Coming off Sertraline

[RumbleFish]

Hi folks,

I was prescribed 50mg sertraline for Panic attacks, anxiety/depression. Previously I had regular CBT which kind of helped.

I'd been taking it for around 2 years. I found my sleep was being disrupted, waking 3am etc. Eventually getting back to sleep. My GP prescribed Mirtazapine instead. Took it once but didn't get on with it. Horrendous experience. Felt like I was in a coma and completely drugged.

GP then advised to just come off everything. This was 3-4 weeks a go but I'm feeling terrible. Up and down and all over the shop. Short tempered. Horribly vivid dreams.

Is this a normal effect to coming off Sert?

[Hidden]

Your GP wants you clean, one day of medications will in no way help you, you need to be able to tolerate upwards of five weeks before the medication will work. I would seem you are not patient enough and your GP will now wait, before offering something else

BOB

[RumbleFish in reply to Hidden]

I'm perfectly patient thanks. There's no way I'm able to be zombified on Mirtazapine. This is about sertraline and if it's normal to have these side effects when coming off them after two years.

[Hidden in reply to RumbleFish]

Your side effects can cause problems for a time, It takes five weeks for these things to work sad to say. We all seem to go through similar problems.

One problem is your Doctor may start to offer various other medications that do the same thing. The list of medications is not infinite, eventually you could run out of drugs that will treat you well, Generally Doctors do not return to past offerings, it is so very important you give the medications a chance to work

BOB

[Hidden]

Rumblefish are they going to put you back on another meds

[Gjkas]

When my G.P put me on Sertraline, i wasn't getting much sleep either. But when I did eventually go off to sleep i would suddenly wake up haveing had a terrible Nightmares. So the GP stopped the Sertraline and put me on the Highest dose Mirtazapine, which I couldn't handle. It was way too strong for me.

Then my G.P lowered my Mirtazapine to 15 mg which is much better. I have been on the Mirtazapine now for over 2 years. But I would never go on the highest dose again. I am on a lot of medication for a lot of different medical problems. Perhaps that's why I couldn't handle the higher dose Mirtazapine.

Don't Know.????

[RumbleFish in reply to Gjkas]

I've always been a light sleeper so Sert just seemed to interfere with that. Getting off to sleep was easy and always at a decent time. But, always woke up around 3am then I'd be putting the world to rights for an hour.

Like you, that Mirtazapine was way too strong for me. My GP said she'd like to get me off everything ideally. Which is good, as I'd rather not be dependant.

If these withdrawal symptoms will eventually fizzle out then I can deal with it along with CBT, exercise and mindfulness.