Hi all,
I've been visiting this website off and on last year since deciding to wean myself off Zoloft. I'd been on Zoloft for about 3 years with good effect on my mood, PMDD and attitude to life. However, it came to a point (1 year after starting) when it was making me insomniac and making me grind my teeth in sleep. I also felt like my mind was racing and I couldn't concentrate well. Not to mention, I'd put on at least 20 pounds during this time.
5-HTP and Phosphatidyl Serine - These got me through a difficult withdrawal period. 5-HTP helped with the rapidly plunging moods, but I was getting electric zaps, constantly felt like I had cholinergic gaps and that my brain was "not all together". That's when I added Phosphatidyl Serine and that seemed to help with "putting my brain back together". All this while too, I'd added a good multi-vit, and supplemented with Magnesium as recommended in many books I'd read.
2 months later, the withdrawal was over, but I started to feel as I'd felt pre-Zoloft. Fearful, agitated, easy to anger, sensitive and easily hurt.
I thought 5-HTP had petered out on me.
At this point, I almost went back on Zoloft, but thanks to a family member who urged me to persevere a bit more, I hung on in there. Make no mistake though, my family was very, very frustrated with me at that time because of my tantrums and crying bouts, but still encouraged me to hang on in there if staying drug-free was my long-term goal.
I turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture which seemed to help only somewhat with my ongoing insomnia and low moods.
BUT, what I'd forgotten about while on TCM though was the 5-HTP. Yeah, I actually thought I shouldn't mix healing modalities, but now I realise that doesn't have to be the case!
5-HTP is your body's raw material to make serotonin which is often deficient in people with the type of depression that responds well to SSRI anti-depressants. I now realise I should just have continued with the 5-HTP, while at the same time using TCM to help my body achieve balance and homeostasis. TCM also helped my liver detox, allowing my multivits and 5-HTP to better wield its intended effects.
In anycase, I'm now glad to have figured that out.
Rhodiola Rosea - Since a month ago, I also take this at the beginning of the day and I've found it to be really helpful for anxiety! It worked right from the first day. At first, I thought it might just have been a placebo effect. But after continuing with it for a week or two, I continued to feel better in the sense of being less fearful and anxious. The effects have now plateaued for me but it's already helped me quite a bit, so I'm not complaining.
This has been my experience 4-5 months after stopping Zoloft. Not everybody's body is going to respond the same, but sure hope my little spiel here may be of use to some.
I've been visiting this website off and on last year since deciding to wean myself off Zoloft. I'd been on Zoloft for about 3 years with good effect on my mood, PMDD and attitude to life. However, it came to a point (1 year after starting) when it was making me insomniac and making me grind my teeth in sleep. I also felt like my mind was racing and I couldn't concentrate well. Not to mention, I'd put on at least 20 pounds during this time.
5-HTP and Phosphatidyl Serine - These got me through a difficult withdrawal period. 5-HTP helped with the rapidly plunging moods, but I was getting electric zaps, constantly felt like I had cholinergic gaps and that my brain was "not all together". That's when I added Phosphatidyl Serine and that seemed to help with "putting my brain back together". All this while too, I'd added a good multi-vit, and supplemented with Magnesium as recommended in many books I'd read.
2 months later, the withdrawal was over, but I started to feel as I'd felt pre-Zoloft. Fearful, agitated, easy to anger, sensitive and easily hurt.
I thought 5-HTP had petered out on me.
At this point, I almost went back on Zoloft, but thanks to a family member who urged me to persevere a bit more, I hung on in there. Make no mistake though, my family was very, very frustrated with me at that time because of my tantrums and crying bouts, but still encouraged me to hang on in there if staying drug-free was my long-term goal.
I turned to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and acupuncture which seemed to help only somewhat with my ongoing insomnia and low moods.
BUT, what I'd forgotten about while on TCM though was the 5-HTP. Yeah, I actually thought I shouldn't mix healing modalities, but now I realise that doesn't have to be the case!
5-HTP is your body's raw material to make serotonin which is often deficient in people with the type of depression that responds well to SSRI anti-depressants. I now realise I should just have continued with the 5-HTP, while at the same time using TCM to help my body achieve balance and homeostasis. TCM also helped my liver detox, allowing my multivits and 5-HTP to better wield its intended effects.
In anycase, I'm now glad to have figured that out.
Rhodiola Rosea - Since a month ago, I also take this at the beginning of the day and I've found it to be really helpful for anxiety! It worked right from the first day. At first, I thought it might just have been a placebo effect. But after continuing with it for a week or two, I continued to feel better in the sense of being less fearful and anxious. The effects have now plateaued for me but it's already helped me quite a bit, so I'm not complaining.
This has been my experience 4-5 months after stopping Zoloft. Not everybody's body is going to respond the same, but sure hope my little spiel here may be of use to some.