Issues with Zoloft and Valium

[Happy578]

I need some guidance...

I've been taking Zoloft for about 6 months. I was extremely sensitive to it so I started at 12.5mg and increased my dosages by 6.25mg every several weeks until I reached almost 50mg. I've been at 43.75mg for 2 months and my anxiety (generalized anxiety, obsessive worry about health issues, agoraphobia) has improved so much with this and hard work in therapy. At the same time, I've been taking diazepam (Valium) and have been tapering off for approximately 9 months. Now I am down to 0.5mg 3x/day, which is quite a low dose apparently.

Last week I cut back on diazepam to 0.5mg twice daily. A few days ago I started experience increased hypervigilence, increased heart rate (at times), and mostly my muscles are feeling shaking all over my body. If I move around, my movements do not feel fluid. And at times I feel quite shaky. I feel pretty calm in my mind and in my thoughts. This feels more like my body is hyped up.

Is this withdrawal from Valium or a new response to Zoloft? (now that I'm taking less Valium). Does anyone have experience taking an SSRI and then trying to cut back on a benzo? I've never taken 2 meds daily before so this is new to me and confusing.

[salvator here]

Hi.

Not sure, could be withdrawal from the Zoloft though. Since you said you cut back only last week on the diazepam, its still in your body and stays in your system for about 2-3 weeks as this benzo has the longest half life compare to other Benzodiazepines. Are you sure you mean diazepam 0.5mg twice a day? I know you did say you are sensitive and this would be a really small dosage. Assuming you meant 5mg, I also had to cave and take 10mg a few days last week to even function at all from all the stress. I was up to (believe it or not) 200MG of Zoloft for a while, and coming off it was pure hell (everything you wrote - hypervigilence / Unsteady movement / Muscles weakness) ! I would say you are doing right by taking your time to slowly decrease the dosage to minimize the withdrawal symptoms.

Good luck and that's good to hear you are doing better overall with therapy :)

[Happy578]

Yay I got a response! Thanks Salvator.

I did mean diazepam 0.5mg twice daily. But since I was starting to feel so bad, I added back in a smidge at night, so it's 0.5 in the morning, again in the afternoon , and about .25 or so at night. But I'm still quite jittery with unsteady movement and muscles feeling weak, so I think you might be right that this is Zoloft withdrawal and not a benzo issue. Hrm....Maybe I should just stay at my Zoloft dose for a while. I have really enjoyed functioning close to my baseline for the past few months. I am always in a rush to get off medicine; I have some denial to work on still!

I was up to 100mg about 15 years ago and stayed at 50mg for several years and I don't remember having any issues coming off. But then again my body is different now. Thanks again :)