Posted by SLS on March 30, 2005, at 8:12:22
In reply to Re: withdrawal symptoms coming off zoloft » SLS, posted by Riss on March 30, 2005, at 6:18:30
Hi.
> thanks for responding - yes it is tolerable - now that it has been going on for 2 weeks and I see it as being wat it is - as a withdrawal symptom. It has been 2 weeks since I last took the medication - and the intensity of the zapping is easing slightly - what do you think??
I have a theory that posits that the withdrawal syndrome can exert a kindling effect on the brain such that the longer a withdrawal syndrome is allowed to continue unabated, the longer it will last and possibly the greater the intensity if an SRI is discontinued abruptly all at once. In other words, it is a bad idea to go through any withdrawal at all if possible.
You are sort of in the middle of things. I am having a difficult time developing an opinion one way or the other regarding you restarting any kind of medication. If I were in your position, I think I would take Prozac 20mg for a few days. It will serve to make all of your symptoms disappear and give the brain a chance to settle down. The half life of Prozac is VERY long - about a week. Prozac substitution thus acts as an automatic gradual taper. I doubt you would need to take Prozac for more than a week. I would try it for 3 days or until the withdrawal effects disappear.
If you decide not to restart the original drug so to taper more slowly or substitute it with Prozac, you can try taking Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an over-the-counter antihistamine. People report that it makes the withdrawal symptoms more tolerable.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. I guess you can try the Benadryl first and then move on to the Prozac substitution strategy.
Good luck! Keep posting.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:465261
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050323/msgs/477590.html