Symptoms of Zoloft withdrawal (for me) (so far) (this is going from 50 mg/day down to 25 mg/day) (are we going to have a list of symptoms here any time soon?):
- Headaches
- Feeling like “What’s the point?”
- Thinking “Everything’s a mess”
- People keep asking what’s wrong even when I don’t feel like anything is
- Longing for the medication; tempted to take larger dose (not stupid, not going to)
- Tired
- Crabby
- Weary of everything that needs to be done
- Eating eating eating, especially sugar
- Hm, this is not so much different than usual
- But it is, you’ll just have to take my word for it
What I’ve been doing:
- Going to Target, breathing in the Target smell, finding little fun clearance things to buy
- Buying a million sale lip balms at my friend Lee’s Avon site (she gave me a free shipping code; I’m not sure how long it’s good for, but it’s REPFS). I got another Slick Tint* Glossy Wine, because I LOVE that thing and use it every day now, and for 69 cents I think I can spring for a second one for my purse. I also got it in the other two colors it comes in. Plus I got candy cane lip balm and holiday-decorated lip balms for stocking stuffers. Plus some flavors like marshmallow and jellybean and butterscotch. (Have I mentioned how much I love lip balms?) And two lipsticks at $1.29 each, and two eyelining pencils, and a 59-cent nailpolish, and a new moisturizing face cream.
- Drinking coffee with Peppermint Mocha creamer
- Eating creamy chickeny recipes, especially with potatoes and sweet canned corn
- And then having ice cream with fudge sauce afterward
- Or warm chocolate-chip cookies
- Or both
- Reading People magazine and US Weekly magazine
- Wearing perfume
- Re-reading Jeeves books
- Watching discs of My Name is Earl
- Squeezing Henry, snuffling his neck, kissing him, dressing him in warm fleecy outfits so he’s a cuddly snuggaroo
- Lying down and letting the twins climb all over me
* “Slick Tint” is such a bad name. “Slick” makes me think of getting my hair stuck in lip gloss. “Tint” makes me think “level of color appropriate for 8-year-olds.” Slick Tint is more dry than a lip balm, and in fact I have to put lip balm on over it. I like it because I put it on and it is just the amount of color I want: it makes me look fancy, but not too fancy to be wearing jeans and a t-shirt. And I don’t have to blot it: it soaks into my lips so I don’t feel all waxy-lipped and careful (“must…not…touch…lips…”). It’s lip-balm-shaped and lip-balm-sized, which makes it easy to manage. And it’s 69 cents (even at full price it’s only 99 cents) so it doesn’t trigger my hoarding impulses (“must save for special occasions!”). Hm, that is a little more than I would ever have imagined I could say about a tinted lip balm. To summarize: It’s not glossy! or slick! and I like it! a lot!
Big, calming, coming down off the Zoloft hugs for you. Target is definitely a good idea. They gave me a prescription for Xanax, but I was too afraid to take it. I admit to cautiously picking it up now and again.
Aww, Swistle, hugs for you!!!
Slick tints weirds me out too. I think the word “slick” in general is kind of weird and gross.
I love “(are we going to have a list of symptoms here any time soon?)”. It made me laugh. A lot.
Try drinking lots of water and eating lots of carbohydrates. Maybe I’m just weird, but that really helped me the time I had to come off of a similar medication. Also, if your eyes are doing the thing where they feel weird and jittery, a warm washcloth pressed over them for a few minutes helps.
Also, go to cuteoverload.com and look at kittens. :) Lots and lots of kittens.
you’ve so sold me on the lip tint. i don’t even USE lip tint but i feel like i MUST HAVE THAT ONE RIGHT NOW NO NOW NOOOWWWWWWW
It sounds like you’re handling the situation well. And retail therapy can help anyone have a better day. I love buying Avon’s lipgloss when they’re that cheap. I’ve never tried the Slick Tints. Maybe it was the name that turned me off. But I love your description of them.
It WILL get better. It will! I like your treatment options. Thanks for sharing. Those are good for pretty much whatever ails ya.
May I also suggest the gingerbread coffee creamer? It is deeeeelish.
I totally need a creamy chicken recipe with potatoes and sweet corn.
Mmmm…peppermint mocha…I had a witty comment for you but now my mind is focused on peppermint mocha. Mmmm….
I really should get some slick tint for myself.
Hope you are feeling yourself soon, but that you don’t give up Target retail therapy. Target is good with and without Zoloft.
Your list of comforting things made me feel better just reading them.
Have you read the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich? So worth the read and the laughs you’ll get by reading them.
Oh, Swistle. I am thinking of you today because I went to Target! And it was so glorious, the angels sang. And I got stuff from the dollar bins for half off!
And PEPPERMINT MOCHA! What will we do in January when they will probably stop selling this?
I wonder what it is about Target? Think it’s the big red target? I love sifting through their clearnce stuff to see if I have a coupon that matches. We got a bottle of marinade for 60 cents last weekend.
gee, sorry to hear such a lot of trouble coming off the drug.
I’m at a point in my own psycho drug taking where I can’t imagine ever stopping. But then again, I have actual chronic depression, AND issues with parents rather than just a psychotic and awful MIL.
Hope you are feeling back to your normal self sooooon.
I just started Zoloft last week. So far so good. The withdrawal symptoms you mention seem to be exactly what I tend to feel all the time!
I am glad you have identified some things that make you feel better, and that you seem to know that this is a phase and you will You! Will! get through it.
Thinking of you!
“slick tint” – too funny. The whole post was amusing and entertaining – thanks. See ya.
Oh, just came across this… you need a Serotonin necklace… sort of funny, geeky and cute…
http://www.madewithmolecules.com/serotoninnecklace.html
My first comment on your blog! Hi, nice to ‘meet’ you! :)
Target cures everything. I am sure of it.
I like the Slick Tints too. Also, you will like the Candy Cane lip balms since they have a nice strong candy cane scent that you can smell as long as you are wearing it. Okay, that doesn’t sound that great the way I typed it, but the scent of peppermint is supposed to be…motivational in some way. Supposedly. Allegedly. Nevermind.
That’s why I couldn’t get off of my effexor.
Except, I think i need it like, all the time.
Hopefully it will pass soon?
Make some more brownies?
*hugs*
Did you know that eating sugar is a sign of serotonin deficiency? It’s true. For me, the stronger-than-normal sugar cravings plus greasy hair = oncoming depression.
Hope your brain gets back on-line soon. anti-depressant withdrawls must be especially hard this time of year, what with the shortening days. Glad you are treating yourself well.
Love your coping mechanisms. Especially the Target and People magazine ones.
And you made it through your MIL visit! Whoooo Hoooooo!
I like the post. Glad you are aware of your symptoms and I especially like your cures. :)
I’m sorry to hear about all the withdrawal symptoms. You are one strong mama for braving them all.
I’m not even a lip balm person and you’ve got me craving some flavored glosses!
People magazine rocks! The subscription my mom got me for Mother’s Day was the best present ever!
Sara- I think so, too. “Slick”–eeww.
Melissa H.- I like LOLcats for that, too.
Erin- *adding to grocery list*
Nikki- On my library list!
Bunny- We’ll have to improvise by having our coffee with mint brownies.
Penny- I didn’t know that! Hmm.
everytime i read you write the words ‘creamy chicken dish’ my tummy grumbles and my mouth waters. errrr….would you be so kind as to consider sharing your favourite recipe(s)? i know you don’t want to turn this into a food blog, so feel free to skip it, but just in case you’re feeling generous and all empathy-full (hmmmm) for us other mums with young babies and kids with zoloft fantasies
clarification- i meant it’s us mums with the zoloft fantasies, not our babies and kids!!
I’ve quit Zoloft three or four times in my life, and going off, even super gradually, has been a Huge Stupid Bitch every time. I hope you feel better soon, and keep on doing what you have to do. I’m sorry it sucks so much, but you’ll get through it. I’m glad you know some ways to help you cope. Take care of yourself!
VERY IMPORTANT NEW MINT HERSHEYS KISSES OMG OMG OMG IF THIS SHIT DOESN’T CHEER YOU UP I DONT KNOW WHAT WILL
LOOK HERE
http://www.candydirect.com/bulk/Hershey-Kisses-Mint-Truffle.html
AND FOR AN INSIDE VIEW LOOK HERE AT THE VERY BOTTOM
http://www.lauracarey.com/kisses
I FOUND THESE AT THE GROCERY STORE TONIGHT AND CAN’T STOP EATING
I also got hot cocoa kisses mmmmmm
I’m sorry you’re having such an awful time getting free of the Zoloft. I recently stopped taking it myself and all I gotta say is after reading what you’ve been going through I’m glad I had no issues. I had more problems being on it than getting off it. The big Z gave me horrid headaches, made me feel exhausted all the time and definitely made me feel like I was separated from what was happening in my life.
There was a time when that was a good feeling. (The being separated from the happenings in my life, not the headaches) But once that chaotic time was over I didn’t like that outer space feeling at all.
Here’s hoping everything calms down soon.
I will NEVER let my mother forget the time she was trying to refer to buying those Slick Tint Lip Balm thingys (which used to be called Lip Tints, I think) and accidentally said, “I bought some Limp Tits from the back of that Avon book.” It was so funny that any Avon lip balm will forever be called that in my family.
Not to be too snotty (oh, hell, why don’t I just come right out & admit this is going to be really snotty) your post about thank you notes made me think of my favorite post-wedding thank you note experience:
We had given the couple a large serving bowl for which they had registered.
The bride (who was no great shakes adademically) wrote me a note that said, and I quote,
“Thank you for the lovely bowel.”
Oh, and as to SSRI withdrawal: I was able to quit effexor cold turkey by exercising 3x daily. I was exhausted as hell and even bitchier than I was exhausted but it was over in about a week.
Lots of water and get some outdoor walking in. That’s what helped me. You’ll be out of the woods in no time. Hang in there, honey. And if the withdrawal is really affecting you, you can always ask your doc about having the pharmacy make a liquid dosage so you can step down in much smaller increments. That was the only way I was able to come off Paxil and feel human…
I finally decided to place an Avon order. I too love lip balms. I can’t get enough of them.
I ordered several of the Breast Cancer Awareness ones.
I love that her site lets you pay by Pay Pal. That way I didn’t have to go searching for my purse to pay by credit card.
I hope you’re feeling better. Reading blogs of wonderful people like you always makes me feel better.