Afraid of taking needed SSRI b/c of past experience of weaning off of drug

[elf]

I was on effexor about 7 years ago for 1 year. i think it did the job so i decided to come off of it. b/c i was already on the lowest dose, weaning off was difficult. it took me SIX month to wean off of it. When I just stopped taking the 1 pill a day I took, like the dr recommended...it made me psycho, almost psychotic, and suicidal---not to mention the brain zaps i felt for a year. so, i had to open up a pill and let the 32 (to be exact) little pill balls fall out onto a plate and just decrease it by like 1 pill ball a week. you know the tiny pill balls inside of a capsule---right.

anyways, b/c of that, I am deathly afraid of anti-depressants of any kind. i feel like it is almost a conspiracy. although they do work, when you come off of them, you feel worse than when you went on them. leading you to believe you are still depressed, therefore you go back on them and the pharmacutical company makes more money.

have people had experieces like this with zoloft? i want something i can take if i get pregnant again. i want to be able to breastfeed on it.

what is it like coming off of zoloft?

[mom0810]

Effexor is one of the WORST drugs to wean off of. Horrible. I think because it has such a short half life.

Zoloft was not bad to go on or off of. You just have to go off very slowly, like over months, depending on the dose you are taking. It has a longer half life than Effexor, so I think it would be better for you.

I nursed both kids on zoloft and took it through one pregnancy. No issues at all.

[lness]

Zoloft isn't oo bad, I believe. (I took it for about a year as a teen, and I hardly felt anything when I quit.)
Also, I did a lot of research before DD, I was concerned about PPD and wanted to be prepared, and Zoloft came out as one of the best for BF -- compared to other options, much lower concentrations make it into the milk.

[balancedmama]

I had the same issues with Effexor. I'm currently on Paxil, which will have similar problems. Those brain zaps are just nothing you can describe, and so disorienting. I hear you on the fear - I had PPD with both children and with my daughter was terrified to medicate. With my son I waited too long but eventually just had to. I had a really good conversation with my psychiatrist about it. She had a few suggestions - one thing that has worked well for her in the past is to wean from Effexor (or Paxil) to Zoloft. Then weaning from the Zoloft can be accomplished more easily.

[azgirl]

Yup, it was a bit difficult to wean off of the Zoloft, but nothing like what you are describing. My dose was 50mg a day. After taking it for 7 months or so I dropped to 25mg a day for about a month, then 25mg every other day for another month. I didn't have noticeable side effects until I stopped taking it all together. I felt pretty crappy for about two weeks, so-so for another two weeks and at two months with no Zoloft I realized that I felt better than normal: less depressed than EVER and a lot less fuzzy than I felt on the Zoloft. I didn't much like the side affects going on or coming off the Zoloft, but it was worth it and I would (and probably will?) do it again in a heartbeat! Good luck!

[Savoir Faire]

First, I don't think it is a conspiracy, and this is as a person who has gone on and off forever. it's just a sucky catch 22 at times, though I can say that I have been able to go off meds and be fine.

I typically have a bit of ADD anxiety/stress that tends to send me over the edge (especially with two kids) and so I choose to keep taking meds so that I'm a better mother.

I had some troubles coming off Zoloft, but it did work when my Lexapro had given out on me. I remember crying, being super emotional and moody. I've heard of people having "brain zaps." I was on it while breastfeeding, though. I also took Lexapro while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Have you checked out Crazy Meds (the website)? It gives you the good, the bad and the reallllllly wonky of every med you can possibly think of.

Don't knock them all yet. Don't stay being depressed. I know it is hard when you're down in the hole (I've been very far down for weeks, months at a time when I honestly felt that nothing would ever get better), but you have to try.

I'd also suggest a good therapist who you can talk to. It is amazing what having a sympathetic ear can do for you.

Check out crazy meds. You'll be glad you did.

[annekh23]

I didn't have any problems weaning off Zoloft, I think I halved the 50mg tablets for a week or so and that was it.

I'm on Lexapro now, hope that one isn't a difficult one to wean off!

[LynnS6]

I think Zoloft is better.

I'm on Paxil, and am slowly weaning off. I was on Paxil after ds was born for about 18-24 months, then weaned off in about 6 weeks with no trouble. I've gone down from 80 mg of Paxil to 20, and will stay at 20 here for another 2-3 months to see how my system does. If it's OK, in Feb or so, I'll wean down to 10 for 2-3 months and then off. I go down about 5 mg a week and it's fine.

The other thing is that you might check with your psych as to whether there is a liquid form that might help. There is for Paxil, so that you can titrate down as slowly as you need to.

Finally, were you READY to go off Effexor? Your brain needs 6-12 months to recover and rebuild those synapes. Sometimes longer.

[Elecampane]

I just weaned myself off of Zoloft and it took me about three weeks. I found out I was pregnant and decided to get off the meds. It is safe but I chose to go off it. I was taking 100 mg and started cutting the pills in half for about a week. I had a few "brain shocks" and was moody (ask dh!) but that could be the pregnancy as well. Then I started taking half a pill every other day. On the off days the brain shocks were horrible and my mood disintegrated quickly...I felt seriously depressed. A couple of those first few off days I caved and took a half pill because I just couldn't take it. That stage lasted about a week, and then it was fine. Then I just stopped taking it altogether about 5 days ago. My mood has evened out some and I still get the occasional brain shock, especially when lying in bed at night, but they are so much milder now and fewer every day. So, I think I did it! Don't be afraid--zoloft really saved my sanity. I was on it for three years after the birth of my dd. I had ppd bigtime. I've taken lots of SSRIs in my day and zoloft has been the easiest to wean off of. Paxil was the WORST--wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

Good luck!

[peachsara]

I definately don't think that Zoloft is as bad as some of the others. (((hugs))) about the Effexor withdrawls - coming off Paxil really almost killed me.