withdrawal or serotonin syndrome

[thrasher55]

I began weaning off of zoloft a month and a half ago. I went from 100 mg down to 25 mg. When I got down to 25 mg the withdrawal became so bad that I would wake up every morning trembling, with diarrhea, naseau, and anxiety. I have lost 12 lbs. I have no appetite. I then switched to 10 mg of celexa. I am having severe headaches, confusion, dizziness, tremors, naseau, lack of appetite and diarrhea. I have only been on the celexa for 5 days. I am also having lots of muscle pain. Am I still withdrawing from the zoloft or am I having serotonin syndrome? I have been on antidepressants for 13 years and should have weaned much slower. Thanks for your help. This has been going on for weeks now.

[galoot]

Just to say that I once tapered off Zoloft and was started on Celexa - the pdoc had me do this way too suddenly and I had bad withdrawal. In my case I found that the Celexa didn't help me and I wish I had realized this sooner, I waited months until I felt really horrid and ended up back on Zoloft. May not be the case with you, but just wanted to mention the possibility as I stuck with the Celexa too long.

[Hensley258]

After having you describe the taper off method you used, before introducing the Celexa, I highly doubt it is Serotonin Syndrome.

SS is actually much more rare than most people think. It is a danger, but rare indeed.

In most cases Serotonin Syndrome is caused when people take VERY high dosages of two or more SSRI meds at the same time.

Your Zoloft taper method is fine. You got down to 25Mgs a day and then started the Celexa. That's a safe way to do it. Now if you had said; "I an currently taking 150Mgs of Zoloft and added 20Mgs a day of Celexa to it and have been taking both for weeks." Then I would say SS might be a factor.

Take it from someone that hase done a ton of med changes in the last 17 years...... THEY ALL HURT LIKE HELL.

Most of the time when we're changing meds (even with a taper down) there is a few week period where you system is not getting any relief from the new medication and thus causing you to feel horrible. On top of that your system is withdrawling from the Zoloft.

That's why meds changes can be so hard. There is that inbetween time that is a big hump to get over.

Keep with the Celexa and if you still feel like garbage after 6 weeks on it, then it may not be the right med for you. Either way contact your P-doc and let him know whats going on.

It should pass once the Celexa kicks in. It takes time.

Regards.