Terrybg: my trouble getting off Zoloft

[Terrybg]

Sorry for my bad English but I use Google translator.

I am a woman of 45 years old, housewife, living in Italy with her husband and parents who live in the adjoining.

Before having psychiatric problems in 2006, I was found a leucoencelopatia vascular disease.

In January 2006 I began to take Zoloft ( 1 x 50 mg) for generalized anxiety and depression. After one month and a half I was fine, I continued to take it until November 2006 when I had a relapse and I have replaced it with Cymbalta ( 1 x 60 mg). I took it up to July 2007 and then climb it in two months. In September 2007 I was fine without medication.

In March 2008 I start to feel bad , they gave me Cymbalta again until January 2009 . From the middle of the month I took it every other day for two months to remove it completely to March 2009.

In October 2010 I was sick again. For two months I took Cymbalta but this time I continued to get sick so I have given back to Zoloft starting with small doses because I was very bad and it seemed that my symptoms were dependent on this medication.

I had anxiety , tachycardia,  sweating . I also took a bit of Tavor and then Lexotan in drops. Finally I begin to get better and in April 2011 took only 1 pill of Zoloft 50 mg per day. In December 2011 I started to climb the taking Zoloft every other day for two months.

In early March 2012 broke out strong anxiety so I have given back to Zoloft for about a month and then change it to Paroxetine ( Sereupin ). I started gradually up to June 2012 with 1 tablet of 20 mg and a bit of Lexotan.

The anxiety was reduced but was still not well. During this time I started vision problems. I began to see I was bleary-eyed and puffy eyes.

In August 2012 I see a new psychiatrist that I recommend to double the Zoloft. After 13 days I was getting worse so I stopped , switching to a pill and a half. In January 2013 I have another symptom: noise started on the left side of the head.

In February 2013 I went back to 1 tablet of Zoloft per day, 5 drops of Remeron in the evening and a little Tavor. Then I took 13 drops of Lexotan but my anxiety was getting worse.

In June 2013 I tried to take a half pill then every other day, then I went back to 1 pill. The symptoms were always worse.

At the end of August 2013 I try to climb to 25 mg , add B-complex vitamins on the advice of a holistic doctor. I'm getting worse every day.

 

CURRENT THERAPY :

25 mg Zoloft ( 4:30 pm )

Lexotan 5 drops in the evening

Remeron 5 drops in the evening.

 

SYMPTOMS

 

HIGH ANXIETY : I do not know where I stand, do not leave the house, bad breath, wheezing constantly, I can not do anything, I am unable to follow any type of diet. I am underweight.

BLEARY-EYED : I feel constantly wet and swollen eyes

NOISE IN HEAD: Constant noise on the left side .

TOOTHACHE : neuralgia sharp left, I have trouble talking.

IRREGULAR SLEEP : even if sometimes I can get enough sleep, I always wake up tired.

 

MY EXPECTATIONS

I got to the bottom, do not take it anymore . I do not want my doctor to ask for help because I would admit. I do not want to be hospitalized in the psychiatric ward because I know that I will take  even more drugs. I've heard of people ruined for life in this way. I do not trust most of the psychiatrists who are only able to dispense these toxic drugs.

I asked for help from naturopathic or holistic doctors but nobody wants to take responsibility for me to climb these psychiatric drugs. Everyone says that I need a psychiatrist. I feel trapped, I tried to contact many people even within anti-psychiatry. Almost everyone advised me to call my doctor and get hospitalized. If I find someone who thinks like me, and tries to help me I can not follow his advice and I can only become more confused. How do I if for example you may want to go outside or do sports when I am not able ? Here in my country now I've tried everything, and the only hope now is you. Suggestions are truly appreciated. Thanks

 

Terry

[mammaP]

Hi Terry, sorry you are feeling so sick with all these drugs.

It's terrible how they can make you feel so much worse than when you started taking them. 

Someone will be along soon to advise and help you. Alto is the best person you could meet

to help get off these medications safely. 

Welcome to our little haven, you will get lots of help and support here. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Terrybg.

 

I am sorry you are having such a bad time, having been switched from drug to drug. You may be suffering withdrawal symptoms.

 

It also sounds like you might be having a reaction to something. Often, people who have withdrawal symptoms from psychiatric drugs cannot take B vitamins, they find the B vitamins make anxiety worse.

 

What is your daily symptom pattern? It helps to keep notes on paper.

[bubble]

Hello Terry,

 

I hope you can read some posts on this forum. I think they will explain you a lot about why you are feeling the way you are.

 

I think it is very good you found this forum. And it is great that you can listen to your body and mind when they tell you something different than doctors. I can't tell you more because we are not doctors. But we had similar experiences so understand what it is like. I noticed that Alto is very wise so you are in good hands.

 

You will get better. Just hang in there a little longer. There is a way out and this will stop and you will feel well again.

 

What helps me most is to always remember to be gentle to myself.

 

Lots of love,

 

bubble (your neighbour across the Adriatic see

[Terrybg]

Thank you for your responses and the warm welcome. 

I must read some post on this forum but now in my conditions is very difficult to make everything. I am not alone here: a good friend  is helping me . For this reason, my answers may require a bit of time.

Altostrata, please can you explain me better what you mean with "daily symptom pattern" ? Can yuo make me an example? I write my actual symptom before.  

My biggest doubt is whether what I feel depends on my withdrawal from zoloft or is as they say psychiatrists, that my illness is getting worse.

Also, if I made the transition from one to half a pill is right or what is the reason of my current problems.

AT this point I do not know if I should go back to take a whole pill or continue with this regimen.

But I feel worse and worse and I was sick even when I took a whole pill. For this reason I say to be trapped. There are some things that I can do to relieve this pain?  Preferably no other drugs..  You too have had problems like this for a long time? What should I expect, it can be even worse than that or could improve? By now I'm suffering for months. Many thanks for any suggestion .  Terry

[Altostrata]

Keep track of your symptoms throughout the day. Do you have certain symptoms in the morning? Do they occur after you take the B vitamins?

 

What kind of symptoms do you have in the evening, after you take Zoloft?

 

Psychiatrists usually blame withdrawal symptoms on relapse of a psychiatric disorder, but they are not.

 

Please try to find someone fluent in English to help you read and respond here. I'm very sorry I do not speak Italian.

[Terrybg]

Ok I hope  understand what you mean.

In the morning the first symptom is the noise that I hear in my head, then a fatigue that I'd get up out of bed ever. The noise keeps me company all day. The eyes are clouded gradually more and more until it reaches the maximum in the evening. When I take Zoloft, that is, in the afternoon it seems that my anxiety increases and also the other symptoms. The vitamins I started taking them when I halved the Zoloft, ie in August. I do not feel any difference after they are taken.

I'm tired. I need to know for example what happens if I leave of all the Zoloft, or if I do not take the drops in the evening. I would like to have a person beside , that follows me but unfortunately it is not. And I do not know how long I can hold out well.

[tezza]

Hi Terrybg and welcome. I agree with bubble, Alto is very wise.

 

You can keep a notebook and write your symptoms down each day. Make a list of your worst symptoms. Rate them each day as to how bad they are. Give them a number 1-5 or 1-10, something like that.

 

For example: if the noise is not too bad, you could give it a low number or high number, depending how you want to rate your symptoms. You can look back at this information from time to time and see if there is any pattern.

[Altostrata]

Terry, we don't know what would happen if you stopped taking the Zoloft.

 

You've made so many changes in drugs, your nervous system might have been sensitized and it's possible 25mg is too much for it. You may be better off with less.

 

After you take the Zoloft every day, do you have any particular symptoms?

[Terrybg]

After I took Zoloft me anxiety increases until it reaches the maximum in the evening. My toothache always worse on the left side.

From August 27 I have halved the dose, my symptoms are getting worse. I'm afraid to take Zoloft even less but would like to try, but there is no one who can advise me on other meds I take. If later I'm even more sick? For this reason, I'm afraid.

In addition, the worst thing is that I spend too much time alone, and I know that this is not a good thing. 

[Altostrata]

You halved the dose to 25mg?

 

If it causes anxiety, that's a sign it's too much for you. You may wish to reduce it slightly, by 2.5mg for example, to see if that helps.

 

Here are instructions for reducing by small amounts http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1441-tips-for-tapering-off-zoloft-sertraline/

 

Zoloft comes in a liquid, which can make this easier.

[bubble]

Don't feel bad about being on your own or any other thing that you do differently these days.

 

You are going through a very difficult time and you are very brave. This is just temporary and it will pass. Just allow yourself to be the way you feel.

 

Alto is trying to see what would work best for you. What I see from what you wrote is that you were changing meds often and that definitey had a bad effect on your nervous system. So now you have to find out what works for you to stabilise.

 

Have you in all those years taken any form of psychotherapy (talking with a psychologist or other therapist) about what the cause of your anxiety? Do you know what makes you feel bad? Any stress in life, work, conflicts in family? 

 

Hang in there!

 

All the best.

[Terrybg]

Dear Bubble, thank you for your words of encouragement. Before I used to take drugs are bad but after some time passed me. Then my father died and other painful things but my biggest problems began when a doctor doubled me the dose of zolft. My anxiety is more than a great anguish that overwhelms me, catch me in the stomach.

Dear Alto, I do not know what to do. From 4 days I halved the dose of 12.5 mg Zoloft and I'm still hurting. I do not know how to reduce by 10% here is not in liquid form.

I started taking fish oil. I read that I could also take  herbs (lemon balm, valerian, hops, St. John's wort) but I'm afraid for interactions with medications.

I'm really at the limit of my endurance. If there is someone who is able to connect with me via Skype would be greatly appreciated.

[Altostrata]

Please read http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1441-tips-for-tapering-off-zoloft-sertraline/

It contains instructions about how to make your own liquid from a tablet and water.

[bubble]

dear Terry,

 

I often think about you,wonder how you are doing and I am a bit sad you stopped updating us.

 

So if you see this message, I d like to hear how you are doing.

 

I know your situation is very complex.It is the worst when doctors shock someone's nervous system with changing drugs, going up and down.

 

What I realised on this forum is that it is most important to stabilise on whatever you are taking and not change anything at all to allow your brain to stabilise although this might be painful for some time...

 

Hope you are better and hope we hear from you.

 

Best,

bubble