How long do electric shocks last when coming off sertraline?

[clarella]

And how best to deal with it?!

It's driving me nuts. I seem very light headed and often cold.

I've other health stuff going on too at the mo so it could be part of that.

I've taken it very slowly - dropped every 2-3 weeks, latterly even crushed / halved a half (so 12.5!) now of day 2 of zilch.

This last bit is the worst .

Every time I breathe deeply or move sometimes.

I had to have a liquid to come off seroxat in the late 90's.

(God I'm old)

Bumping for you

Why would you get electric shocks coming off sertraline?

I had this coming off seroxat about 10 years ago, I remember coming home from work one day it was so weird, but feelings reduced and was fine after about 10 days.

Took about 4 weeks for me. It's bloody awful coming off Sertraline, I sympathise.

Wow that was quick, thank you!

Was that 4 weeks from final tablet?

A brisk walk to nursery had me missing tiny sections of time through the shocks the whole way but I feel a lot better on my return. They're through my whole body. Bloody crazy. Why has no one researched it?

Yes, from final tablet.

There's a raft of anecdotal evidence out there on the web, if you look up SSRI discontinuation syndrome. As far as I can see there is absolutely no treatment apart from waiting it out.

Yes I have but it doesn't include how long etc or what they are.

I'm not sleeping great either quite calm and happy though

Terrible last two days but beginning to calm now thank goodness

How are you feeling OP? I had that awful sensation coming off seroxat many years ago. Was hideous. Lasted a good few weeks but gradually dissipated.

Hope yours goes soon

Slowly getting less thank you. They are weird. I get them in my whole body not just my brain.

I think I've had a mental wobble though but only fleeting and seems to settle quickly.

Yes I was on seroxat years ago. Spent more time getting of it than I was on it due to the shocks!

Might start a new thread - could really bad muscle tightness be part of it? Also finding only cocodamol is helping (limiting myself to one or max two tablets at night as I don't think it's good for thyroid stuff and seems to make be puff up) but am I right in thinking cocodamol is similar in terms of withdrawal?

Cocodamol is very addictive, I think the advice is to use it only for three days. Not sure what the withdrawal feels like though.

I'm actually rarely taking it, and when I do prob only 3 days but literally only 1 or 2 tablets once in the evening. So a fraction of the dose. I'm very sensitive to all drugs though!

Bugger still getting them slightly, must still be withdrawing. Frequently feeling quite ill. I took 2 cocodamol the other night and felt so much better the next day I think I've got to hit that on the head too. I seem to be very sensitive to drugs

I know it's only really me posting and actually no one can give actual advice but they're REALLY bad today!!!

I'm on thyroxine and I personally think it's marginally too high as in the past 150 was and I found alternate day 125/150 worked. Could it be this? I have betablockers which I haven't really needed. I've taken one in the last hour but seen no difference! Argh! Gps not much use.

Sorry to hear this Clarella.

I got the brain shocks from venlafaxine. Bizarrely hyperemesis forced me to go cold turkey because I couldn't keep the tablets down! The shocks honestly took about 3months to stop completely. Such a hellish feeling. Hope you feel better soon.

The first week was HORRENDOUS. Random zaps throughout the day.

It settled down after that to when I was over-tired and I'd get zaps then. That lasted for about four week to six weeks, and then all of a sudden I realised I hadn't had any zaps for a week or so (I came off them on Boxing Day and realised on my birthday - mid February - that I hadn't zapped for a while).

hi I found the shocks lasted weeks, I can't remember exactly how long but definitely at least 4 to 6 weeks and sometimes they were just awful. They did eventually lessen and finally fade away but tbh it could even have been longer now that I think about it! It will stop eventually though.

Oh thanks lovely ladies, it really does help to know you're not alone (or mad / imagining it!!)

On a positive, totally off the cocodamol and not touching it again with a barge pole!!! Was only taking one or two at night to deal with awful itching / spasm pain but obviously was ebough to get hooked.

I've only been on the seroxat/paroxetine for 3 weeks and the side effects were awful so I asked my doctor how to stop. She told me to take half a tablet for 5 days. Today is the first day I haven't taken any and I feel awful. Electric shocks in my brain and through my body, nausea, agitated and weepy. I think I'm going to have to start taking them again tomorrow.

Central, seroxat is really really difficult to come off. Please speak to a pharmacist about tailoring extremely slowly or to give you the name of a liquid suspension version. I had to have this to come off seroxat but I don't remember the dosages I had etc.

What strenght were you on?

You could go back to the last dose you felt ok at and then wait a few more days before lowering again - quarter tablet for example. This is why a liquid is easier. I think I lowered a few ml at a time, going back to previous dose a bit longer if it was really bad, toughing it out if
it was slight.

I've found keeping very hydrated is helpful as well as blood sugar up.