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Thatsrightjay: Zoloft 100mg withdrawal woes


Thatsrightjay

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Hi everyone. I'm glad I found a place that I can fit right in with. :)

 

I need some help figuring out if my symptoms are the result of zoloft.

For starters, I've taken zoloft for over 10 yrs, afair. Years ago I went cold turkey with it for a year maybe, then went right back on it (100mg). I had panic attacks, headaches, extreme chest pain, and dizziness for a few weeks. So I've continued to take this consistently until now.

 

I just started getting very unmotivated to take it.

 

Maybe in the past 2 months I started taking it very irregularly for maybe a month. Maybe once every 5-6 days, until I would start feeling brain zaps. Then I took one after a three day span twice in a row. Then I moved to every other day until last week when I started getting symptoms.

 

Symptoms include lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, constipation, some diarrhea-like, headaches, some shakes, anxiety, burning mouth/tongue(when I eat some foods) and numbness in my foot. I would get lightheaded and nauseated almost instantly when I ate or drank. I ate a 2 cookies at one point that made me lightheaded and nauseous as well as shake, But then 2 days later had 3 cookies with no problems.

 

As for today, I woke up and quickly got lightheaded and nauseated, ate breakfast which helped a lot, but most of my foot is now numb with little feeling. I really hope these are from withdrawal and not some other yet diagnosed condition(like diabetes-last time I got a blood test was a yr or 2 ago and everything was ok). The nausea is almost gone, still a little lightheaded(sometimes it gets bad), my stool today looked(marginally) better. I'm really mostly concerned about my numb foot. Sometimes its not so bad, other times it is.

 

So I guess my questions are:

 

Would my irregular zoloft schedule cause problems like this?

 

Will the numbness in my leg go away eventually?

 

Edited by scallywag
tags

Taken Zoloft 100mg for over 10 years.

5 years ago went cold turkey for ~1yr. Went straight back to 100mg, Suffered Withdrawal symptoms for 3-4 weeks.

Early Nov. 2016 took it every 5-6 days(when I would feel brain zaps) for 1 month, then on/off every 1-2 days until Jan. 8 2017. Withdrawal symptoms from this.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Jay and welcome to SA,

 

Your erratic dosing could most certainly and most probably is causing your issues.  One of SA's mantras is same dose, every day, at about the same time.

 

It will be helpful if you would Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature.  Please include details for the last 12-18 months of  all drugs, dates, doses and discontinuations & reinstatements.  If you can't remember dates, please write it as "early March" or "mid-August".  Please provide a summary of any drugs prior to that which can just be listed with start and stop years. Please include all prescription, non-prescription drugs and supplements you are currently taking. If you are using a phone there are instructions in Posts 9 & 10.

 

So that we can suggest a daily dose, it will be helpful if you can give a simply laid out timetable of your dosing (in a post) to the best of your ability for the last 2 months (dose - day, dose - day etc).

 

I'm providing some links for you to check out and then you can ask questions here in your Intro/Update topic.  Click "Follow" top right and you will be notified when someone responds.

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable


Keep Notes on Paper

Rate Symptoms Daily to Check Patterns and Progress

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

These helped me to understand SA's taper of no more than 10% of the previous dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug:

 

Brain Remodelling
 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Hello ChessieCat,

 

I'll be heading to my physician tomorrow to see whats up, but I agree that these symptoms are most likely from messing with my medication. The numbness in my foot has gone down dramatically.

 

I checked out your link for symptoms checklist and one I don't see on there that I have been having is hunger pains even after I eat and dry mouth(at times). Do you know about these? I don't think I have any diabetic/hypoglycemia, I am a little overweight but I was able to check my blood sugar for a day and results were normal.

 

I don't know, I'm probably freaking out more than I should, I've been getting better slowly now that I'm back to taking my dosage consistently.

Taken Zoloft 100mg for over 10 years.

5 years ago went cold turkey for ~1yr. Went straight back to 100mg, Suffered Withdrawal symptoms for 3-4 weeks.

Early Nov. 2016 took it every 5-6 days(when I would feel brain zaps) for 1 month, then on/off every 1-2 days until Jan. 8 2017. Withdrawal symptoms from this.

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Hi TRJ . These links might help:

 

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal? 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3413-digestive-problems-nausea-diarrhea-bloating-gerd/

 

Numbness, tingling and pins & needles are common withdrawal symptoms.

 

Let us know how your visit to the Doctor goes.

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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Hey all my physician said it was most likely withdrawal symptoms, and said to give it another week. Also I've had some constipation issues which I assume is also from the withdrawal. The numbness in my foot comes and goes, but I noticed today the tips of my big, middle/little toes are a little red and painful to the touch.

Taken Zoloft 100mg for over 10 years.

5 years ago went cold turkey for ~1yr. Went straight back to 100mg, Suffered Withdrawal symptoms for 3-4 weeks.

Early Nov. 2016 took it every 5-6 days(when I would feel brain zaps) for 1 month, then on/off every 1-2 days until Jan. 8 2017. Withdrawal symptoms from this.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Jay, a friend of mine did exactly the same as you with Zoloft and also had many of the same symptoms. She went to A&E a few times and they gave her more drugs that made her even worse because they didn't have a clue. Thankfully she didn't take more than a couple of doses and eventually stabilised on a steady dose of zoloft. You will also stabilise and feel better again but it will take time. It would be best to wait until you have been stable for a few months before starting to taper again then take it very slowly. I hope you are feeling better as the days go by. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Specifically if you've been on antidepressants consistently for some time? I've taken 100 mg Zoloft for the past 10+ years or so, but maybe six months ago I started getting a burning sensation on my tongue/lips when I ate sugary foods. Sometimes it comes up here and there too. I don't know if symptoms can pop-up at random or if something else is causing it. Has anyone had an issue like this?

Taken Zoloft 100mg for over 10 years.

5 years ago went cold turkey for ~1yr. Went straight back to 100mg, Suffered Withdrawal symptoms for 3-4 weeks.

Early Nov. 2016 took it every 5-6 days(when I would feel brain zaps) for 1 month, then on/off every 1-2 days until Jan. 8 2017. Withdrawal symptoms from this.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Jay,

 

I've move your new topic to your Intro/Update topic because it is about your own situation and members can see the full history in relation to the question you have asked.

 

 

...

 

Maybe in the past 2 months I started taking it very irregularly for maybe a month. Maybe once every 5-6 days, until I would start feeling brain zaps. Then I took one after a three day span twice in a row. Then I moved to every other day until last week when I started getting symptoms.

 

Symptoms include lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea, constipation, some diarrhea-like, headaches, some shakes, anxiety, burning mouth/tongue (when I eat some foods) and numbness in my foot. I would get lightheaded and nauseated almost instantly when I ate or drank. I ate a 2 cookies at one point that made me lightheaded and nauseous as well as shake, But then 2 days later had 3 cookies with no problems.

 

As for today, I woke up and quickly got lightheaded and nauseated, ate breakfast which helped a lot, but most of my foot is now numb with little feeling.

 

...

 

Will the numbness in my leg go away eventually?

 

 

From the quoted post, it would seem that it started when you were taking Zoloft irregularly.  You also mention foot numbness.  Because the CNS (central nervous system) is affected, it may well be, for you, a withdrawal symptom.

 

See No 47 under sensory abnormalities:  Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

See also:  Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm back for an update :)

 

So around Feb. 20 I went and got a blood test done. Everything was OK except I was lacking in vitamin D3 and my cholesterol was slightly elevated. My physician recommended that I try to wean off the zoloft, as he thinks I may not need it anymore. So he had me go straight to 50mg which I'll take for a month and see how it works. In the meantime I started getting nauseated after a few days on 50mg.  Then I was talking to a friend about my symptoms and he said it sounded like Crohn's. Mainly because my stool is all over the place on the bristol stool chart, except more often than not it's yellowish with a lot of food particles in it. Sometimes accompanied by abdominal/pelvic pain. I'd guess it's just my recent out-of-wack serotonin schedule. I'm going to try and stick with 50mg for now and see what happens.  

Taken Zoloft 100mg for over 10 years.

5 years ago went cold turkey for ~1yr. Went straight back to 100mg, Suffered Withdrawal symptoms for 3-4 weeks.

Early Nov. 2016 took it every 5-6 days(when I would feel brain zaps) for 1 month, then on/off every 1-2 days until Jan. 8 2017. Withdrawal symptoms from this.

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I attempted to drop my Pristiq dose by 50% - I went from 100mg to 50mg.  I got an upset stomach for about 3 days which I thought was a stomach bug.  I now know it was caused by withdrawal.  I had a very foggy head for 2 1/2 weeks and when I researched AD withdrawal I found SA.  By 3 weeks at the lower dose I couldn't type.  I am a professional typist so genuinely not being able to type alerted me to the fact that something was wrong.  When I joined SA it had been suggested that I updose.  After not being able to type I took additional Pristiq and within 4 hours my foggy head was clearing and I was able to type.  I had a benchmark so I know that it was not placebo.

 

After stabilising for a couple of months on 75mg, I have since been tapering successful with only very mild withdrawal symptoms.  I am now down to 28mg!!!

 

My question to you is:  "When there is a known way to get off your drug more comfortably, why put yourself (and your CNS) through the unnecessary discomfort of withdrawal symptoms?"  I understand that you want to get off the drug but trying to go too fast can sometimes end up taking longer than if you had done a slow, steady taper.  I found that once my dose got lower the side effects started to lessen and I started to feel more like my old self.

 

My suggestion would be to updose to 75mg.  Check out this discussion which has graphs showing the SERT occupancy Why taper paper: dose-occupancy curves

 

I also suggest that you read this too:  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Your doctor essentially halved your dose. That's not wise.  We advise the 10 % taper method.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Ali

Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014

 

                                                  Psych Drug - free since May 2014
.
         

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