Posted by Harrier on October 27, 2005, at 11:50:14
In reply to Re: zoloft withdrawal, posted by shadowm on July 20, 2005, at 16:50:09
This is an interesting subject. I recently tried Zoloft for about a week for anxiety and the side affects were all what most have complained about. After experience a variety of traumatic events over and suffering from posttraumatic stress, a doctor put me on Zoloft. I don't believe my condition was as bad as most, because after only 25Mg, I actually experience complete relief from my anxiety. Then on the 3rd day, the side affects began. After another week, the medication what increased to 50Mg and I stopped.
After reading this post, I decided to try the advice below. Only taking 500Mg of L-Glutamine and 50Mg of 5-HTP (vitamin B-6 w/C). Very low. Just purchased about 50 tablets each to see what happens.
So far, I have experienced no anxiety or depression and just feel normal. My light headaches are no longer occurring and my sleep is very stable. I let the cleanliness of my living room, bedroom and kitchen go; but now I expect to complete cleaned and organizing it all today. I think a combination of getting in touch with recognizing what was happening and hopeful the small doses of this natural supplement maybe helping me.
My cousin is a physician in internal medicine and says 90% of the people that come to him for medication for depression /anxiety and decide to go to natural alternative return to him after about 90 days. Only 15% cure themselves from depression. According to him, the clinical tests are actually not very good and most of the people expounding their benefits have something to gain. Many claims are simply not backed up by any large studies. The only study on 5-HTP is a 57-person test and that is not very much at all. He seemed to feel Sam e had some studies that showed some positive results, but was more expensive and that were why it wasn't used as much.
I don't know if this is a placebo affect, but immediately I recognized my memory has definitely improved after one week. My mood appears more stable without any side affects, but don't believe I should make a judgment until 3 weeks have passed and the 5-HTP is in my system.
Right now the jury is out, because I don't have enough of a track record and my doses are so low. My approach is much more conservative and skeptical than most as I try this for myself.
This is the first time I have been treated or seem anyone for this.
One thing is for sure; the benefit of taking Zoloft clearly proved to me just how much anxiety was affecting me. I now recognize it after about two years of being clueless.
I will continue trying and if I remember will check back and report my progress. If there is a success, I feel it should a least be documented-even if it would be antidotal. Frankly I believe 200Mg of Zoloft, as mentioned below about the max recommended dosage and amazed a natural treatment like this can replace that prescription for that person. If that is true, that revelation has a lot to offer and feel it is ashamed there is no follow-up feedback from them.
If there are other people who 5-HTP and L-Glutamine has helped for depression and Anxiety, I would like to hear from them. I say that because I do see a lot of claims, but I really do not see many places where people have been saying they find natural treatments like this has helped them. Still I will continue my research.
If anyone has something to add a long this line, I would appreciate hearing your experience.
> > Out of all my medications i've been on, zoloft was the hardest to go off. I get nauseous and dizzy. I had gotten up to 300 mg, so I had to go down really slow, but at times that I went cold turkey on it, it took about a month to stop symptoms ( which isn't as bad as some, I hear).
> > wendy
>
> I was taking 200 mg/day. I found an article on the internet about natural approaches to boosting serotonin levels and stopped taking Zoloft "cold turkey" and started 2000 mg/day of the amino acid L-Glutamine, and one capsule per day of 5-HTP (with vitamin B6). I experienced no withdrawal symptoms, and continue to experience the benefits that I felt from Zoloft.
poster:Harrier
thread:454265
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/newbs/20050601/msgs/572387.html