coming of Sertraline

[lesleyB]

Has anyone come of sertraline and if so how slowly did you do it, every time I feel better my GP wants me to come of them and last time cut me down from 100mg straight too 50mg and I ended up having to go back up again. Now he wants me to come of them again after 4 months
Lesleyb

[joy]

i dont understand why he wants you to come off. all the advise says you should stay on meds for at least a year from feeling better. i think i would tell him you are still having bad moments and dont want to come off.

joy

[Bill]

I think he's encouraging you to prove to yourself that you can cope with your fears without medication.

My wife used to take Sertraline. It's not addictive but it should be reduced gradually. What he says seems reasonable. Just remember percentages. 100mg down to 50mg is a 50% drop which is too much. Reduce by small percentages over a week or 2 at a time to give your body time to adjust and I'm sure you'll be fine.

[lesleyB]

Thank you Joy and Bill, my doc has given me another 3 months on 100 mg and then wants to review me; I will tell him I am having some bad moments still. I mentioned to him that the jump from100 to 50 mg was too much and he just said there is not a 75mg so I will have to discuss this with him further.
Lesleyb

[joy]

Sorry Lesley I didnt mean to say you shouldnt come of meds but only you know how you feel . If you want to reduce to 75mg in the future I guess a pill cutter is the answer.

Love Joy

PS stilll waiting for sertraline to work!!!

[lesleyB]

Hi Joy,I know what you mean, am going to talk to my doc next time I see him and ask about pill cutting. Sorry your not feeling better yet hope you will soon.
Lesley

[davidthegnome]

I'm not a Doctor and can only relate my personal experience.. but coming off of zoloft was hell for me. The method they (physicians) generally use is (IMO) completely absurd and just plain stupid. I've been on it, with brief periods of time off of it since I was thirteen - ten years now.

About a year and a half ago, I decided I wanted to stop taking it. So I went to see a psychiatrist and was weaned down, with therapy and such. The speed with which they took me off of it was probably a good part of what caused the breakdown of my nervous system afterwards. Three months - is just not long enough for someone who's been on it for an extended period of time. In my case, years.

I'd suggest not cutting down by any more than 5 MG at a time. Pill cutters can help with this.

It makes me angry beyond reason that I see this so often mishandled. I often wonder whether many physicians and psychiatrists use the incorrect methods on purpose - in order to keep their customers. Honestly I don't trust any psychiatrist I've ever met and very few Doctors. It is very evident, in an overwhelming number of studies (likely NOT funded by the FDA, of course, we know they've got their hands in the pharma cookie jar) that the best method is to go far slower than they do, generally.

50 miligrams at once? Don't do that to yourself. Get a second opinion, or a third. I'm back up to 150, thanks to my ignorance before in following a psychiatrist's medical advice. I was completely off of it for some time before the drug actually left my system - before my brain began to really suffer the consequences. But I can tell you, they are severe if you do not do it right.

The medical industry ought to be ashamed of themselves for the way this has been handled. It makes me so angry when I read things like this. Unfortunately, the number of well-informed practitioners are largely outnumbered by the uninformed, the incompetent, and the corrupt.

These are my opinions... and my advice based on my experience. Good luck and God bless you.

[lesleyB]

Hi Thanks for your advice, my doc now feels i should stay on a maintenance
dose of 50mg for however long I need it, I still have to cut down though and I will suggest to him that I come of more slowly this time. My counselor said she would phone him about this as she thought it was bad to cut down by 50mgs straight away.
Take care
Lesleyb

[joy]

Probably a bad idea to drop by 50mg so time for the pill cutter mate! still confused why the doc wants to cut you down if you are fine on 100mg.

Love Joy

[lesleyB]

Yes Joy I can't understand it either, I will stand my ground this time another month and a half on 100mgs then we will see.
Love
lesleyb