Hi all 🙂

I'm so happy to have found this forum! Let me tell you a bit about my story before getting into how things are now.

I was prescribed Sertraline in 2021 after my nervous system became dysregulated due to a chronic illness, I was experiencing horrible anxiety and heart palpitations that prevented me from sleeping. My doctor prescribed 25mg Sertraline as she said this medication has the effect of suppressing the sympathetic nervous system, the medication worked very well and I was finally able to sleep and enter a relaxed state after months of hell. In 2024 I finally recovered from my illness and decided to quit this medication for good and for the most part it has been an easy process with very little issues. I only learned of hyperbolic tapering last year, I had come off the medication fully and had begun to experience major insomnia for weeks on end so reinstated, stabilised, and started a proper hyperbolic taper which has gone without incident until recently.

About 10 weeks ago I started experiencing back pain which I attributed to withdrawals however last week my immune system seems to have activated as well. Puffy and red face on and off, brain fog, waking with a sore throat, nausea, and very unrefreshing sleep. I went to my doctor and was brushed off, they gave me some exercises for my back and because we had recent blood tests for the month prior she refused new blood tests. I saw a second doctor who gave me a referral to an endocrinologist however was also rather unhelpful. I decided to see a physio a couple of days ago who thought it would be good to do some imaging on my back which I am waiting for the referral for, and she also did a massage which turned out to be a terrible idea because I woke up the next day feeling like I'd been hit by a truck! Extreme nausea and anxiety has followed.

It's clear to me my nervous system is dysregulated and I'm assuming the massage was just the icing on the cake to tip me into full on withdrawal but I would love your input. I think something is going on in my back that has activated my immune system and as we know, illnesses can kick off withdrawal symptoms. Do you think that is what has happened here? And do you think it would be worth reinstating a higher dose? The last dose I was stable on was 5.7mg however the back pain began about 5 weeks after tapering to this dose.

I do take some supplements: magnesium, probiotics, melatonin, and occasionally vitamin c. Have been taking these for quite some time. I also have been take NSAIDS for the pain, paracetamol on and off as well. I take zopiclone now and again for sleep but very very sparingly.

Everything is rather horrible at the moment so I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Welcome to the forum!

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are tapering and/or experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications and withdrawl syndrome. We are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice. We simply offer support and opinions which you could use as talking points with a medical provider knowledgeable in withdrawing off psychiatric medications.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here: Guidelines

 

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Please use the format outline here Preferred signature/drug history format

I'm so sorry to read about the tough time you've had recently you will find plenty of support here for sure.

16 minutes ago, SentaS said:

I'm so happy to have found this forum! Let me tell you a bit about my story before getting into how things are now.

I am very happy that you found us. :)

16 minutes ago, SentaS said:

I was prescribed Sertraline in 2021 after my nervous system became dysregulated due to a chronic illness, I was experiencing horrible anxiety and heart palpitations that prevented me from sleeping. My doctor prescribed 25mg Sertraline as she said this medication has the effect of suppressing the sympathetic nervous system, the medication worked very well and I was finally able to sleep and enter a relaxed state after months of hell. In 2024 I finally recovered from my illness and decided to quit this medication for good and for the most part it has been an easy process with very little issues. I only learned of hyperbolic tapering last year, I had come off the medication fully and had begun to experience major insomnia for weeks on end so reinstated, stabilised, and started a proper hyperbolic taper which has gone without incident until recently.

I am sorry to hear of your illness. Doctors often prescribe Sertraline to resolve anxiety as it can numb your emotions and reduce those feelings. Unfortunately the risks of adverse reactions, side effects and of course WD when stopping quickly are very high, I don't think the risk reward is there personally having once had a positive experience on this drug myself.

As you know when stopping a drug like Sertraline you must taper much slower than most doctors advice. For your reference our topic on tapering. Tapering Information

 

RI the same drug is the only way to cushion WD. I am glad it worked for you. Just so you have it this is our topic on RI. Reinstating an Antidepressant

I am please to hear RI helped you and your taper had been going well until now at least.

20 minutes ago, SentaS said:

About 10 weeks ago I started experiencing back pain which I attributed to withdrawals however last week my immune system seems to have activated as well. Puffy and red face on and off, brain fog, waking with a sore throat, nausea, and very unrefreshing sleep. I went to my doctor and was brushed off, they gave me some exercises for my back and because we had recent blood tests for the month prior she refused new blood tests. I saw a second doctor who gave me a referral to an endocrinologist however was also rather unhelpful. I decided to see a physio a couple of days ago who thought it would be good to do some imaging on my back which I am waiting for the referral for, and she also did a massage which turned out to be a terrible idea because I woke up the next day feeling like I'd been hit by a truck! Extreme nausea and anxiety has followed.

I am sorry to hear. All of what you descibe including the back issues can be WD symptoms.

22 minutes ago, SentaS said:

It's clear to me my nervous system is dysregulated and I'm assuming the massage was just the icing on the cake to tip me into full on withdrawal but I would love your input. I think something is going on in my back that has activated my immune system and as we know, illnesses can kick off withdrawal symptoms. Do you think that is what has happened here? And do you think it would be worth reinstating a higher dose? The last dose I was stable on was 5.7mg however the back pain began about 5 weeks after tapering to this dose.

Looking at your last few drops you have been tapering at around 10% per month, just over in fact. On these lower doses this is often too fast and we almost always hit a bump at some point and have to slow the pace down of a taper.

You could consider increasing your dose to see it this settles things for you. If you wanted to try this I would suggest going to not more than 2.5-5% of your current dose. So 5.2-5.3mg. Like RI updosing can be risky and worsen folk, it can help too so you have to choose what you think is best.

Personally as it has been a few weeks since your last reduction and you have felt a bit better before the back massage/treatment, I would continue to hold this dose until things settle down for you. We suggest an extended period symptoms of 1-3/10 before tapering further. (10 being severe, 1 being mild).

In the mean time this is what I would do if I were you:

 

-Stay Hydrated 

 

-Eat a good clean whole food diet, avoiding processed foods and sugars.

 

-Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and antihistamines and any other psychoactive substances.

 

Supplements are to be avoided initially, as they often irritate our nervous systems. Try to get your nutrition through food.

 

Down the line, you may wish to introduce Fish Oil and Magnesium. Those who can tolerate them have found them calming to the nervous system. Be careful try one at a time and start low and see how you get on should you choose to try them.

 

A daily walk is very important as much as you can manage, if you can manage it. Gets you your fresh air and Vitamin D does wonders for your mind!

 

You are very welcome here and I hope you find the site supportive.

Hi Chippy,

Thanks so much for your response, I will definitely keep holding at my current dosage. The anxiety has begun to come down, but I am staying with a family member so not being alone really helps to alleviate those specific symptoms. I think the hardest part right now is the brain fog and tiredness, I had chronic fatigue syndrome a few years ago which either went into remission or I recovered from (hard to know) in 2024. I desperately don't want to go back to that place. But the pain is a new thing for me entirely.

Thanks again!

1 hour ago, SentaS said:

Hi Chippy,

Thanks so much for your response, I will definitely keep holding at my current dosage. The anxiety has begun to come down, but I am staying with a family member so not being alone really helps to alleviate those specific symptoms. I think the hardest part right now is the brain fog and tiredness, I had chronic fatigue syndrome a few years ago which either went into remission or I recovered from (hard to know) in 2024. I desperately don't want to go back to that place. But the pain is a new thing for me entirely.

Thanks again!

Pleasure.

Sounds like a wise plan especially as you see things easing for you. Good signs.

Glad you have some support there. Good to hear.

Unfortunately these symptoms are all so common in WD. Give your body everything it needs to stablise and trust in the process.

It is common to experience waves and windows as we stablise, so don't worry if the path isn't linear.

Try to not worry about what may or may not happen. Keep the nervous system calm, take one day at a time.

We recommend looking at our Symptoms-Coping-Strategies area and in particular Acceptance is key - Why does acceptance feel impossible? which is a very important skill and continued practice to work on.

We all understand and are here for you.