What Happens When You Stop Taking Zoloft?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Stopping sertraline abruptly may result in one or more of the following withdrawal symptoms:

irritability, nausea, feeling dizzy, vomiting

, nightmares, headache, and/or paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation on the skin). Depression is also a part of bipolar illness.

What are the side effects of stopping Zoloft cold turkey?

Because Zoloft leaves your body so quickly, stopping it too abruptly can cause discontinuation syndrome to develop. Among the symptoms that may be experienced are

nausea, tremor, dizziness, muscle pains, weakness, insomnia, and anxiety

.

How long does it take to withdraw from Zoloft?

While tapering Zoloft, people could experience discontinuation symptoms for

up to 3 weeks

. When stopping antidepressants, some symptoms may persist for up to 6 weeks and occasionally may continue for up to a year .

How do I quit taking Zoloft?

Gradually tapering off Zoloft under a doctor’s supervision can reduce or avoid the symptoms altogether. Usually, sertraline’s dose is gradually reduced

over around four weeks

. A sample taper schedule is reducing the dose by 50 mg every 5–7 days to a final dose of 25–50 mg before the drug is stopped.

Will I lose weight if I stop taking Zoloft?

If you decrease your daily calorie intake as a result, you could

potentially lose weight by stopping your antidepressants

. On the other hand, if you experience loss of appetite with depression, and your depression comes back after stopping antidepressants, you may also lose weight.

Is 50mg of Zoloft a lot?

The maximum dose of Zoloft is 200 mg per day (which can be taken as two 100 mg tablets). Most studies suggest that the

most effective dose of Zoloft

is 50 mg per day. This dose is proven to be the most effective and tolerable dose for most patients.

Can I take Zoloft every other day?

Sertraline is

designed for use once per day

. It’s safe to take it at any time of day, with or without food. Many people who experience nausea and other side effects from sertraline opt to take it at night in order to limit these side effects.

What are the side effects of coming off sertraline?

Stopping sertraline abruptly may result in one or more of the following withdrawal symptoms:

irritability, nausea, feeling dizzy, vomiting, nightmares, headache, and/

or paresthesias (prickling, tingling sensation on the skin). Depression is also a part of bipolar illness.

What is the hardest antidepressant to come off of?

  • citalopram) (Celexa)
  • escitalopram (Lexapro)
  • paroxetine (Paxil)
  • sertraline (Zoloft)

Do you have to wean off 25mg of Zoloft?

Due to long half-life,

tapering is usually not required

; may reduce gradually over a minimum of 2 weeks if dose is ≥40 mg/d. Reduce gradually over at least 1–2 weeks; 50 mg every 5–7 days to final dose of 25–50 mg.

Is 25mg of Zoloft enough for anxiety?

The standard dose of Zoloft for

anxiety

is 25 mg or 50 mg per day. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these are the standard doses of Zoloft for other disorders: Major depressive disorder: 50 mg daily. OCD: 50 mg per day for those older than 13 years of age.

What does Zoloft do to the brain?

An SSRI antidepressant like Zoloft acts as

an air traffic controller in

the brain. It commands serotonin to circle the runway before landing, causing a critical delay that allows the brain’s neurons to more effectively absorb the optimal amount of mood-boosting serotonin.

Can you cut Zoloft in half?

Certain drugs for certain conditions—including high cholesterol medications like lovastatin (Mevacor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor), and depression medications like sertraline (Zoloft)—

can be split without reducing drug efficacy

or causing negative side effects.

How much weight did you lose on Zoloft?

One study found that patients who were taking Zoloft for depression and who were overweight lost anywhere from

0.42 pounds per week to 1.06 pounds per week

; one participant in the study lost a total of 69 pounds over 36 weeks.

Did you gain weight on Zoloft?

Like any medication, antidepressants in the class of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have potential side effects. For some people who take an SSRI, such as Prozac (fluoxetine) or Zoloft (sertraline), one of these is

weight gain

.

Is there weight gain with Zoloft?

Experts say that for up to 25% of people, most antidepressant medications — including the popular SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) drugs like Lexapro, Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft — can cause a

weight gain of 10 pounds or more

.

Rebecca Patel
Author
Rebecca Patel
Rebecca is a beauty and style expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. She is a licensed esthetician and has worked with top brands in the beauty industry. Rebecca is passionate about helping people feel confident and beautiful in their own skin, and she uses her expertise to create informative and helpful content that educates readers on the latest trends and techniques in the beauty world.