Manic Depressive Illness: When Withdrawal and Paranoia Combine-Or, Why It’s Impossible to Quit Zoloft
Posted May 28 2011 7:40pm
My hands were shaking, my face was pale and I could feel the bile coming up my throat. It was my first day on the job as a limo driver and I was suffering from withdrawals. I looked like a complete mess and I could barely concentrate- it took all of my energy to keep myself from vomiting all over the place. The reason I was going through withdrawals, was that my GP decided I needed to reduce my Zoloft intake by 100mg (at the time I was taking 250mg of Zoloft a day). Unfortunately, I was never informed that Zoloft was addictive. In fact, when the GP first prescribed me Zoloft (for depression, OCD and agoraphobia-this was way before I was diagnosed with Manic Depressive Illness, so instead of seeking help from psychologist, I turned to my family’s doctor for help) she adamantly stated that it was not addictive. I was desperate for help, so I blindly accepted the doctor’s claim.
That was a mistake.
Instead of spending a few minutes researching the side-effects of Zoloft, I relied on a family doctor to determine what was best for my mental health. It’s been over three years since I started Zoloft- I’ve tried to quit a couple of times, however, the withdrawals are too intense (I was addicted to oxycodone for awhile, and that withdrawal paled in comparison to the Zoloft withdrawal).
I’m stuck.
That is all I can write at the moment. I want to end this post with a question and possible discussion: How many of you have experienced medication withdrawals (or other potentially harmful medication experiences) and how has that impacted your life?
My hands were shaking, my face was pale and I could feel the bile coming up my throat. It was my first day on the job as a limo driver and I was suffering from withdrawals. I looked like a complete mess and I could barely concentrate- it took all of my energy to keep myself from vomiting all over the place. The reason I was going through withdrawals, was that my GP decided I needed to reduce my Zoloft intake by 100mg (at the time I was taking 250mg of Zoloft a day). Unfortunately, I was never informed that Zoloft was addictive. In fact, when the GP first prescribed me Zoloft (for depression, OCD and agoraphobia-this was way before I was diagnosed with Manic Depressive Illness, so instead of seeking help from psychologist, I turned to my family’s doctor for help) she adamantly stated that it was not addictive. I was desperate for help, so I blindly accepted the doctor’s claim.
That was a mistake.
Instead of spending a few minutes researching the side-effects of Zoloft, I relied on a family doctor to determine what was best for my mental health. It’s been over three years since I started Zoloft- I’ve tried to quit a couple of times, however, the withdrawals are too intense (I was addicted to oxycodone for awhile, and that withdrawal paled in comparison to the Zoloft withdrawal).
I’m stuck.
That is all I can write at the moment. I want to end this post with a question and possible discussion: How many of you have experienced medication withdrawals (or other potentially harmful medication experiences) and how has that impacted your life?
Stay Strong!
Dave.