Tapering off Zoloft after ~15 years...

Treatment and medication
1

I have never ever written in one of these forums before in my life but I really feel like I need the advice of other people in the same position!

 I have been taking Zoloft (actually started with Aropax) for depression and OCD for 15 years,  and while I’ve not had any problems, I’ve just felt like I’d rather not be taking medication for such a long period of time. After a failed attempt at discontinuing many years ago, this has been my most serious effort. I was taking 50mg for as long as I can remember, before going to 25mg  for perhaps 2 months. In the last month I started taking 12.5 and would go day on day off before finally 5 days ago I stopped - and I feel absolutely horrendous. I don’t even feel any depression or anxiety, I just feel so terrible physically that I’m wondering if it’s worth it? Perhaps that was still too fast.

Is it OK to be on a small dose forever? If I DO keep going the way I am, has anyone else been through this (after taking it for so many years) and can tell me how long these discontinuation symptoms will last? Today has been the worse day yet and I’m wondering if I just go into the kitchen and take a bite of a bloody tablet! 

Thank you!!!

2

I have been on Zoloft for two years the last 1 year I’ve been on 25mg and the last month I miss 2 days a week, not consecutively tho.

I think perhaps you have done it far too quick they say the longer you have been on them the longer it takes to taper.

What you need to remember is that their is no hurry in coming off, after all you have been on them for 15 years , stop suffering take a bit of the tablet and get back to an even keel.

Then perhaps work out a much slower taper and listen to your body.

I know when I miss 3 days in a row , I feel my depression and I get panick attacks and insomnia.

So I’m doing it much slower because I really can’t cope with the depressed feeling and panick attacks at all.

Let me know why you think and all the very best to you xxx

3

Hi lattifa how long do 100mgs actually take to start kicking in? As I’m on my 4th wk and 1day today.but o feel worse than ever today. Shaky, panicky and spaced out. Will this pass. I also get headaches aswell and still can’t seem to fall asleep naturally 🌹

4

I was On them for 20 years. I decided to ween off them last July.  I made it till about September and I’ll just tell you in my experience going back in then in October was way better then dealing with what I went through for a few months.  I accepted the fact I needed to be on meds and I’m just living with it now and feeling better. Not 100% but better 

5

Hi mrm I was on paroxatine for 17yrs but the doctor advise me to change to sertraline. I’ve been on 100mgs now for 4wks but feel like they’re really slow working. I feel as tho I want to cum off them and go bk on paroxatine. But it’s just all that weaning off again and starting all over again. Any advice u can give me please🌹

6

It’s a process and it doesn’t happen overnight.   Just relax and it will get better day by day. 

Not everyday is good but not everyday is bad.  But they get better.  

7

I’ve never been higher than 50mg, and when I first started on them it made me a hell of a lot worse befor I started feeling any better. All what you have described to me is what I had plus I had insomnia I couldn’t eat a single thing , so I lost a lot of weight, night sweats headaches, and had constant panicky feeling along with really bad depression I even felt despair and suicidal, I took my self to a&e I was so bad. 

But I kept on taking my meds and drs advised I will get better, and at about 5 weeks I started feeling different, other people notice the changes for the better in you. You then get patches through the day where you feel 100% back to your self, mine would last about half hour or a little more.

Now I’m back to my self and feeling good. I’ll never forget those feelings it was very traumatic indeed that’s why I stay on this forum hoping to help others like you.

Please continue with ur meds, did you start at100mg or did you go up from 50mg?

Always best to start on a low dose and stay there for 6 weeks mum and see how you feel, then if needed up the dose, I’m not a dr at all, but I really belive that we our selves know our bodies better than anyone.

You will get there, do what ever you can to look after ur self , even a walk or an adult colouring book, seeing a friend , I had to get out every day and walk and be around people.

Let me know if you need any other questions answered I’ll do my best from my experience.

I’m here to help you through xxx

8

I have no idea why my reply to you is being moderated ???   

I wrote a really long reply, so I’ll narrow down what I said lol

I’ve  always been no higher than 50mg dose and at the beggining it was so bad I had to teke my self to a&e as I was really suicidal, the despair I felt was an absolute hell hole that no one seemed to understand around me apart from people on here.

I had panick attacks insomnia never ate lost Waight, depressed, intrusive thoughts , I felt stuck in my own mind, was awful, I also had headaches nights sweats.

But after 4 1/2 weeks things started changing and the people around me noticed me improving before I noticed, just small things, like I slept a few hours a night, I wouldn’t wake up crying and panaking, you will also notice small patches throughout the day of feeling 100% normal and back to your old self, it’s very subtle, but you will get there. 

Did you start on 100mg? 

Maybe the dose is too high for you,? 

What ever dose you start on stick to it for at least 6 to 8 weeks, listen to your body and how you feel, no dr can know how you feel.

But I promise you, that you will be ok, give your self a break you need time to heal.

Please feel free to ask me anything, I can give you advice based on my experience, but everyone is different.

This forum was also a life saver and that’s why I’m still on here wanting to help others, like others helped me once.

Xxxx

9

This is ridiculous that it keeps wanting to moderate my reply,??????

10

It is! I really want to hear what you have to say. At first, I thought you were saying I was ridiculous 😂

11

Thank you so much for your reply - I didn’t expect responses so quickly! What you said makes so much sense. I think I got a bit excited that I was getting lower and I DID cut it out completely way too fast for the length of time I’ve been on them. So this morning I took some (not a lot cause it tends to make me feel completely dead after cutting down) and it’s really taken the edge off. I will continue on the low dose for a bit longer. Thank you so much! You talked me down 😂

12

Lol no I would never say ur ridiculous 😂😂😂, it was soooo annoying that it kept wanting to moderate it??? And all what I said came from the heart. So it’s hard to re write it lol xxxxx always here if u need a chat xx

13

Sertraline is slow starting off, and takes time to get in ur system think of it this way, someone once explained it to me like this, it’s kind of like it jiggles about a bit fixes stuff disconnects things and reconnects wires to the rite place , you can feel very jittery and all over the place, much like a car engine, the mechanic takes it to peace’s to find the problem and the care doesn’t even work now where as before it at least was drivable but kept breaking down. So  you can even feel worse than before you was on them. But then once all the work is done, you will be so happy you put up with the tiny little whit pill that went in and fixed it all. Bit of a funny way of putting it but it really helped me  cope and it made sense.

Xxx

14

AWW thank u so much lattifa. That’s really hopefull. It’s just so hard and scary wen you don’t feel like ureself anymore and feel detached from all my luv 1s. But hopefully in time they will start to properly kick in. Does the insomnia get better in time aswell 🌹

15

Hi lattifa yes I was on 50mg first and now on 100mgs. I’ve been on them just over 4wks now and the doctor as told me to stay at this dose for another 4wks so hopefully by then I shud be feeling an improvement (hopefully ) did u also feel like u were detached from ureself and ure luv1s? And in time will the tablets help with my insomnia 🌹

16

Didn’t feel detached, but I’ve heard a lot of people experience that side affect. The tabletswill certainly help with the insomnia, its woes at first but around 5to six week mark you will see subtle changes, more sleep is oneif them hun xxx

17

Thank you so much mrm for your reply! Like I said, last night was day 5 for me and I thought, if someone said ‘it’ll be over in two weeks’ I would’ve been able to keep going. But I had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn’t be the case and you confirmed it for me. I still have to work and drive and function and I just couldn’t go on like that!  This morning I took a tiny dose to help my poor brain and I think I’ll just continue on 25 mg if it means I won’t feel so bloody awful.

 It was really helpful hearing from someone who’s taken them long term like me. I know people who have experience with 4 or 5 months use, but NOONE as long as me - so thank you!

18

Hi lattifa I’ve been on 100mgs now for 5wks and today is a bad day feeling very jittery and panicky. Is this normal? Been as tho I’ve been on them for 5wks? And will I eventually get bk to feeling myself again 🙏🌹