Joestar246: Very Sudden Issues With Zoloft

[Joestar246]

I've never posted here before, but I'm pretty sure I've read through threads in the past. I was told by someone this may be a good place to get answers that I'm looking for.

 

So I started taking 50 mg of Zoloft about 5 weeks ago for OCD. I had it a lot worse when I was younger and then around my senior year of high school it came back (the same thing happened to my father and it went away around after he graduated college). I'm now 21 and figured it was time to give SSRIs another shot even though I had bad experiences in the past. I wanted to be optimistic. Long story short after my 5th dose all hell broke loose, I started thinking completely irrationally, I had panic as if I was drowning or being attacked by a wild animal, except I was freaking out about ridiculous topics. I felt super unnatural and like the wires in my brain were being pulled apart. I decided to just stop cold turkey, and needless to say it has not been too pleasant. I continued to have stomach problems and where as I would have one or two panic attacks a year, I feel FAR more susceptible to them now. My doctors seems skeptical that Zoloft could still be having an effect on me, but all I can say is that I wasn't like this before I tried it. Is it really possible to have such a bad reaction on such a few doses? And can it really take some time to recover? I feel better than I did a month ago, but still not all the way yet. Any advice would be wonderful.

[AliG]

Hi Joe .   Welcome . 

You obviously had a bad reaction , which could be a good thing in the long run , because  you stopped .  After 5 doses , it will take a while , to recover as these are very strong mind - altering drugs ,  but hopefully you will recover soon .  It might take a little while . If you can add your signature , it will make it easier to get concise advice.

Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

Yes. It is possible to have a bad reaction on a few doses, and it can take some time to recover. Everyone is different , and therefore it varies.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome?

 

Brain Remodelling

 

Have a read around the links and site and come back with any questions that you might have . Being young , and only having 5 doses, you are in a good place to recover very quickly .

Ali

[SquirrellyGirl]

Hi Joestar246, 

 

It sounds like your system is totally sensitized to these drugs after your earlier experience with them, and yes, just a few days worth has triggered symptoms like you are having in folks.  AliG covered it all beautifully with the links, which explain why it isn't about getting the drug out of the system but the impact they have on your nervous system that is causing all the trouble.  

 

I would not entertain trying any more psych meds, though your doctor may try to convince you otherwise.  In your sensitized state, even supplements can go paradoxical.  There are a couple that you can try, though, to help with healing:

 

Magnesium

Fish oil 

 

You can also search through the Symptoms and Self-Care forum for specific information about your particular symptoms by navigating to that forum and then using the search box above.

 

I'm sorry you are going through this.  When feeling so awful, it is tempting to reach for Rx solutions to solve the symptoms, but doing so while in this state is not advised, so hang tight - you will recover :-)

 

SG

[ChessieCat]

Hi Joestar and welcome to SA,

 

If you click Follow This Topic (top right) you will be notified when someone replies.  You can use your Intro/Update topic to ask questions and to journal your progress.

 

Once your symptoms have eased, it might be a good idea to seek non-drug ways to deal with your OCD.  This might be all you need, rather than taking medication.

[btdt]

A reaction such as you have had can happen even if you never took a ssri in the past.  It happened to me and many others.  

[Joestar246]

I really appreciate all of the support. It means a lot. I am definitely never going to try psychiatric medication again. I took Lithium and klonopin in the past when I was younger and it ruined about 3 years of my life even though I was only on it for 1 1/2 years, and honestly it still feels like I'm recovering. My depression wasn't even that big of a deal. I do not think that doctors give fair warning that the side effects may be ten times worse than the actual symptoms, especially to teenagers and young kids who's anxiety may just be related to school or home issues like mine. I'm taking fish oil, magnesium, men's multi Vitamins, eating a strict healthy diet, meditating and weight lifting a lot. I hope in the coming months I go back to normal, or better because I'm taking better care of myself through this.

[Fresh]

Hi Joe ,  I'm glad you found your way here and are getting the answers you've been looking for.

 

The diet and lifestyle you describe are the way to get healthy , mentally and physically.  You'll come out of this experience with strengths you didn't have before.

 

A word of caution -  with a sensitized nervous system , it's not just psych. meds. that can trigger things.  You need to be aware that antibiotics , cold medicines (even nasal spray) , and some foods may set you off.  

Best to keep it simple wherever possible.

 

Happy Easter ,  Fresh

[Joestar246]

its been about a week since I posted originally and I think I have made some improvements. But it's kind of strange.. Some days I feel a LOT better and more like myself again and then I'll have a few days where I feel awful. I think this is what people call waves and windows? Ive also notice recently I feel really intense anger over very trivial things. Like intense hatred that feels very out of place and odd. I literally feel prepared to fight someone if I have to for no reason. It's like there is very little filter for my emotions. And I wake up with a racing heart and looming dread. On top of very strange dreams. I know how I feel is not like I did before but I still have a hard time believing that only 5 pills 6 weeks ago messed me up this badly. Is that REALLY possible or is this some kind of placebo?

[Petunia]

Hi Joe,

What you describe are typical symptoms of withdrawal, but also signs of a destabilized nervous system, which has most likely been caused by your adverse reaction to Zoloft. These symptoms are very real and the way you describe feeling better for a few days and then sick again, that's also the way the nervous system typically heals, as you wrote, windows and waves. The intense, irrational anger and other strong emotions are sometimes called neuro-emotions, we have a topic about them here:Neuro emotions

 

I know it can be hard to believe, but the numbers of people here describing exactly the same things make it clear its drug effects.

 

You will get better, try not to focus on your symptoms or cause more stress by worrying. Put your time and energy into making your life as healthy and stress free as you can and let your healing take care of itself in the background.

 

Its good you have had some improvements. It will take a little while longer, but you will be fine.

 

Petunia.

[Joestar246]

I really appreciate the reply. It was very encouraging. Especially because in the moment it's hard to convince myself that it will ever get better.

[AliG]

 Joe .      How  are you doing , now ?   Have your symptoms quietened down, a little ?  

[Joestar246]

Compared to where I was in the beginning things are definitely stabilizing I think. I've been following all of the advice like mindfulness/breathing meditation, taking the right vitamins and supplements, eating healthier than I ever have in my life, staying away from sugar and caffeine, and getting loads of exercise. There's still points throughout the day where I feel more anxious and obsessive than before, it feels harder to filter my emotions, I have really odd dreams and almost always wake up with my heart going 100 mph and my mind racing. But there are also points where I feel a lot calmer, have more energy, and compassionate. It's a little hard to explain. It's like the benefits of the healing and good lifestyle changes are at war with the SSRI effects.

[AliG]

Joe.     That sounds really positive .  Hopefully , this is just a " blip " for you , and you can move on from this , possibly a little wiser . 

[crhawk]

Hi Joe...I had ONE 50 mg dose of zoloft and had a severe adverse reaction. Feel free to read through my thread. It has been quite a horrific roller coaster ride. Like you, I never thought such a thing could take weeks to recover from. That was mind boggling to me.

 

I am now in my 6th MONTH since the one dose and now on short term disability, unable to even work. It's absolutely insane. I'm still recovering very very slowly.

 

You'll recover, it just might take longer than you hope.

 

The others' suggestions are good. Eat whole healthy foods, exercise, maybe try acupuncture, relaxation techniques such as meditation, and probably no meds of any kind. I can't even take ibuprofen anymore.

 

Best of luck to you

[Joestar246]

WOW. i just ready your story. I guess that does really smash my skepticism about how only a small amount of doses can cause bad problems. What you described also was pretty similar to when I was in high school and on a mix of klonopin (which is pretty close to Xanax) and lithium. Which honestly I think I may still be recovering from Lithium even though it's been almost 4 years off because I feel cognitively slower sometimes, still kind of struggle with disassociation/depersonalization, can't have cany stimulant, and I'm sensitive to medicine. People really need to be informed better by doctors of the risks and not just "may cause drowsiness" on the bottle. It's not fair that months and years of people's lives are being robbed.

[btdt]

look up hypersensitivity here at SA not in the search above do google... sur..... space - space "hypersensitivity"  

You will find what your looking for. the search on this site just sucks one complaint about SA... use google every time..

 

As for still healing from lithium after all this time it is possible the body takes a long time to heal it is that simple and when we are throwing other drugs at the problem it may keep symptoms down but sooner or later your body will present you a bill.. it will revolt .. or mine did... some are lucky some not so much. 

 

In your history there is not mention of lithium if you want real help you need to tell the real story with the real history... only then can a real helpful suggestions be given .. when it comes to this subject time on type of drug... effect why you stopped or changed... ect all this is very relevant  But the very least the drugs you have been on the dose and how long you took them is needed so if you want the best you can get from SA add those things...

wishing you peace B 

[Joestar246]

Just wanted to give an update, and ask another question. I would say I'm back to about 80% to where I was pre-Zoloft and also starting to feel a little better than before in other areas due to supplements, diet, and exercise. One thing though is that I wake up very very anxious some mornings and just feel completely anxious or out of touch. I also have been having very odd and vivid dreams most nights. I cannot tell if the dreams may be a lingering effect from the Zoloft, but I have been also using binaural beats to help me fall asleep which may contribute. I don't think so though because I move around in my sleep and my earphones fall out very early. Has anyone also had strange lucid dreams during withdrawals?

[crhawk]

LOTS of people do, Joe. In fact, I'd go almost as far to say that probably most people do. At least, those that are not suffering from severe insomnia.

 

I also had (and still have during my waves) the severe anxiety/nervousness in the mornings. I would wake up very suddenly feeling that way, and had internal trembling and an electrical feeling in my hands. (And many people have this in the mornings as well...increased cortisol may have something to do with it.)

 

About a month after my zoloft reaction (almost 2 months after the Haldol), I had a 3 week period of feeling much, much better. I'd say also about 80%. Some days I felt practically back to normal. Then, for whatever reason, I got symptoms again. I had thought it was going to be over. But it wasn't. I had taken some ibuprofen and Tylenol for cramping, and half of my pain killer for my back the week before. I don't know if that's what set it off, or if it was just bound to happen regardless. Or my menstrual cycle...diet...a combo of things. Who knows.

 

I am so glad to hear that you are seeing such a tremendous improvement. And I'm not saying that won't continue (like it didn't for me) BUT...the point of me telling you that is just to tell you that your body is still probably very sensitive right now. So even if you're feeling much better, be careful. Continue eating very healthy, don't overstimulate your body/cns...avoid all medication, including otc, if possible. If you try anything, start very very small and see what happens. Light exercise and getting outside are also very helpful, like it sounds like you're doing.

 

I just want you to stay on this good track and hopefully not go backwards like I did!

 

I hope you continue to improve every day!

[crhawk]

How are you doing Joe? Hopefully continuing to have some relief?

[Joestar246]

Up and down, I'd say. A a couple weeks ago I was feeling much better than I even had before besides usually when I first woke up in the morning. I was taking Omega-3, Magnesium, a men's multivitamin, and probiotics. Getting lots of exercise and sleep, eating very well, building muscle and losing weight, and then things took a turn for the worse. Multiple things kind of happened that made me start feeling very anxious again. I don't know if it's something I'm allowed to talk about on here, but maybe it would help someone who is considering doing what I did? Given the fact that April the 20th is an underground holiday I decided to enjoy some recreational cannabis (even though I always would feel groggy for a couple days afterwards) and instead of one day it turned into a week of usage which made me feel pretty off and I didn't really even enjoy it much anyways (pretty stupid of me, honestly). Right after I stopped partaking, allergy season has hit me pretty rough, and I ran out of my vitamins and my father told me to take this obscure brand of multi, and magnesium L- Threonate he heard about from online. We both had serious side effects (I'm guessing mine worse due to compromised nervous system from Zoloft) mood, energy levels went down, I started feeling like I was having "senior moments" which is not good for a 21 year old. I ordered replacements of what I was taking before and they should be here next week and I'm hoping I'll feel better again. But I don't know if this is also a case of Windows and waves, or chemical sensitivity, or both. But I'm hoping things get better again.

[AliG]

Hi Joe.   It sounds like you're experiencing the windows and waves pattern of healing. You're nervous system is most likely sensitive and also sensitized by your short experience with the Zoloft. This makes it extremely important for you to stay away from any substances, that might sensitize you further , and therefore slow down your recovery.

Your CNS needs calm , at the moment and anything you can do to expedite that will be extremely beneficial . Sleep, meditation etc are helpful, but too much exercise can set you off into a wave, and be destabilizing.  Cannabis , caffeine, alcohol can also have a very detrimental effect, and should be avoided if possible at all costs during this period of adjustment.

Try to be careful with any supplements you take. Always start off at a low dose, to see if you have any reaction to them . I would stick with Magnesium and fish oil for now. These have proven helpful for many , but again start low and see how you go . I would be wary of any " over the counter" medications also .

Ali

[Joestar246]

I've been sticking to just the good Magnesium, fish oil, and probiotics and have seen improvement compared to a couple days ago. I decided to take a break on the Vitamin D and the body building multi vitamin and see how I feel. The window and wave situation is so crazy because there are days or weeks when I have so much clarity and relief, but then it can go back to anxiety, confusion etc. Really obnoxious. Another thing I found beneficial though is taking the coldest showers possible for 5 minutes if I'm feeling anxious in the morning. It has all kinds of benefits and shocks me out of the groggy, anxious feeling I get when I first wake up. It's uncomfortable at first but I highly recommend it.