SunnySkies: sertraline half life and headaches coming and going

[SunnySkies]

Hi

I am currently, recently trying to reduce my dosage to the lowest possible for me.

I am on Zoloft (sertraline).

Today I am feeling spaced out and not too well, as withdrawl symptoms.

They reduced my dose down too fast which is why I am here.

 

If I had the brain power to be cross I would be!

 

I was on 100mg zoloft and reduced it fine to 75mg, I had a few bits of being more emotional but was OK.

 

Then they reduced it to 50mg and I experiencing really bad withdrawls,like anxiety through the roof to the point of needing to go home and lie down from an attempted visit to the shops.

 

I am annoyed with the health professionals who seem quite stupid about this dose reduction! I am being told now to try alternate doses from 75mg to 50mg, um no I dont want to do this! It seems stupid and like playing yoyo with my brain! So I am not going to do this, and find myself here to learn about 10% tapering and in my country I cant get liquid form and the smallest pill size is 50mg. 

 

One good thing from this is yesterday I meditated for 30 minutes. Its the only thing I think I can do to try help myself and my health.

 

I need to learn about tapering, as these withdrawls are too horrible. 

 

The idea of making liquid seems daunting to me as I am not good at Math! And my brain is not good at the moment.

 

So I am going to take myself back to the 75mg until I feel normal and then be able to read and concertrate about this tapering.

 

Thanks for being here, I have been reading the posts here and everyone seems quite logical and intelligent about this!

 

Perhaps because I am having withdrawls I am quite sad how the medical profession seems to be so useless about the withdrawls. I have been told "most people dont get any withdrawls", so what?! Some people do and experience awlful symptoms so why on earth put people at risk of this, just makes me sad. As feeling this rotten with headaches etc makes it so hard to advocate for oneself. 

 

 

[SunnySkies]

Zoloft... I am wondering how long this stays in the system ?

 

I noticed at the last drop, if I was late taking my pills by a few hours I started feeling  a bit jittery.

 

Now after this last (too much of a drop), I am putting myself back up, but the headaches come a few hours before dosage and then like dissappear like 30 minutes after taking pills.

 

I am so tired and foggy.

[SunnySkies]

Also I notice like 1.5-2 hours today after I take my dose (back to 75mg after trying 50mg for a few days)

that my headache from earlier is completely gone

I am feeling VERY relaxed  like not a care in the world

No more irritation, headache, spaced feeling, anxiety

 

This really reminds me of the effects I would get similar to taking something addictive!

[Songbird]

Hi SunnySkies, welcome to SA!  Thanks for completing a signature.  I've moved your topic to the Introductions forum - you can keep posting your updates and questions here, kind of like a journal.

 

When you say you reduced to 50mg 1 May 2017, do you mean 1 May 2018, as in just 9 days ago?  When did you put your dose back up to 75mg?  It sounds like your updose has helped to reduce withdrawal symptoms, which is a good sign. 

 

Your plan to hold at the same dose for at least a month and then begin a much slower taper sounds very sensible.  If you are getting interdose withdrawal symptoms (such as jitteriness), there may be an option to move to twice-daily doses to prevent this, but we'll see what the other mods think and come up with a plan moving forward.  For now I would just stay put where you are and wait to stabilise.

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by Songbird

[Songbird]

47 minutes ago, SunnySkies said:

This really reminds me of the effects I would get similar to taking something addictive!

 

I had the same effect from paroxetine - it made me feel great!  SSRIs are powerful meds, that's for sure.  I don't believe they are addictive in the same way as opiates and benzos, as they don't tend to cause cravings.  However they certainly do produce physiological dependence, hence the terrible withdrawal symptoms when people try to reduce dose or stop taking them.

[SunnySkies]

10 minutes ago, Songbird said:

If you are getting interdose withdrawal symptoms (such as jitteriness), there may be an option to move to twice-daily doses to prevent this, but we'll see what the other mods think and come up with a plan moving forward.  For now I would just stay put where you are and wait to stabilise.

 

 

 

Hi there thank you so much for your reply, this place is so good with nice people!

 

I was wondering that, if it would be better to spit my dose into 2 for twice a day.

[Songbird]

2 minutes ago, SunnySkies said:

 

I was wondering that, if it would be better to spit my dose into 2 for twice a day.

 

If it seems like twice daily dosing might be needed, we will work out a plan to move to this gradually, trying to make the change as gentle on your body as possible.

For now, I would just stick with what you're doing and see if your system will stabilise over time.

[SunnySkies]

Thanks I will!

[SunnySkies]

Songbird, May I ask what kind of tapering do you use? Do you cut the pills up or use liquid?

I ask because you are in NZ too.

[Songbird]

I have used both at different times.  I have used a digital scale bought from TradeMe to weigh pill pieces.  I have also used a pharmaceutical compounding company to make up a suspension for me.  The liquid is very easy and convenient to use but is expensive.  There are some members here who successfully make their own liquid, but personally I don't feel very confident about doing that.  The company is based in Auckland, but will ship anywhere in NZ.  At the time my suspension was paroxetine, but I'm assuming they can do the same thing with other SSRIs.  I'm intending to contact them soon to inquire about making a citalopram suspension for me.  See this topic about compounding:

 

Compounding pharmacies US UK and elsewhere

 

I didn't notice before that you're in New Zealand - you might like to check out our specific New Zealand topic:

 

New Zealand members please check in here

 

 

[SunnySkies]

Thank you so much for replying. I just ordered some scales.

I got a second opinion also from another doctor who said I was not ready to go lower than 75mg and to stay on that for 3 months then try again to 50mg. I mentioned reducing things by 10% and the doctor said 75mg down to 50mg is not reducing it alot. 

 

??? How can that not be alot its a third?!

[Carmie]

Hi Sunnyskies, 

 

How are you doing? Sending hugs🤗