Going back on zoloft after withdrawels (question)

[Daylelynn]

I'm sorry if I placed this on the site twice.
I have been on zoloft for about 8 years and came off it too fast, was off for about two months and horrible withdrawals came.  I had to go back on.
I have been back on now for 6 weeks starting with 50 ml. and now up  to 175 ml original dose.  I still am not back to myself as far as the ocd, it used to be gone, and I still can't sleep, I used to sleep fine.  Any information would be so helpful.  Thank you.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Many people find they do not have the exact same response when they go back on a medication like this, and you may have to give it even more time before you think about a dose change or a medication change.  You also might be going through an anxious time, and the symptoms and sleep problems will go away when you work some other life problem through.  Don't let the pills take the place of working on your life problems.

[dyblue]

   I'm on celexa it helps sleeps give it a try you can just switch I did I used to be on Zolot stopped working or me I too have been on antidepressants 8 years and would never quit them they work so why change it.  Why did you quit them  I don'
t mind taking a pill i it keeps me sane in a insane world you know.  All the best .

[Daylelynn]

I went off  the zoloft and suffered withdrawals.  Now I am back on but have not returned to myself.  Can you return to yourself?

[dyblue]

  maybe not ,  a new antidepressant might help because you probably should be back to yoursel has it been 6 weeks yet i it has I'd try another one I switched as I said and it made a big change or the better the brain is too complicated to ask answer that question maybe it just zolot I mean just doesn't work anymore.  try celexa its pretty new and helps me to sleep its citrapram a ssri made me better.

[090308health]

I just posted a comment about zoloft on another thread a minute ago. I too have tried quitting zoloft after gaining 35 pds. in 2 1/2 yrs. on it. I`m only 5`4, and 26 yrs. old. I tried quitting too, but quit cold turkey before, and suffered withdrawals & had to go back on it. I am currently in the process of slowly weaning myself from it. I hate it, I can`t wait to get off for good. I just hope I don`t withdrawal again. I have taken 50 mg once daily for 2 yrs. Anyone else suffered weight gain from the drug?? I just don`t think Dr.`s, & pharmaceutical companies are telling patients enough about these drugs. They seem to have bad side effects for some people. Thanks...

[Daylelynn]

You mentioned to me that when you go back on a medication you may not have the same response and have to give it a longer time to be effective. Could you please indicate about how much time that would be?  Thank you very much.

[Daylelynn]

How did you go from zoloft to celexa?  My doctor is tapering me off zoloft and on celexa?

[poetrylady415]

i have been taking 100 mg of zoloft for 3 years.   i recently  went down to 50 mg.   after 2 weeks i got awful zapping in my ear.   it would not stop.   i found out it was because i went down to 50 mg to fast.   so i went back up to 100 mg.   if you   go down to fast on your dose you will get zapping in your ear.   it comes from the brain.  it makes you dizzy  and sweating,   and very irrateing.   it scared me at first until   i learned why it was happening. it also gave me headaches.    so now i am staying on 100 mgs so i won't get that zapping in the ear again.  

[tuffmother]

It is week five since my last dose of Zoloft. I tapered off from 75 mg to 50 to 25 over a two week period. WRONG! According to a pharmacist friend of mine, you are to cut back by half for two weeks, another half for two weeks, etc. until finished. This gives your brain time to adjust to the lack of the drug circulating around it.

Like another posting said, the zapping is from our brain's neurotransmitters wanting that medication. They are re-adjusting, and those weird feelings are the side effects of the lack of the zoloft. I still feel them while sitting here typing, but they aren't as noticeable as they were one week ago.

As far as the weight gain goes from previous postings, many depressed people don't feel like eating. Zoloft makes them feel better, hence the appetite return. I went on Zoloft for anxiety, so my appetite was OK. Since stopping, I've gained weight!

Memory troubles... man I wish I could say it's getting better, but I haven't noticed. I think age has something to do with that!

It's sad to see so may people affected by this drug. I feel like we weren't informed well enough about withdrawing (but when you're desperate, you may filter out some information), so this forum is great for letting us know what is a normal reaction to zoloft.

Good luck all!

[macmac44]

I wanted to thank everyone willing to share their experience with Zoloft in this (and one other) thread.  I have been on Zoloft for about 4 years and have tried 3 or 4 times to get off.  I have tapered down with no luck.  This time I went from 50mg to 25mg for about 3 months.  Then I went to 25mg every other day for about 3 weeks and then 25mg every 3 days for about 3 weeks and then finally stopped.   The withdrawal symptoms have been horrendous!!   I have been off for about 12 days now and I figured by now I would be feeling better but I am not.  I was about to give in until I found this site.  NOW I KNOW I HAVE TO STICK WITH IT.  I remember 2 years ago my nurse practitioner telling me "it's no big deal,  you can stop it any time, there are no side effects"  Clearly she never took Zoloft.  

I have experienced what I can only describe as felling intensely seasick all day, every day!  I am very light headed, nauseous, and my vision is blurry.  I have to concentrate extremely hard not to over react to people and situations and my ability to concentrate is extremely diminished.  Worse than anything; I have "diarrhea of the mouth"!!! I can't shut up!!!  

Oddly, I started taking Zoloft to combat extreme insomnia (no sleep aids were working).  The other benefits of Zoloft were an added bonus but I never liked taking meds everyday.  I also felt dependent on it.   The other night, I literally passed out at 9:00 pm and slept like I have never slept in my LIFE!!  Go figure.

Anyway, thanks for letting me know I am not alone and good luck to everyone trying to figure out what works best for them.   Someone should have warned us about the withdrawals.

Mike