first appointment available was March 25th so we still have a long wait. I called them today and no luck getting anything earlier. His family doctor's nurse said she will have his doctor call me in the morning since he is out today. But we have discussed this in the past and he really wants a psychiatrist to make a recommendation. My son was in a psychiatric hospital in October for a week since we were having problems dealing with him. The psychiatrist took away all his meds from his original hospital stay, the one after his brain injury for vocational, occupational, and physical therapy. He put him on all vitamins, thinking the psychotic meds were doing more harm than good. But in late December we put him in a different psychiatric hospital because of his suicidal threats His wife left him when he was in a coma from the brain injury; they were both drug addicts and he OD'd out of despair of being unable to quit his addiction. He ended his addiction the hard way. Anyway, that doctor put him on the zoloft and zyprexa. He has been easier to live with as far as mood but he now has a very serious eating problem. He is always "starving" and swears he has not eaten anything all day even though he has been eating non-stop.
I've been researching all day and wondering about Abilify. Some people have said they even had a loss of appetite with it.
I will post again if things change.

I am weaning off the generic form of Zoloft since Saturday with a doctor's supervision. I took it for one month starting at 50 mgs and then 100 mgs. Now I am on 12.5 mgs for one week.This weaning off went from 100 mgs to 50 mgs to 25 mgs and now 12.5 mgs. I lost 12 pounds and had extreme nausea during this time. Everyone keeps saying how they gained weight! I felt like I was dying! The nausea is gone and I can eat again!
The doctor also has me on Lamictal starting now on 25 mgs every other day. I hope this works for depression and anxiety!
Good luck to all of us trying to help ourselves! Life is not easy but we have to have hope!

Hi Teach,
The only diagnosis we know for sure is my son's brain injury from lack of oxygen for an unknown length of time. He was found dead, resuscitated, and stayed in a coma for two months. The doctors said he would never have any function above automatic responses from the brain stem. We refused to believe them because we could see other signs that they kept claiming were only auto response. It's been a long road and the biggest hurdle now is getting his meds balanced. It is hard to do since he has no short term memory. We hope to find a good middle ground some day. Thanks for responding about Abilify. I'm going to ask his doctor about it when I get the chance to talk to him, hopefully tomorrow.

Also, reading your experiences of beating Zoloft is a HUGE motivator for my own journey. Keep the success stories coming! It's so important to get the message out that people who want to beat this CAN and DO!!!

Congrats!!!!!!! That is so awesome!!!!!!

Hi everyone!

I had to check in and let all of you know that I have been on ZERO milligrams of Zoloft for 4 days and am doing great! In case you haven't read the entire thread, I have been on 50 mg of Zoloft for over 10 years. I finally decided to try and get off of it, so I cut it down to 37.5 mg for a month, 25 mg for a month, 12.5 mg for a month, and then nothing for 4 days now. Throughout the process, I have gotten a few headaches (not sure it's because of the Zoloft, since I've certainly had headaches before), had some bad dreams for about a week (again, not the first time this has ever happened), and have been pretty tired (but I work a ton so this is not that strange). But that's it, thank God (literally, because I have prayed every single night during this process). No irritability, no brain zaps, no nausea, no mood swings, none of the horrific side effects that I have read about.

I want you guys to know that it CAN be done, but you just have to be PATIENT. I really think one of the key factors was that I did this *slowly*. Please hang in there, and don't try to rush off of this stuff. And blessings to all of you!!

MotherofaZoloftUser, hang in there. Our prayers are with you!

To all you "guardian angels"...  I sat at my computer this evening + decided that I need to make a doctor's appointment to see if she could INCREASE my zoloft.  So I just started researching + came across this truly ENLIGHTENING forum.  I thought my lack of engery, motivation to do ANYTHING was because I needed MORE drugs.  Ok.. let's not talk about the weight gain.  I moved to Florida about 7 years ago weighing in the mid 120's.  I am not the mid 170's.  It is like I don't even know who this fat person is!!  I thought is was just age (I am sure that is a factor, I am now 56) but I am certain the lack of energy to do anything, including exercise + eating like a truck driver have been the primary factors.  But I did not connect the dots that the Zoloft has been a huge culprit in my complete change.  I literally go to work (I own a business I love, thank goodness for THAT), come home, plop my butt in front of the computer + eat, work, drink (wine or martinis) REPEAT!!!  Rarely go out, just no interest.  Being fat makes me more depressed so I don't want to go out so, again, I think I need more drugs to make me feel better.  What the????   No doctor EVER told me that weight gain or lack of energy are primary side effects of zoloft.  It is just a vicious cycle!!!  Thank you.. thank you... thank you ALL for helping me understand that there is hope for me to feel like a "REAL" person, again.  I am so excited to start my journey to being well. 

Agreed! We each need to ascertain what is right for us as individuals. But knowing that a lifetime of drugs may not be the answer + that there MAY be a time to try life on its own, again. I am ready, even more so, knowing there is such a wonderful suport system here.

Hello all...

I have just began to week myself off Zoloft. I started taking 50mg after I had my son. 8 years later I am now taking 200mg. Over the years I have had my ups and downs along with a ton of weight gain!! After having my baby I was back down to about 130lbs. I have topped out at 159!!! It really got worse for me as they upped my dosage. No matter what I do, I can not lose weight!! That in itself is making me crazy... Ha ha!! So the weight issue is a huge factor in my decision to ween off the Zoloft. I have often wondered if I still need it. I definitely get into a rut every now and then. But really, doesn't everyone?? I am so unhappy with myself because of my weight, it seems to me, that sort of defeats the whole purpose of being on an anti-depressant??!
So anyways, my plan is to drop from the 200mg to 100mg every other day and see how it goes. I am a little nervous to go "cold turkey"... This is what I am comfortable with for now. After a week or so~ I will see how I feel and decide what my next step will be!! This is my second night so I will not be taking one tonight... Wish me luck!!

I just want to thank you for your post. It has really helped me. I've been off of Zoloft for 5 days now. I expected the anxiety and irritability but did not expect the insomnia and it's just how you described it. I'm out cold until 2:30 am, then up and jittery as if I have had too much coffee until I pull myself out of bed at 6. Not fun. I am glad to hear that benedryl has helped. I'll be taking some before bed tonight.

Again, thank you.

I have been on 100mg of Zoloft for about one month.  My Dr wanted me to start slow; 25mg for 10 days, 50mg for 10 days & then 100mg for good.  He told me to go down to 50mg for 3 days and then stop completely.  Sounds odd to me, but I am following what he said.  Day 1 today of 50mg.  Since only being on it a short time, do you think I will experience many withdrawls?  1 side affect I have been having that has been driving me nuts is tremors; hands shaking.  I will be glad when that is done!

Hi, firstly, thank you all for posting on this thread!
I went off zoloft accidently on Saturday as my script ran out, however I do not believe on staying on these drugs long term; so I decided to not buy more (now Tuesday). I was on 50mg and went to nothing. Yesterday I was emotional and dizzy; however I went to yoga and felt much more settled. (Doesnt help I am 1 week before my period is due). What I am suprised about is relating my blurred vision to the zoloft? It appears some others have had the blurred vision?? I did not relate it to now; however my eyesight has become considerably worse over the lsat few months! I will be interested to see the difference in this regard.
I do want to say to try help; one of the very best things I have done is take my son to a biomedical doctor. (After many trips to psychologists, paeditricians, regular doctors with no real helps; I took him to a biomedical dr and the changes are quite remarkable! He put him on GABA (which I am also taking) which is natural; B, magnesium, zinc etc and biotin (good for skin and nails too) He diagmosed him with Pyrolle disorder! (I had never heard of it and apparently 10% of the poulation have hit) As far as muscle aches goes, taurine has helped me dramatically; I researched this myself, and in passing the biomedical dr mentioned it to me (as I also have a heart condition where I react to msg 621 / glutamic acid and too much caffeine where I have had to be admitted to Emergency and given a drug called adenosine to bring it back to normal (after 238bpm) Any way I am other meds as this a real physical condition; - for interest, my neighbour has fybrymoalgia and she does now NOT have the muscle aches when taking taurine too! Taking taurine I have NO brainfog as well! However my point is; this biomedical dr really knows what he is talking about!! (Very excited about this) I am seeing him for myself next week; and I bet he continues GABA and other things. This is a real breakthrough. These dr's are in the background as the pharmaceutical co's stand to NOT MAKE their billions of $ when Dr's go to the source of our problems about bio balance, ensuring our bodies are getting what they need ie if we are not making the amino acids etc that we need!! Anyway I thought I should share; as it is making a life difference. My son is not having his emotional outburst; it does take a month for our bodies to absorb these vitamins, minerals and amino acids; it's been 3 weeks and the changes are remarkable. Of course I believe in GOOD Dr advise when weaning of drugs; however I hcan't recommend highly enough about going to a biomedical DR! I wish my mother would; as she has been on heavy drugs for years; and I also read that drugs like Zyprexa decrease the brain cortex :-( Please get Dr supervision before going off however. My advise, a Bio Dr!! All the best; I don't feel dizzy this morning; I expect a little more side effects; however I am sure they won't be long lived; I am going on more natural drugs, that is for sure. All the best with your endevours