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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Sarita on March 5, 2006, at 21:40:49
I have been taking 50mg for three years due to stress and panic attacks. I am trying to quit cold turkey and I feel horrible. I feel like my brain is floating around and it is extremely difficult to concentrate. Today is day 8 and I hope this withdrawal ends soon. I am so tired all the time and extremely emotional (I always feel like crying or laughing hysterically). I don't think it is a good idea to quit like this. Zoloft increases the serotonin production and quitting cold turkey suddenly decreases the production and our brains go into shock. I think everyone should be careful if suddenly quitting and be sure to speak with your doctor. I am giving myself only a few more days and may go back on if symptoms have not gotten better.
Posted by SLS on March 6, 2006, at 8:48:20
In reply to Zoloft withdrawal, posted by Sarita on March 4, 2006, at 20:30:43
> I have been taking 50mg for three years due to stress and panic attacks. I am trying to quit cold turkey and I feel horrible.
That's not unusual.
> Today is day 8 and I hope this withdrawal ends soon.
Is there a trend towards it getting worse or better?
If you are going to restart a drug and taper the right way, I would recommend substituting Prozac for the Zoloft. This is a recognized strategy for helping people discontinue serotonergic drugs like Zoloft. You would only need to take the Prozac temporarily for a short period of time. You might not even have to take it every day. The reason this strategy works is because Prozac has a very long half-life; it stays in the body much longer than Zoloft and provides a gentle lowering of drug activity. Some people take 20mg of Prozac on the first day and another 20mg a few days later. It depends on how you react to the first dose. Some people end up taking only 3-4 doses spread out over a few weeks.
The other thing you can do is to try using Benadryl (over-the-counter diphenhydramine) to help reduce the intensity of the withdrawal effects.
- Scott
Posted by JenStar on March 7, 2006, at 13:50:20
In reply to Zoloft withdrawal, posted by Sarita on March 4, 2006, at 20:30:43
hi Sarita,
I'm sorry it's so rough! Cold turkey IS hard. I would guess you have at least another week of the same ahead of you, and then it will start to lessen.When I cut back from 20 mg Lexapro/day to 10 mg/day, I had the same kinds of symptoms you describe. In addition, I had bad/sudden diarrhea. (no fun at all.) It lasted about a week, the really bad part, then another 1.5 wks of moderately yukky side efx. Then I was back to normal, yah!
Like Scott mentioned, Benadryl helped me too and softened some of the side efx.
Of coure I also have bad allergies, so it was a "2 for the price of one" fix. But I'd check with your Dr. just to make sure that the Benadryl won't interfere with anything else you may be taking, or any other conditions you may have. It's really pretty safe, I think, but it's always best to double-check! :)
good luck!
JenStar
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