Coming off sertraline

[Doyoumind]

I've been on a few different low dosage ADs over the last few years - sertraline most recently and for the longest. I'm ready to come off it. I've been weaning myself extremely slowly - down to half a tablet a day for months, so not a therapeutic dose even, then a third, then a quarter. It's all been fine. But now I've stopped the quarter I'm still having withdrawal symtoms and it's been nearly a week. Surely my body should be ready for this? How much longer?

I was on sertraline then citalopram... coming off took ages. I went to half tablets then half tablets alternate days for a couple of months then 3 times a week then twice a week. When I stopped I still had withdrawal symptoms, dizziness(fleeting episodes) and slight anxiety but after about a month or two it stopped. I've been off them now for 3.5 years.

They are very strange drugs...they do work but coming off is hard. I'm a GP so prescribe them too and always very open about the side effects.

Coming off was great. I developed proper feelings again.

Keep persevering.

Thanks Musical. I've had a busy week and feel exhausted so the withdrawal symptoms are probably made worse by that. I feel really unwell. I don't know what I can do to ease it. I don't like the idea of having to put up with it for much longer.

Oh no I'm thinking of coming off them at the mo as I'm conceiving but I'm scared now

It’s really helpful to read this thread I have tried so hard to cut down several times and stop but the first time palpitations were terrible. The next time dizziness - I will try again in the summer but maybe spread it over 6months

Take the tiny dose every other day for a couple of weeks, till you have no symptoms. then every third day, then twice a week.

It took me two weeks to feel okay when I stopped taking 200mg cold turkey (which I don't recommend!)

I’m weaning off as am now into 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Consultant told me to start weaning at 32wks to be off by 36. That seemed to be fast to me so started a lot earlier. Am onto one tablet one evening, then nothing for 2 evenings then another tablet. At this I feel fine but cannot seem to get past this stage. I think I need to maybe I need to do what you’re doing and start introducing half tablets? You’ve done really well, wishing you the best for the final push 😊

I was tapered off 18 years of citalopram in 2.5 months by my GP unfortunately they are not trained in this and 16 months later I still suffering withdrawals I had an horrific time coming iff these drugs and should have tapered off in 2-3 years not months
Do it very very slowly I think it is 2% every few weeks shave bits off good luck

@mynameiscalypso

It took me two weeks to feel okay when I stopped taking 200mg cold turkey (which I don't recommend!)

Omg that would take most people 2 years after that ... sorry had a bad withdrawals did not know what was happening to me so have done tons of research and finally found a GP who said it was wd

I had been withdrawing without speaking to the GP - just based on my own research. When I did speak to the doctor when they called for a prescription review and I told them I was withdrawing slowly they told me just to stop taking them altogether. I knew that wasn't a good idea and ignored them. I didn't expect that by the time I got down to a quarter it would still be so hard to come off though.