Page 2 | Tapering off sertraline

Krussty · 2024-01-20T19:20:17+00:00

I’ve been on 50g for a year and decided to taper off them, my doctor said it should be ok just to stop!! I’ve not done this, a week ago i cut the pill in half so have taken 25g I intend to do this for a month. Then try and cut them in half again for about a month but what would I do after that? Is it at that point I just stop ??

Kerry8391 · 29/02/2024 16:22

Hi ladies. Hoping for some advice… I’ve been on sertraline since July last year. Long story short, this was due to me having SEVERE side effects from a medication I was given for Labyrinthitis. This resulted in my mental health plummeting and I ended up admitting myself into a mental health hospital. Whole thing was beyond traumatic and still can’t believe it all happened. Anyways, I was originally on 50mg then was upped to 100mg then upto 150mg. I was given the go ahead from my doctor to reduce to 100mg which I did and I felt completely fine. I had a follow up appointment this week with the hospital who said they are happy to reduce my dose from 100-50. I was told to do this straight away and start on 50mg that day, which I did. I’m on day 3 of 50mg and woke up this morning feeling really anxious, teary and just overall crap. Is this normal to see withdrawal effects soo quickly? Also, will this pass? My mental health has been really good for the last couple of months and I’m proud of how far I’ve came but I don’t want to do anything wrong when it comes to the reducing of the antidepressants. Also, want to make clear that the severe depression was due to the medication I was previously on and wasn’t normal for me. Any advice is welcome, thank yous x

Original poster

Krussty · 01/03/2024 10:19

Good morning
here is an update, I went from 50 to 25 for a month then I went to 25 every other day for 2 weeks.. I was going to do this for a month but I decided on the 3rd week I would take it every third day for the next 2 weeks… I didn’t get that far because on the 3rd day I was feeling great so I didn’t take a tablet, so I took my last tablet 5 days ago and I feel brilliant. It has taken 7 weeks tapering.
On week 6 whilst taking 25 every other day I had a couple of mornings with a fast heart beat and head aches.. on the days I missed the tablet I felt ok… so it made me wonder if by taking the tablet it was giving me symptoms.. so that is why I decided to stop taking the tablet..
i may not be out of the woods, I don’t know but tapering has been a good experience.. and any symptom I did have was due to the tablet not the way I was feeling..
sometimes we fall prisoner to medication, going back to doctors who automatically’up’ the dose.. I didn’t want to be on tablets all my life.. AND I was getting panic attacks whilst on the tablets!!! So that’s when I decided to do this rather than go up to 100.
Listen to the anxiety Guy on tube .. he is really helpful. Good luck

OP posts:

Frumpitydoo · 01/03/2024 10:31

50mg is a low dose anyway, so I'd just cold turkey it!^

YouDefinitelyShouldNotDoThat · 01/03/2024 14:23

Krussty · 01/03/2024 10:19

Good morning
here is an update, I went from 50 to 25 for a month then I went to 25 every other day for 2 weeks.. I was going to do this for a month but I decided on the 3rd week I would take it every third day for the next 2 weeks… I didn’t get that far because on the 3rd day I was feeling great so I didn’t take a tablet, so I took my last tablet 5 days ago and I feel brilliant. It has taken 7 weeks tapering.
On week 6 whilst taking 25 every other day I had a couple of mornings with a fast heart beat and head aches.. on the days I missed the tablet I felt ok… so it made me wonder if by taking the tablet it was giving me symptoms.. so that is why I decided to stop taking the tablet..
i may not be out of the woods, I don’t know but tapering has been a good experience.. and any symptom I did have was due to the tablet not the way I was feeling..
sometimes we fall prisoner to medication, going back to doctors who automatically’up’ the dose.. I didn’t want to be on tablets all my life.. AND I was getting panic attacks whilst on the tablets!!! So that’s when I decided to do this rather than go up to 100.
Listen to the anxiety Guy on tube .. he is really helpful. Good luck

Well done, it's a great feeling to come off the meds. Sounds like you did it in the right way x