Zoloft Withdrawal! Please help!

[jimmy 1965]

My doctor (psychiatrist) took me off ZOlOFT. I was on Zoloft for about 5 months at a max dosage of 100mg. When he decided to take me off he did the tapering down process in 25mg increments every five days so I thought that was a good tapering process. I even asked my family doctor and he said yeah that is a safe way to get off the med. I took my last 25mg dose this past Monday night. I never had issues when I was coming off the medicne but about three days ago I started having spells of feeling light headed. I have had bouts of flu type feelings and I feel very tired and worn out. Basically I feel like **** and I dont have the flu. My question is, How long does it take to get Zoloft out of your system? I know your never to stop taking SSRI meds abruptly but when you follow a good tapering schedule and you still deal with wwithdrawal symptoms that's enough to tick a person off. My doctor wants me to start Lexapro but he wants me to wait until Zoloft is completely washed from my system. How many days do I have to put up with this ****? Any answers or advise is much appreciated. You know the medical world tells us that you cant become dependant or addicted to these meds but I tend to dissagree the more I read about people having discontinuation syndrome after following doctors orders on a good weening off process.  

Take Care
Jimmy

[sickof beinfat]

Thanks everyone.  YOu have been a great support system.  

[searchman]

I think you are on the right track with your plan. After taking Zoloft for 2 years (100mg per day) I can tell you that it is not  great med. I think it serves its purpose (short term) The withdrawel from this med is dangerous. It has now been almost 3 weeks for me and i still have the withdrawal symptoms. Your plan of 0 alcohol, good diet and lots of exercise with relaxation techniques is great. This is what will help you.

I will tell All on this thread that are withdrawing from Zoloft to also drink LOTS OF WATER! Exercise and lots of water have really helped me. I am still dizzy a lot and have strange tingling in my extremities at times but my concentration is coming back. Case in point I went bowling for the first time in 3 weeks yesterday  and bowled a 203, 211 and 257 (high score and high series for me) This takes a level of focus and concentration that i did not have on the Zoloft so I see a light at the end of this tunnel with the withdrawal symtoms.

I hope and pray that all of you FEEL BETTER soon and take the advise of people who have gone through this withdrawal. Anything that helps is a Gos send.

[efrank]

This has helped me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b30iwhEw9ho

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azkLQpyiGHA&mode=related&search=

[MGC70]

My gosh! I know I'm echoing everyone else who has said this - but boy am I glad I found this thread. I love the description "Brain Zaps" because that's EXACTLY what got me searching, and searching, and searching. Finally I thought, hmmmmm maybe it's because I haven't gotten around to picking up my zoloft from the drug store, and it's been almost 2 weeks cold turkey. I was on it for not very long - about 6 months: 50MGs.
Now I'm exhausted all the time and have those weird brain zaps. Horrible. I researched everything, honestly thinking it was a brain tumor, Thyroid disorder, adrenaline gland issues...etc.
I can also really relate to the feelings of euphoria - I have just recently (before finding this site) began to wonder if I'm bi-polar because I would be so full of joy one day, and then filled with anger the next.

I'm tired of feeling sick, of the brain zaps and of my strange emotional state, but I now don't think I want to go back on it. I got on the zoloft because of a hellish work situation and the lack of excersise and stress that comes with always working. I believe I can control my "generalized anxiety" with food, zero alcohol intake, the right supplements, intense excersise (I need that sort of rush), and calming excersise like yoga and walking.
I don't want to go back on this ca-ca drug now. I went through a major depression before and truly believe that anti-depressants can really help people, but I think I (me personally) took the easy way out by drugging myself instead of trying to help myself more naturally. I will continue to visit to post any ideas and helpful hints I find.
I'm going to take the advice of a previous poster and begin taking supplements (amino acids and omega threes) tomorrow....
THANKS to every single person who posted (i read the entire thread) because I now don't have to worry about the "brain tumor" that was causing these zaps and fatigue. Good to everyone!!

[hottyautiemommy]

Have you done any research on Zoloft and pregnancy...I've done a little bit...I read that every woman that gets pregnant has a 3% risk of having a baby with a birth defect. It said that in studies, women who take Zoloft (it didn't specify a dosage amount) had the same 3% chance..in other words it didn't raise the risk for birth defects..It did, however, say that zoloft mothers tend to have fussier, or colicky babies...Well no wonder!...they're probaby going through hellish withdrawl after being on zoloft for 9 months and then coming off cold turkey! That's my motivation...Not wanting the new baby to get these crazy brain zaps!

Speaking of brain zaps it's been about 3 weeks now that I've been completely off..and I still get them, but slowly getting better...I have a fear that they'll never go away, but surely they will...just as I'm sure your rage and irritiability will let up...just in time for the good ole pregnancy hormones to come in and fill you with more rage and irritability, lol... Since my last post a week or so ago, the rage I've had is almost totally gone...although I do feel a bit "down"...Good luck to you, and to everyone...

[searchman]

Ditto, memory back. Just came off 100mg daily dose of Zoloft (cold turkey) really dumb, but after two years of taking this med (that did serve its purpose) it has left me in a constant state of forgetting things and just being plain lacksadazical (sorry for the spelling). As a web designer and programmer this is not good. It has been one week and I am going to rough it out, but it is HELL!

#1 DIZZY with a capital "D" I have to get up slow and make my movements even slower. I do not trust my gait all the time.
#2 Cold hands/feet
#3 Not a good time for anyone to irritate me.
#4 Joint pain/muscle pain
#5 Had some strange irregualar urinary function, meaning I found it difficult to urinate for about 4 days, this seems to now be improving.
#6 Feeling of numbness in my mouth and teeth.
#7 Occasional nausea
#8 Mild headaches (at times)
#10 Teary! meaning I can get emotional good feelings and bad. Both can make me cry.
#11 Feel palpitations from time to time, but this may be due to excessive coffe intake.

I am also taking Lamictal 100mg per day but have not started any weaning process for that yet. I am going to wait until all the effects of the Zoloft withdrawal subside. After that i will try round 2 with the Lamictal. I am going to try to make a go of it without the meds for a little while and see how things go. I will post occasionally to inform how things are going so some of you who are going through the same thing or are thinking of this route can maybe identify.