Posted by whenry on March 1, 2006, at 10:18:08
hey all. i just need some kind words to get thru this. i've been having a really tough time getting off zoloft and it's scaring me, because something like this has never happened to me before. i'm a 29 year old female and i got on zoloft 4 months ago at 100mg to help me through a tough time in my life. everything is 100% better now in my life, circumstances have changed, and i am very happy. i don't have a history of depression, i just took zoloft to help me cope with panic attacks. i wanted to stop taking zoloft a couple weeks ago so i stopped cold turkey and starting getting dizzy spells and nausea and very very vivid dreams about 4 days later. i went to the dr. for what i thought was a sinus infection problem (the dizziness) and he asked if i was still taking the zoloft and i said no i stopped a few days ago. he admits he doesn't know much about zoloft (he's the one who prescribed it) and he didn't even recognize that my dizziness was a symptom of withdrawal!!! i intend to educate him after i get through this to make sure he doesn't prescribe it to anyone else without knowing the horrible withdrawal it causes. so - it was my pharmacist who finally told me i was having withdrawals and to try to taper down. so i started taking half my usual dose (50mg). then the tremors started. i couldn't stop shaking, even my knees shook uncontrollably, and i was irritated and couldn't think straight and had a very very bad headache every day. i couldn't sleep and my heart was pounding. (i do keep an eye on my blood pressure) so since my dr. knows nothing about withdrawal, the pharmacist suggested i go back up to 75mg. well, i felt good for 3 days in between and then the bad tremors and headaches came back every day for the past week on 75mg. they don't start until i take my zoloft though. so, weighing the symptoms i have had from stopping altogether, and just reducing the dosage, i have decided to stop taking it completely. obviously tapering isn't working for me, i'm just more miserable then when i stopped altogether. today is day 1. i have a little bit of the shakes this morning. i know i will feel decent until at least friday. i can handle the dizziness and the dreams. i just cannot handle the tremors. not being able to control your movements is very scary. i would NEVER have taken zoloft if i had known this would happen. i just want to be zoloft free and feel normal again!!! since i've only been on it 4 months, it should only take 1-2 weeks to withdraw, right??? god i hope so! my boyfriend doesn't believe in using prescription medication and he's being as supportive as he can be. him and my family have the attitude of "oh, you'll be ok." they just don't get how hard this is. my brain and body are fighting me to stay on the zoloft. anyone's input or words of kindness would be greatly appreciated!!! I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO KNOW IF ANYONE HAS TRIED AN HERBAL/VITAMIN SUPPLEMENT THAT CAN HELP ME DURING THIS TIME. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME. whenry@co.montgomery.tx.us
poster:whenry
thread:614594
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20060228/msgs/614594.html