katim Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Just started this sure! Found on website under withdraws from sertraline. Wow, it explained a lot. I am hopeful this forum can help. I have been on an srri for 18 years now and have decided with the help of my Dr. to tappet off. I am 1 week off and experiencing major brain jolts, dizzy spells, horrible nightmares, you name It I am having it! I am very tired and I am praying this will soon go away! Link to comment
Brandy Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Welcome, katim! Your symptoms sound like severe withdrawal that generally occurs when one goes off these meds too fast. Unfortunately it is extremely rare when doctors understand how slowly (tiny cuts in dose and at a slow pace) most people need to taper in order to minimize withdrawal symptoms. You may need to go back on at least some of your dose and then taper more slowly. We can help you with that, and please look for the thread about tapering zoloft (sertraline). I'll find it and post a link for it in a moment. But please list the taper schedule you used when you tapered off - dates and dosages of drops in dose. Also, please tell us if you are or were on any other medications that affect the nervous system, and any herbs or supplements. Then we can help you prevent this getting worse and successfully getting off the med while still having quality of life! I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over. My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can. If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343 Link to comment
katim Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 I was on 50milligrams and I came of very very fas t from what I have been reading. I did 5 days of 25 and then 6 days of 25 every other day! And no I was not and am still not on anything else. After reading everything I went and took 25 again. Will the brain jolts go away?I am freaked out a little bit about those. Link to comment
katim Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Sorry about some of the typos. I am on my phone and it has auto correct. I just noticed some misspelled words. Link to comment
Brandy Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 I was on 50milligrams and I came of very very fas t from what I have been reading. I did 5 days of 25 and then 6 days of 25 every other day! And no I was not and am still not on anything else. After reading everything I went and took 25 again. Will the brain jolts go away?I am freaked out a little bit about those. Hi, again! Yes, that was a REALLY fast taper. Yikes. I'm not surprised you're feeling the way you are. I'm glad you went back on 25. Altostrata (the administrator of this site) and others are more knowledgeable about advising about whether and how soon after going off a too-fast taper one might be best off going back on a full dose. It's very good that you found this site so soon after going off the med. I would have suggested taking the 25 (which you did) until Alto comes on here tomorrow to advise you further. It varies with the individual how long it takes to feel the effects of reinstating on the med. These kinds of meds don't work right away, like when you take an aspirin or tylenol and feel the effects within the hour. But don't be freaked out about the brain jolts. Those are a common withdrawal symptom and will go away. They're certainly your body's way of telling you you tapered off too fast. Alto and others will advise you more tomorrow (Monday). But I do want to mention that I'm seeing more and more of people having problems from doctors advising patients to alternate days (or alternate doses). That is NEVER a good idea with these meds. Aside from the fact that your taper was much too fast, alternating days/doses puts the brain into chaos, like going in and out of withdrawal every couple of days. Not good! We'll help you develop a taper schedule that will gently let your nervous system heal from the changes these meds make in our bodies (that's how they work). it will save you a lot of needless suffering. So just relax tonight and know that you will start feeling better and will be okay! I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over. My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can. If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343 Link to comment
Brandy Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Sorry about some of the typos. I am on my phone and it has auto correct. I just noticed some misspelled words. No problem! My posts are usually full of typos (and worse, malaprops or mangled sentences) and I'm not even on a phone. I'm on a regular clunky old desktop! But when possible, try to read on this site from a computer if you can, even if you need to use a friend's or public computer if you don't have one. We've found that people who read here using phones don't see all the information the rest of us do, which isn't gone. (Don't ask me why that happens - I don't have a smart phone, I have a pay-as-you-go "dumb phone." LOL.) I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over. My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can. If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343 Link to comment
katim Posted August 27, 2012 Author Share Posted August 27, 2012 Thanks for all your help. I was noticing I can't do as much. tm I will go on my lap top. It is in my living room, battery died earlier. And smart phones are nice, but they really become too much of a nuisance for me. My husband jokes and calls it my pace maker! Link to comment
Brandy Posted August 27, 2012 Share Posted August 27, 2012 Sorry about some of the typos. I am on my phone and it has auto correct. I just noticed some misspelled words. No problem! My posts are usually full of typos (and worse, malaprops or mangled sentences) and I'm not even on a phone. I'm on a regular clunky old desktop! But when possible, try to read on this site from a computer if you can, even if you need to use a friend's or public computer if you don't have one. We've found that people who read here using phones don't see all the information the rest of us do, which isn't gone. (Don't ask me why that happens - I don't have a smart phone, I have a pay-as-you-go "dumb phone." LOL.) omg. Just saw my post again and saw... a typo. The word "gone" should read "good." See what I mean about my typos?!!! omg. (I could pretend I meant I really meant "gone" since not seeing information that's there means it isn't gone... But my mother raised me to be honest to a fault, so yeah, it was a typo. Not my first, and I'm sure not my last!) Anyway, don't worry about typos lol. I was "TryingToGetWell" (aka TTGW) on paxilprogress. I also was one of the original members here on Surviving Antidepressants I had horrific and protracted withdrawal from paxil, but now am back to enjoying life with enthusiasm to the max, some residual physical symptoms continued but largely improve. The horror, severe derealization, anhedonia, akathisia, and so much more, are long over. My signature is a temporary scribble from year 2013. I'll rewrite it when I can. If you want to read it, click on http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/209-brandy-anyone/?p=110343 Link to comment
BRapsidy Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Katim, I am sorry you had to go through any WD symptoms. It sounds like you will be able to reinstate and do a slower taper, hopefully. I too came off of Zoloft too fast, but I found this site way late. My doctor told me to take a pill every other day for a month then every 3rd day for a month and so on. After coming to this site I informed her and her practice of what I have learned so that she does not do this to another patient of hers. I am thinking of you and hope you are able to stabalize and your symptoms start to disappear. Prozac(situational depression) 1993 discontinued sometime in 1994 without WD problems Paxil from 2003 until 2004 for anxiety/panic attacks 25mg of Zoloft from March 2012. started tappering in April and took my last one on May 13, 2012 Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 28, 2012 Administrator Share Posted August 28, 2012 Hello, katim, welcome. How are you feeling now that you've taken 25mg for a couple of days? Be sure to take your medication at the same time every day. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
katim Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 I am having less brain jolts, but still very irritable by mid day into the evening. My kids last night asked me why I have been so crabby lately and it made me feel so bad! Link to comment
katim Posted August 28, 2012 Author Share Posted August 28, 2012 Brapsidy how are you now? Were you able to Tapper off properly? Link to comment
R187 Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 Dear Katim, Just wanted to say hello- i'm another ex zoloft/sertraline member. I tapered too quickly from 50mg to 25mg in December of last year but eventually stabilised after 4 weeks and the wd went away by end of jan. Hopefully you'll be okay in a while and you should then be able to taper really slowly. Unfortunately I didn't learn my lesson and tapered too quickly from the 25mg a few months later and 6 months down the line still have WD symptoms so please once you feel okay for a couple of months on the 25mg come off it really really slowly. Good luck and Best wishes xxx Had taken sertraline and Prozac for approx 6 weeks each in 2001 and 2006. Stopped c/t both times no prob. October 2011 started sertraline again. December 2011 started getting weird symptoms (stomach ache and numb limbs in my sleep) so decided I wanted off the 50mg sertraline. Cut in half in december and reduced to 25mg. Knew I was in trouble as went into withdrawals. Managed to stabilise quickly though and thought I could quickly come off 25mg. Stopped the 25mg in march 2012. Went into withdrawal and experiencing for almost 3 years now. Link to comment
BRapsidy Posted August 28, 2012 Share Posted August 28, 2012 I tapered off like the doctor told me, found out it was not proper. I have been off Zoloft since May 13 almost cold turkey (very fast). I am doing about 80% better. For the most part I am able to function get the kids out and about. I still have mild anxiety, but controllable. The one thing that seems to send me back into the full feeling of WD is any type of antibiotic or similar medicines. I just had to take a Dyflucan tablet last week and it sent me into 4 days of anxiety and depression, but as soon as the medicine is out of my system I go back to pretty much my old self. Glad the head zaps are lessening. I know I was a bear with my kids and often felt bad when I would snap at them. Now that one of my kids is in school it is a bit easier on me when my emotions get the better of me. I still have sound sensitivity so when the kids get a little crazy and loud, which is often, I have to retreat to my room for a few moments or I put a movie in so they will settle down a bit. Prozac(situational depression) 1993 discontinued sometime in 1994 without WD problems Paxil from 2003 until 2004 for anxiety/panic attacks 25mg of Zoloft from March 2012. started tappering in April and took my last one on May 13, 2012 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now