I don't know if I have a choice but to wean off Zoloft.
2&1/2 weeks ago I lost my job. My doctor had switched me from Zoloft to Lexapro. For about a month I could tell that "something just wasn't right". Felt angry for no reason. Got migraines alot, was on propranolol to try and help prevent migraines. Had the worst panic/anxiety attack I have ever felt....at work. Instead of going home from work I got a migraine but my shift was almost over. I told my supervisor I would just tuff it out. I worked on the phone dealing with customers who can be very billigerant. A customer started getting very abusive and threatening so I yelled(didn't curse) that I would not be talked to that way and hung up. Realized immediatly after that I had what some would call a nervous breakdown. I got off the phone, told the supervisors I would leave(only 1/2 hour early) and called in my fmla(family medical leave act. I was protected under fmla for migraine episodes.) When I reported back for work on my next day to work I was fired, they said for misconduct. Had no correctives, ever, no problems, my recent review had me above average performance. A new supervisor had come in 2 months ago and she was incompetant.

Finally, to my point! lol I lose my medical and prescription coverage today. I went to my doctor 2 days after I got fired, she switched me back to Zoloft and upped my dose to 100mg. I can't fill my prescription yet(I tried) the insurance won't pay for it, you can only refill it once a month. I have filed for unemployment but might not get it.....I will have to present my case before a judge who will decide if I can receive unemployment. So now I have no job, no income, no way to get anymore Zoloft. So I am now taking 50mg and will have to cut down to 25mg and then just stop. So far the 50mg has been ok, it's just been a few days though. And my doctor prescribed Atavan so I do have those if I feel an anxiety attack is imminent. And I stopped taking the propranolol 2 days ago, I was only on 10mg.
I had tried a different a/d after being on Zoloft, 50mg~75mg for a year and 1/2, because of what I call the "brain fog" in the morning....like fog sometimes it doesn't want to "lift" until mid-day!!! I know I function better on Zoloft, it helps somewhat with the anxiety attacks, too. If I can't find any help to pay for my prescription I won't have a choice but to wean off it. If I go slowly, 50mg 2wks, 25mg 2wks, then 12.5 will last me til Sept. 8th.

(((((rainbowgirl)))))

It is so sad hearing stories like yours, and they're all too common these days.

I do hope that things work out for you and that you can either find another job with insurance (very, very, very difficult around my neck of the woods) or you can get unemployment to tide you over, and hopefully allow you to refill your prescription. If you have to come off it, then you're definitely doing the right thing by weaning yourself instead of quitting cold turkey.

Best of luck,
Dewayne

Well I gotta say that getting off Zoloft is one of the most miserable things I've ever had to do.

I felt faint, my lips and face would get this unusual numbing effect, the sweats.

I'm new to the forum everyone. It feels really cool that I can relate to so many of you.
I hope to meet some friends.

This post has been edited by Derek Warner: Aug 11 2007, 02:34 PM

Hello (again) Harry Krishner! Glad you could join us.

Withdrawal from Zoloft can be pretty awful. The good news is that these SEs are only temporary. You may notice relief even sooner than normal as the new med (WB) you're taking may just counter the withdrawal symptoms.

Good luck, hon. Please keep us posted.



-Bean

Welcome Harry,

I do hope those SE's go away soon, and the WB works for you. I'm sure you'll make many friends here, there are lots of people here who can understand and relate.

Take care,
Dewayne

Ah, Zoloft.

Suffice it to say, I've been completely off of Zoloft, after tapering, for only five days. I've had this agonizing feeling of not being able to get enough oxygen and terrible nausea that precludes me from doing daily activities for more than two hours at a time before I need to lay down. I was thinking, perhaps titration through Prozac might be the way to go because of it's long half-life? I'm completely lost on this one since I'm kind of withdrawing without the help of a pdoc (bad idea).

Rainbowgirl, if you still read these forums, I can completely sympathize with what you are going through. You may be able to get free Zoloft through the company that manufactures it. Information is usually posted (although sometimes not in an obvious fashion) on their website. I did this for a few years with Paxil and never had to pay a dime. You may also want to keep an eye out for any state run (or otherwise sliding-scale) mental health facilities in your area that could offer services at a reduced rate or for free. Although I can't speak from experience, you could try supplemental social security if your unemployment payments don't pan out. Just some thoughts.

Lord Newt:

I read in another of your posts why you don't currently have a doc. It's tough without insurance. I strongly urge you to seek out a doc that charges on a sliding scale, or even the city/county health dept. where you live.

Quitting meds is hard enough, it's twice as bad doing so without a doc's counsel.

Why are you quitting Zoloft? Did it work at all for you? This is the only med you're on, correct? Just trying to get a handle on the situation.

-Bean

Hi lordnewt,

Yes, coming off of meds without the supervision of a doc is a very bad idea - please try to find some way of consulting a doc. Depression left untreated is definitely not a good thing, and your health is not something to play around with. I know firsthand what untreated depression can do to a person, so I'm not trying to preach, I'm just concerned.

I hope you're okay?

Take care,
Dewayne

Hi Bean and DeeBear!

Wow, thank you for replying so quickly!

I am going to a local clinic tomorrow. I did receive out-patient psychiatric help from a county mental health center, but ended up dodging a few appointments that I had made. My anxiety often manifests in agoraphobia, and I often find it difficult to leave my apartment. Further, I know it may be irrational, but I feel as though I'm no longer entitled to go to this health center anymore because I didn't keep my appointments.

Zoloft was the last in a cavalcade of SSRI's. It was all that I was taking, and I topped out at a mere 50 mgs. Perhaps it eased my depression and anxiety somewhat, but I was more consumed with the anger I feel it caused. I would violently yell at those around me (typically, I never yell, nor to I hold grudges, nor do I become viscerally angry). I came to a point where I believed I was no longer a good person and, because of this, wanted to die. Even off of the Zoloft, for all the suffering that withdrawal has brought me, I don't wish death. Every SSRI (save for Paxil and Prozac) that I've taken has ultimately led me to contemplate suicide -- at relatively low doses. Prozac just plain didn't work, and Paxil worked all right for a short time. I've tried to go back on it (even though it was only mediocre at best), but I get blinding headaches when I try. I regret ever leaving Paxil to search for a better SSRI.

So, that's me in a nutshell. Thanks again for replying, it's nice to know that there are strangers out there that care!

This post has been edited by lordnewt: Sep 5 2007, 08:30 PM

Hello Lord Newt!

BTW, I love your username. Lord Newt. It's like something from Lord of the Rings. I love it!!!



Good. You have a doc appt. That's very good. Your number one priority right now should be getting back on meds, whichever med you and your doc decide is right for you. More on that later. Good luck at your appt tomorrow.

I fully understand agoraphobia. I spent 2 solid years in my house, deathly afraid of walking out the front door. The only times I managed to force myself out were for doc appts (most of which I canceled) and the occasional family holiday (most of which I bowed out of).

What worked best for my agoraphobia and GAD was therapy. Though I contribute much of my success in recovery to meds, therapy played a HUGE roll in getting back into the world.

You, Lord Newt, are entitled to see any doc you wish to see. It doesn't matter how many appts you canceled or were no a no-show for. Docs in general, psychiatrists in particular, are used to patients canceling. Docs that deal with the mentally ill fully expect some of their patients to cancel due to MH issues and symptoms.

Don't let these cancellations keep you from getting help. Hold your head up and march right back into that doc's office. You are, after all, Lord Newt. You have enough inner strength to get yourself the help you need. We're all here rooting for you.



First off, "cavalcade" made me chuckle. You know those multi-packs of cereal? The ones that have like 2 boxes each of 5 different cereals? I refer to those packs as "the cavalcade of stars" cereals.

Anyway...back on topic. Are you going to ask the doc tomorrow for Paxil? Perhaps a higher dose?

I know you've tried many different SSRIs, but have you tried a combo of these meds. My cocktail consists of Effexor, Wellbutrin, Risperdal, Lithium, Xanax and Halcion. It's a pretty long list, but this is the combo that works for me. Perhaps you need a similar mix.

Talk with the doc tomorrow. Be open to trying, or should I say retrying, whatever med the doc suggests.

We'll be waiting to hear how things go tomorrow, so be sure to keep us posted.



-Bean

Was on it for 3 years (I think it was 75 mg). Then I tapered off it - I was dizzy and spaced out for a long time, it was not pleasant. I thought it was going to last forever...

Most people have unpleasant side effects no matter how careful they are in tapering off - it definitely is not a good experience, and I feel for anyone who's going through the withdrawal.

Take care,
Dewayne

Hi, I may have to begin weaning off of Zoloft after being on it for 7 years at 200mg/day. I've been having more anxiety and depression lately so my pdoc agrees that the Zoloft may be fizzling out on me. However, it does appear to still be controlling my OCD symptoms which were the reason I started Zoloft in the first place.

So the first step she wants me to take is to begin taking Wellbutrin along with my Zoloft to see if I can improve the depression/anxiety. I'm supposed to do this for six weeks and then go back to her. If I don't improve, then she plans on taking me off the Zoloft completely and putting me on Cymbalta.

I am terrified of the withdrawal process. When I came off of a very low dose of Seroquel a few years ago, it was absolute madness. I've heard that Zoloft is one of the tough ones to come off of, and even when I reduced my dose a year ago to try to go to 150mg, I was so physically sick, I could not function.

Most of all, I am scared that my original OCD symptoms will come back. They are mainly obsessive thoughts that border on derealization, and they paralyzed me.

I guess in a way, I hope that I am able to come off of the Zoloft because I know that the longer I remain on it, the harder it will be. But who knows if the Cymbalta will work for me, I don't know much about this drug so I will begin my research. I hate being dependent on these meds, and wish that I could just flip a switch in my brain to make the chemicals work right all on their own. But I digress.

Anyway, can someone give me a clear explanation of "brain shocks"? I keep reading that term and don't really understand it.

Thanks to all.

Me too.

WB acts on norepinephrine and dopamine, so it sounds like your doc is seeing if this will balance out the zoloft - it's something my doc discussed with me when I started on zoloft.

All I know is that Cymbalta is a new class of drug that targets Seratonin and norepinephrine, so your doc may wish to transition you from the zoloft to the cymbalta. I have heard of people transitioning from one SSRI to another without feeling withdrawal, so I would think that maybe you wouldn't have withdrawal symptoms going from one med to another? I honestly am not sure, but it is something that your doc can probably explain to you better than I can.

I just wanted to let you know that most cases I've heard of when changing meds doctors will gradually reduce the dosage of one med while adding/increasing another, and from what I have heard from others this minimizes the "withdrawal" symptoms. I know I made a transition once and did have a bit of nausea, but I never was sure whether that was the meds or the stomach virus that was going around at work back then......

Anyway, it is great that you are reading up and researching, and be sure to check out the medications section on our portal, there's lots of info there and it's a handy tool for doing research.

Take care,
Dewayne

Yikes! I should have updated sooner but I had been spending so much time looking for a job......I was offered a job last week and accepted! I start October 3rd, and should have medical insurance soon after! My plan is to see a therapist right away as I now fear I have hoarding ocd, on top of my depression. I lost my medical insurance but when I called the pharmacy to see about filling a 2 week prescription for me, they filled a full month for only $20.23! My prescription is for 100mg and I have been only taking 50mg so that they will last. I think I will start the 100mg like my doctor wants me too, I'm just hoping I won't have the morning brain fog when I start work. And I have been reading that Zoloft is good for treating OCD but that higher doses are needed.

Hi rainbowgirl,

Thanks for updating! I really hope the job works out well for you, it sounds like a good opportunity. In my area, jobs with health insurance are rare, so I count myself fortunate that I have coverage.

And I think it's great that you're taking care of yourself as soon as you can, with getting insurance again and everything. Good luck with the job, your meds, and your counseling! Hopefully, all three will work out for the best!

Take care,
Dewayne

Going off of Zoloft was the worst thing that ever happened to me. My doc took me off cold turkey but she kept me on my Xanax so to make up for the loss of Zoloft I just took more and more Xanax. Its to a point that Im addicted to Xanax. When I was on Zoloft I never even needed Xanax unless I had something extremely stressful ( Midterms, Finals, etc.) Also Zoloft helped me sleep so when I got off I took over the counter sleeping pills and now I have to take those every night.

Zoloft has helped with my anxiety, and I think SSRI's in general help a bit with it as well.

It's my understanding that most docs tend to taper patients off of meds now instead of going cold turkey, although every doc is different. I do hope you can find a solution for the xanax addiction, and also taking OTC meds over extended periods can often be bad for you as well. I had a bad experience from taking OTC allergy medicine every day, but I'm not familiar with the possible side effects of OTC sleep aids when taken over long periods. I do hope you've talked to your doc about the how much xanax you're taking, and about taking OTC sleep aids every night? If not, it would be a good idea to make an appointment and see what he/she has to say.

Take care,
Dewayne

I am really worried that If I go to the doc about my Xanax she will just take that away too. She would then tell me not to get sleeping aids. Then I would be back to square one when I had depression (zoloft helped with that) anxiety (xanax helped with that) and I would be up all night! I would actually probably be worse off than when I started because not only would I still have all my original problems I would now be addicted to my meds I cant take.

It's still not good for you - could you try another doc? Sorry, I'm grasping at straws here, but there's got to be a better solution. Are you seeing a counselor or a psych? I know the clinic where I go for counseling has a nurse practicioner on staff to talk to about your meds.

I do think you need to talk to someone in the medical field about this, though. I know it's scary, and I can understand your being afraid, but it's a doctor's job to make you better, not worse, and I hope you can find someone who can help you with this.

Take care,
Dewayne

After being on Zoloft (50mgs/day) for nearly 5 weeks I have decided to call it quits. Zoloft did not work for me. If anything, it made me even more depressed (see my other thread) and I had to put up with loads of nasty side effects too.

Well I have halved my dosage to 25mgs/day. After being on this lower dosage for just 3 days, already I feel terrible. I have never felt so bad and miserable. I am much more depressed and I am getting some serious anxiety too, and I am normally relaxed.

What a nasty experience. I can't wait for this Zoloft hell to end. My plan is to continue at 25mgs/day for a whole week and then go down to 12.5mg/day for another week before I stop completely.

I don't mean to bash Zoloft. I am glad it worked for all you, but sadly it didn't for me. :(

At 5 weeks, you really haven't given the meds a chance to kick in. It may take up to 8 weeks for them to really start working, and many people get scared off by the side effects, which mostly go away after a while.

If you're having bad SE's you should talk to your doc before tapering off - I've heard many people say that they switched from one SSRI to another without any withdrawal. I'm assuming you're doing this on your own since you didn't mention your doc, which is NOT a good idea. You should tell your doc how you're feeling, and at least pursue other treatment options, rather than just quitting on your own. It's important that your doc knows how this med is affecting you so that he/she can get an idea of what treatment options might be better for you - and if it's another SSRI, then that might help with the withdrawal.

I hope you understand I'm just trying to let you know there are other options and that it's not a good idea to quit on your own, and I'm sorry if I sound "preachy." Please talk to your doc before making any changes, okay?

Take care,
Dewayne

DoctorDre,
We always recommend that anyone here should not change doses or try to come off any medication unless it's supervised by a pdoc. It's not wise to "play" with your medications as it's possible to have bad reactions. I would suggest you call your pdoc and advise him/her what you are doing.
Sheepwoman

Hey-I just joined due to the HORRIBLE withdrawal I'm having after quitting Zoloft cold turkey. I've been on it...I don't know...5, 10 years? Only 50mg/day. I was diagnosed as depressed w/a GAD. I once almost jumped out of a moving car because there was a funny noise coming out from under the hood. Anyway. Tried several times in the past year to get off because it didn't seem to be working as well & I was sick and tired of gaining weight no matter how little I ate. Never got past 3 days w/o meds. By accident, I was slow in refilling my last RX, and looked up & noticed a week had gone by, and I still felt great! Ahem, then came day 6. I felt like I'd been run over by a semi. Cold sweats, crazy nightmares, migranes, brain zaps (or pick your term), constant ringing in my ears, jitters, dizziness, moodiness, lethargy. So, I got on the good ol' internet & did some checking. TONS of folks out there are going thru this! How crazy is that??!?!! But yet still more tons of folks are being prescribed this stuff. It scares me. I'm still hoping these withdrawal reactions aren't going to be the norm for me-

This post has been edited by DeeBear: Oct 22 2007, 08:23 PM

Hello to you all. I just joined today because of the zoloft hell I'm going thru. I've already posted my experience somewhere in this labrynth, but I will tell you I was on 50mg for maybe 10 years (my, how time flies!), have now been off cold turkey for 2 weeks, and am glad the dr. that prescribed Zoloft for me those many years ago IS NOT sitting with arm's reach of me. Benadryl helps most of the nasty withdrawal symptoms. Still having cold sweats & a little bit of dizziness/nausea, but it's bearable.

I hope you're doing this under a doctor's care! It's not a good idea to "treat" yourself....

Good luck with the zoloft withdrawal, and I hope the SE's get better.

Take care,
Dewayne

You really should see a doctor about coming off of zoloft, you don't want to do this on your own. Your health is not something to play around with!

Yes, there are SE's on zoloft, but it has done much more good for me than harm, and I would NEVER discontinue it unless it was under a doctor's care. My doc and I have ramped my dosages up and down, and I've never had any of the side effects you are seeing, probably because we were very careful. Of course, I haven't quit altogether, but I have gone as high as 150 and as low as 50 and never had the bad SE's you describe. You can go down to 25mg for a while and then taper from there, but quitting cold turkey is not a good idea, as you are finding out.

Please see your doc, and let us know how you're doing, okay?

Take care,
Dewayne

This post has been edited by DeeBear: Oct 22 2007, 08:24 PM

I'm still getting brain shocks after seven weeks. Is that right? Seems like a long time to me, it's not debilitating, just a bit irritating.

It does sound like a while to me..my only experience with withdrawal is I went out of town for a long weekend and left my zoloft home, by the thrid day I was have brain and body shocks..when I got home I took my zoloft right away. It took a couple of days for the shocks to go away.

It's my understanding that the brain zaps should diminish over time - it wouldn't hurt to ask a professional, though. I do know that I've heard people say at about 8 weeks they were gone, but that's by no means scientific.

Hope you feel better soon,
Dewayne

i am currently going thru these zoloft withdrawls... i feel very "edgy"... keep pacing back and forth.. my heart feels like its beating a mile a minute.. can't shut up the thoughts in my head.. i cant' spit my words out fast enough.. my body cant keep up with me.. keep fidgiting...feeling iritable.. but wnating to do something but cant think of anything to do... head also feels kinda tingly.. but in a weird but good sorta way. i dunno. how long will this last? i feel kinda twitchy

((((((flipping)))))

Have you had problems with anxiety in the past? Your symptoms sound like I've felt when my anxiety was really horrible, so I'm wondering if the zoloft was helping with that since many people take it for anxiety as well as depression.

Are you tapering off under a doctor's care?

hey dee.. my np told me to stop taking zoloft because of the morbid and cycling thoughts my head was filling with on it.. so i just stopped taking it.. no tapering.. but she told me to stop...

i cant stop pacing around my room.

Hey flippinout,

You might want to make sure you can just stop Zoloft. Maybe call a pharmacist and ask him. They know tons about drugs, as you know. Your np might not realize the withdrawal you go thru if you just stop.

I tried to taper off Paxil, thought I did good. No....I had the worst depression ever!! It turned out to be withdrawal symptoms from not cutting back slow enough. It took awhile before we found something that would work for me then.

Wish you the best!!

Gentle Sun

(((((Flipping)))))

I'd strongly suggest you get a second opinion, or at least do as gentle sun suggests and talk to a pharmacist. Quitting SSRI's cold turkey shocks your system, and it's much better to taper off from what I've seen. However, I have heard of docs suggesting cold turkey in extreme cases. I just don't like to see people go through the withdrawal the hard way, though, so, no offense to your np, but it's worth checking with someone else as well. Remember, it's your health, and that's not something to take for granted!

Take care,
Dewayne

I tried Zoloft but it didn't work for me at all, my sister in-law is currently on it, don't know the mg but she is doing just fine on it so I guess it does work for some. I'm currently on Paxil and I'm doing as good as can be expected. Frank

For those of you who have, of your own accord, decided to just quit taking your meds, please understand that it's not only your life that is being affected by your "non-compliance with prescribed treatment".

I can tell IMMEDIATELY when my husband decides to go off his meds. He IMMEDIATELY becomes argumentative, intolerant, impatient, nasty, nervous, miserable, self-absorbed, vulgar, critical, non-communicative, and belligerent!
This causes a miserable and unhappy existence for our entire family! So, prior to making a decision to self-prescribe or non-prescribe your meds, please ask your trusted friends and family members about your before and after personalities. If you value your relationships with others, talk to your doctor about either changing your meds, or getting some other type of therapy to control your anxiety. These meds are prescribed for complaints that YOU told your docs about! Playing with your dosages is OBVIOUS to those around you! Remember that you were given these drugs to help alleviate REAL symptoms! Discuss any side-effects with your docs, and weigh out the benefits vs the risks of changing meds or getting some other type of help. Don't destroy your relationships by putting your loved-ones in front of your runaway emotional roller-coaster!

Thank You!

Thank You!

Thank You!

I'm so glad you shared this with us! It's amazing to me how many people would never consider representing themselves in a court of law, but they'll gladly change their medication on their own. I had to learn the hard way, too, BTW. I've done this myself, and it really bothers me to come here and see people who do this to themselves. I hope everyone who is contemplating making changes to their meds without talking to their doc will stop by and read this, because it's definitely not a good idea to play games with your health, mental or physical.

Take care,
Dewayne

Wow. That sounds horrible.
I commend you all for being strong enough to live without it.

Hi needz,

What I was talking about was people who go off their meds or reduce their dose on their own. I think it takes far more strength to treat depression than to not treat it. It's hard dealing with the thought of taking meds, especially if you're one of the people like me who will probably be on them for the rest of your life.

I thought at one point that I was "strong enough" to go off my meds, but it turned out that instead I was too weak to admit I needed treatment.

Take care,
Dewayne