off of zoloft ARRRGGGHHHHH

I have a history of manic depression. when i was 15, i was taking prozac combined with lithium. now as an adult, i'm being told that was the cocktail for bipolar disorder.

i know i was still battling depression, so under the advice of my therapist, i asked my dr for zoloft. i was taking 50 mg a day for about 6 months, and i didn't really feel any "better", just stopped crying so much. recently, my husband and i decided to have our third baby, and i wanted OFF of this zoloft.

i stopped cold turkey 4 days ago, and i have that vertigo (dizziness) so constant!!! i can't concentrate, i'm scared to drive, go up and down stairs, ugh. i now know i should have probably weaned myself off of it, but i'm so stubborn, thinking this was going to be easy. the brain zapping is frikking insane and i try to take my mind off of it by muching on ANYTHING - crackers, chips, pretzels...anything crunchy. but now i'm just full and bloated and the zapping is still there, every 60 seconds almost. i'm at work, and feel like i should be in the tub holding my breath underwater. HELP!!! WHAT CAN I DO?!?!?! i don't want to go back on this ****!!! this is crazy!!! ughhhh

any help? anyone besides me going through this? i don't want this drug in my system while i'm pregnant!

[Venora Moonwind]

you should always taper under a docs supervision, never cold turkey go back on your med and start to wean slowly talk to your doc first and go from there. good luck
Love Venora

[BeenThereDoneThatTwice]

did not use the Road Back program but I did successfully, slowly taper off 50 mg ZOLOFT.

I had been taking 50mg for a year and a half for anxiety, panic disorder and slight agoraphobia.  At the same time I was seeing a wonderful anxiety therapist.

I eventually started feeling so much better and had changed alot of the things that triggered by condition to begin with, that I felt that it was time to taper off the Zoloft.  I had also gained about 30 pounds and realized that it was the Zoloft and I was not happy about that.

So it took me exactly 80 days to taper off the Zoloft.  I started by alternating 50mg days with 25mg days.  About 7 days after I started that I had a really bad day with a few hours of intermittent anxiety, nausea, feeling sick like you want to stay in bed, my thoughts were racing, etc.  No brain zaps though.  And I never felt so bad that I couldnt go to work.   So after that one bad day I felt a bit better every day and when I really felt good I took a razor and trimmed a little off the 50mg pill every day.

I always stayed on the same dose for one or two weeks until my body had that "adjustment day" and then I would wait a few more days and then take out my razor and then trim a little more off the pill for the next week or two.

I didnt have a deadline and I kept slowly trimming pills back until I was virtually taking a breadcrumb-size every morning.  My husband finally said to me that it was probably too small to even register in my body so the next day I didnt take anything,  I will tell you that (as I suspected) about 4 days later I felt like I was getting a bad cold, super tired, a headache, felt cranky and impatient, but did not have to miss work.  The next day I was back to normal again.

So its been a while and I am happily zoloft free.  By the way my weight is back to nornal too.

Its not an impossible task. Take it slow. be prepared for those bumpy days and understand what they are but if you taper nice and slow you will be fine.

[kat1971]

I am 6 weeks pregnant.. but I have been cold turkey for 11 days (since the day I discovered I was pregant).  It is getting better now.. the zapping is waning.. and only occasional.  I can walk up and down stairs today.. and drive.  I hope that gives you some hope.

Since you aren't pregnant yet (?) you can still decide to taper off.

[ker4205]

I understand what you are feeling. My husband and I want to get pregnant in next two months. My doctor said I needed to stop taking the medicine I was on cold turkey. I was taking Welbutrin XL and Prozac. That was 2 weeks ago. I am still having a hard time healing with the dizzyness. I am on pain medicine due to the two surgeries I have had in the past 2 months. I think that has only hid the withdrawal from the AD. If I only knew how long I would have to deal with it. When will this stop?