Hi, I'm Dolllie

Hi @Dolllie, and welcome! I'm sorry to hear about your struggles with tapering, withdrawal, and physical pain. Withdrawal can hit extra hard when you've been on a drug for decades and then taper too fast. Even at "low" doses these drugs have tremendous effects on the brain. Some people do find that reinstating a very small amount can reduce withdrawal symptoms, but you don't want to reinstate at too high of a dose. Here is some information about Reinstatement: https://taper.community/thread/affd8e83-2361-4973-8f07-76d16744448a https://taper.community/resources/blog/reinstating-after-failed-cold-turkey Muscle and joint pain are quite common in withdrawal: https://taper.community/thread/4b24f178-40ff-4176-bff3-44b116e205d4 https://taper.community/resources/blog/muscle-pain-and-tension-during-withdrawal I really hope things improve soon. Let us know if you have any further questions. Catina 💜

Hi, I’ve maintained 5mg Zoloft for 5 weeks now. I actually feel pretty human again. I guess the important thing is this level of medication has caused most of the debilitating withdrawal symptoms to end: little to no anxiety, pain or rage. My mood still fluctuates, pretty quickly, and I easily fly off the handle at my husband; I still have joint stiffness, especially in my hands in the morning, but that is also improving; occasionally wake during night from foot and or leg cramps. I have my next med appointment in 2 days, and expect to increase the Zoloft to 10mg/day. I’ve come to a place of acceptance that after 30 years of putting a drug in my body, my body now needs it to function ‘normally’, whatever that may mean. Bottom line, for 6 months my life was hell, with anxiety, rage and then pain. I’m 67 years old and don’t want to spend any more of my life like that. I now hope & believe I can find a new lower dose of Zoloft to stabilize my body, minimizing side effects, and be ok. That is my goal. I still find it very distressing that mental health drugs are so rampantly prescribed without proper education, including length of use, discontinuation, etc. Thinking of my own situation when prescribed Zoloft, I was desperate for symptom relief from depression. Maybe someone suggesting I’d be on this drug forever would have made me more resistant to trying it. I don’t know, but over 30 years of use, no medical clinician ever questioned its use. This should be concerning to everyone on any drug. I’m thankful for this forum for people like me looking for support with tapering off psychiatric drugs. It’s very needed. Good luck to all.

I'm relieved you're doing better now Dollie! I was very concerned about you. Please treat anymore updoses with caution though. Going from 5 mg to 10 mg is a big jump. If you feel like you're stabilizing at the 5 mg, you can always just hold there until things improve even more. When the CNS is destabilized and extra sensitive, sometimes more of something isn't necessarily better. I agree with your concerns about these drugs. Too many people are put on them with no exit plan. Keep us updated on how you're doing! 💕