Coming off Zoloft

[Shelley0468]

Hi, I am trying to completely get off Zoloft. I have tappered myself gradually from 100mg for several years probably 6 years to 50mg pr day down to 25mg then down to every second day. I spoke to my doctor and she suggested to do it this way & then completely stop at a time when I had time to feel rotten for a while. Which I have this week off work so I took my last tablet Thursday 23rd. And in the last 2 days I have felt absolutey awful; very lightheaded, dizziness, unable to focus, numbness in my legs, sleep disturbance, horrible vivid dreams and very irritable...I'm starting to wonder if I am really doing the right thing. I want to get this stuff out of my system I am very happy now and do not need the medication anymore. It worries me that most of the other posts on here are getting off Zoloft to go onto other drugs. I really hope I do not lapse back into a stage of depression but I feel strong and just want these horrible symptoms to go away...am I doing the right thing do I just stick it out? I only have 1 week off is this long enough?

[reffie]

Shelley I am right there with ya except my doctor now has me taking 12.5 mg aday and then I will go down to 12.5 every other day.  I started at 50mg.  i am now taking it a minute at a time and hoping this decrease will make it easier.  Hang in there!!

[nav900]

hai;consume Banana a natural anti-dippersant
thanks

[M4Y0U]

The main symptoms of the withdrawals are caused by what we call a ''anticholinergic rebound''. Your acetylcholine levels get too low and this is causing a bunch of bad symptoms.

What you can do to counter this and help you cope is to supplement with choline and inositol.

Omega-3 (fish oil), B vitamin complex, and healthy diet are also good for withdrawal symptoms.

Please check with your pharmacist and/or doctor before getting on any of the supplements mentioned above if you are on other medications or have a medical condition other than depression.

M4

[4Maddie44]

Stick it out.  Could take a couple more weeks.  If you don't stick it out, you will want to go back on the medication to stop all these feelings.  If you really are well, then you need to go off medication.  On the other hand, depression has a habit of coming back.  

Your symptoms could be depression coming back.  I did not have any withdrawal symptoms with Zoloft.  I did wean myself off medication a couple of times, because I thought I could cope, but depression came back.  Good luck, keep going, and let me know how you are, as often people do not tell us how they are getting on.

You say you are strong, so I have every faith you can do this.