Coming off of Sertraline.

[onceuponarocketship]

Has anyone successfully come off of sertraline and how did you find it?
I’ve been on it for 10 months and have never felt better so I’m worried about stopping it.
I’m not being pressurised to stop, but can’t take it forever.
I can’t believe that I won’t go back to how I was before as I’ve suffered from anxiety for about 20 years and this is the first time I’ve taken medication.

As far as I aware you can take it long term no issues I've come off but the dr said if I needed to I can go back on it

I’ve put on a stone in 10 months, so I’d rather stop taking it.

I came off it years ago no problem.

I'm on it again at min - weirdly my appetite disappears on it . I've lost weight.

Just wean off -
I did from
100 to 50 then off it .

Could you try a lower dose for a while and see how you are?

I put in weight taking it I haven't lost it after stopping unfortunately

One perspective- as this is definitely my experience- I'd rather be bigger and happy than slimmer and sad.

But it could be that a half dose might be helpful for a while, allow yourself to assess your moods for a good few months at that level, then you'll be able to gauge if coming off is going to be ok as well as being a bit easier at the lower dose.

I came down from 50 to 25 and MY GOD it was too much! It wasn't so much the moods, it totally threw my digestion, my eczema flared up, I had this woozy feeling that I thought would never pass (it did after about 4 months). It was really tough dealing with the physical side effects. I was still much happier than if I hadn't taken them though. It has levelled out more now (6/7 months) but I haven't had a return of any of the depression (I try to eat/sleep well etc.).

Think of it like quitting caffeine - do it very, very slowly!

They are easy to come off if done slowly, I was terrified to come off 100mg that I'd taken for 5 years but I was and am absolutely fine. I think you will be just fine. I spoke to my GP about my decision to want to come off them and he suggested that I start taking 50mg rather than 100mg, I took 50mg for a number of weeks and then I would skip a day for the next month, then skip 2 days for the next month, skip 3 days for one month and so on, when it got to skipping 4 days I just came off them completely.