Withdrawal from Zoloft After Long-term Use

[roxy666]

I have been taking Zoloft for about 13 years: First to help with depression during menopause and raising a difficult 4 year old and then for full-blown although relatively mild depression. I also was engaged in 8 years of talk therapy, dealing with all of my issues including those contributing to my depression. I stopped several years ago but still step back in when the situation warrants such as my difficult but wonderful child going off to college. The dosage has been fairly consistent at 50 mg per day, although I did take 100 mg for several months.  After all these years I would finally like to wean myself from Zoloft.  I have read many articles regarding withdrawal dosages but none seem to address the issue of very long term usage.  With my information what is the best approach to take to reduce potential withdrawal issues?  I do not want to consult the prescribing psychiatrist as I see him only yearly to renew the prescription.  Thank you for your help.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

The guidelines are about the same for any prolonged usage, but there are not many people in your category of 13 years, so you should be extra careful, and monitor as you go along.  You also are on a small dose so probably it will be very easy for you.  Go gradually to half a dose in two weeks, then half again for another two weeks, then that low dose every other day for a week, then if there are no withdrawal symptoms, just stop. But you should be under the care of some doctor if you get symtpoms or there are other complicating medical conditions to consider.

[cmsmraan]

I have also been on Zoloft for a long time (8+ years) and am considering stopping.  But I have been taking 200mg a day for 7 years and am very nervous about quitting.  I am just now starting to research  this.

[ledwards]

I don't understand why we all want to quit when we are doing well on the medication??  Why don't we see that we are doing well BECAUSE of the medication.

[ohsorryIforgot]

Yup me too been on it for 12-13 yrs 100-200mgs drank like a fish for 3 of them no effects. However am quitting cold turkey due to no sexual feelings and marriage was msuffering all I have had is dizziness and maybe a little more easier to set off but I get over it fast sorta like pms. Oh and I cant remember 2 seconds ago but that is definitly a side effect from long term use. Hope this helps thx for letting me share feel free to contact me I know a little about other stuff too ps I am female married 3 kids and diabetic Patti

[midnight34]

I also am on zoloft... i have been on it for about 3-4 months.  i'm a 19 female.  i am concerned about long term side affects.  some people have said on here that there are withdrawal symptoms also... do those occur in the first few days, or does it take longer to show up?  cuz i have gone a few days without taking it (not purposely, but i forgot to take it) and on the second day after i missed it, i started feeling dizzy and nauseated and had a headache.  i dont know if this is because of forgetting to take it or not.  i also was concerned with the sexual side affects of zoloft.  i am not having sex, but i like to fool around with my boyfriend.  i am generally not very interested in wanting to fool around, and it takes what seems abnormally long before i am aroused.  when we do get farther, it usually starts getting sore long before i reach an orgasm.  now, this is my first boyfriend, and i have not even kissed a guy before him, and we didnt start dating until after i was on zoloft.  so i dont have anything to compare this to as to whether the sexual side affects are because of the zoloft or not.  if anyone could respond with their knowledge of this, that would be very helpful.  i could talk to my doctor, but he's male, and i feel very uncomfortable talking about sexual side affects with him.  thanks!

[Duvanie]

I was a participant in one of the original studies that led to the approval of Zoloft. There is a method for dismissing the input from all participants that have a negative experience in a pharmaceutical company sponsored drug evaluation - those participants are simply dropped from the study and side effects that they experience are thus ignored. I believe that Zoloft should never have been approved. Consider the following side effects associated with Zoloft withdrawal. I experienced these side effects but I know of others who also experienced them. They are commonly reported on the internet, if you search for them. I helped one young woman through withdrawal from Zoloft. She also experienced these side effects.



1. Zoloft should NEVER be used by anyone with insomnia. It not only can cause insomnia, but can make existing insomnia excruciatingly worse. Mine lasted for 7 years.

2. Withdrawal can cause a very uncomfortable, long-lasting and extreme feeling of dizziness and light-headedness, even felt in the chest.

3. Zoloft withdrawal side effects can involve the vestibular part of the brain, causing permanent tinnitus, as in my case.

4. Zoloft withdrawal can result in severe 'shakey-leg' syndrome. I do NOT mean the kind where your legs jerk when you're going to sleep. If you don't know what 'shakey-legs' is, believe me, you don't want to know by experience. There is no cure other than (hopefully) it might go away on its own.

5. This shakey-leg syndrome can actually involve the whole body when it is caused by Zoloft withdrawal. Pray to God that this does not happen to you.



I strongly urge anyone who is on Zoloft to taper off of it VERY slowly, and to never take it again.



Good Luck,

  Duvanie

[Duvanie]

I forgot to mention that there was a ten week latency period after I discontinued Zoloft, during which period of time I felt fine. THEN the side effects started. A latency period, not necessarily the same amount for everyone, is commonly reported on the internet.



I repeat that reports of side effects by study participants may be excluded from study results by well paid study organizers, if those participants are dropped from the study.

[25Male]

Hi,



I'm coming off of Zoloft after being on 200mg for about 3 years. It's been about a week since I've gone cold turkey (I know that I'm supposed to taper, but I just want to be OFF of this stuff)I'm experiencing the delightful light-headedness and naseaua that I've heard so much about, but the symptom that seems most strange is the SWEATING. I can't move 20 feet without breaking out into a sweat. This was a side effect I experienced, to a lesser degree, when I was on Zoloft, but this is really ridiculous. Has anyone else heard of this? Please advise if you can, as my doctor seems fairly clueless on matter. Thanks so much.

[udmattie]

I know what you mean about sweating.  I was on 200 mg of Zoloft for a year about 3 years ago.  Since I stopped taking it I have had problems with perpetual sweating.  I can be sitting at a computer just typing (like right now) and be sweating for no reason (like right now).  Does anyone know of any long-term permaneant side-effects of Zoloft?  I know it does seem like an odd question to ask, but I NEVER had problems with sweating like I do after I got off of that medication.

[sunshine64]

I live in Sydney, Australia. I have worked in pharmacy for 24 years on/off. I have taken Zoloft 50mg for nearly 10 years, and figured that with my background, I knew a fair bit about SSRI's and the positive ways they could enhance one's life. Prior to taking Zoloft I had suffered on/off with anxiety panic attacks and insomnia. For those of you who have experienced these things, you can understand how pleased I was to be seemingly rid of these 'thorns in my side'



Like many others, I figured that SSRI's were not habit forming, so assumed I could easily go cold turkey from such a reasonably small dose, as I had often missed one or two day's dose over the years and had suffered little more than mild dizziness....WRONG!!

By day 3 of going without my Zoloft I felt rather weired and spaced out, tho' not too unpleasantly so. I also had excess energy throughout the course of the day, tho' found it hard to concentrate on any one thing for too long...but found it difficult to 'switch off' at nite and go to sleep. By day 5 my 'dizziness' had increased to full-on head swirls that lasted on/off throughout most of the day and evening. I developed flu-like symptoms (sinus blockages/headaches, fevers/feeling like I was burning up) and debilitating body aches. By day 6 I was in tears on/off, couldn't concentrate and was extremely irritable and depressed for no real reason...in short, I felt I was going quite mad! By day 7 I took myself off to the doctor. My blood pressure was very low (85 over 55) and I could barely drive myself to my appointment

The doctor advisede that I go on a 'tapering' program...1 x 50mg for 3 days, then 1 x 50mg every 2nd day for 4 weeks, followed by 1 x 50mg every third day for 4 weeks, then stopping completely.

Within 3 hours of taking my first tablet, I started to feel more 'normal', tho' still very tired and drained.



Now I feel anxious and wary for other reasons.. I feel I have been misinformed and cheated out of the truth by those who suggested that I take anti-depressants in the first place. Why wasn't I told that so-called non-addictive drugs are so hard to withdraw from? Will I ever feel 'normal' again on my own, or will I now only achieve so-called 'normality' whilst using Zoloft?

I don't want to stay on this drug for ever, but if my awful withdrawal symptoms return agin, what choice do I have?

[sunshine64]

I live in Sydney, Australia. I have worked in pharmacy for 24 years on/off. I have taken Zoloft 50mg for nearly 10 years, and figured that with my background, I knew a fair bit about SSRI's and the positive ways they could enhance one's life. Prior to taking Zoloft I had suffered on/off with anxiety panic attacks and insomnia. For those of you who have experienced these things, you can understand how pleased I was to be seemingly rid of these 'thorns in my side'



Like many others, I figured that SSRI's were not habit forming, so assumed I could easily go cold turkey from such a reasonably small dose, as I had often missed one or two day's dose over the years and had suffered little more than mild dizziness....WRONG!!

By day 3 of going without my Zoloft I felt rather weired and spaced out, tho' not too unpleasantly so. I also had excess energy throughout the course of the day, tho' found it hard to concentrate on any one thing for too long...but found it difficult to 'switch off' at nite and go to sleep. By day 5 my 'dizziness' had increased to full-on head swirls that lasted on/off throughout most of the day and evening. I developed flu-like symptoms (sinus blockages/headaches, fevers/feeling like I was burning up) and debilitating body aches. By day 6 I was in tears on/off, couldn't concentrate and was extremely irritable and depressed for no real reason...in short, I felt I was going quite mad! By day 7 I took myself off to the doctor. My blood pressure was very low (85 over 55) and I could barely drive myself to my appointment

The doctor advisede that I go on a 'tapering' program...1 x 50mg for 3 days, then 1 x 50mg every 2nd day for 4 weeks, followed by 1 x 50mg every third day for 4 weeks, then stopping completely.

Within 3 hours of taking my first tablet, I started to feel more 'normal', tho' still very tired and drained.



Now I feel anxious and wary for other reasons.. I feel I have been misinformed and cheated out of the truth by those who suggested that I take anti-depressants in the first place. Why wasn't I told that so-called non-addictive drugs are so hard to withdraw from? Will I ever feel 'normal' again on my own, or will I now only achieve so-called 'normality' whilst using Zoloft?

I don't want to stay on this drug for ever, but if my awful withdrawal symptoms return agin, what choice do I have?