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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask about experiences coming off sertraline?

19 replies

Imcatmum · 08/10/2021 01:00

I've been on sertraline 100mg for about a year, initially 50mg and did really well on that but had a blip after 6 months and upped the dose. I'm been 100% well since then (a year) and was about to start slowly slowly tapering down, my GP was fine with that. My sister is a doc and her husband a consultant psychiatrist. They talked me out of it as are worried about relapse and say I should just stay on another while, especially as this is the worst time of year to try come off it. It's really hit my confidence which I guess indicates I'm more vulnerable than I though! I'll wait till spring as I trust their judgement but I am wondering, have any of you come off your meds, stayed off and avoided relapse?

I know we are all complete individuals but I am so well and was so sure I was ready. I guess I'm disappointed and a bit worried it will never be a good time.

OP posts:

MyDogLovesBiscuits · 08/10/2021 01:52

I had some dizzy spells when I stopped taking it but they went away within a week or two.

FluffyWhiteBird · 08/10/2021 01:58

One thing I've heard people say is that you should only come off meds when everything is in the best place in life. Not when there's a stressful situation looming or you're not quite over whatever it was that saw you go on meds in the first place. That's apparently when relapse is more likely. People have said if you relapse it can mean you're on the meds a long time again. So instead of eg waiting another 6mths you'd come off now then relapse and end up back on them another 2yrs. (Timescale is an example). So a false economy to come off too soon, in terms of recovery and staying med free.

FluffyWhiteBird · 08/10/2021 02:01

Do you have winter depression or do you care about Christmas at all or get at all stressed by it? Could be why they're saying wait. It's not a character assassination by them or a refusal to recognise progress made. It's probably a recognition of Christmas being generally acknowledged as a stressful time of year and winter being known to be depressing.

Original poster

Imcatmum · 09/10/2021 01:31

@FluffyWhiteBird neither to be honest. I adore Christmas. But I was very sick and I think that's their concern. It was awful and I know the really want to avoid it ever happening to me again.

OP posts:

Wiltshire90 · 09/10/2021 01:36

I came off 100mg "cold turkey" and never had an issue. My life was very different by that point and I was in a good place. It's up to you.

VestaTilley · 09/10/2021 04:09

I take 50mg a day and have since spring, my psychiatrist and I have agreed to try winding down next spring once I’ve settled in to living in a new area, got DS settled in a new nursery and got through winter.

I think this is sensible advice, I expect your relatives are just thinking the same thing.

Rotundpig · 09/10/2021 06:57

I decided to taper off at the beginning of last March and we all know what happened next! I'm now currently waiting for an appointment to get them prescribed again as in hindsight, despite covid, I was not sufficiently sorted in other life areas to avoid stress and difficult situations leading to a relapse (returned to work after maternity leave, child started nursery, other child had an operation, I had an operation etc. All stuff I knew was happening but I thought I was strong enough). If you think you're in a much better place and you're not aware of any new global pandemics planned or any likely upcoming stressors then coming off them really slowly is recommended. I felt really dizzy and spaced out for a few weeks and I tapered slowly.

I think also with mental health, it's important to remember there is not always a clear "cure" or end point, so try not to think of this period as something that will never happen again. It might, it might not, but you can get things in place, or identify you're struggling early so you can begin treatment quicker. Not trying to put a downer on this, it's wonderful you're feeling better, just trying to manage expectations. Wish you the best of luck in your recovery

Original poster

Imcatmum · 09/10/2021 20:03

@Rotundpig that is a very balanced way to view it all. Most of the stressors are well gone (still have my kids but even they are easier now than 2 yrs ago). What I am left with us a fear of the illness itself. That is my greatest risk now for sure.

OP posts:

ftw163532 · 09/10/2021 20:07

Different question, why do you need to come off them?

Original poster

Imcatmum · 10/10/2021 08:45

I know, I'm certainly not against taking them but I have to remember every day to take it. I was very well for 38 years before this without needing any so I would like to get back to baseline. It can't be good to take a drug for years and it's fine if I need it but do I need it??

OP posts:

Thisisworsethananticpated · 10/10/2021 08:55

Tough one
Why not taper to 50mg and review in spring
As remember you might be ok because of the sertraline
It’s great your family are supporting you

I’m staying on 50mg for the foreseeable personally

HeyDugeesCakeBadge · 10/10/2021 09:19

I stayed on them for probably longer than I needed to in terms of feeling secure, life had settled down etc. but I wanted to ensure I felt strong enough to deal with stress and that I wouldn't need to go back on them. I came off cold turkey and was fine but some people can have terrible withdrawals so I would take your doctors advice and reduce incrementally.

TheSquashyHatOfMrGnosspelius · 10/10/2021 09:22

If you feel well enough to come off it come off it.

Taper it off by breaking bits off the tablets etc. but when you know you know.

Not everyone gets the winter blues. I don't. The worst of my depressive episodes have happened during summer and I love the winter.

I had the brain zaps for months after but that was all.

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 10/10/2021 09:31

I cut down from 100mg to zero over the space of 6 months.

I did it so so so slowly, I got almost no withdrawal symptoms doing it that way.

So I would take 100mg every day but one in which I would take 50mg then after a couple of weeks two days I would take 50mg, day Monday and Friday and the other days 100mg and so on and so forth.

A GP at the time told me to stop taking one totally for one day in a week, then the following day stop talking two then week three stop taking three.

Tried that and got awful withdrawal. Started feeling really depressed which wasn't why I started taking them in the first place!

I started taking them for PNDD and was pregnant so didn't need them.

ThinWomansBrain · 10/10/2021 09:33

I took them at a similar age to you - I didn't go for as long as you with "feeling ok" before stopping them, & stopped by tapering off v slowly, and don't recollect any problems.
If you're not one of those people that finds this time of year hard (SAD or Christmas), and your GP is in agreement, I'd start dropping the dose slowly as you'd planned.

daisy46 · 10/10/2021 09:57

If you're doing well, why go off? I decided to continue as peace of mind that I'm not going to go back to that place and have to dig out of the dark hole again is worth it.

When I did taper down at one point, I did it very slowly over a period of 8 months, even down to taking a few crumbs every day. That really helped keep any brain zaps to a minimum. (But now I've been on it for over a decade and will continue indefinitely).

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 10/10/2021 10:03

@daisy46

If you're doing well, why go off? I decided to continue as peace of mind that I'm not going to go back to that place and have to dig out of the dark hole again is worth it.

AD's aren't designed to be on forever.

And the OP was good on 50mg for some time so why wouldn't she reduce it.

At least then if there's another blip, she can increase it.

Otherwise she's looking at increasing it to 150mg.

Better to reduce when you have had a longer period of wellness than not at all.

MissCreeAnt · 10/10/2021 10:14

I would keep on at least 50 through Christmas. No matter how much you enjoy Christmas, it tends to bring extra work and stress, especially for women.

Whatever the internet says, I think we're often wise to listen to people around us who love us and have expertise. But dropping to 50 is very different from giving them up altogether.

HarlanPepper · 10/10/2021 10:22

You've been on for a year after your symptoms stopped, which is in line with guidance about when to consider coming off it. I don't know whether you should or you shouldn't come off it, I can only give you my own experience.

I tapered off 100mg sertraline (for anxiety) at around this time of year and had no relapse for over a year. I did end up back on 50mg for a few months during the first wave of the pandemic but I have been completely med-free since February with no sign of symptoms returning.

My advice would be that if you do decide to come off, plan to taper in tiny increments. Buy a pill cutter if necessary, and each time you reduce the dose, stay on that dose for two weeks before reducing again.

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