Zoloft Withdraw Symptoms Information
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Questions and Answers
Zoloft withdraw symptoms? I been on the generic form of zoloft for about 1 year, i am trying to stop taking the meds and I am having really werid symptoms. I feel really dizzy and i feel like I am shaking. I am curious if anyone else has had this and if it will stop. I am also now not sleeping, when before all I could do was sleep. I am at the end of my rope and don't know what to do. Can anyone help? The reason I want to stop taking the medication is because, my husband and I are trying to have a baby. The Zoloft is not good for people who what to have kids, it can cause harm to a fetus. I only take it for panic attacks, so i think i can learn to deal with them now.

Nurse P replied: "You need to stop Zoloft slowly as stopping abruptly can cause withdrawals like you are experiencing. You should discuss a withdrawal regime with the person who prescribes it for you but as a rule you need to decrease the dose each week say by 50mg if you are on 150 or 200mg and when you'vebeen down to 50 for a week, take it very second day for a week then stop. This is only a rough guide and I reccomend you discuss with your prescriber before changing anything."

poison_angel32 replied: "Why stop it when you needed it to begin with? You need to talk to your doctor about this first."

hopespringsanew replied: "Ok, you do need to talk to someone. And the reason is my OBGYN prescribed zoloft to me when I was preg. He said it was ok during a certain part of the pregnancy. So please ask a doc and let me know if I need to be aware of something myself...."

angela replied: "You need to wean yourself off of the zoloft. I've been on it twice and gone off of it twice. Two different health care professionals and they told me two different ways to do it. I liked the second way best. She had me take one every other day for a week, then take one every third day for a week, then go off of it completely. I didn't have any side effects doing it that way."

How do I withdraw from Zoloft without too many side-effects? I'm 16 years old and I've been taking 50 mg of Zoloft for Panic Disorder for four months. Since the side effects have begun to wear on me and I feel that I can manage my anxiety on my own, I want to begin tapering off of it. My doctor prescribed 25 mg and said we can go from there. However, I know that if I get bad withdrawal symptoms I'll freak out. Any advice for withdrawing with the least amount of problems?

MiXxeD replied: "Follow your Dr.'s instructions, or things could get worse for you if you do it on your own.....Good Luck......m edit: if you are having side effects, you need to let your parents know, so you can get an appt, to see your Dr..."

kr55 replied: "I think you should follow your doctor's advice instead of reading what bunch of people have to say that probalby have no idea how zoloft is used by the body."

StaceFace replied: "follow exactly what you're psychiatrist says! and tell him/her immediately about any serious side effects, like suicidal thoughts, increased anxiety, more than normal panic attacks, etc. some mild side effects will occur, like perhaps shaky hands, slight clumsiness, forgetfulness, etc."

darknowhere00 replied: "Follow your doctor's advice and try to taper down the way they have told you to. Don't try to go cold turkey because it could cause you to have a lot of side effects and cause even more anxiety."

Lovingly stalking since 95' replied: "Well zoloft isn't supposed to have very bad withdrawal effects. I would recommend taking half a pill for like a month and then switch to like a fourth a pill and then just stop."

sowshandel replied: "just slowly reduce your mgs. gauge it with your mood. you know how it affects you best. split your tabs if you have to, i definitely would down the line. its you thats taking the drugs, and youre the one who should be in control of the logic behind your withdrawal. if 25mg isnt enough for you, but doc wants you to take it/controls your refills, you can take maybe 1 1/2 of them in the beginning. doc expects you to go from 25 to 0 (if 25 is the smallest dosage per pill) one day. just smooth out your dosages"

Ahorn replied: "http://theroadback.org/workbook.htm "The Road Back is a Patent Pending program, developed in 1999 to assist individuals to taper off medication and eliminate existing side effects a person may be experiencing from the medication. The Road Back Program has now helped tens of thousands of individuals taper off their medication. ..." The Road Back book, How to Get Off Psychiatric Drugs Safely, details the entire process and is available for free on this Web Site."

Jan N replied: "Can psychiatrists help you? Are there any cures in psychiatry today? Check it for yourself - hear it from interviewed psychiatrists. 5 minutes video 50 sec public announcement Is there any difference in how diagnosis are made in medicine and psychiatry? Check it for yourself. 2 minutes video. "

What is the best way to withdraw from Zoloft? I am currently taking Zoloft for anxiety and OCD. I am having bad side effects from the medication and will need to stop taking it. I have only taken zoloft 50 mg for one month. My doctor says just stop taking it since it's only been 4 weeks. Has anyone else stopped suddenly like that even if only on it for 4 weeks? If so, did it make you sick with withdrawal symptoms. Also, does anyone know of some kind of herbal tea that might help with anxiety?

mnvikes8484 replied: "some people have problems cutting it cold turkey, others dont. 4 weeks is plenty of time to get tolerance and have withdrawl symptoms though. calling your pharmacist and getting a second opinion wouldnt be a bad idea. otherwise, i guess just do what the doctor says and if youre having problems than talk to him or your pharmacist about tapering off"

rojoe_58 replied: "I've never suffered from Anxiety but,,if I were you I wouldn't stop taking the meds all at once,,,do it gradually"

thematrixhazu36 replied: "If that's what the doctor said you should be fine but you can contact your pharmacist to verify that. I stopped taking it abruptly without complications. chamomile tea is what is suggested. I take St. Johns Wort Pills found over the counter and that seems to help me."

Brianna B replied: "I stopped taking it cold turkey with no symptoms. If you are looking for an herbal supplement, try St. John's Wort. Also believe it or not, exercise helped me a lot. Both cardio/strength training, and breathing exercises."

Buzz s replied: "I haven't taken the medicine, but others have. They needed to get off it slowly. Check with a health food store and see if chamomile tea would work for you."

Twigless replied: "There should be no withdrawal symptoms. I've taken it for about 3-4 weeks and stopped with no side effects whatsoever. Yogi brand teas are delicious and they have one with Kava-Kava in it that I drink on occasion. You might want to try it. Sleepytime Teas also has one with Valerian root that is good for bedtime."

erca990 replied: "you shouldn't withdraw from zoloft without the help of your doctor. Sometimes dangerous o can occur for some people But i would reccomend waiting another 2 -3 weeks because it take 5-7 to really take effect on a person. If after 5 or 7 weeks you still feel crumby then talk to your doctor and tell him this isn't right for you. It should not be that hard to get off of the zoloft because your body would not be on it for a long period of time. Its important that you don't just all of a sudden stop taking it, this lowers your blood level a lot causing dizzy spells and even more anxiety. It must be done gradually. Decreasing little by little."

What should I expect from Zoloft? I ws previously on Pristiq, then I found out that I was pregnant..I stopped the Pristiq and started having hardcore withdraw symptoms..so my OB put me on Zoloft (the generic) I just started taking it today (its says half a pill once a day for seven days, then go up to a whole pill a day) What side effects should I expect? Or if you ahve any advice, that would be great too..thanks!

Solarine replied: "Zoloft side effects Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: skin rash or hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have any new or worsening symptoms such as: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, or if you feel impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself. Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects: very stiff (rigid) muscles, high fever, sweating, fast or uneven heartbeats, tremors, overactive reflexes; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, feeling unsteady, loss of coordination; or headache, trouble concentrating, memory problems, weakness, confusion, hallucinations, fainting, seizure, shallow breathing or breathing that stops."

Simon W replied: "My wife takes Zoloft for anxiety ocd and panic attacks, it works well and has no side effects. You will get withdrawal effects from Pristiq but not as bad as from Effexor. I hope you get on fine with the Zoloft, just give it a few weeks to work."

girl replied: "I was on Zoloft for a while and it worked well for me. I quit it cold turkey and had not with drawl from it. The only side effect that I noticed when I first started taking it was that I was extremely tired but after about a week that corrected itself."

wean off zoloft? i was on zoloft 50 mg after my baby was born for about 4mths..i stopped taking it in mid april (baby was born in nov) anyway I have been feeling kind of dizzy lately and have had severe insomnia but am tired. I never even thought that I had to be weaned off of the zoloft. I thought since I was on such a small dose and for such a short period of time it wouldnt be important to wean..coudl these symptoms be from the zoloft withdraw..my ob didint tell me to call hi if I went off it...I still have 3 mths on script but thought i was done with the "postpartum"

Sarah A replied: "You cannot just stop taking antidepressants. I tried it, and was dizzy and the like. You should talk to your doctor and he can tell you how to get off the medication correctly."

Gard23 replied: "Yes, you need to taper. Going cold turkey off 50mg Zoloft can cause all sorts of effects. It has also been described in withdrawal literature that withdrawal severity may increase when tapering through the lower doses - tapers should therefore be modified & slowed accordingly. Hence, dropping from 50mg - 0mg is not as straightforward as it looks. It's actually a big drop, since its equivalent is 20mg Paxil or Prozac (ref Healy, link below). Zoloft essential figures (p.83 Glenmullen) - Half-life 26hrs; Typical onset of withdrawal Day 3-4. However this is 'typical' and it will vary according to sensitivity, how fast you metabolise the drug... Withdrawal effects can occur after much shorter usage - and that has been noted from the drug trials. One example comes from another SSRI, Paxil, where it has been noted by a doctor who had access to unpublished results, that up to 80-something% of the healthy volunteers showed significant signs of withdrawal. The longest Paxil trial I know of, was 12 weeks, most are considerably shorter. Paxil is known to be the worst of the SSRIs from which to withdraw, so this is likely to overestimate the effects in terms of Zoloft... but perhaps it illustrates that 4 months is more than long enough for dependence to occur? " ...I was done with the "postpartum"" - if you feel like doing some google searches, you should find many instances of individuals who started an antidepressant for postpartum problems, and are still on them years later. Often describing how they tried to stop, then restarted. Note the similarities of what happened when they stopped, to the withdrawal symptom checklist. Dizziness is classic withdrawal, and because it is one of the medical withdrawal effects, is the one people may be most likely to note. Insomnia and fatigue are also withdrawal symptoms. Some others you may/may not have noted are: headaches; anxiety; irritability; depression; the 'flu'; sinus/nasal congestion; mood swings; eye/ear sensitivity; nausea/digestive issues...? List of withdrawal symptoms below. Link to book on withdrawal (please read in conjunction with David Healy's information, because differing approaches are taken, and it is important to understand the pros and cons). Link to David Healy's Halting SSRIs - read about how to tell the 'withdrawal' from the 'original problem'. Link to coming off psychiatric drugs booklet. Lind to MIND's coming off psychiatric drugs booklet. Link to hints and tips (possible help-aids) for the months after coming off an SSRI/SNRI antidepressant. P.S. Zoloft tablets are available in differing strengths e.g. 50mg, 25mg - so with a pill cutter differing doses can be obtained; there is also a liquid version which I think is 20mg/ml strength (check with your doctor!), if so, a small 1ml sized oral syringe could help produce accurate doses, since each 0.1ml marking would equate to 2mg Zoloft. Do note David Healy's comments on stabilising on a liquid version of the drug - a small number of people do have an adverse reaction to the liquid version of the tablet/capsule they were taking. Also be aware that after a time gap of roughly 6 weeks after stopping a serotonergic antidepressant (and this is anecdotal, not scientific) there comes a point where reinstating the antidepressant in some people may not produce the original effect."

Zoloft Withdraws? I've been taking Zoloft at 100mg since October of 2007. I sometimes forget to take it, but i usually just get back routine the next night, and have no problems. I'm 15 years old, and female, by the way. I take it for anxiety. Two days ago, i forgot to take it for two nights. This morning I woke up 3 a.m. with a MASSIVE headache. I basically felt like my head was going to explode. I took two tylenol for it and then tried to go back to sleep. I then woke up like 20 minutes later and vomited six or seven times. Can anyone tell me how long these symptoms will last? I'm back on schedule, but I'm still experiencing withdraws. And what can I do to treat these? Should I call my doctor?

OIFUSMCVET replied: "I take it as well. Yes, if you miss doses frequently or more then a day then you can get a nasty feeling with the side effects of instant withdrawal. Everyone is different, i forgot to take it 3 days one time and i felt terrible but there is a reason, its not meant to be stopped just like that. usually when you get off the medicine the doctor limits your intake slowly and gradually, instant reduction leads to those nasty effects. Doctors tell me to take my missed dose as soon as I can but don't overdose, dont take more then one pill to add up for the days you missed, just take the next dose when you can as you would on a regular basis. If your symptoms still feel like they are worsening , or you feel run down, and etc, then definitly talk to your doctor. It is better to resolve the situation as soon as you can by advice of a doctor, only they can help you even more. They can run lab work as well to make sure everything is good to go. Hope everything works out good for you. Good luck."

bcfum23 replied: "If you are back on your normal medication schedule, the withdrawl symptoms should disappear in the next day or two. If you are still experiencing symptoms two days from now, contact your physician, but it is very unlikely that you will still be having problems then. The best thing to do for these symptoms are to take it easy and REST until they go away."

mizzgee98 replied: "i think u should see a doctor. or try not takin the pills and think that ur anxiety is gone. stuff like dat is mind over matter. i used to have anxiety but i fought it. i didnt want to go on meds cause i didnt wanna feel i was weak in the head. stuff like zoloft is bad ecspecially the after affects thats y u had headaches n vomitting. thats telling u u are dependent on zoloft that means ud have to take it forever. anxiety can be cured its not like a disease where u could only treat it. u should see a psychiatrist and exercise your mind"

Meridia (sibutramine) and Zoloft? I had been taking Meridia (Sibutramine) 15mg for 10 days when I decided that it was not the drug for me (didnt like the side effects, other stuff) so i subsequently stopped it. Today, my doctor prescribed me Zoloft, and she said that I could take them right away? Its been exactly 7 days since I last took my dosage of Meridia, and my doctor said it was fine that it was already out of my system.....but I thought you had to wait two weeks? Anyways, Im waiting two weeks to take it, but I was just curious if this was true.....also, did anyone else get any withdraw symptoms from stopping Meridia?

Ahorn replied: "I would recommend you to watch following DVD that is available online if you have fast internet. It's told by psychiatrists, psychologists and people who worked for pharmaceutical companies. It informs you - beside other things - about side effects that are not often being told by psychiatrists. It also suggests an alternative in the end. When you then make a decision to take antidepressants, you may be better prepared, educated and understand what's going on when you encounter some bad side effects. I would say that these information are actually vital. The link sounds a little scary - that’s because many antidepressants have suicidal thoughts and impulses as side effects which you can also read inside the pack of some antidepressants. Watch trailer 1:55 min The whole DVD Fox News about pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (Prozac and others) 3:36 min"

Effexor withdraw or manic behavior??? I've been on effexor for a while now. 450 mg. If i miss more than 1 dose i start sweating and get extremely nervous and feel like i am literally losing my mind. My hands tremble and the more i try to stop it the worse it gets. I feel like my heart is going to burst and i could just snap in an instant. Sometimes if i can get away i go lay in a corner and just start shaking almost uncontrollably. It's almost like a relief. I've done this since I was a teenager off and on for the first time when they put me on zoloft and i ran out and missed 2 doses. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. I know these meds cause withdraw symptoms but would I have them that fast or are these what some people are calling "my manic behavior"??

gotta luv da Li replied: "That's withdrawal. I went manic on Effexor. It had nothing to do with missing a dose. Boom, zoom, constant, and it just got worse when I took the med and when I reduced it slowly to avoid extreme withdrawals and once I was off altogether. Manic is about way tooooo much energy, racing thoughts so fast you can't keep up with them, not needing to sleep, etc. It's not about shaking, heart racing, or zaps. If you need Effexor, don't miss a dose (I'm sure you already figured this out!). If you want to reduce or get off, work with your doc and go *real* slow. A small amount of Prozac at the end can help. It's easier to quit than the last 37.5mg of Effexor. And, yes, some ppl get those responses that fast from missed doses, especially high ones. A good site for info on psych meds is if you want more info on antidepressants from the user perspective. Lot's of good medical info there, too."

hipfunkgirl replied: "I have had the same problem with effexor. If i miss a dose I feel like my brain is being electric shocked, profuse sweating, mania, nausea It is a normal response to withdrawing from the drug. It comes on very quickly especially if you are on a high dose (I'm on 300mgs) It is very important not to miss doses of your medication. talk to your doctor if you are worried. take care"

Pico replied: "When I miss my dose of Effexor (300 mg) I have withdrawal symptoms within 6 hours. It's mostly 'brain zaps' and vertigo. I shake a bit and feel really wacked out, like I'm on acid or something. I can't walk a straight line. If I turn my head quickly, I get very dizzy. It's horrible."

Gard23 replied: "It's withdrawal. Effexor's half-life is only 5 hours, 90% is eliminated in a day, and the typical onset of withdrawal is Day 1-2 (ref. Glenmullen). Some people experience effexor withdrawal if they are an hour or two late with their dosing i.e. they go 26 hours between a dose, instead of 24 hours; some people having a terrible ride on effexor, despite maintaining a rigid daily dose, may be fast metabolisers of the drug & thus could be hitting withdrawal before the end of a daily cycle. Here's a checklist of withdrawal symptoms for you (link below). It is vital with effexor to maintain the daily dose - the alternative is usually a swift trip into cold turkey never-land. What you are experiencing is a good overview of what can happen to patients being weaned off effexor by missing out days e.g. take a dose on Monday, miss Tuesday, take a dose Wednesday... very common experience, with predictable results."

Allie replied: "I experienced these type withdrawal effects when I came off Effexor. Nobody knows how scary this can be until you have done it. Effexor has a very short half-life in your system so these withdrawal effects happen fast. Good luck. I hated Effexor."

I have been weening myself off zoloft for more than a month and a half now, in the process I have had? tremendous headaches, a devastating breakup with my boyfriend, and a general lousy feeling. I am asking for people's experiences with their withdraw symptoms. Not necessarily whether or not I should have done it or any medical advice. I have/had the absolute worst health insurance that wouldn't really allow for me to continue on the medication. And I am sitting her stuck with wondering was I the crazy one in the relationship because of all my issues withdrawing from this medicine. I am hoping that someone's shared experience with withdraw might help me feel like this of a freak/terrible person/insert any term and im sure it would work for me now.

Eraserhead replied: "Hi there. I took Zoloft for a very long time, and just went off without tapering because my dr switched medications for me. There were no withdrawals at all, and he said there would be none. I think what you are really experiencing is the depression that is coming back full force since stopping the medication. Isn't there a cheaper medicine your dr could put you on? At the very least, if your insurance is that bad, call the local mental health board in your town and ask them if you can get a referral to a dr that accepts payments on a sliding scale. That way you can pay only what you can but still get help."

Uncle Bubby replied: "you need medical advice"

slickmickeygal replied: "i didnt take zoloft, but i had horrible withdrawl when i stopped taking prozac. i dont remember if i had headache (this was about 7 years ago), but the moodswings, lack of sleeping, shaking, tenitus, and just crying for hours was the pits. i dont know what kind of dosage you're at, but you might want to consider talking to a dr to see if there is something else you can do. when i was on prozac, it seemed that almost every month my prescription cost more and more. it was up to $40 a month when i quit. i ended up talking to my dr about it, and he told me since i was on such a low dose as it was, he would try something else. he ended up putting me on amitriptyline. its extreamly mild and it really helps with sleep, which in turn can help with the depression. and it only cost me $10 a month, and i took that for well over a year. as for seeing if its the meds or you, go out for a walk by yourself. go walk in the woods, or somewhere really just quiet. if its sunny and nice out, just sit and enjoy your surroundings. if you get upset, just cry/scream/rant whatever, it really does help to get it all out. if you find that you can actually enjoy yourself or feel calm, then you'll know that you can make it off the meds and be ok. some people just HAVE to be on meds, and thats ok. but some people will find out that they will function without them, and just needed them to help balance themselves out. thats how i was. i needed them for about 3 years, and havent been on them since. my mom on the other hand will never be able to stop taking them, and she's ok with that, because she knows how horrible she was without them. really, best bet is to talk to your dr again. they can even write to your insurance company and try to help you work out how you can get meds if you need them. good luck hun"

Tammy73 replied: "I really can not help you with withdrawal information. I know if I miss a dose my husband can tell, I am very irritable. I wanted to share a website that you can easily print out a prescription card (all you enter in is your name) and take it to a participating pharmacy, you can look up to see what pharmacies honor this on the website also. The generic Zoloft costs $13.33 for 30 pills. I found this when I lost my health insurance, I would of had to pay over 70 dollars a month without this card. The site is: "

Can you go from taking zoloft 200mg BID and stop and go right to cymbalta 60mg? I suffer from bi polar and have been on zolft for over 7 years. I went to the doc and will my increased depression and symptoms he suggested we switch to cymbalta. He said to just stop the zoloft and just start taking the cymbalta that it contains the same thing that it really wouldnt give me withdraws. I am so scared because i had the stupid idea 3 years ago that i just didnt need the zoloft and quit cold turkey and got serious withdraws and had to go and get me more zoloft. I also take alprazolam for anxiety. My question is has anyone ever heard of that to just quit taking zoloft and just go and start right on the cymbalta. Not that i dont trust the doc but really dont want to go threw with draws. Thanks ahead of time for your answers and experiences.

Shivon replied: "You ABSOLUTELY need to ask your pharmacist!"

Ginger replied: "Personaly, I have never had a problem doing what your dr wants you to do. IF I had withrawals, I hardly noticed it. Do what he says. Try taking the Cymbalta at night, somehow that helps me. The alprazolam will help too, in case there is any withdrawal. You'll be fine, and if you do get dizzy, headache, or twichy, just take a tylenol, lay down, and in a da or so, u will be fine."

TallulahsMama replied: "It is my sincere hope that the doc you are talking about is a psychiatrist and not a family practitioner who is treating your bipolar disorder. I have been under the impression that it is best to slowly decrease the dosage of one antidepressant while introducing the other and titrating that dose up. At least that has been my experience with the medications that I have taken for Major Depression. If you have a history of withdrawals from zoloft in the past I would suggest telling your doctor or reminding him of your past experience, the last thing you need is more stress by having to go through the withdrawals of your Zoloft. You also might want to check with your pharmacist, pharmacists are very well versed in medications and you can simply let they know your concerns so he/she can direct you to the best person. I wish you luck and hope that the Cymbalta helps you, it has helped me."

orcelina replied: "there is no clinical evidence that taking zoloft over the maximum suggested dose of 200mg has any additional benefit, so i'm curious to know why your doctor had you on such a high dose, even with bipolar. the psychiatrist i work for almost always tapers off any dose of anti-depressant, especially a dose that high. i would ask your doctor if it's ok to taper down, say, 50mg a week until you're only taking 50mg, then stopping it. cymbalta can cause stomach problems so if you start experiencing symptoms, let the doctor know immediately. be sure to take your xanax as prescribed during this time. this will help keep you from getting overly anxious. if this is your family doc, you really should be seeing a specialist. if this is your psych doctor, then i'd suggest maybe getting another consult with someone else if you're not happy or not sure about the doctor you are dealing with now. good luck."

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