Stopping sertraline

[Cdp123]

Can anybody tell me their experiences doing this? I don't want to be on it forever but I'm scared of relapsing and I've read so many horror stories online.

How did you wean yourself off? Were you OK? How are you doing now and how did you know when the time was right? Is it as scary as online stories make out?

For context, I started it about 5 months after having my first baby, due to health anxiety. I kept feeling like I couldn't breathe properly and most of the time I was focusing and obsessing about my breathing which made things worse. It was terrifying and I am so scared of feeling like this again.

So in Jan 2024 I started on 50mg and then a couple of months or so after I've been on 100mg ever since. I also finished CBT around Christmas time last year.

I thought if I do wean off to do it like this (after speaking with a doctor)
Reduce to 75mg for a month
50mg for a month
25mg for a month
12.5mg for a month
Stop

But if I feel bad or struggle, stay on X dosage for longer than planned?

Just want to hear other people's experiences as I'm a bit worried when the time comes.

Speak to your GP to come up with a plan. I couldn't get an appointment so I reduced it myself. From 100mg to nothing in about 2 months. I went from 100 to 50 for a few weeks and felt no difference so two weeks later reduced to 25mg. A few weeks later to 12.5mg and then nothing.

I felt a numbness in my face when I got lower than 25mg, it continued for about a week or two when I was on 12.5mg and then nothing. It was like waves of prickly/tingling feelings in my face and the odd brain zap.

Then I felt fine without any sertraline.

After about 4/5 months of no sertraline the crippling anxiety started. A month later I started back on 50mg. That's my experience.

Edited to add that I don't want to scare you and that the reduction period wasn't too bad and the face numbness and brain zaps we're manageable. Speak to your GP and they'll help you through it.