Posted by Tanya on March 19, 2001, at 21:53:57
I've been on Zoloft for about 14 months now and have recently tried to wean myself off of it. I was taking Prozac for eight straight years before that - I started when I was sixteen years old - I'm 25 now. I have been taking these medications for depression and OCD. I think I have been kept on this crap by my doctor for way too long and don't want to take mind/mood-altering chemicals forever. As far as the Zoloft is concerned, I was taking 100mg daily for over a year, then went down to 50mg daily for one month, but when I went down to 25mg daily the horrible withdrawal symptoms began. As you can see, the decrease was gradual and within the recommended limits.
These are the withdrawal symptoms I have experienced:
- extreme anger for no apparent reason
- very short temper
- terrible fits of rage where I have thrown things around out of extreme anger and frustration
- generally miserable
- negative
- critical about everyone and everything
- uncontrollably mean and hostile towards others (normally I am an extremely kind person)
- irritability
- impatience
- fear
- sadness
- nervousness
- lightheadedness
- nausea
- headachesThere has been no increase in my OCD symptoms (which are mild right now anyway). All of these withdrawal symptoms were MUCH WORSE during my monthly bout of PMS.
The strongest and most upsetting feelings have been the anger, short temper, being terribly miserable, and acting mean and hostile towards others, all of which are out of character for me. All of these feelings have been uncontrollable and I feel very guilty, embarrassed, and ashamed for being this way. I've had to go back to 50mg daily because the symptoms were too horrible to stand and my loved ones were suffering as well.
My main fear about all this is that my brain is so used to being stimulated by a chemical after all these years that it no longer has the ability to produce and properly distribute the necessary chemicals on its own. I fear I will never feel normal without taking something. I'm afraid that I'm really a miserable, nasty, depressed, nervous person and I need to always take something so I won't be that way.
Can anybody tell me anything more hopeful than this?
Has anyone experienced similar withdrawal symptoms? If so, have these withdrawal symptoms gone away after discontinuation?
Is there a special diet or nutritional supplement program which can help me get over these withdrawal symptoms?
poster:Tanya
thread:56952
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010319/msgs/56952.html