Tapering off Zoloft

[Lucy28]

I have been taking 50 mg of Zoloft for over a year. I am newly preg with twins and need to stop. My RE suggested half a pill for a week and then half ever other day for a week and then stop. I am just wondering if anyone else got off of this as well and what kind of schedule you use. It is not supposed to be harmful until the 3rd tri, but I want this taken care of ASAP.

 

[Kittifer]

I actually stopped cold turkey from sertraline, and I think that's Zoloft isn't it? I shouldn't have done but at the time I was coping fine and I'm a stubborn moo. I've managed just fine, once the withdrawal had worn off.
I've found sertraline to be easier to come off than some other anti-depressants.
I had a crabby couple of weeks but it passed easy enough. The hardest part to deal with was the weird electric shock feeling in my head sometimes. Quite disorientating.

Tapering down is by far the best way to stop them. You may have a difficult week or two, but it does get better.

 

[05mummy07]

I quit cold turkey with the zoloft too, I was doubling up so on 200mg a day. Coming off them is the worst thing ever, I was a plain bitch to everyone and anything, my self harm got worse etc, so please don't just stop them, come off them slowly as your dr suggested.

 

[Shutterbug_71]

I quit Cold turkey as well! and i agree with 05mummy07 you get so mad at everything and snap at people... do as the dr tells....

 

[NatashaZ]

I've never come off of Zoloft, but I have come off other meds (lithium, lamictal, wellbutrin, lexapro, not all at the same time!) and from experience the best way to do this is slowly, especially if your doc is dosing you down... do not take things into your own hands and just stop abruptly as this can cause serious side effects (brain fog, seizures, etc). Follow the dosage reduction and it will all be over in 2 weeks.

 

[Folly]

I spent a week or two at 25mg, then halved those for a couple of weeks and then stopped and had no problems, like Kittifer I found it much easier to come off than some other anti depressants

 

[AuntBug]

My sis switched from zoloft to pail during her first so she didn't spin into depression, I know they're all different and something that works for one person won't work for the next. Good luck.

 

[AngellXeyesO]

I actually stopped cold turkey from sertraline, and I think that's Zoloft isn't it? I shouldn't have done but at the time I was coping fine and I'm a stubborn moo. I've managed just fine, once the withdrawal had worn off.
I've found sertraline to be easier to come off than some other anti-depressants.
I had a crabby couple of weeks but it passed easy enough. The hardest part to deal with was the weird electric shock feeling in my head sometimes. Quite disorientating.

Tapering down is by far the best way to stop them. You may have a difficult week or two, but it does get better.

I feel the same way! I keep saying I feel like my blood is crawling, but its also like an electric feeling! I too quit lamictal, which I know is different, cold turkey. I don't know what I was thinking. I honestly didn't believe the medicine helped much and felt better than I had in years. Aside for having severe ms and feeling like I got run over by a bus, I guess I feel ok. It will be three weeks on tuesday.

 

[mrsashley]

I have tapered off paxil and lexapro (at diff times) and I would NOT recommend stopping cold turkey. You can suffer very unpleasant withdrawals. Just try to do what the doctor says dose wise, if you start having bad side effects you can always taper off slower.
Good luck

 

[LadyHutch]

If you absolutely must go off your meds (per your doctor and psych), then go very slowly. Med withdrawal can me painful, even dangerous. Here is a good article that can help: https://www.crazymeds.com/discontinue.htm

However: If you need to be taking an antidepressant, please be sure to dicsuss your options with your doctor. Mental Illness and pregnancy is no joking matter, and we should not be taking matters into our own hands. You are on a pretty low dose of zoloft, and almost all studies with these meds are done at extreme levels. Zoloft is a class C drug, which means it has only been tested in animal studies, and the studies are done at generally outside normal parameters for what a dr would prescribe for a human (giving 30x normal doses).

Maybe discuss going down to 25 mg and staying at that, or trying something else such as prozac at a low dose to help ween. Just make sure this is something you discuss in detail with OB and shrink.

 

[AngellXeyesO]

I am really regreting stopping my meds cold turkey. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. My primary doctor told me to stop taking my meds, I guess they assumed I would gradually stop? It has been a few weeks and each day I am feeling worse and worse. I cannot tell if its ms, pregnancy hormones or wds. I feel like my heart is going to explode at all points during the day lately. I don't know if taking my pills again and then gradually coming off would help? I have a doctors appointment monday. But I DONT know what to do. I have never been in more pain in my life. I am also coming off of tramadol and amitripriline. I feel 100x worse than i did before I even took medicine.

 

[LadyHutch]

I am really regreting stopping my meds cold turkey. I honestly don't know what I was thinking. My primary doctor told me to stop taking my meds, I guess they assumed I would gradually stop? It has been a few weeks and each day I am feeling worse and worse. I cannot tell if its ms, pregnancy hormones or wds. I feel like my heart is going to explode at all points during the day lately. I don't know if taking my pills again and then gradually coming off would help? I have a doctors appointment monday. But I DONT know what to do. I have never been in more pain in my life. I am also coming off of tramadol and amitripriline. I feel 100x worse than i did before I even took medicine.

Oh honey, that sucks. I have been there and know how it feels. You might talk to a psychiatrist who is more versed in these medications and coming off them, if you can find one who specializes in pregnancy, all the better. Even if you need to come off them all, you don't need to suffer to do it.

 

[AngellXeyesO]

Thank you, I needed to tell someone, my bf doesn't seem to get it and not many others know. I felt fine for a few days, and I really think the pain medicine is the kicker right now. I need to come off all of them, I just wish my doctor told me to taper off! I was so happy about this pregnancy,and I hate myself for not being happy anymore. I am happy deep down, I just feel so miserable and in pain that I can't do anything! How long did it last for you?

 

[LadyHutch]

Months. A really good chunk of time. You really should see a psych...cold turkeying is dangerous.

 

[AngellXeyesO]

yeah I have an appointment with behavioral health at a woman's hospital, I hope they will help.

 

[FinallyPG]

I am currently on 100 mg of Zoloft and also have weekly psychotherapy. I just found out yesterday (after months of infertility treatments) that I am expecting my first child (YAY! ) Last week in therapy my psychologist said that being depressed is worse for the baby than the meds, especially Zoloft since it is considered one of the safest. The fertility specialist I'm seeing said to immediately begin tapering off zoloft now that I'm pregnant. She seemed upset I was up to 100 mg and said to do a week at 50 mg, then a week with 50 mg every other day, then a week with 200 mg total over the week, then a 4th and final week of 100 mg for the whole week. I'm pretty scared... the last time I tapered off of these the last week was so bad I wound up going back on them. The dizziness and depression were just too much to handle. I told her that when she gave me the taper schedule and she said it was because I went off it too quick but I am pretty sure my schedule was slower than this one. Everything I've read on the internet said to go down by 12.5 mg to 25 mg per week, but she has me at twice that max. Today is my first day at 50 mg and I had a nasty dizzy spell but I don't know if that's from the meds or from early pregnancy. I want to do what's best for my unborn baby... I just hope this isn't too rough!

 

[geckorachel]

I am currently coming down off Seroquel/quetiapene i was on 225mg for a couple of years. I found out I may be pregnant (5 weeks) last thursday during an ultrasound. I reduced to 200mg that night and then to 150mg on Monday. I am now going to reduce down to 100mg tonight. Gp and psychiatrist recommended reducing by 50mg, taking the new dose for 5 days, seeing how i am then reducing another 50mg. Am to phone psychiatrist on Monday once I have been on 100 a few days. GP mentioned that it might be hard at the end as proportionally I am reducing larger amounts. See how it goes. Best of luck to everyone coming down off meds. I am willing to put myself through 9 months of anxiety if it means my baby will be drug free. xxxxx

 

[geckorachel]

I am currently on 100 mg of Zoloft and also have weekly psychotherapy. I just found out yesterday (after months of infertility treatments) that I am expecting my first child (YAY! ) Last week in therapy my psychologist said that being depressed is worse for the baby than the meds, especially Zoloft since it is considered one of the safest. The fertility specialist I'm seeing said to immediately begin tapering off zoloft now that I'm pregnant. She seemed upset I was up to 100 mg and said to do a week at 50 mg, then a week with 50 mg every other day, then a week with 200 mg total over the week, then a 4th and final week of 100 mg for the whole week. I'm pretty scared... the last time I tapered off of these the last week was so bad I wound up going back on them. The dizziness and depression were just too much to handle. I told her that when she gave me the taper schedule and she said it was because I went off it too quick but I am pretty sure my schedule was slower than this one. Everything I've read on the internet said to go down by 12.5 mg to 25 mg per week, but she has me at twice that max. Today is my first day at 50 mg and I had a nasty dizzy spell but I don't know if that's from the meds or from early pregnancy. I want to do what's best for my unborn baby... I just hope this isn't too rough!

hey, it is really difficult isn't it, knowing whether the symptoms are withdrawal or morning sickness I have felt motion sick every night since monday. I figure if it was withdrawal it would be more enduring. But then I haven't got a clue. GP said I shouln't experience any withdrawal symptoms either hmmm x

 

[Autumntx]

there are commercials running right now in Texas about lawsuits because Zoloft is suspected to of caused birth defects. I would def look into it.

 

[Mrs.Ping]

My friend took 100 mg of zoloft her whole pregnancy but she also took an extra 1000mcg of folic acid to counter any birth defects. Her baby girl is just fine no problems at all. I would recommend not to take it she only took it because she has debilitating anxiety it would do more harm to the baby if she didn't take it.