Kev93: 3 months off Sertraline

[Kostas]

Yes, 

For 3 years  I was fine, and mild wds appeared after that time. 

Luckily, I didn't start again the drug, and gradually they were improved and vanished! 

 

[Kev93]

I would like to know how to reinstate Sertraline after 3 1/2 months off. I was on 50 mgs for 10 years.  What dosages and how do you make them?

 

[Kev93]

15 minutes ago, Kostas said:

Hi, 

I have reinstated full dose of citalopram 20 mg 4 times in the past, since I had to, due to deliberating wds, and thankfully it worked every time. 

Finally I was able to stop it through a very slow tapering of 6 years! 

I had minor problems starting at 3 years off, and being more difficult last year. 

Gradually all have been improved, and now for 6 months I feel fine. 

Good luck and take care. 

 

1 minute ago, Kostas said:

Yes, 

For 3 years  I was fine, and mild wds appeared after that time. 

Luckily, I didn't start again the drug, and gradually they were improved and vanished! 

 

So you just rode it out without the drugs?

[Kostas]

Yes, that is right! 

[Kev93]

That is awesome.

 

[scallywag]

On 2/7/2018 at 2:12 PM, Kev93 said:

I would like to know how to reinstate Sertraline after 3 1/2 months off. I was on 50 mgs for 10 years.  What dosages and how do you make them?

 

 

Please read

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

Techniques to make non-standard doses:

Using a digital scale to measure doses.

Making a liquid from a tablet or capsules . + Using an oral syringe and other tapering techniques].

How to cut up tablets or pills.

[Kev93]

I haven't reinstated yet, 4 months off. Still having some good days but having a wave at the moment that has lasted the last couple days. My OCD has been going crazy and morning anxiety is horrible with little sleeping. Hopeless feeling is also back along with just feeling strange. 

     I am tired of feeling like this. Hope this is just withdrawl and not relapse. I would hate to have to go back on AD's.

      

[JamesF]

2 hours ago, Kev93 said:

I haven't reinstated yet, 4 months off. Still having some good days but having a wave at the moment that has lasted the last couple days. My OCD has been going crazy and morning anxiety is horrible with little sleeping. Hopeless feeling is also back along with just feeling strange. 

     I am tired of feeling like this. Hope this is just withdrawl and not relapse. I would hate to have to go back on AD's.

      

What's your pattern of symptoms been like over the last 4 months? Improving, stable, worsening? Any changes?

You could consider low dose reinstatement if it's bad. From my experience, it's much better to be functional and on a low dose than to let your quality of life deteriorate due to WD with an unknown timeline.

[ChessieCat]

On 07/02/2018 at 5:03 AM, JamesF said:

Stopping cold turkey is super irresponsible of that Doctor. While it's been 3 months, folklore here is that the brain can only adapt at 10%~ a month, so that's not a huge drop from your old dosage. Your brain may be "expecting" something  around 70% of the prior  dose. But obviously it's not an exact science, nobody can measure it.

 

It is not folklore.  SA's protocol is a harm reduction method.  This protocol has been decided on after much reading of research materials, I assume there has also been consultation with other people in the field and there has definitely been observations made of tapering members on this site and on a previous (no defunct) site.

[Kev93]

On 2/18/2018 at 11:49 PM, JamesF said:

What's your pattern of symptoms been like over the last 4 months? Improving, stable, worsening? Any changes?

You could consider low dose reinstatement if it's bad. From my experience, it's much better to be functional and on a low dose than to let your quality of life deteriorate due to WD with an unknown timeline.

I would say that there are definitely some improvements. Windows are getting more frequent. Although, this morning i had a panic attack that was pretty severe and have felt "not right" all day.

[Kev93]

I have noticed that I feel more normal now but I have contamination OCD symptoms like crazy. I have never had them before. Could this still be withdrawl??

[Gridley]

The fact that you are experiencing improvements points to withdrawal, not relapse.  See:

 

This post and Is it withdrawal or relapse?

[Kev93]

These up and down feelings are wearing me out. It seems I am having patterns of thoughts and symptoms that repeat themselves. Very strange.

 

[Kev93]

Ok it's now been 5 months since I quit cold turkey.I have a new symptom . I have my sex drive back but it's way to high now. Having sexual dreams and constantly thinking about it to the point it's making me upset. Is this a symptom of withdrawl? 

    Still having contamination OCD symptoms .

[powerback]

Hi kev my guess is yes its part of withdrawl ,if you didn't have access to feelings before hand and the drug looses its power, these feeling would come back with a bang ,you need to be mindfull of these emotions over powering you like any other strong feelings and if your a drinker I suggest you stay away from it because you don't want to loose control all together and get yourself in tricky situations .

Take care .

[Kev93]

Well the increased sex drive has fallen  back to normal. Now, all I have is crazy contamination OCD. Washing my hands and worrying all the time. And then there is the religious OCD. I swear I am about to go out of my mind. I just keep thinking it's only withdrawal and I can tough it out. But, what if it's not withdrawal.....   

 

[Gridley]

After a CT, your nervous system is likely to be producing numerous strange symptoms as it struggles to right itself.  This link might be helpful.  

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/14397-neuro-emotions/

[Kev93]

Thanks Gridley.

 

[Kev93]

I'm now at 6 months off Setraline. Feel normal physically but still having OCD fear of contamination to point of washing clothes everyday.I had OCD before stopping drug but never about contamination. Maybe, it is relapse and has just shifted from harm to contamination OCD.

    Having hard time feeling happy about anything. Just not myself. I have thought many times about starting another anti depressant.  Feel so alone. 

     

[Rosetta]

Please don't.  I'm afraid it will make WD worse.  I was on sertraline, too.  I strongly believe I will get better only if I avoid the drugs that affect my brain.  -- Rosetta

[Kev93]

What concerns me is that I had Ocd before the sertraline. So that is what makes me think this could be relapse.i have read that relapse rates of Ocd are very high when medication is stopped.

       

     

[Rosetta]

Kev, 

 

Maybe you believe these drugs work for their intended purpose.  I believe that when they work it's an accident that they "work."  Moreover, the patient believes they work because the patient no longer sees reality.  So, "relapse" is a misleading term.  

 

However, even if one believes the drugs work, there is unmistakably a strong chance that there will be negative effects when the drugs are stopped.  For example, I had a normal, healthy and useful desire for order and cleanliness prior to taking Celexa.  I was a good organizer, and I didn't obsess about it, but after Celexa was switched to Zoloft, I had many different manifestations of OCD.  Many, and they became very disruptive to my life.  I don't think these were side effects of Zoloft which supposedly treats OCD!!  They were WD symptoms.  I still have some of them, but many have gone away -- I developed a very intense hoarding disorder.  Now, 15 months after quitting Zoloft I'm becoming the anti-hoarder.  If not for the debilitating anxiety and lethargy I have due to WD, I think I would have tossed out most of the stuff I have collected.  My obsessions about cleanliness have receded, too.

 

The research never shows the results of letting people heal with no drugs.  Of course, the reports will say that OCD gets worse after medication is stopped.  It seems that we have symptoms in WD that are common trouble spots for us in regular life.  Not always, but sometimes.  Then, more drugs are given.

 

You are suffering, I know.  I'm sorry for that.  I hope it ends soon.  I do not believe that adding more drugs will have a neutral or positive effect.  One never knows.  At the very least you would want the same drug and very, very small amount to start.  It might help at least to some extent.  There is much hope for you if you can be careful and gentle with your nervous system.  Good luck.

 

Rosetta

[Kev93]

Thanks Rosetta,

 

I do not really want to start taking meds again. I think I just feel like there's no other option when it all comes down on me.

     You and others on here do give me hope. I just keep going back to thinking I did feel better when I was on the meds but I also remember there were some odd effects of being on it.

      I bought and traded in 3 brand new motorcycles in one summer because I would find some insignificant flaw on them. I look back now and I was out of control. And lost lots of $. I would have never done that before or now I'm off of it.

    Was only happy when buy in things. Isn't that odd?

 

[Rosetta]

Sounds a lot like what happened with me.  It's a dopamine issue, I think.  It's so similar to illicit drug addiction or gambling in some ways.  Paradoxical effect perhaps.  It may have been paradoxical for different reasons for me than for you possibly.  I don't want to go back to being that way.  I'm noticing that I'm not as dissatisfied with various things as I used to be.  I'm not as irritated or annoyed as I used to be.  Sure, there are some emotions now that I don't like at all!  But it's all changing, and I think that's positive.  Please do take hope from the people here who have recovered.  

 

I'm very angry that a supposedly "safe" pharmaceutical did this and that the doctors were too ignorant to have spared me so many years of anxiety from the Zoloft use.  I try to focus on the improvements and the future.  I'm very relieved that this "damage" can be fixed by my own body.  We are lucky that's the case.

 

I understand how completely frustrating and distressing this experience is for you.   I'm 9 months ahead of you.  It really will get better.  I think my experience has been very up and down because I'm female.  I hope yours isn't that way.  

 

Take care, R

[Kev93]

Anyone have contamination Ocd appear from WD? I also has bouts of paranoia and guilt. 

       

[wantrelief]

Hi Kev - I have been experiencing some paranoia as well as guilt.  I will have random thoughts pop up about people from my past whom I worry I mistreated in someway and feel guilty about.  It can be quite uncomfortable.  I try to acknowledge the thought and label it as a "withdrawal thought" and let it go as best I can.  You are not alone in how you are feeling.

[Kev93]

How long have you been in WD?

[Kev93]

Did anybody experience OCD style WD symptoms after quitting meds but had  OCD before starting meds?  

[wantrelief]

52 minutes ago, Kev93 said:

How long have you been in WD?

Well, I've had a long journey and have been in withdrawal several times, unfortunately.  This last go around started in July 2017.  

[Kev93]

Two days ago the morning anxiety started again. But It seems to dissapate fairly quickly.

    Haven't had that for months. The only constant things in my life at the moment is contamination Ocd originating from an incident at my job and extreme anger outbursts.

    It is almost at a debilitating level where I have considered leaving my job. I am just hoping it's still withdrawal and the symptoms will improve.

[Rosetta]

Yes, it's withdrawal.  Don't leave your job.  That would only compound your problems.  

 

Are you sleeping ok?  How many hours do you sleep?  Do you keep a regular sleep schedule?  

 

Do do you use caffeine?

 

Have you thought about trying magnesium?

 

Do you eat regularly and get enough protein?

 

I'm trying to pay attention to my protein intake and eat often.  It might take 6 times a day to keep my blood sugar stable.

 

Ive been in WD for a long, long time, but the worst began after I quit Zoloft/sertraline in Feb of 2017.  I'm definitely still in WD, and most of my symptoms are mental -- anxiety, deep sadness/despair, and fatigue.  I believe your OCD and anger are WD symptoms.  I hope you can control them better with sleep, diet, magnesium (and maybe fish oil) and avoiding caffeine.  It will get better, but I completely understand how frustrating and scary it is to have trouble controlling one's emotions!  

 

You are going to heal, and it may take another year or so, but you will get there.  It's very promising that you don't have any physical symptoms, Kev, very promising.

 

Rosetta

[Kev93]

I sleep around 6 hrs a night. Pretty regular sleep pattern.I do drink coffee and some soda daily.

   My diet is not perfect, too many sweets. Try to eat protein . Never thought about magnesium. 

      What I find interesting about this whole situation are that my symptoms are like a wheel, they will change every so often to something else then after awhile  to something else and so on and then it'll start the whole cycle over.

  Rosetta, thank you so much for the kind words.

    

[Rosetta]

No problem.  Yes, this is the most bizarre illness.  The brain is trying to compensate for every change it makes, but it can't.  It seems that each person has 2 or 3 symptoms that come up over and over again.  They are not the same for everyone.  Anxiety is extremely common, but OCD is frequent.  Some people have mostly physical symptoms, and others mostly mental, but most people have a combination.  It's tough to get through this, but you will.  My OCD symptoms are so faint now.  They were very bad when I was still on the Zoloft because my body needed Celexa instead.

 

Take care, Rosetta

[Kev93]

Did you have any Ocd before meds?

[Rosetta]

Probably.  I don't know for sure, but if I did it was caused by situation issues.  I have always been "particular" about many things.  It was an asset in many ways, but after I started taking Celexa it got worse and worse. After the switch of meds it got much worse, and it affected many different aspects that had never been affected before.  After I quit Zoloft it got worse and then better.  Now, it's a problem in waves, but to a much lesser degree.  

[Kev93]

 It's crazy that these meds can increase Ocd. I can only dream of the day I feel normal again.