Can you stop taking 50mg of Sertraline cold turkey?
By
Dr Natalia Marceli Stephanes (PhD)
Author bio
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes PhD is a Pharmacist with expertise in Drugs Administration and Toxicity; Discovery of New Drugs; Cancer Treatment; Biochemical Analyzes and Hematological Analyzes. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes’ Highlights:
- Pharmacist at the Department of Health of Santa Catarina State, Brazil
- PhD with a focus on oncology treatment
- Years of experience in commercial pharmacy
- Bachelor, Master and PhD degrees in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina
Professional Experience:
From her undergraduate studies to her Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Pharmacy, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has participated in numerous scientific studies in the field of oncology and onco-hematology at the University Hospital of the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Her research has focused on understanding the molecular and biochemical bases of malignant neoplasms and investigating safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives.
Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes has also served as an assistant professor of haematology for undergraduate students at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Additionally, she held the position of professor of Hospital Pharmacy at the Qualificar Technical School in Brazil, where she developed instructional materials for use in the Pharmacy Postgraduate Program at the Leonardo Da Vinci University Center.
In addition to her academic experiences, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes possesses a strong expertise in commercial pharmacy, with in-depth knowledge of medications, their routes of administration, desired effects, adverse effects, and toxicity.
Currently, Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes works as a Pharmacist at the Health Department of Santa Catarina State, where her role entails providing pharmaceutical scientific consulting services to judges.
Education:
- 2016 Bachelor in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2018 Master in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
- 2023 PhD in Pharmacy at the Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
The main publications of Dr Natália Marcéli Stephanes are:
Falchetti M ; Delgobo M, Zancanaro H, Almeida K, Das Neves RN, Dos Santos B, Stefanes NM, et al. Bishop Omics-based identification of an NRF2-related auranofin resistance signature in cancer: Insights into drug repurposing. Comput. Biol. Med [Internet]. 2023; 152:106347.
Feuser PM, Matos dos Santos PC, Cordeiro AP, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Maioral MF, Santos-Silva MC, et al. Antineoplastic activity of free 4-nitrochalcone and encapsulated in poly(thioether-ester) nanoparticles obtained by thiol-ene polymerization in two human leukemia cell lines (Jurkat and K562). J Drug Deliv Sci Technol [Internet]. 2022; 67:102924.
Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Walter LO, Perondi DM, Efe FL, Souza LFS, Sens L, et al. Synthesis of chalcones derived from 1-naphthylacetophenone and evaluation of their cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in acute leukemia cell lines. Bioorg. Chem [Internet]. 2021; 116:105315.
Duarte BF, Vieira DSC, Lisboa ML, Stefanes NM, Grando LJ, Santos-Silva MC. Características clínico-epidemiológicas de pacientes portadores de carcinoma de células escamosas de boca. Arquivos Catarinenses de Medicina. 2021; 50(2): 232–245.
Machado V, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Santos-Silva MC, Biavatti MW. Anti-leukemic activity of semisynthetic derivatives of Lupeol. Nat. Prod. Res. 2021; 35(22):4494-4501.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Yunes RA, et al. A novel sulfonamide derivative as a strong and selective apoptotic agent against hematological malignancies. Chem. Pap. 2020; 74:2965–2976.
Bigolin A, Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Cytotoxic mechanisms of primin, a natural quinone isolated from Eugenia hiemalis, on hematological cancer cell lines. Anticancer Drugs. 2020; 31(7):709-717.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Neufeldt PD, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Nunes RJ, Santos-Silva MC. Aldehyde biphenyl chalcones induce immunogenic apoptotic-like cell death and are promising new safe compounds against a wide range of hematologic cancers. Future Med. Chem. 2020; 12(8):673–688.
Perondi DM, Jacques AV, Stefanes NM, Maioral MF, Sens L, Pacheco LA, Cury NM, et al. A novel thiosemicarbazone as a promising effective and selective compound for acute leukemia. Anticancer Drugs. 2019; 30(8):p 828-837.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Argenta DF, Dotto MER, Santos-Silva MC, et al. PEO-chitosan nanofibers containing carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanoparticles loaded with pyrazoline for skin cancer treatment. Eur. Polym. J. 2019; 119:335-343.
Rengifo AFC, Stefanes NM, Toigo J, Mendes C, Santos-Silva MC, Nunes RJ, Parize AL, et al. A new and efficient carboxymethyl-hexanoyl chitosan/dodecyl sulfate nanocarrier for a pyrazoline with antileukemic activity. Mater. Sci. Eng. C [Internet]. 2019; 105:110051.
Maioral MF, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Zatelli GA, Philippus AC, Falkenberg MB, Santos-Silva MC. Miconidine acetate, a new selective and cytotoxic compound with synergic potential, induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in leukemia cells. Invest. New Drugs. 2019; 37:912–922.
Srefanes NM, Toigo J, Maioral MF, Jacques AV, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Perondi DM, Ribeiro AAB, et al. Synthesis of novel pyrazoline derivatives and the evaluation of death mechanisms involved in their antileukemic activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2019; 27(2):375-382.
Maioral MF, Bodack CN, Stefanes NM, Bigolin A, Mascarello A, Chiaradia-Delatorre LD, Yunes RA, et al. Cytotoxic effect of a novel naphthylchalcone against multiple cancer cells focusing on hematologic malignancies. Biochim. 2017; 140:48-57.
You can view some of Dr Natália’s work below and links to her professional profile below.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Natalia-Stephanes
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliamarceli/
This article will discuss stopping 50mg of Sertraline cold turkey. We will discuss the potential dangers of doing so and what you should do if you wish to stop taking Sertraline.
Can you stop taking 50mg of Sertraline cold turkey?
No, you should never stop taking 50mg of Sertraline or any dose of it suddenly without consulting your doctor. Sertraline is an antidepressant that gradually makes changes in your brain by affecting serotonin levels (1).
Just like your body takes time to adjust to the antidepressant when you first start taking it, it also needs time to wean it off. Stopping Sertraline abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms, which can vary depending on how long you’ve been taking the medication (2).
The longer the treatment duration, the more your body becomes dependent on it. So, always consult your healthcare provider before making any changes to your Sertraline dosage. Your doctor can help with dose tapering to ensure safe and smooth withdrawal.
This is important to make sure that you stay safe from rebound depression (2). Sertraline does take time to work, but it may begin to lose efficacy with time. In such cases, drug discontinuation and switching to a different antidepressant is important to prevent your depression from getting worse.
What are the potential risks of stopping Sertraline cold turkey?
The potential risks associated with stopping Sertraline cold turkey include (3):
- Digestive: You might experience nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, or a reduced appetite.
- Sleep disturbances: Sleep problems can include nightmares, unusual dreams, very vivid dreams, or difficulty falling asleep (insomnia).
- Balance: Some individuals may feel dizzy or lightheaded, making it challenging to walk comfortably.
- Overall discomfort: It might feel somewhat like having the flu, with symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, weakness, and persistent fatigue.
- Unusual sensations: Some describe sensations like “brain zaps” (similar to an electrical shock or shiver in the brain), tingling or pins and needles, ringing in the ears, odd tastes, or heightened sensitivity to sound.
- Mood changes: Your emotional state may be affected, leading to anxiety, agitation, feelings of panic, thoughts of self-harm, depression, irritability, anger, episodes of high energy and impulsivity (mania), or frequent mood swings.
- Motor control: Changes in motor control could result in trembling, muscle tension, restless legs, an unsteady walk, or difficulties in controlling speech and chewing movements.
- Heat sensitivity: You might notice excessive sweating, flushing, or an intolerance to high temperatures.
These symptoms can vary from person to person and can depend on different factors, like the dosage of Sertraline, the overall duration of treatment, the reason for drug discontinuation, and overall health status.
What is the best way to come off Sertraline?
When it comes to discontinuing Sertraline, it’s essential to do it gradually through a process called dose tapering (4). If you’re on a 50 mg dose, your doctor will typically recommend reducing it slowly (5).
If you’ve not been on the medication for an extended period, you might directly switch to 25 mg and observe how your body responds. However, for some individuals, even a 50% reduction can be too abrupt, and they may need an even slower tapering process (5).
The key here is to closely follow your doctor’s advice and tapering schedule. Tapering helps your body adapt to the decreasing doses of Sertraline, preventing withdrawal symptoms and ensuring a smoother transition.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed stopping 50 mg of Sertraline cold turkey. We have discussed the potential harms associated with abrupt antidepressant discontinuation and the proper way to wean off these meds to ensure your safety.
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References
1.-
Singh HK, Saadabadi A. Sertraline. 2023 Feb 13. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 31613469. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547689
2.-
Henssler J, Heinz A, Brandt L, Bschor T. Antidepressant Withdrawal and Rebound Phenomena. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019 May 17;116(20):355-361. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.2019.0355. PMID: 31288917; PMCID: PMC6637660. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6637660/
3.-
Fava GA, Gatti A, Belaise C, Guidi J, Offidani E. Withdrawal symptoms after selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor discontinuation: a systematic review. Psychother Psychosom. 2015;84(2):72-81. doi:10.1159/000370338. https://doi.org/10.1159/000370338
4.-
Horowitz MA, Taylor D. Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. Lancet Psychiatry. 2019 Jun;6(6):538-546. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(19)30032-X. Epub 2019 Mar 5. PMID: 30850328. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30850328/
5.-
Sørensen A, Juhl Jørgensen K, Munkholm K. Clinical practice guideline recommendations on tapering and discontinuing antidepressants for depression: a systematic review. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2022 Feb 11;12:20451253211067656. doi: 10.1177/20451253211067656. PMID: 35173954; PMCID: PMC8841913. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8841913/
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