Withdrawal Symptoms Caused By the Half-Life of SSRIs

[nic]

So I just met with a psychiatrist because I decided to go back on daily medication. I brought her my LONG list of meds. that I have previously tried and didn't like, and I told her that I didn't want to go on anything that will give me bad withdrawal symptoms if I stop. I mentioned that Prozac was the only med that I have ever taken that had few side effects and I was able to come off of (slowly) without any major problems.

The doc. told me something that I never knew. She said that the withdrawal symptoms depend on the half-lifes (lives?) of the medication. I guess this is obvious to some, but no other doctor has ever explained this. She said that Prozac has the longest half-life, so in a way, it tapers itself off so that there are very few withdrawal symptoms. Paxil has the shortest half-life, so that's why it's a bitch to come off of. Zoloft is somewhere in the middle (in terms of half-life and withdrawal).

Anyway, I thought this was interestng. (I ended up choosing Prozac :smile:)

 

[Deleted member 1860]

My pdoc explained that to me...also why he doesn't like to put patients on prozac is that it takes the longest to come off of if it doesn't work...he tries all of the shorter half-life meds first, then prozac if the others don't give any relief.

 

[disenchanted]

Currently detoxing off nortriptyline. Been on it 22 or so years. Sucks, but I've heard others suffer more. Worst thing is anxiety symptoms returning, and this odd serious gag reflex I have. I can't even hold a pencil between my teeth w/o nortrityline. Starting cymbalta. Thrilled to tears. Sorry, sarcasm is a side effect of my anxiety.

Good luck with the prozac though (no sarcasm there). I never tried it but after the horrible effects of zoloft doc thought not to try.

 

[nic]

Hi ScaredofLonely,

Actually, Prozac is the easiest to come off of because of its long half-life.

 

[2quilt]

Disenchanted,
What's the other term for nortriptyline? I was on Cymbalta for 3 years, and just got off 2 weeks ago; now trying to adjust to effexor xr. If anyone here has tried effexor XR with success, do you remember how long you took it before you felt good? I have been on 75 mg for 6 days and I am still depressed.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

nic,
What I meant is that if prozac doesn't work, then you have to wait longer before starting another medication. Whereas you could switch between two other antidepressants faster. Not that it is the hardest to come off of.

 

[Grama-Herc]

There was a mention of the horrible withdrawal from Zoloft. I've been on it 12 years and this has frightened me. Will someone please explain WHAT the withdrawals are like!

I would sincerely appreciate your explaination

 

[Yumeko-chan]

Grama-Herc:

I was on Zoloft for a couple years before I ran out (I'd gotten samples from the psychiatrist at college since having a prescription was so expensive, and so after I graduated I could no longer acquire any). I was on 75mg, and as I started running low I tried tapering it off to reduce any withdrawal symptoms I might have gotten.

It didn't work.

Three days after my last dose it hit me. Imagine the worst PMS you've ever had. I was so sensitive; I'd cry at the drop of a hat. Now imagine that feeling for three months straight. That's what my withdrawal was like.

 

[Nat]

I was told that Paxil was harder to come off than Zoloft and that Zoloft had less withdrawal symptoms. My doc did inform me that every type of drug would require a weaning period.

I specifically chose Zoloft because it is supposed to be easier to get off of. I hope so!!

 

[kers]

It's my understanding that to taper off an SSRI correctly and carefully, the tapers should be supervised by your doctor and will take several weeks. Remember, it took a few weeks for your body to adjust to the drug, so a good taper should gradually lower the dosage and let your body completely adjust before lowering it again. So if you lower the dosage and are more symptomatic, it is too soon to taper further.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Grama-Herc,
I was on Zoloft for one year and had to stop taking it because it was giving me horrible migraines. I quit cold turkey because the side effect was so bad, and I didn't have any withdrawal effects. So maybe you will be OK when you taper down off the Zoloft?

 

[cherryblossom]

There was a mention of the horrible withdrawal from Zoloft. I've been on it 12 years and this has frightened me. Will someone please explain WHAT the withdrawals are like!

I would sincerely appreciate your explaination

I have been trying to come off zoloft since the beginning of November, due to intolerable side-effects and no positive benefit. I took it for about 5 months, increasing the dose over that time. I have been suffering withdrawl effects since November. I have a pins and needles/ or zapping sensation throughout my body, if I drop the dose too low, too quickly. I was on 200mg daily but now I'm taking 50mg every other day, to stop the 'zapping' effects. However when I try to reduce further, the 'zapping' begins again. I also have bad headaches on the days that I don't take it, and as a result I'm taking painkillers on those days. I'm pretty emotional and completely lacking in energy most of the time although that could be the depression rather than the withdrawl; I'm not sure.

I thought that I would be okay coming off them and expected the tapering off to last a few weeks, not several months. The experience has been, and still is horrendous. Sometimes it feels like I will never be free of them. My Doctor has suggested I try to take it every third day, but by lunchtime the 'zapping' starts and I have to take it to get through the rest of the day.

However, please remember that everyone's experience with taking and withdrawing from antidepressants is different, and no 2 people are the same.