Weaning off Zoloft problems.

[flhoops2k10]

Like many, I'm having trouble getting off of Zoloft.  I have been on 50mg a day for about 3 years.  Under my doctor's care it was recommended that I taper the dose by half over a couple of weeks.

I've taken 25mg for 6 days and I feel awful.  Not "awful" in terms of depression, but rather I feel like I have the flu.  I have a cough, my eyes hurt, and I have a headache.  Not to mention, the standard insomnia and night sweats.

I know I'm ready to get off this medication (I was only supposed to use it short-term, anyway), I just worry about how long these effects will go on.  Is there a better plan I could follow to get off or some supplements I could take?

Thanks.

[Paxiled]

And remember, I said St. John's Wort only when you've quit, not while you're still taking the Zoloft.

[Paxiled]

You can slow down the taper and see if it helps, but the Paxil flu, as it's known, is pretty common when coming off any anti-depressant.  Some say a hefty daily dose of fish oil helps, and some say when you finally quit taking some St. John's Wort can help, but most people will get some kind of withdrawal from these meds.  Yours so far actually sounds fairly mild, but I would say you're probably tapering too quickly for you if cutting by half has already produced such discomfort.  The longer you're on a med, the more likely it is your body will take a while to get used to not having it in your system.  Be alert for an increase in symptoms and especially emotional stuff, since that will indicate a more severe withdrawal, but my own opinion is this every other day thing is often way too fast for some people.  Good luck.