I decided to document my experience with coming off of Sertraline after 2.5 years in the hopes that it might help others, as this site has helped me a huge amount during my own personal journey with the drug.
I was prescribed Sertraline 2.5 years ago to help with severe anxiety, moderate depression and OCD. Alongside the above I also suffer with Misophonia and sensory overload so all in all, Sertraline seemed like the good option for me in terms of 'dulling down' all of the above. I started at 50mg and quickly increased to 100mg which worked very well for me, and stayed at 100mg for about 2 years. At the same time I had high intensity Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to help with the underlying issues fuelling the anxiety and OCD, I attended weekly sessions for about 8 months before I was discharged.
Around 6 months ago I decided that I was ready to stop taking the drug and, with my Doctor's support, started to decrease my dosage. I got to the point of taking 50mg every other day and had my first panic attack. I continued skipping a day at 50mg and my anxiety and the 'sense of impending doom' was unbearable, I couldn't function. My Dr advised me to go back on my full dose (100mg every day) as I clearly wasn't ready.
I was so frustrated with myself because I felt ready but my brain wasn't playing along. I decided (without telling my Dr) that I would only take 50mg daily and not return to the 100mg as that made me feel too numb and I'd actually gotten used to the 50mg dose. I have been taking the 50mg dose daily for the last 6 months and I have now decided that I want to try to stop once again.
My reasons for stopping are:
- Weight gain. Sertraline makes me RIDICULOUSLY hungry, 24/7 and I have gained 4 stone in the 2.5 years I have been taking them.
- Lack of motivation. I used to exercise each day and since taking Sertraline I've become very complacent (which also added to the weight gain). I simply do not care enough about anything to bother to exercise. I've become very lazy!
- General numbness, although I appreciate my lows being elevated I do miss my genuine highs!
- Complete loss of libido, need I say more?
- Constant acid reflux issues, I have a mechanical fault with my stomach sphincter anyway but since taking the sertraline this has become 10x worse, I'm having to take Gaviscon every single day.
- I feel ready and strong and I'm sure I can do this. I don't want to pump myself full of drugs each day, I just want to be free.
So, insert disclaimer here - I haven't involved my Dr in my decision. I didn't feel as though he was very supportive last time and he was very quick to tell me I wasn't ready and I should go back to full dose. I am positive that I can do this on my own and if not, I am positive that I will know IF I need to go back to 50mg. I will trust my body to decide for me.
Insert disclaimer number 2, I know you're not supposed to but I'm quitting cold turkey. I felt as though the tapering down didn't work for me last time, the 'every other day' approach seemed to just prolong the inevitable and I needed it to be over more quickly. It just didn't feel right FOR ME even though it works for others.
Today is day 3 of no Sertraline and I'm feeling surprisingly ok. I was expecting much worse but I'm very aware that the worst may still be yet to come! I'm feeling positive and 'awake' which I wasn't expecting. I'm happy to say that my appetite seems to have regulated itself already, I have eaten breakfast and lunch and I'm not hungry yet at 15:30 (I normally eat every hour or I'm starving!).
Side effects I am experiencing currently are:
- constant yawning (I had this when I first started, it seems to have returned)
- headaches/jaw ache
- cramps in my neck, stomach and calves
- what feels like a pinched nerve on the side of my right breast, it's quite annoying but hopefully will pass
- VERY vivid nightmares/dreams, quite disturbing ones!
Nothing too bad so I am pleased so far. I know that roughly, it takes 6 days for the drug to work its way out of your system but can be weeks before the side effects subside. So far so good though! I'm excited for the future!