Getting off Zoloft

[Pico and ME]

Originally Posted by Sundae

Pico, I had horrible side effects from Fluoxetine (Prozac) so I was taken off it after a week. But then I went cold turkey - stupid, stupid - on Paroxetine (Paxil) without withdrawal symptoms. I'd been on it for a while. Then again I never had physical withdrawl from alcohol or nicotine, so perhaps I'm not prone to it. (This is probably nonsense!)

I was on Proxac about 10 years ago for about 3 months and I don't recall any side-effects at all and when I decided to quit I went cold-turkey with no problem. As a result I was a vocal fan of the drug. Of course everyone reacts differently.

Originally Posted by richlevy

Be careful, some doctors will try the 'latest and greatest' when an older established drug will do as well. In some cases this is due to ignorance. Drug companies are happy to provide instruction in new pharma but have no incentive to mention that a generic works as well or better for a specific ailment.

Ive definitely noticed that about the last two of my doctors. They are pill pushers. I wish I could get back on with a former doctor, but she isn't taking any new patients. She really listened to me and worked with my input. (Well up until the time she wouldn't help me out with a few pain pills when I ran short on my prescription - it was a matter of not going over the surgeons head, but he was out of town and his nurse would not help me out at all. I was in miserable pain from a shattered disc in my neck and waiting on surgery for it. My husband was infuriated and talked me into dropping her after that. Im really sorry I did)

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Pico and ME

I was on Proxac about 10 years ago for about 3 months and I don't recall any side-effects at all and when I decided to quit I went cold-turkey with no problem. As a result I was a vocal fan of the drug. Of course everyone reacts differently.

And there's the rub.
I reacted physically and mentally to Prozac. I spent hours on the phone to the Samaritans, being calmed down by a lovely man from Preston (the Preston aspect helped, he had the same accent as Steve Pemberton). The morning after I got an emergency appointment with my doctor.

My suicidal thoughts ballooned until I could think of nothing else.
I was terrified if I called a heathcare professional they would commit me and I would never be allowed to leave. But if I didn't I would kill myself, which is also pretty final.

The odd thing is, it wasn't the lowest of the low of my depression, where I simply wanted to die, if only I could leave the sofa or my bed. And it wasn't the most wretched, where I believed I didn't deserve to live. But I think it was the most scary.

Horses for courses.

[limey]

Originally Posted by Sundae

...

My suicidal thoughts ballooned until I could think of nothing else.
I was terrified if I called a heathcare professional they would commit me and I would never be allowed to leave. But if I didn't I would kill myself, which is also pretty final.

The odd thing is, it wasn't the lowest of the low of my depression, where I simply wanted to die, if only I could leave the sofa or my bed. And it wasn't the most wretched, where I believed I didn't deserve to live. But I think it was the most scary.

...

That right there a some pretty plain-speaking description of the varieties of depression. Awful. I've never been that bad, but I do know it's not the sort of thing you can just jolly yourself out of.