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. By preventing interpersonal conflict at home, you will avoid some of the negative social effects of withdrawal.
Sertraline, like other SSRIs, comes with a warning from the FDA about the potential for an increase in suicidal ideation and behaviors in children and young adults, particularly when medication is initiated or dosages are changed.
Recognizing the signs of suicidal ideation in yourself or someone else can help save your life or the life of a loved one. Call for help right away if you or a loved one shows any of the following symptoms:. If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at for support and assistance from a trained counselor.
If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you will want to talk to your OB-GYN or psychiatrist about the risks and benefits of continuing and discontinuing sertraline. There is a small risk of giving birth too early if you take antidepressants during your second and third trimesters. You may require additional treatment after the withdrawal period has ended. If you are still suffering from mental health symptoms, like depression or anxiety, you may require continued care.
Some people choose to stay on antidepressants indefinitely in order to prevent such an outcome. Other people choose other modalities of treatment, like psychotherapy. Researchers at Harvard Medical School and other universities found that psychotherapy reduces the risk of relapse in people discontinuing antidepressants. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline will connect you with staff or volunteers at a crisis center near you. The people on the other end of the line can help you calm down and figure out what to do next.
If you are hesitant to call, you may prefer to chat with a counselor. Most insurance companies have at least some mental health coverage, including state and federal plans. Stopping an antidepressant might worsen other symptoms associated with your depression such as headaches, pain, or insomnia. Additionally, untreated depression can make it harder for you to manage other health problems.
According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, pregnant women who have untreated or poorly treated psychiatric health problems, including depression, may be less likely to take good care of themselves during pregnancy.
Let the doctor who is treating your depression know that you are pregnant. And, of course, let the doctor managing your pregnancy know that you have depression and are taking medication. Together, you can make decisions about how to best treat your depression during pregnancy. Some people with depression stay on their medication indefinitely. Others are able to stop taking it after a period of weeks or months. This involves slowly lowering the dose of medication until you are completely off of it.
Talk to your healthcare provider about incorporating the following lifestyle changes to improve your overall health, lessen the symptoms of depression, and prevent it from recurring:.
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Look with us and learn how to remedy it so you can live well. Take this quiz to test your knowledge about depression symptoms, causes, treatments, and more.
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Learn causes, risk factors, and treatments for anhedonia. A SAD lamp can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal affective disorder. For women who take antidepressant medications during weeks 13 through the end of their pregnancy second and third trimesters , there is a risk that the baby can be born before it is fully developed before 37 weeks.
This is a potentially fatal condition that is associated with use of the antidepressant in the second half of pregnancy. However, women who discontinued antidepressant therapy were five times more likely to have a depression relapse than those who continued their antidepressant. If you are pregnant, please discuss the risks and benefits of antidepressant use with your health care provider.
Typically patients begin at a low dose of medicine and the dose is increased slowly over several weeks. The dose usually ranges from 50 mg to mg. Only your health care provider can determine the correct dose for you.
If you are taking it for PMDD, sertraline can be taken once daily everyday or intermittently usually starting 14 days prior to menstruation through the first full day of menses of each cycle. The liquid should be measured with an oral syringe or dropper which you can get from your pharmacy. It should not be mixed in advance. Consider using a calendar, pillbox, alarm clock, or cell phone alert to help you remember to take your medication.
You may also ask a family member or friend to remind you or check in with you to be sure you are taking your medication. If you miss a dose of sertraline, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is closer to the time of your next dose. Discuss this with your health care provider. Do not double your next dose or take more than what is prescribed.
Avoid drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while you are taking antidepressant medications. They may decrease the benefits e. If an overdose occurs, call your doctor or You may need urgent medical care. You may also contact the poison control center at Sexual side effects, such as problems with orgasm or ejaculatory delay often do not diminish over time.
Low sodium blood levels symptoms of low sodium levels may include headache, weakness, difficulty concentrating and remembering , teeth grinding, angle closure glaucoma symptoms of angle closure glaucoma may include eye pain, changes in vision, swelling or redness in or around eye. Serotonin syndrome symptoms may include shivering, diarrhea, confusion, severe muscle tightness, fever, seizures, and death , seizure.
SSRI antidepressants including sertraline may increase the risk of bleeding events. Combined use of aspirin, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs e. This may include gums that bleed more easily, nose bleed, or gastrointestinal bleeding.
Some cases have been life threatening. To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of sertraline. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.
Sertraline should not be taken with or within two weeks of taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors MAOIs. Sertraline may increase the effects of other medications that can cause bleeding e. Sleep, energy, or appetite may show some improvement within the first weeks. Improvement in these physical symptoms can be an important early signal that the medication is working. 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.
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