Getting Off Zoloft Is Challenging

Well about 6 years ago I needed to stop Prozac due to surgery. Stopped day before and that day. On the 3ed day I had horrible symptoms too. I couldn't walk. Felt like my legs were paralyzed. When to hospital but could barely get in and out of car. The pain was horrible.

Come to find out it was withdrawals from Prozac. So when I went back on it that day AND after the next day all was ok. Later when I went off again I tapered off a little at a time that seemed to work. Yes you should be told when you start new med what to expect. We don't always get bottle inserts and that is where all information to drugs are. THE INSERTS are what we need not just the printed out stuff pharmacy gives you. That is just general stuff. So anytime starting new medicine get product insert.
Wanda

I took Pristiq, a SSRI for about 2 years. I tried to taper off as my MD advised. It was over 3 weeks but experienced terrible brain zaps, anxiety, insomnia, irritability and did not go to work for about 10 days. It was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. I am on a healthier approach to handling life's stresses; exercise, relaxation, aromatherapy, massage and vitamin support.

My doctor convinced me to go on Zoloft because of PTSD. I was assured, as well, that it was not addictive. I was only on it for about a year because I realized that what I really needed was counseling and behaviour modification. Shortly after taking myself off, I began to have strange symptoms. I thought something was really wrong- it felt like jolts of electricity through my body! When I called the nurse, she immediately asked if I had taken myself off of Zoloft!! They know it's addictive!!

This comment relates to the gentleman who decided to stop taking Zoloft after 9
years. How was he advised when he consulted with the doctor who prescribed
the Zoloft? Perhaps he sought the advice of his family doctor about his plans to stop cold turkey. He made no mention in his complaint about the advice he was given or if he even thought to ask. Did he mention stopping cold turkey to his pharmacist? If he had thumbed through one of the pill books for sale near the pharmacy window, he would have quickly discovered that Zoloft should be slowly tapered off--not stopped cold turkey.

You can not just stop taking an antidepressant!!! You have to taper off it gradually, especially if you are on a high dose. Anyone is going to have bad reactions, increased anxiety, and depression if you just stop taking it! And, when tapering off, you have to remember this medication has been leveling out your emotions, and making you "feel good" - so even tapering off you will have increased anxiety, aggression, sleep issues, etc.

Think - this is all self explanatory!!!!! Its not that the medication is "addictive" its that your body is used to a certain level of this chemical in your body to regulate your moods and when you mess around with it, hence the side effects!

When taking many drugs, in this case Sertraline, when you want to discontinue them it is very important to reduce the dosage gradually. The usual dose of Sertraline is 100 mg. before bedtime. There are also 50mg tablets. So you have some options for gradually reducing the dosage.

I had the same brain zaps and dizziness when I stopped taking Paxil. I also had some dreams that were vivid and very long, like feature-length movies. My understanding is that withdrawal symptoms can be especially bad for anti-depressants that have a short half-life in the body as Paxil does. I wish I had known this beforehand.

It is real commendable for you to want to stop taking your anti-depressant medication! Anti-depressants are over prescribed and there are options for most people. These include psychotherapy, mindfulness tech for stress reduction and amino acid supplements.

The Road Back by James Harper is an excellent book that describes many of the biological and nutritional approaches to help you return you to better health. SSRis are not addictive in the same way of opiates. Many processes may be involved and include the ability of these drugs cause changes in the synaptic plasticity of the brain. More importantly in regards to tapering is the compromised system called the adrenal-hypothalamis axis-something many physicians do not mention when prescribing.

The metabolic consequences are profound-possible high bp,increased anxiety, insomnia etc. when a taper is not used. The key component in a taper is the rate and mechanism that the drug is metabolized. This involves a drug enzyme system called the Cytochrome 450. Also, if other drugs or herbal supplements are taken, these are critical in the taper process due to the varying rates of their metabolism. I successfully used most of the information available in The Road Back, supplemental reading and professional consultations to taper off of a benzodiazapine.

Information is critical in making an informed choice and hopefully you will cont to pursue a taper and subsequent end to taking your antidepressant. It is difficult but there you are not alone and support groups are available. Time and patience are golden steps on the road and results may take several months to occur but, in perspective, are well worth it. Take care

I have taken 120mg of Cymbalta for 2-to-3 years; it has done a great job of alleviating depression and I have not experienced any side effects. But I decided that I know longer needed it, and asked my doctor for help in getting off it. The step-down from 120mg to 60mg was easy; but when I tried 60mg to 30mg I had many side effects. So my doctor sent me to a compounding pharmacist so that I could step down in increments of 10mg every 30 days.

But I was still having too many SEs, so he added 50mg of Sertaline; this helped a lot. It may take a year to completely withdraw from both drugs. I have always dreamed every night, but since starting the withdrawal, my dreams are more like reality; that has taken time to get used to.

Almost all long term medications are addictive. I took paxil last year(30mg) and tapered off, yet still found myself with withdrawal problems. For about five days I could barely move around from the brain zaps and had barfed multiple times. I'm now on sertraline and am trying to prepare myself to reduce the dosage and am very nervous.

When I went off prozac I didn't start having withdraw symptoms until a couple months later - very dizzy with headaches. I did some research and found a post saying to take benadryl and/or Claritin. I took both. They immediately worked and I was able to get off prozac. I took Benadryl at night and Claritin during the day. It took a few weeks, but eventually all was good with the world and my side effects of headaches and dizziness were gone.

I would like to hear more about tapering off slowly.

I have been taking Sertraline (generic for Zoloft) for several years. It helped to the point where I discontinued it TWICE. However, each time I was off it for awhile, the "rough edges" returned, so I'm now back on it. It was very simple to come off the drug: I was taking 100mg each evening, and started weaning myself off by taking only 50mg for a little over a week. Then I stopped completely WITHOUT SIDE EFFECTS. The answer is simply to come off the drug (and some other drugs as well) GRADUALLY.
I hope this helps.

My husband has cut down on taking sertraline (zoloft) and in an effort to avoid side effects got the doctor to prescribe it in liquid form so that he could cut the dose gradually. A week or so after switching to this medication, he got horribly sick with terrible stomach pain, which he attributed to possible samonella from eating out. He kept thinking he was getting better, and then he'd have another attack.

After a year, the pharmacy accidentally gave him pills as they didn't have any liquid when his prescription needed to be filled. Suddenly the stomach issues have decreased dramatically. He thinks it is because the dose in the liquid form just isn't a steady dose, it's highly variable, so his system was having a hard time adjusting and adjusting to the varying dose.

Though he still struggles with depression, I'm encouraging him to get off this medication. Talk about quality of life issues! It isn't worth it.

While on Zoloft I started getting elevated blood sugar. Then, two years ago, I decided it was time I weaned off this drug. Bad idea. Perhaps I went off it too soon, but now I have hypoglycemia symptoms. I did lose about ten pounds coming off the med but I also felt very weak, to the point where I had trouble holding a carton of milk! Anyway, I'm doing better now but it is a long recovery from being off this med. I heard it's nearly the same with stopping any antidepressant. Anyway, I'm taking B6, B12, magnesium glycinate, for about a year and a half. Seems to be working. At least for me. I originally went on antidepressants as a result of PTSD symptoms.

Re the tapering: I'm going through the gradual decrease to stop Zoloft... I was on 50 mg per day for two years. For the first three weeks of the tapering, I was on 3/4 tablet. I got a pill cutter at the pharmacy - To get the 3/4 I cut each in half then cut some of the halves in half, I took a half and a quarter. Now I'm on the second three week tapering time and I'm taking just a half of each tablet. After three weeks doing that, I'll be on just 1/4 of each tablet for the last three weeks - or until they are gone.

For the 3/4 amount - I found I had more energy - this next decrease which is 1/2 tablet is making me super edgy. The anxiety is returning and I've got a super short fuse.

I am trying to stop the Zoloft because I was having trouble concentrating. I want to get completely off of it and see where my concentration is and try to keep from getting fired and keep from snapping.

Thank you to those who've posted here because I am able to see that like with the depression - the zaps, etc. - I'm not alone. Wish you all luck.

I found B6, L-theanine (derived from green tea) and mag. and b12 helped with managing the withdrawals. In my case, I developed low blood sugar symptoms. While on zoloft my blood sugars were always high. Developed borderline diabetes as well. Now, I have the opposite effect while being off the med. Thinking back, what I really needed was justice, not AD's. A lot of what I was dealing with stemmed from PTSD.

Someone told me that Niacin and/or St. John's Wart could replace Zoloft and other anti-depressants and is healthier for a person. Anyone have any input on that theory. I currently take 200 MG of Zoloft a day and am worried how that will affect my liver and other organs after long term usage. I've been on Zoloft about 12 years now.

Thanks for your input!

People's Pharmacy Response: We are not aware of niacin having antidepressant effects, except when the depression is the result of a frank deficiency. St. John's wort can be used for mild to moderate depression.

I'm another Zoloft "discontinuation syndrome" sufferer, who wanted to quit by tapering but did it far too fast. Week 1 was full of brain zaps, like pushing both gas pedal & clutch to the floor but never more than a few seconds. Week 2 I've morphed into Mr. Short fuse at work and while driving on the crowded tollway. My fault, because I haven't worked with my Dr. as closely as I should have. (don't like her much) Anyway, I will learn to watch myself especially around triggers. peace out

Folate is very helpful in alleviating depression. I just started on it about a week ago. Seems to really be helping. it seems to take the edge off. Since my last post (above) I've been feeling a lot better. My temper is on a more even keel, able to sleep better. No more insomnia. Thank God. Feeling less panic attacks and less emotional problems was the best Christmas present I had ever had!

I have been taking Zoloft for about 2 years and am now coming off of it I tapered off about two weeks ago and being to be really dizzy and very sad and easy to cry at nothing. I am now trying to come off once again and I am at week two and the dizziness is back can anyone help me with this?

Sandra,

My only suggestion is that you discontinue the Zoloft at a much slower pace. It will take time! If you have been taking 100mg per day, for example, take 50 mg one day, 100 mg the next day, and so on for at least two weeks. If necessary, split the tablets in half. You have to use your own judgment, but it pays to go slow since you have no way of knowing ahead of time how long it will take. Err in the direction of taking longer than would otherwise be necessary. I hope this helps. Good luck!

I just turned 24 years old and have been on 50 MG of Zoloft for 5 years. I have tried to go off it two times by slowly going down to 3/4th of the tablet but ended up feeling so psychotic I could not leave the house. After of few days of this hell I ended up staying on the drug at my normal dose in fear. I was scared that I would have to enter some type of drug rehab if I ever wanted to get off it.

Finally, after watching a commercial on TV saying that if you were taking Zoloft and your child had birth defects the drug company would pay you money I decided I had to stop taking this drug that has not been tested enough. I went to my doctor and he prescribed the liquid form knowing that I was "sensitive" to changes. I started going down 5MG per week. I would have a headache and feel dizzy for the first three days when going down on the 5MG and then it would subside and I would do again 7 days later. It took me over two months to get off Zoloft. But, by going down this slowly I did not have to miss too much work.

My doctor told me that the effectiveness of Zoloft has recently been proven to only be effective for the first two months, and then the effectiveness goes down to an extremely low percentage. I strongly feel that his drug should only be administered in hospitalized institution and for no longer that for two months. Today is my fifth day off Zoloft. I have been so dizzy that I still need to hold on to furniture when walking across the room. I have a horrible headache and my brain is not functioning. It feels like a combination of the worst hang over of my life and insanely bad vertigo/dizziness.

Zoloft is addictive. It is so targeted in your brain that when one starts to get off it (even in a slow manner) the brain and body have serious effects. In my generation I cannot tell you how many people are put on SSRI’s at a very young age. This is going to be one of the biggest problems of my generation and no one is talking about it. If you are trying to get off a SSRI including Zoloft go down as slowly as you can!

To Leah an others who are going through withdrawal from an SSRI...

Have your doctors suggest a low-dose anti-anxiety medication, like Ativan, etc.? it takes the edge off. Thats what i did at first. I've posted couple of times (see above) about withdrawal.

I can go on about this as I've researched extensively about ssri's and withdrawal before and after I stopped Zoloft. But, do continue with talk therapy with a therapist that you feel really cares.

My son who is 17 years old just came off Sertraline in the 3rd week after taking 5 weeks from 25 mg to 200 mg prescribed by his doctor,the side effects of coming off this medicine are horrible - poor boy has been sufferring intolerable headache, dizziness, very low energy, poor sleeping and sometimes fast heart rate etc., can anyone tell me if there is any way can help him? Thanks.

Hello,
I am so sorry to hear about your son.
I just went off Zoloft myself and I am finally feeling 100% myself again. It took me 10 days after having no Zoloft in my system to have the spinning and headaches subside. This was after I went down slowly for a month and a half too. If he can just hold in there for 10 days there is a light at the end of the tunnel!
Going off Zoloft was probably the hardest most draining thing I have done in my life. It really messes with you in the worst of ways. Best of luck to you and your son!

Dear Rachael,
Thank you for your response. I actually did end up taking a half of a Valium for 3 of the worst days. I would have such bad vertigo and spins and feel so nauseous from the spinning that I would just emotionally loose it. My mom suggested taking half of a Valium one night when it got really bad. It really helped take the edge off my anger and fear about having everything spin so badly and helped the headache.

I think that is a really great recommendation. Thank you! It took me 10 days after having no Zoloft in my system to feel normal again. Those ten days were extremely hard - possibly the hardest in my life. Now, I am so happy that I am off Zoloft. I feel great and energized again. I feel more empowered as a human being now that I am not addicted to an SSRI.

Hello, I just wanted to thank AA's response to my request. Many thanks for your kind words, encouragement and sharing your experience with us. It indeed is not an easy case to handle the side effects of coming off this medicine, I hope my son will get back on his feet soon.

All, if you are planning to go off of a SSRI drug, please take a look at the book "The Anti-Depressant Solution" by Joseph Glenmullen, a Harvard psychiatrist who has studied withdrawal effects in great detail. Though written in 2007, it still holds strong and gives very clear instructions for how to wean slowly and at the proper pace.

I personally wish I would have found the book before I chose to wean. Though I gradually tapered Zoloft over the course of 4 months, I definitely got impatient near the end and rushed off from about 8 mg. Even that was enough to plunge me into the most horrific withdrawal symptoms that I could ever imagine. Panic, akathisia, anxiety, extreme dizziness, vile insomnia, twitching, brain zaps...you name it.

If you begin experiencing horrid withdrawal while tapering, then go back up to the last stable dose and go much slower from there. Some people need to wean 2 mg at a time over the course of many months, it just depends on how you respond to the drug and the typically short half-lifes.

If you had read the instructions (well, your doctor should have told you as well), you would have known you are not supposed to just suddenly come off of the antidepressant. During the whole time, you should be under your psychiatrist's supervision. If your psychiatrist decides that you should come off, then s/he will put you on a plan to do it gradually so none of that would happen. And if s/he decides that you need to stay on it longer, well then that may be the best thing for you to do. For some people, depression is about chronic, persistent chemical imbalance. This could be compared to having diabetes, or high blood pressure, except it is happening at another part of your body, the brain. Would it be silly for a diabetic person to stay on insulin for good? No, just the opposite is true.

This is not to say that whoever experiences depression will need to take antidepressants for good, but some people do. Others will need to take it for a given period of time, as suggested by their doctor. And in terms of the addiction, what you describe does not jibe with the definition of addiction. Opioids (such as oxycodone) or stimulants (such as adderall) are considered addictive antidepressants. But SSRIs, such as Zoloft are not. To go back to the comparison, if a person that has had high blood pressure but through medication, diet, and exercise manages to bring it back to normal, stopping the medication suddenly could cause what is called a rebound effect, meaning that the person's blood pressure would skyrocket and they could feel like they are having a heart-attack too. Does this mean that blood pressure meds are addictive? No. They are not. And for some, they are literally life-saving.

Find the right doctor (be it a psychiatrist for a mood problems or an ENT doctor for a sinus problem) that you feel knows his/her stuff and then follow their advice. And please, never again start or end a psychotropic medication by yourself.

All the best,

B.

Ive been taking Zoloft for only nine months when I started getting off the drug. Checking in w my doctor and getting the scoop on how to decrese from 100 mg. Two months later I've finally got to the end. Now it's day five with no more zoloft and I've experiencing the dizziness, headache, zaps, & such a short fuse.

I'm a mommy with a little person & husband....I kick myself when I fuse out. But reading some of these post is encouraging. I'm not crazy & hopefully my side effects will go away in the next week or so. Thx's

I have been taking zoloft on and off since by daughter was born 7 years ago. I felt lethargic and low. It helped with mood swings but not with the low energy feeling. I hated to take it because it was a libido killer but it was the only anti depressant that didn't make me jittery or more tired.

I hit rock bottom when I could hardly get out of bed, body hurt, joints hurt, and was sleeping 14 plus hours with a hard time waking up. despite all the blood test, doc after doc could not find anything!! I changed docs again and did research with my symptoms which seemed to me like fibromyalgia. I told new doc "I am scared to go to sleep and not being able to wake up to my daughter." Only then she ran more tests and realized that my thyroid was low.

It was low in the normal range, so previous docs disregarded it!! She said I could try synthroid and "IF" it worked then we have the solution. been on it for 2 years now and I feel like a whole different person!

I tried to go off zoloft again (I'm only on 50mg) but I would get dizzy and I had insomnia. So after a few days it seemed easier to stay on. Despite how long I sleep I still felt tired or like my sleep wasn't quality enough..

sooooo... I am doing a sleep study in a week and the doc there told me to go off zoloft because it INTERFERES WITH REM SLEEP!! So I will deal with the dizziness and hope these withdrawal symptoms will be well worth it! (ended up cutting my finger trying to cook).

For all those who are thinking about stopping zoloft, Do! but, have a plan set up. Docs are soooooo quick to give out anti-D's. Depression can be symptom of a deeper underlying problems. (don't get me wrong, I am glad I had it when my mood swings were at there worst, but it also may have covered up all symptoms.) I have been taking 3,000 IU's of vitamin D, that a lot with the edginess that I would have trying to come off other times.

Hope this post helps, good luck to you and remember to be your own advocate! Have your doc run tests for vitamin, thyroid, and lipid levels, and ask to get a copy of them! good luck!

Janice - I feel like you are the only person in the world right now that feels the same way I do. The sleeping, low energy, low thyroid [but Dr said don't worry about it], NO libido! It is so bad and I am so down that I would try just about anything at this point. I've lost my boyfriend of 10 years and he has professionals telling him that perhaps I am just not capable of love. I have tonnes of love to give ~ I'm just depressed!

I tried going off Zoloft about 7 years ago and I was very sick so I went back on it at a low dose of 50MG. I thought it was easier to put up with the sleeping for 12 hours, feeling tired all the time, night sweats, very active dreams that throw me off throughout the day, mood swings, low self esteem, dizziness, lack of sexual drive/desire... now all of a sudden I'm 37 and realizing my life has been on hold for almost 10 years. After reading your post, I booked an appt for Monday to see if I can start getting off Zoloft immediately.

I have thyroid meds and started taking them today! I also have vitamin B12 deficiency so I require shots. The dizziness is always worse when I am low in B12. I will start taking vitamin D also in large doses. Depression really does hurt everywhere and I am so tired of being depressed and having my mind race out of control every hour of every day. Janice - thank you for your post. I was feeling so lost and it truly does help to know I'm not alone. I will post with any progression...

I appreciate everyone's input here. I had been taking Zoloft 200mg for about 2 years. I started it for postpartum depression. About 6 months ago, I decreased myself to 100mg. I think that went fine, can't remember. But I just now stopped it all together, cold turkey, because I ran out and couldn't get an appt with my doctor for another month (cheap government mental health facility).. The nurse said I was welcome to go to ER or regular doctor to fill Rx, but I said no thanks. I wanted to get off it anyway because I want to try for another baby in about 8 months (and i too have seen those birth defect commercials).

So this cold turkey experience has not been fun. I am very dizzy and weak and have cried several times. I thought it was because I also have a concurrent cold right now, but after reading everyone's comments, I realize these must be withdrawal symptoms. I must remember to check my BP to make sure it's not getting too high..

I am about 5 days into this. Oh, and I also take Buspar. I've been taking that for about a year. So maybe that's why my symptoms haven't been as severe as other peoples.

My god I have been on zoloft for what seems like forever. But its been 7 years. I want off this drug. I thought I was depressed but I was really just an addict so now I'm tapering off very slow and I already feel horrible and its only day 3. We all seem like we want off for obvious reasons. Good luck to all cuz I need some good luck for this.

I am currently coming off of Sertraline (zoloft) I did it gradually and I was taking the lowest dosage which is 100 mg. I feel like I'm at the brink of crying every minute, I am not depressed, I feel ok that's why after 3 years of these meds we decided it was time. I do have some dizziness but that's to be expected. I am just concerned about trying to control these crying fits.
can anyone help?
jojo

I've been on 100mg. Zoloft for about 6 yrs. I read about a possible connection with breast cancer risk. I would like to transition to using 5-htp, or some other natural one. Yesterday I dropped to 50 mg. Zoloft and took 50mg.of 5-HTP with it. (normal time of dose is a.m. after breakfast...) I felt good all day.

Then I read re: 5-htp use, to take divided doses (a.m. & p.m.) So I took 50 mg. again before bed. I noticed my heart going fast in the night, so got up and took a GABA to calm it. It worked. ANY comments?

Can low-dose Zoloft be used with 5-htp?

I'm going on my 5th week of weaning off of zoloft at 25 mg. The first few were okay. But the past week and a half has been really bad. Can anyone relate? Why is this happening now? When can I expect some relief and stabilization at 25 mg?

First of all thank you! Reading these comments makes me feel normal even though I do feel like a freak. And that is the reason why I have been trying to wean myself off Zoloft forever it seems. I started taking Zoloft a few years back after I stopped breast feeding. I wasn't depressed but was told it was a hormonal imbalance I was experiencing suddenly. I don't remember what my dose at the time was, it must have been 200 mg a day and it really helped. But I felt like a freak. ME? Taking antidepressants? I felt like I was not normal, not strong in character, a weak woman, all of that. Needless to add that I have a healthy and wonderful child, a good life, stable job, live in a great place, am healthy myself, middle aged, intelligent blablabla. So how could I, ME, THIS WOMAN, need it?

That was what was going through my mind. I hated myself for being "weak" but then I also wasn't in control without the Zoloft. First time I felt the panic attacks, the dizziness, the jumping out of my skin, I was going nuts and my doctor, whom I had known for years said: take it. It will help I promise you. And it did.

Well since then I have tried to wean myself off twice, very slowly. I have been taking 100 mg for a few years now, but I can't go lower than 75 mg. I tried to go 50 mg for a few weeks, first by going 100 mg one day 75 mg the next, then a few weeks later, 75 mg one day etc...

Now finally I had arrived at 75 mg 2 days a week and 50 mg 5 days a week and about 2 weeks ago had my first panic attack again. I lived through it, breathed in an out, relaxed, and a few days later, the next one. Like clockwork. The dizziness is the worst, the feeling of feeling "spaced out", that feeling of my limbs not working, it is horrifying.

Fortunately I never had a lower sex drive cause of Zoloft. It has actually increased but then again as a middle aged woman they say I am at my peak now.
So I went back to my doc. I trust him. He is a good man and I know he didn't prescribe Zoloft lightly. He said I should stay on 75 mg a day and not worry about what happens 20 years down the road. He said to look at myself like someone who has diabetes or high blood pressure. Those people take meds too without the stigma he says.

Still I wish I could do otherwise but even though I am a strong woman, I can't so now I will stay on it and enjoy my life I will not stop taking that pill and then again feel this way. I don't want to sit in my car or at home watching a movie and then feel like the world is ending because my heart starts racing at 150 bpm out of the blue and with no reason.

Just had a blood test done yesterday and all came back fine: liver, kidneys, sugar, cholesterol. In a way I am happy cause at least there are drugs to help me in 2012. Had I been born 100 years ago, I would have ended up in an asylum, not see my daughter again, not have a life. Now with 75 mg a day of Zoloft, I can be dizzy free again I know.

For now I am still dizzy, I have been getting up every morning with anticipatory anxiety and I don't want this in my life. So there is my story. Please comment if you want. And thank you everyone for saying how you feel.

It helps to read I am not alone with the dizziness, the racing heartbeat, the active dreams, the weak legs, the "spaced out" feeling, the dazed state, the "why me?" and the electricity jolts in my brain.

We are not alone, and at least in 2012, we can lead active lives. 100 years ago people with low serotonin had no choice!

Hi thank you for this opportunity..
I was on zoloft for 14yrs. I decided to stop taking zoloft
Nov. 16, 2009. My first 6 weeks I was in Hell. Felt like my Brain was gonna explode. I took sleeping pills and tried to sleep it off. Then after a few months I felt like I was Brain Dead.

I could not think. I felt nothing. I wanted to be myself again.
but did not know who myself was.... I was determined to get my life back.. it has been a slow road but I'm clean for 2years and 4 months. I'm really glad I quite zoloft... although I do use Lorazopam for if I have Anxiety, which I have eased off that as well. I did this by myself.. no help from doctor.

On Zoloft I felt like I was up all the time. I don't take sleeping
pills anymore either.. It was hard and I'm still working on recovery but it was worth it to clean my body and brain from that drug.... Since 1995 I have lost my 3 sisters and 2 brothers to cancer and heart disease and I just want to live a long and healthy life.

I am the youngest of 7 and they were all on so many meds. sometimes I think its the meds that kill people and they just add to their illness.
I hate pills. Thank God I'm Still Alive... Peace

I've been of zoloft for two years now.. It was a long, long road.
but I made it.. I'm happy and people see the difference in me.
If you can make it you will win in the long run... Believe in
yourself..

I was taking 50 mg zoloft for 6 years. I was disgusted with the 30 lb weight gain and had found herbal relief to help with my anxiety... I tapered off slowly over a 6 week period and took herbal supplements like NAC, tyrosine, and fish oils to help with nerve support. I am now off 1 week and feel good about myself and have experienced a minimum of problems while tapering off. Google herbal support for anxiety pill tapering. Good luck to all.

I have been on Zoloft for 6 years. I have tried to come off it twice prior to this time, but my depression worsened and i had major brain zaps. This time, I am determined to stay off of the drug, due to the recently found cause of birth defects. I was taking 100 mg a day and began to take 50 mg for about 2 weeks. It has been about 6 weeks since my last dose of Zoloft. The first few weeks I felt fine. Then, about the third week, I began to get really irritated and angry and cry randomly. When I hit week four and five, the confusion, spaced-outness, questioning of reality, worsening depression, extreme anxiety and several panic attacks a day, blurred vision, pressure in my head, pain at the base of my head, feeling as if I am in a permanent dream or acid trip all began and have been occurring ever since.

I am extremely fearful for my sanity and my life. I would like to know if other people have felt these symptoms and if so, how long until you feel normal again? I need reassurance. I am scared.

Hi I've been taking sertraline for more than a year now and have gained a lot of weight.
this is mainly down to comfort eating and lack of exercise, so I wonder if the sertraline is actually working??

Also I seem to have many of the symptoms of fibromyalgia and fear for my health so..
I have decided to wean off and went from 100mg down to 50mg for a week followed by 50mg every other day for the second week. this didn't seem too bad and I thought I might have managed it. I've been off the sertraline completely for about 4 days and have started to suffer a bit! anger and irritability, along with extreme brain fog are hampering my days, but I feel like I've come too far to give up....

What is the best to get off zoloft?

I have been on Zoloft since I lost my son in 1997. Fifteen years on Zoloft. I have spent a long time tapering slowly to 100mg. I had been up to as high as 200mg. It doesn't work, it's never worked and I have taken it simply because stopping was so hard.

To those who feel they are "returning to their anxieties" or depression as they taper: Please know that it might not be that at all. Many doctors will tell you that's what you are experiencing. In fact, you are probably going through withdrawal or what they will call "discontinuation syndrome." It's horrible, there's no question about it. This is my third taper in the last several years and this time I am committed to going through what I have to in order to be SSRI-free.

When the doctor tells you that you must take the Zoloft to "correct the chemical imbalance," just like a "person with diabetes must take insulin" - ask he or she how they can quantify that statement. They'll, of course, throw around terms that most of them don't really even understand like "seratonin" and maybe "dopamine." Ask them for a blood test, just like with diabetes, that shows in a measurable way that you must take Zoloft and how they'll know when the "imbalance" is balanced. The answer is: They can't. The analogy doesn't hold up. In fact, they don't even know HOW the SSRI family of antidepressants really work (if they do at all). Even the most scientific of literature says over and over - "It is believed to work by...". They really don't even know(!) Don't ever buy that "diabetes" comparison as it doesn't hold up.

Because I have read it in several posts - please, do not even think about stopping cold turkey. It's truly dangerous. The taper must be done properly. A couple of good books have already been mentioned. But really, cold turkey? As tempting as it might be - please don't try.

Finally, never give up. If it takes you more than once or twice to make a safe and effective taper, that's fine. We're all different. Just don't give up.

Good luck and best wishes. This too shall pass.

Within the last 2 months I have gone from a 7 yr. usage of 100 mg. zoloft usage to 25 mg. Without side effects!!

My method was going from 100 mg. (AM dose) to 50 mg. for ONE MONTH, writing down a daily note of what I took when and how i felt. I would take the AM zoloft dose and take 50 mg. 5-HTP at dinner. (There are books out about 5-htp) Occasionally at night I felt like I was running too fast, so would take a capsule of GABA. It works great for me to calm a racing heart. Last few days I deleted 5-HTP in the evening, and slept well without it or the GABA. DO look into NATURAL helpers of 5-HTP, L-Theanine, and L-Tyrosine and GABA! Health food stores sell it and there is info. online and in books. I feel more clear headed now and have more interest in doing things. Ironic, eh?

I'm 21 years old. I was put on 100 MG of zoloft when I was 12, and took it until this year. I never had actual depression - I was being bullied at school, which made me fake sick a lot. My family thought I was depressed, and at 12 years old I took whatever pills I was given. The reason I took it for 9 years was because every time I tried to decrease my dose by even 25 MGs for a day, I would become so ill that I couldn't stand.

I am very sensitive to SSRI withdrawal. Finally, I have flushed the remainder of my meds. I have been tapering off for months now, but I am still so sick. I finally was down to 25 MGs every other day, and then nothing. I STILL have brain zaps, vertigo, nausea, and irritability - but no symptoms of depression or anxiety, because I don't have depression or anxiety.

Stay strong if you're trying to get off this stuff. It's hard, but worth it. Doctors don't warn you about how sick this will make you, and not everyone has such horrible symptoms, but for those of us who do, we know that it isn't right. These medicines can be dangerous. Benedryl helps, and drinking lots of water and sleeping a lot. good luck to all.

Hello,
I have been searching the net for ages for answers, so I am wondering if anyone on here can answer my questions. I used to be citalopram 60mg for 7 years and all ok. Then last December my shrink stopped me cold, and put me on escitalopram 10mg which made me sick, then I was given a sertraline 50mg. Which I did not take for 3 weeks. Withdrawal was not too bad, apart from mood swings, weird feelings in my legs and agitation.

Then took my sertraline it gave me horrible feelings in my stomach, lack of appetite, insomnia, tingling feelings in legs, wretching, anxiety etc. 2 weeks later they upped it to 100mg, then the twitching started. Then 6 weeks after starting it, my GP put me back on citalopram 40mg. 1st 2 weeks ok, then bang.

I became very agitated, withdrawn, stomach probs, weird anxiety, weird feeling in my legs, low appetite, insomnia, cold nite sweats. Now 10 weeks on, I'm getting better, but still got weird feelings in my legs, weird anxiety, twitches, and sometimes stomach probs. Can anyone let me know if they have had this, and how long it might last. All my GP says is it's anxiety. Any help would very much appreciated.

I'm trying to get off Zoloft because I'm now pregnant. I'm trying to wean off it slowly due to horrible side affects the first time. I ran out of my supply and forgot to refill it on time on the third day I had a panic attack and left work. I've never had a panic attack in my entire life. I was extremely dizzy to the point I had to be careful or I'd fall down. I felt like I could black out. I wanted to throw up. I was on a low dosage too. I was prescribed this due to migraines I had at work. I want off this drug. It makes me a different person and I don't want to rely on it. Hopefully I can do it this time and live without it.