I've come off sertraline: week 1. Anger, intolerance, short temper. Advice please!

[shattered77]

Morning. I have finally stopped taking sertraline for anxiety, pnd related, after 18 months. I tapered off and feel like I have had a very slow and sensible withdrawal. It has now been a week since I stopped taking anything and I'm dizzy, feel a bit out of control, and really really short tempered. I have no patience, am extremely snappy, and have THE RAGE . I am a lovely person to be around and my three year old has learnt his first swear word . Does anyone know how long this will last? Any similar experiences? Please don't let this be my new personality.

Sorry, I haven't read any of your previous posts (if there are any) but is your username related to exhaustion? I was on Venlafaxine for severe PND after DS2 and I only attempted to come off it once he was allowing me to get enough sleep (never slept through once for the first 2 years!) and after I'd been feeling good for around 6 months. Then I tapered off over a very long period - I think it was about 4 months... Everyone else I know who came off the same drug has said how horrendous the process was, but that wasn't my experience at all. That could have been pure luck (not being susceptible to the withdrawal symptoms) but I think that how slowly I took it really helped. I was extremely unwell when I was initially put onto the anti-d's, but stayed on them far longer than GPs would generally have advised (thanks to listening to a good friend who also happened to be a consultant psychiatrist, LOL!)

Sorry, submitted too soon. My point was to ask whether you've chosen to stop talking the sertraline because you've been feeling well for 6 months, and while you're in a generally low stress, well rested situation, or whether you've been pushed into coming off them a bit too soon? What you describe could easily be temporary withdrawal, which will pass, but it's very hard to distinguish that from the many people who are poorly advised to stop taking ad's sooner than is ideal and experience a return of their original symptoms.

Thanks for replying. My name is because of dealing with two dc under three, but this last week I feel like I've been hit by a bus regarding tiredness. It doesn't help with my head spinning. If I didn't have the kids I would definitely take to my bed until these side effects have gone. I can just see the vicious circle of the tablets, I know that taking one would make me feel instantly "better", but I desperately want to be off them. I just need to know that it does get better. Googled some info and it seems that angry can be a huge side effect and potentially the most damaging. I've read the longest side effects last is six weeks.

oh sorry! I've been coming off them for months after initially being advised by gp to go cold turkey. That nearly killed me. I still perceive my life as stressful but hate the numb feeling of being on the tablets. I think 18 months on them is enough.

Ah, ok. Sounds like your symptoms are normal. I'm not sure how I avoided all that as it's not like I was on a low dose when I came off mine... I hope it passes far sooner for you than 6 weeks!! And not dismissing the likelihood that it is withdrawal - is everything reasonably calm (as it can be with 2 young kids ) as, if not, it could just be the shock of no longer having the "cushion" of the sertraline, smoothing your reactions to stressful situations.

X-podted. It's 12:30am here and I'm typing slowly to try to avoid wine-induced typos!

Fail! That'd be "X-posted"......

Don't tell me that . I'm pretty sure it's withdrawal as I know my anger is sudden and disproportionate. I know I'm being unreasonable in my behaviour but can't stop flaring up. I've got a plan of action in place for today for dealing with their tantrums which involves not engaging and sending them to bedrooms rather than flipping out and teaching them new swear words .

Enjoy your wine! I may have to open the bar soon but it's only 8.30am

Shattered you are right it's the tablets!

I wasn't on them as long as you but boy when I came off them did I go a little crazy. And my pmt the month I came off them was the worst it had ever been.

I would honestly say it took a good two or three months before I felt back to normal. It's not that I felt the effects everyday it's more just certain days and times were worse than others.

I remember thinking to myself that now I know why folk must go straight back on them because you feel as though you are going crazy, anger, mood instability.

Don't give in. Soldier on.

And you made me smile when you said your dd had learnt her first swear word!

And a good way to deal with the toddler is count to ten in your head before you deal with the behaviour.

sometimes works sometimes not.

Thanks quitelikely, that is exactly my mentality, I will soldier on, I can beat this, I can do it! It's reassuring to know that you were the same and have come through it. It's exactly like PMT when you know you're being a horrible old bag, but there's nothing you can do, it's controlling you. My dh wants me to beat it, and will hopefully stop antagonising me and rising to my behaviour. It's the kids I feel sorry for, to think they'll remember this (and I'll be called into preschool for dc using the f word). The shame.

Just bumping for more experiences?

Also you might want to look at previous threads in here about what people did when they decided to come off the pills and treat their depression naturally.

Avoiding white carbs was something that helped greatly. I'm thinking you might have been eating plenty of these because the sertraline seemed to make me devour everything in sight!

Thanks Quitelikely, will have a look, my head still feels a bit crazy at the moment to be able to follow through with plans. When did you notice that you had stopped eating everything?? I am looking forward to this part the most!