Withdrawal Symptoms 4 Wks After Finishing Taper

October 3, 2026··

I was on Zoloft for a year, topping out at 100mg. Decided to come off it and followed the 3 month taper schedule prescribed. After the final dose, my primary symptoms in the first couple of weeks were irritability and brain zaps. Now I’m at the 4 week mark and those have both passed, but suddenly I feel like I have the flu- stomach cramps, bloating, body aches, weakness and fatigue. All of the threads and articles I’ve read describe these types of symptoms in the first 1-3 weeks. Does anyone have experience with flu symptoms developing after a whole month, or is it more likely I’m just sick with a virus?

Zoloft — 0mg — 1 year — completed taper

2 Replies

⭐

Catina1h ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @AmyLyn, welcome! I'm sorry you're dealing with these symptoms. Were you reading threads and articles from Taper Community? Yes, these things can hit during the first 1-3 weeks, but sometimes symptoms can hit later on too. Everyone is different. Have you had a chance to read the information we have about flu-like symptoms? If not, here are the links: https://taper.community/thread/e8560e38-cda2-480b-a526-f1fe6fe33082 https://taper.community/resources/blog/flu-like-symptoms-during-antidepressant-withdrawal I hope things ease up for you soon. Catina ❤️

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

anne noni moss27m ago

WelcomerPaxil · holding

@AmyLyn ...I have learned to take all the symptoms and their timing with a grain of salt. They are helpful, to be sure, but not everyone fits neatly into the boxes. This is all anecdotal evidence. It has saved my life, but often, I just don't the full profile. For instance, my rebound anxiety doesn't hit for several MONTHS after my last dose. So I reinstate. So my taper will look different than the best guidelines we have. I am a delayed responder if every way. Part of what this forum does, in my view, is collect data---many of us are "outliers" and have symptoms the books haven't dealt with yet. But there will be new books, updated books, more help, new research, etc. I guess I'm saying, trust your body, and your intuition. If the symptoms are ones you never had before, or are super more intense than you ever had before, it's probably withdrawal--no matter when it occurs. We are pioneers!

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

Join the conversation

Need a clinician who understands tapering?

Browse our map of deprescribing-informed providers worldwide.

Find a Deprescriber