Tips for tapering Zoloft (sertraline)

[AJ716]

Hi ChessieCat, and thanks.  

[Colonial]

On 11/21/2020 at 8:12 PM, AJ716 said:

Just trying to put my mind at ease. 

 

Is putting a Zoloft tablet in an empty capsule alright?  They taste badly.  Is it alright if the pieces are broken before putting them into the capsule?  I'm not doing that yet but thought I might down the road. 

 

You had already reduced your Zoloft from 100mg to 90mg on 11/17/20. 

You reported severe symptoms on day 2: 11/19/20.

You associated it with this drop.

 Making alarming statements telling me that you wanted to die.

You then made this post on day 4 of your new dose of 90 mgs.

 

But by this post one would think you were still taking 100 mgs and not bad tasting pieces broken up to get to 90 mgs. You then reinstated to 100mg on 11/22/20.

 

Please update your signature line with that Zoloft change information.

We will need it for when your finally ready to start uploading your daily drug schedule and symptom notes.

It will be necessary to have a full picture to help assist you then,  Thanks so much.

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by Colonial

[mva96]

Hey saviour, 

 

i'm sure one of the mods will be along soon, but since i've just seen this, i'l chime in with an opinion.

 

I think the main answer is it depends. If you do an ultra slow taper, you certainly minimise the chances of experiencing bad w/d symptoms, but to go as far as saying not experiencing any at all, i don't think so. Some people come off these drugs with little problems, whilst for others, it can be a real challenge.

 

Have a look at the tapering section of the forum, and look at the brassmonkey slide technique, it seems to be the most gentle way to taper and you can adjust it to be faster or slower.

[savior998]

1 hour ago, mva96 said:

Hey saviour, 

 

i'm sure one of the mods will be along soon, but since i've just seen this, i'l chime in with an opinion.

 

I think the main answer is it depends. If you do an ultra slow taper, you certainly minimise the chances of experiencing bad w/d symptoms, but to go as far as saying not experiencing any at all, i don't think so. Some people come off these drugs with little problems, whilst for others, it can be a real challenge.

 

Have a look at the tapering section of the forum, and look at the brassmonkey slide technique, it seems to be the most gentle way to taper and you can adjust it to be faster or slower.

thanks ,i hope more people will see it.

[Altostrata]

@savior998, please read this topic from the beginning.

[Altostrata]

The point in gradual tapering is to minimize withdrawal symptoms while you taper and after you come off.

[savior998]

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

@savior998, please read this topic from the beginning.

thanks but i have a doubt about if can i just use tap water and nothing more?

[Altostrata]

Yes, you can use tap water. If you have doubts about it, you can use filtered water or purified water. Or, you could buy pharmacy liquid base.

 

Please read this topic from the beginning.

[Londoner]

How do I get a 1mg dose from liquid Sertraline when 1ml of the solution is already a 20mg dose?

[ChessieCat]

You will need to dilute it with bottled or distilled water.

 

Measure 20mL water and add 1mL liquid sertraline to it.  Each 1mL = 1mg drug.  Or if you prefer you could add 1mL liquid sertraline to a larger measured quantity, eg to 40mL water then each 1mL = 0.5mg drug.

 

Cover and refrigerate what you do not use.  I do not know how long you could keep this.  Check with your pharmacist.  

[dA2021]

I wondered if I can ask a question? 

 

How do you challenge the GP/CCG decision to not issue Sertaline liquid on the grounds of cost? Surely this is not ethical prescribing. 

 

I am on 85mg and the prepare 10ml I dissolve a 25mg tablet in water and syringe out 10ml - not good but the best I can do. will be holding this dose for now until I restablise and get a new job as feel this is a contributing stressor. I work 3 days plus voluntary work. So pretty much a full time week for me.

 

One of my biggest gripes it being told no, when the NHS put me on this stuff in the first place without full informed consent. Mum is on 14 (Fourteen) different tablets in care so you can see psychologically how harmful I feel this is.

 

I have asked a few GPs now and get same answer. Has anyone tried challenging or appealing formally in the UK? 

 

Dawn  

[LostInMarshes]

Help, I'm slightly below 50mg and am using 100mg pills (which I break into half, then shave one half of it). Should I switch to 50mg pills, while I still can? Would shaving them off be more precise? I imagine that half of a 100mg pill is slightly bulkier than a 50mg pill, and would therefore make tapering faster/more inaccurate.

[TheRyGuy]

Can anyone provide me with a timeline and doseage for tapering off 12.5mg sertraline. Also is the hardest tapering done from 12.5 to 0mg? Or is it more difficult to go from something like 100mg to 50mg or 50 to 12mg. Thanks again

[Tattycorum]

16 hours ago, TheRyGuy said:

Can anyone provide me with a timeline and doseage for tapering off 12.5mg sertraline. Also is the hardest tapering done from 12.5 to 0mg? 

I can provide a spreadsheet that involves crushing the tablets and weighing the powder with a gem scale, mixing 15 days' worth of powder with water, then dosing daily using a medicine dropper.  If you want that, let me know and I will upload it. It is an excel file.

[Jools2816]

Hi! I tried to find tips on Sertraline tapering with no success. It is for one of the people with whom I am creating the support group in UK. Any information would be highly appreciated. Many thanks, Julia (I hope I posted on the right place, if not apologies. )

[Altostrata]

@Jools2816 here's the sertraline topic.

[Gigi66]

Can anyone tell me once I get down to the lower amounts ( I am at 23.3 mg right now) of Sertraline , is it possible to just keep cutting and weighing or do I have to go to the liquid.  Also, is there a chart somewhere that uses the 20mg per ml that shows comparison dosages .  If 20 mg is the  ml of the liquid does .1 ml mean there is .2 mg of sertraline.  I am terrible in math and I need to know if I should stay with cutting or if that is even feasible at lower dosages at all.  I am concerned for the future on coming towards the end.  

[RachelSusan]

@Gigi66 Hi Gigi.

 

In answer to your questions about liquid.  There are some people on this site that can get to the small doses needed to taper using pills and cutting and weighing.  I personally don't know how they do it, but they do.  I went to liquid and found it much easier. Once I got the bottle of liquid it said either in the typed prescription label, or on the bottle, that so much of the ml was equal to a certain amount in mg.  I then took my bottle to my doctor to make sure I was reading it correctly.  Once I knew how much was equal to what, then then I started doing the math every time I decreased. If you decide to stay on the pills then perhaps you might want to do some additional searching to see if you can find someone that has gone down using pills or is currently doing so. If you go with liquid you might want to consider having one or two people check you math. I did that because I have seen a few people on this site get mixed up and end in a bad situation. This site advises when going on liquid we slowly transition over to it. That means the first week or so you get you dose as follows: 75% from pill and 25% from liquid, then it is 50% and 50%, then 25% pill and 75% liquid, finally 100% liquid.  No tapering during this time.  I did not do this and I did feel a little bit of a set-back. Congratulations on getting to 23.3, that is fantastic. I hope your taper goes smoothly.

[Gigi66]

22 hours ago, RachelSusan said:

@Gigi66 Hi Gigi.

 

In answer to your questions about liquid.  There are some people on this site that can get to the small doses needed to taper using pills and cutting and weighing.  I personally don't know how they do it, but they do.  I went to liquid and found it much easier. Once I got the bottle of liquid it said either in the typed prescription label, or on the bottle, that so much of the ml was equal to a certain amount in mg.  I then took my bottle to my doctor to make sure I was reading it correctly.  Once I knew how much was equal to what, then then I started doing the math every time I decreased. If you decide to stay on the pills then perhaps you might want to do some additional searching to see if you can find someone that has gone down using pills or is currently doing so. If you go with liquid you might want to consider having one or two people check you math. I did that because I have seen a few people on this site get mixed up and end in a bad situation. This site advises when going on liquid we slowly transition over to it. That means the first week or so you get you dose as follows: 75% from pill and 25% from liquid, then it is 50% and 50%, then 25% pill and 75% liquid, finally 100% liquid.  No tapering during this time.  I did not do this and I did feel a little bit of a set-back. Congratulations on getting to 23.3, that is fantastic. I hope your taper goes smoothly.

Thank you for your response.  I have held off on the liquid for a couple of reasons.  The main reason is dealing with the dosing daily. With the pill cutting I cut all pills the same amount for two weeks at a time and place in pill boxes.  Then really forget about it.  When I withdrew from Benzos I had to mix with milk and prepare daily and it made me mentally very stressed.  The Cutting right now does not seem to be an issue at 23.3 I use 50 mg tablets.  I will tell you that I made a switch to 100 mg tablets to 50 mg tabs and miscalculated and that got me in trouble back in March.  I see you are totally off what a wonderful feeling that must be , Ihope you are doing well.  I am afraid when I get too low it will get difficult with the tabs but I guess I will have to see and play it by ear.  Again congratulations.

[RachelSusan]

@Gigi66 Yes, the liquid was a lot more work, I agree with you on that.  I am sure you will figure out the right course of action for yourself when you get down to the lower numbers.  Congrats again.