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Original poster

Has anyone successfully gone 'cold turkey' on Sertraline?

53 replies

PennyPinkPineapple · 02/08/2023 13:13

Hi all

I've been on 50mg of Sertraline for nearly 2 years. Yes, yes yes, I know you aren't supposed to go cold turkey and should speak to a GP about coming off them etc., BUT, I went on abroad two weeks ago and forgot to pack my medication.
By the time I got back it was day 8 without them and I decided to keep going. I feel a little bit irritable and I'm experiencing brain zaps throughout the day but it is now day 13 and I'm determined to power through this.

Has anyone else successfully come off their ADs this way? Do the brain zaps go away? I really don't want to start taking them again in order to taper off them properly 😬

Thanks.

OP posts:
Littledogball · 02/08/2023 13:15

Well that's what you should do. You should taper off with your gps guidance. But hey ho, it's only your mental health! Hmm

terriblyangryattimes · 02/08/2023 13:17

Yes I did. I had been on them around 20 months and also 50mg.
I woke up one day and thought "sod it I need to stop" mostly because the bad dreams were waking me up and I was always exhausted. Felt rough (tired, grumpy,snappy and headachey) for about 2.5 weeks but other than that fine, brain zaps soon ended around the same time. I informed my GP via email so they could stop the repeat prescription and update my info on their system.

Good luck

GMH1974 · 02/08/2023 13:26

I had horrible side effects when I tried to do this including ringing in my ears and problems with balence leading me to fall and hit my head on the side of the bath. I don't think it's a good idea. At least I'm off them now as I never thought they worked.

Original poster
PennyPinkPineapple · 02/08/2023 14:04

@GMH1974 oh my, that's awful. How did you manage to stop taking them?

@terriblyangryattimes I wanted to stop taking them a year ago and I did an eConsult and got sent another six month prescription 😑, it's hard to get help again from the GP once they've dished them out.

@Littledogball It wasn't intentional, but I wondered as I have come this far would it be possible to ride the wave.

Thanks for the responses.

OP posts:
Neverknowinglysensible · 02/08/2023 14:13

I came off them after 6 months. I had no side effects at all, but that could be because I often snapped the tablets in half so only took 25mg. I’d ride it out, it’s pointless getting your body used to them again just to stop!

TheInterceptor · 02/08/2023 14:13

I stopped them overnight for each of my four pregnancies. I was on 200mg. I survived Smile

Littleelffriend · 02/08/2023 14:16

I did it by accident. I got admitted to hospital as an emergency and forgot I was on them. When I got out a week or so later I just didn’t start again. My doctor has never mentioned it

GMH1974 · 02/08/2023 14:36

@PennyPinkPineapple I just rode it out. Not nice though

CerberusWoof · 02/08/2023 14:40

What do you mean by "brain zaps"?

MerryHen · 02/08/2023 20:03

I did unintentionally during my last pregnancy. I was being too sick to take it and then I was on so much other medication (for the sickness) I couldn't stomach restarting it. Can't say what side effects I had from stopping the sertraline because I felt so ill anyway, but I didn't feel any worse than I had in my previous pregnancies.

Had been on 50mg for over two years, now six months post partum and feeling okay 🤞but prepared to go back on it if my MH takes a nosedive again.

Diggersandunicorns · 02/08/2023 20:07

I did cold turkey. It was all over in three weeks but felt awful in that time. The brain zaps!

But I ended up back on them within 5 months. Not sure if tapering for a long period of time might have helped that not happen.

MirandaWest · 02/08/2023 20:07

I have in the past come off them pretty quickly and was fine at first but then mental health dipped a lot and was back on them again within a few months.

This time I took ages to cut down from 50mg - I’m sure slower than a GP would advise but it seems to be working for me. Probably took about 18 months to come off them. Have been off them 3 months now and only having standard ups abs downs

WunWun · 02/08/2023 20:07

I don't think the experts know exactly what brain zaps are, but to me they feel like brief/small zaps of vertigo when moving my head/eyes

MirandaWest · 02/08/2023 20:08

Have also come off citalopram very slowly and didn’t have to go back on them for nearly 10 years (and tbh I think was undiagnosed peri menopause that triggered my need and should probably never have gone on them again in the first place but as I wasn’t the magic 45 no one would listen to me…)

WunWun · 02/08/2023 20:09

I had terrible brain zaps coming off a low dose of citalopram the recommended way, I wouldn't be brave enough for cold turkey!

SiliconHeaven · 02/08/2023 20:13

I went cold turkey on 100mg a day sertraline in May.
my GP fucked up the prescription, the chemist took over a week to get it ready, by the time I was able to actually pick it up I was flying the next morning and the Sertraline hadn’t been approved.
I went on holiday and went cold turkey, no choice.
I was fine

TinaTotal · 02/08/2023 20:14

I reduced the dose gradually (200mg) over a month or so and the side effects were bad enough. The itching was the main thing. I scratched until I bled and the bruising was horrendous. I went cold Turkey on quetiapine and felt instantly better though. You might be ok.

USaYwHatNow · 02/08/2023 20:24

Completely by accident yes.

SprinkleRainbow · 02/08/2023 20:26

Not sertraline but I've come off others cold turkey. By accident more than anything, forgot to order my prescription and by the time it was sorted I didn't want to go through all the side effects again.
One lot I successfully came off for 3 years (PPA triggered a return to them) the others I've only successfully come off once for 3 months. The second type isn't a typical AD though and can cause other health issues so I wanted to stop them.

pickledandpuzzled · 02/08/2023 20:37

Take half a one every other day for a while.

it doesn't need to slow down your progress, just makes it a bit smoother.

I stopped gradually. It's not a big deal, I just halved the tablets, took them every other day, every third day...

There are no prizes for speed, and some reassurance and security in doing it steadily. Have a look at how many pills you have left, and eek them out as long as you can.

Itsjeremycorbynsfault · 02/08/2023 20:38

I came off 100mg cold turkey. I kept forgetting to take them anyway so I'd probably tapered very slightly and then I forgot to order my repeat prescription. I decided to carry on not taking them.

For two to three weeks I had the zaps and slight dizziness but after that, totally fine. I'd had counselling some time beforehand for the root cause of my depression however. I guess ultimately long term it will be important whether you think your depression/anxiety has been addressed and that you won't go back backwards in your mental health

pickledandpuzzled · 02/08/2023 20:38

*Eke!

greenthumb13 · 02/08/2023 20:40

I would take 25 mg every other day just to give yourself a little ramp off and then every three days and then stop.

CurlewKate · 02/08/2023 20:41

It's possible. But why do it? If you felt better taking them, why stop?

HolyShitDrJones · 02/08/2023 20:44

I was on 50mg for about 5 years and accidentally stopped (my morning routine changed and I forgot to take them).
I had no side effects at all. I cried for about 3 months (not sad crying, it felt like I was catching up on 5 years of not being able to cry). I don’t feel I need to go back on them.
When I mentioned it to my GP she was quite cross, as apparently coming off them this suddenly can be dangerous, so I don’t recommend it! I was lucky!