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On the road to no Zoloft

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Posted 2/3/2014 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you to everyone for posting. I have been on Z for almost four years. I started it because of post partum. I notice a few things being on it that I don't like, however am afraid of the other side.

I have night sweats, lack of emotion toward my husband, have a hard time finding my words, and a lack of memory. The last two make it hard on me because I am a teacher and the lack of emotion towards my husband has been a huge problem for the last year and a half.

I am going to try and get off this medication, which I have tried before but started feeling angry and snapping at people and figured that it was because of needing the medication, but realize from this blog that others feel the same. I currently take 50mg a day and going to start tomorrow on 25mg a day for a couple of weeks.

I will post in a week how I feel or if I start feeling anything different I will do it sooner. Good luck to all who are going through the effects of this drug.
Posted 2/3/2014 4:55 PM (GMT 0)
past ready,

Welcome to HealingWell.  We are always happy to see new members.

Good for you for wanting to try to get off of Zoloft.  Remember you need to go slow to try to prevent flu like symptoms. You're going to have to discover your balance point. Altering your weaning amount or the time in between weans should be based on how you respond to that wean. If you find that you have a lot of withdrawal symptoms, try decreasing the amount that you wean by, or leave more time in between weans.

Withdrawal is not a linear experience. You'll go through periods of progress, and suddenly find yourself having some really bad days that contradict the previous ones. By withdrawing slowly, you'll get to experience a gentle change of good days outnumbering the bad.

I wish you all the best as you bravely move forward with your plan.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 2/4/2014 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
hi past ready! i'm glad you found this forum, too, as i did about a month ago. it's so nice to freely talk about these issues with people that can really empathize. i was posting on the previous thread. i hope you have found my posts helpful. i'm sorry to hear about your symptoms. i have had all of those symptoms and more. i will say that my libido is already returning, which my husband is very pleased about! and i'm finding he's much easier to live with now that he's not so deprived! lol i, also, have problems with anger. i am still trying to hone in on a sure way to get control of it, and i'm sorry to say i haven't yet found the one thing that works. i am learning from this forum that it takes a conscious effort and the forethought of exploring and learning all of the coping techniques that are provided here. if it weren't for my kids, i'd probably be lazy about it for the rest of my life because i just don't want to take the time to learn something new! but for their sake, i'm trying to learn. i wish you the best and hope that we can help each other. thanks for posting!
Posted 2/5/2014 4:08 PM (GMT 0)
Good for you Past Ready! Talk to your doctor first if you can but if you are fairly certain you don't need it anymore you CAN do it! I recently came off of Zoloft and I would recommend coming off of it even slower. I went from 100mg to nothing but did it over a 4 month period. 50 to 25 like you are saying will probably create some discontinuation symptoms. You can purchase a pill cutter for very cheap at any pharmacy and can step down at first to 40 and then after a few weeks or when you feel comfortable drop to 30 and so on. Remember it is not a race to the finish line but a slow and much more painless end to a drug you believe you no longer need or want. I did get a few withdrawal symptoms but they were not the nightmare that people who got in a hurry suffered. Here are some positive things I have experienced since I quit only a few weeks ago. #1 SEX DRIVE RETURNED COMPLETELY!! #2 I can FEEL emotions again! I was on it for about 6 years and at times felt like I had gotten a mini lobotomy. I am laughing like a hyena now if I watch comedy or hear a funny joke and I an NOT experiencing any depression whatsoever. One thing I do know is before a person stops taking it you must first deal with the problem that caused the depression or anxiety! I had lost my business and went bankrupt. Lost everything , . Confidence, Self Esteem, Material things, New Car TVs etc etc. It took me years but I dealt with all of it and now feel very liberated to be off the SSRIs. Did I mention my SEX DRIVE came back! Ha! Ha! Remember you CAN do this and be successful at it!! Hang in there!!

Post Edited (Zoloft Free) : 2/5/2014 9:11:12 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/10/2014 2:57 PM (GMT 0)
It has been one week that I have been taking half a pill and everything is normal. I am continuing to take half a pill for the next couple of weeks and will be talking to my doctor in a week. I don't have anything else to report which is good.
Posted 2/10/2014 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations on making it through the first week.  I like your plan to continue at your current dose for another couple of weeks.  Your going slow and that should make your wean a success.

One day at a time.

Kindly,

Kitt

Posted 2/18/2014 4:44 PM (GMT 0)
Second week and still taking half a pill. I feel normal and will continue this week with a half pill. Went to the doctor and he said when I am ready the next step will be to take half a pill every other day. I think this is when I will feel a little different. He also said that Zoloft is not meant to be taken for life. Hope everyone else is doing good that is trying to get off.
Posted 2/23/2014 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi past ready,
I too am being weaned off my Zoloft. I was on 150 mg and I am now on 75 mg. Right now I am waiting for my med to level out. After that, my doctor plans to lower it down to 50 mg. Let me know how you are doing?
Posted 2/24/2014 3:34 PM (GMT 0)
I'm thinking of going off Z as well...been on for years ..cant lose weight.I'm 52, hardly any menopause symptoms, heart pounding at night, but 100mgs is highest I have been on. I'm lethargic after long day at work...i eat healthy most days, but my workouts are useless,especially in minter which is cold and depressing anyway. I'm thinking therapy would be more helpful than these drugs..hav to add xanax too sometimes..Always had anxiety but 8 years ago my bout with breast cancer made it permanent. Weigh more now than ever have and have zero interest in sex,which saddens me cuz I have such a great husband...ugh my doc will be the final say, but omg, can I feel normal w/o the Zoloft?????? Ugh.
Posted 3/3/2014 2:07 PM (GMT 0)
Last week I was on a half a pill every other day and continued this weekend. I have not had any really bad withdrawal symptoms. I notice that I don't have as much of a what ever attitude. Which means that I get after my students more to not do things. I notice that I can be a little more irritated about something but not to the point where I don't notice it and make a jerk out of myself. The biggest thing would be that I have less motivation.

I don't think I feel better or worse, just the same. So maybe it was a good time to get off this med.
Posted 3/3/2014 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi PR,

Good job on continuing your slow and steady wean. It sounds like you are almost there.

If you need some encouragement, you know where to come...we are here to support you through this.

If you run into any rough spots...know that we have a great Resource section here on the main page. 1st post.

It is full of great self-help ideas for anxiety management, such as stress relieving exercises, informative articles and links and more.:)

Wishing you continued success.

S.C.
Posted 3/10/2014 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
So I have quit taking Z now. I get these weird dizzy feelings and I am irritated in stressful situations. The irritation is the worst because I am a high school teacher and a mother of an almost 4 years old. I am dealing with it. I still can't stand my husband, but that I believe is because of his daily actions not the meds. I believe the meds have just made it bearable and now I am forced to deal with it.

On the good side I don't sweat at night and I have my memory back. I probably wouldn't feel so tired if my daughter wouldn't wake me up every night.

I will see how this week goes.
Posted 3/10/2014 3:54 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Past Ready - sounds like you and I are on about the same track. I have now been off the Z for about 2 1/2 months. I still get the weird dizzy feelings - but honestly just think it's the anxiety rearing it's ugly head to let me know that it's not over till it's over. I use many tools to combat these but sometimes the dizzies win.
Kava seems to help a little, but I don't use it often. There are many natural aids out there - see if one might work for you. Sometimes it's just knowing that I've been there before and I have survived.
I work at a university and unless I'm very busy I find these things creeping in. Taking a walk, drinking some tea, doing something different helps. I'm sure it's not easy for you if you are in front of a class when these things hit. I also find that my memory is somewhat better than it was.
Many blessings - Reepin
Posted 3/10/2014 4:11 PM (GMT 0)
WTG, you are doing  a super job and recognizing your irritability is very wise as you know what is causing it and could take a step back.

I wish for you all the happiness and success in your continued weaning process.

Life is good.

Kindly,

Kitt 

Posted 3/14/2014 12:30 PM (GMT 0)
Things have become harder for me these last few days. My anxiety is high, I am nauseas, and jittery. I don't want to be negative but I am not sure I can continue like this. If I knew that it was going to go away soon I may be able to get through it, but I can't function at work in this state. Being a teacher requires a lot of patience and I can't look like I am going to cry at any minute. I also couldn't even bring myself to eat lunch with the people that I always eat with, I had to leave the school just to get myself together yesterday.

I hope other people are doing better.
Posted 3/14/2014 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
P.R.,

Here is a link to some great stress relief through coping skills/exercises.


http://www.stress-relief-exercises.com/

They take some effort and dedication, but are something that anyone...especially those of us with anxiety issues, should be practicing.:)

When you have a cessation of one form of treatment, I recommend replacing it with another. The regular practice of this type of anxiety management could be the alternative that you seek.

S.C.

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