What happens if stop taking zoloft

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs are fairly well known for having a discontinuation syndrome when the medication is stopped suddenly or if it is rapidly weaned. This is more notable with SSRIs with shorter half-lives such as Paxil paroxetine and Zoloft sertraline and less common with long half-life medications, such as Prozac fluoxetine.

Zoloft has a half-life of about one day. That means that for every day that passes without taking the medication, the level in the blood falls by 50 percent. After one day, the level is reduced to 50 percent of the original level, after two days to 25 percent, after three days to Because Zoloft leaves your body so quickly, stopping it too abruptly can cause discontinuation syndrome to develop.

Among the symptoms that may be experienced are nausea, tremor , dizziness, muscle pains, weakness, insomnia, and anxiety. Most people also experience a sensation that feels like electrical 'zaps' that go through the brain. It is very common, but it can also be very disconcerting.

While many people coming off Zoloft have none of these symptoms, some people do have one or more. The symptoms usually last one to two weeks, but, in some instances, they may gradually decrease over a period as long as a year. Discontinuation syndrome may occur for anyone but is most common in people who have been on a medication for many months or many years. It can be unsettling for some people as the symptoms may mimic those that had you seek treatment in the first place.

Some people are concerned that, rather than being withdrawal symptoms, the symptoms mean that their depression or anxiety symptoms are reappearing. Some people will experience only minor symptoms and may not make the connection with the changes in their medication regimen, thinking that perhaps they have the flu. For others, the symptoms are so debilitating that they feel they cannot stop their antidepressant for fear of how it will interfere with their lives. The best way to avoid or minimize these symptoms is tapering off gradually.

The schedule for tapering off will need to be personalized for you based on such factors as how long you have been taking Zoloft, your current dose, and how you respond to the tapering.

In addition, your doctor may advise that quitting your medication at the present time is not a good idea due to your risk of returning depression symptoms. Be aware that there are not any hard and fast rules for tapering off Zoloft. One person may do it within a short amount of time, while another may take longer.

Some may even need to use liquid Zoloft or split their pills in half in order to taper in even smaller increments. Pills can be split by obtaining an inexpensive device called a pill splitter from your local pharmacy.

While no specific schedule can be applied to all individuals, a person taking the upper maintenance level dosage of Zoloft mg might proceed through dosages of mg, mg, mg, 75mg, and 50mg as he tapers off. And each dosage reduction might occur somewhere between several days to several weeks, depending upon how you respond.

The best way to avoid severe discontinuation symptoms is to reduce your dose gradually under the supervision of your doctor. If your symptoms are too severe, it may be necessary for you to wean yourself off more slowly. It is also used to treat severe pre-menstrual symptoms caused by premenstrual dysphoric disorder PMDD and obsessive-compulsive disorder OCD. Sertraline has a relatively short half-life compared to other SSRIs—about one day.

This means that within a few days you will have very little sertraline in your bloodstream. Short-acting antidepressants like sertraline can cause withdrawal symptoms, as your body is essentially "shocked" by the absence of the drug and your body is adapting to the change in serotonin levels. Sertraline withdrawal symptoms may persist for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks after your last dose. The most common symptoms include flu-like symptoms, dizziness, irritability, nausea, headache, insomnia and sensory disturbances.

Sertraline works by preventing the reabsorption reuptake of serotonin, thereby increasing your serotonin levels available between nerve cells in the brain. Serotonin, a neurotransmitter , plays an important role in your moods and emotions.

When you stop or reduce your dose of sertraline, these serotonin levels will drop, eventually reaching pretreatment levels. Withdrawal symptoms happen as your mind and body adapt to this change. The most common symptoms that develop during sertraline withdrawal include:. The full range of potential withdrawal symptoms include:.

For most people, sertraline withdrawal begins within three to four days of your last dose. The duration of SSRI withdrawal can vary, but you can expect it to last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, however, sometimes it can last much longer. Withdrawal symptoms vary from person to person. Some people have no symptoms at all, whereas others have symptoms severe enough to interfere with their typical responsibilities at home, work, or school. If you do have severe withdrawal symptoms, it does not mean that you are addicted to sertraline.

Addiction is characterized by the pattern of the use of substances in the face of adverse consequences. Withdrawal can happen to anyone taking sertraline for a few months or longer. To get a better idea of the range of symptoms and symptom severity, you may want to check out the Discontinuation-Emergent Signs and Symptoms Scale DESS , which is sometimes used by clinicians to measure the severity of SSRI withdrawal symptoms.

One method that people use to quit SSRIs is a medication taper. If you were to taper sertraline, you would gradually reduce your dose over the course of several weeks or months. While this is an option, some doctors prefer to switch their patients to a longer-acting SSRI before beginning a taper.

Because sertraline has such a short half-life, the amount of drug in your system can drop off quickly. Switching to a longer-acting SSRI, like Prozac, may help you avoid these unnecessary peaks and valleys. However, new research suggests that a slow taper stretched out over the course of several months may be more effective than traditional tapering schedules.

The researchers recommend continuing the taper until your dose is nearly zero—well past therapeutic levels. This means that by the end of the taper you may be breaking pills into tiny pieces or switching to a liquid dose. If you are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms, consider the following remedies:. Psychotherapy can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and help you better cope with your symptoms. You can treat aches and pains or flu-like symptoms with over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-nausea medications.

There are also things that you can do that might decrease your withdrawal symptoms or at least make them easier to manage. These include:. Vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplements may be helpful.

However, you should always review all of these with your doctor before taking any natural supplements or home remedies. One of the most important factors in SSRI withdrawal management is the presence of a social support system. Having people around who can help and support you through a difficult time can reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can make withdrawal symptoms even worse.

When your friends and family understand that you are in withdrawal, they will be more forgiving of irritability and mood swings. Depressed mood and lack of interest in activities may need up to weeks to fully improve.

Depression and certain other psychiatric disorders are themselves associated with increases in the risk of suicide. This risk may persist until significant remission occurs. In short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidality in children, adolescents, and young adults when compared to placebo. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age Adults age 65 and older taking antidepressants have a decreased risk of suicidality.

Patients, their families, and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggressiveness and insomnia. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should watch for and notify their health care provider for worsening symptoms, suicidality and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the first few months of treatment. Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists.

This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice. This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions.

Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein. The College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists disclaims any and all liability alleged as a result of the information provided herein. Search Close Menu. Sign In About Mental Illness.

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