8th Zoloft Update - 4.533,mg

April 7, 2026··

taper update

I’ve been doing double reductions, and honestly, I’m feeling the effects. Sometimes I have difficulty breathing almost unconsciously, like it’s hard to exhale. I also feel tingling on the backs of my hands and feet and stiffness in my neck, though it’s manageable. I’m going to try reducing by 0.03 mg per day instead of 0.06 mg. I haven’t been writing logs because I’ve been going through a rough patch, but these withdrawal symptoms seem worth reporting. According to the AI, it makes sense; it’s the nervous system being out of balance.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg

8 Replies

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CatinaStaffTrusted Voice2mo ago

Sorry to hear you've hit a rough patch. Double reductions can do that. It's good you're listening to your body and realizing that you need to slow things down. Your brain is having a hard time keeping up with the changes. It's crazy how long this journey can take, but it's best to go slow. I can only reduce by one tiny bead per month.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 18.56 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

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

Bettoben2mo ago

Thanks, @Catina ! I’ve been tracking my reductions, and this month comes out to around 8%, even though I’ve never gone above 5% per month before. My goal is to get through this as soon as possible. At my usual pace, I have about 140 days left, but if I double the rate, I could be done in around 70 days. Still, it seems I’ll need to be more patient. When I think in percentages, it sometimes feels like this will never end. The truth is, I really want to be free from this burden I’ve been carrying for years. It’s been holding me back from fully enjoying my work and everyday life. That said, I need to recognize how far I’ve come, it’s already been two years of tapering, I’m quite exhausted after dealing with symptoms for so long…

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Based PsychiatristStaffCommunity Anchor2mo ago

Hey welcome back! We missed you btw @Catina i fixed the @ function a little

Moderator/Support

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CatinaStaffTrusted Voice2mo ago

I understand completely. It seems to take up so much of our life! You're doing such a great job, so keep up the great work. It'll all be worth it in the end!

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 18.56 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

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

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CatinaStaffTrusted Voice2mo ago

"btw @Catina i fixed the @ function a little" — @Based Psychiatrist

That's good to hear!

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 18.56 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

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

JulesStaff2mo ago

"Sometimes I have difficulty breathing almost unconsciously, like it’s hard to exhale." — @Bettoben

Hi, Bettoben... sorry you're having a hard time. It sounds a bit like air hunger — I had that too. I’d stop and take a few slow belly breaths and it helped ease it. In my experience, taking my time with tiny reductions over a longer periods of time were more successful for me in tapering.

Bettoben2mo ago

"sorry you're having a hard time" — @Jules

Thank God the tapering gives me those occasional windows of feeling normal! But I see the end so clearly that I try to rush it, and it always ends up backfiring 🥲

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CatinaStaffTrusted Voice2mo ago

"occasional windows of feeling normal!" — @Bettoben

That definitely helps to keep us going!

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 18.56 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

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

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