Sharron Hudson shared a video showing her symptoms to raise awareness of withdrawal sufferers (Picture: Sharron Hudson)

Warning: This article contains descriptions of withdrawal symptoms and suicide, which some may find upsetting.

A mother claims coming off her antidepressants too quickly has left her with a debilitating condition which causes her to violently shake every day. Sharron Hudson, 53, was on medication for six years before going cold turkey in May, 2019, but has since suffered severe symptoms which make her feel like her ‘whole body is pulsating’.

The former carer has become so unwell, she was forced to give up her job, downsize her home and rely on foodbanks, leaving her worried that she ‘won’t make it’. Sharron said doctors insist she is not experiencing side-effects from withdrawal but claims she never suffered them before and have worsened over the months.



She told Metro.co.uk: ‘It feels quite taboo to talk about antidepressants and withdrawal.


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Sharron said she went cold turkey when she became ill after taking antidepressants for six years (Picture: Sharron Hudson)

‘The risks are not out there for people to talk about and you’re not warned before you start taking them.

‘I feel like withdrawal sufferers are an ignored community. You are left with despair, a lack of understanding and a lack of information.

‘People comment on these withdrawal support groups saying they want to die. I know how they feel.’

The mother-of-three’s comments come after campaigners and psychologists met with top medical officials in the hopes of introducing tapering medication strips on the NHS.

Many have reported that side-effects were minimised when using tapering strips, which work to precisely and slowly drop the dosage at the patient’s pace.

A closer look at antidepressant withdrawal In 2018, 70.9 million prescriptions for antidepressants were written and the number had almost doubled since 2008, according to NHS England. Yet, four in five patients said they had not been warned of potential side-effects, found mental health charity Mind who conducted a poll of 12,000 people. More than half of people who attempt to come off antidepressants experience withdrawal effects, while 46 per cent describe them as severe, found a Davies & Read 2019 review. Research found it is not uncommon for withdrawal effects to last for several weeks or months.

Campaigners are working to get tapering strips available on the NHS (Picture: justmeiself.com)

However, Britons currently have to purchase them online at a cost of around £60 a month from European sellers, which many fear will not be available after Brexit trade deals are agreed.

Campaigners say GPs have long lacked sufficient mental health training and do not appropriately warn patients of the potential withdrawal effects when first prescribing the drugs.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) updated its clinician guidelines in November, last year, to recognise emerging evidence on the topic, after stating for a decade that symptoms are usually mild and should not last more than a couple of weeks.

It now states doctors must advise patients that if they stop medication abruptly, or miss a dose, ‘they may have discontinuation symptoms’ which can be ‘mild’ for some, but ‘severe’ for others ‘lasting much longer – sometimes months or more’.

Royal College of GPs say: Chair Professor Martin Marshall said if a patient wants to stop antidepressants they are encouraged to speak to their GP about it first to work out the safest way to do so. He added: ‘The effects of withdrawal from antidepressants can be serious and need to be managed properly.’ ‘GPs are highly-trained to prescribe based on the unique circumstances of individual patients, and we prescribe antidepressants if we think it is in the best interests of a patient’s health, and following a conversation about the risks and benefits of taking the medication,’ said the professor. ‘The RCGP is working with colleagues at the Royal College of Psychiatrists and others, including patient representatives, to explore alternatives for patients who could benefit from a different approach.’

James Moore has been raising awareness of the issue through campaigning and took his findings to British medical chiefs (Picture: James Moore)

Despite the update in guidance, activist James Moore, 48, said medics often suggest halving tablets, taking one every other day, or switching to a liquid medication for a short period of time.

But he argues such methods make it impossible to accurately measure the dosage and that a couple of weeks is not long enough for those who have taken antidepressants for years.

‘The general public are not aware you need to come off them slowly,’ said the father-of-one. ‘Doctors lack the guidance and expertise to help someone who has come to the end of treatment and wishes to stop safely. [The strips] put people back in control – it’s liberating.’



James called his two-year withdrawal process the ‘single most gruelling most challenging experience of my life and one I was in no way prepared for by my prescriber’.

The father, who launched a petition to introduce the strips, insisted he is not trying to deter people from taking antidepressants – more that he wants GPs to signpost the potential effects during prescription to offer patients more options.

The father-of-one suffered with severe side effects for more than two years while withdrawing (Picture: James Moore)

Royal College of Psychiatrists say: President Professor Wendy Burn said tapering strips could be a helpful tool for patients who need to reduce their dosage very gradually. The board has written to Health Secretary Matt Hancock asking to implement a trial use of the strips in GP surgeries and psychiatric clinics. Professor Burn said: ‘We know from the experiences shared by patients and clinicians, including GPs, that there is a wide range of experiences of withdrawal from antidepressants. Although some people can come off antidepressants within weeks without major symptoms, other patients suffer from more severe symptoms lasting much longer. ‘It is difficult to know which patients will be affected by more severe symptoms and there is a currently a lack of guidance for clinicians and patients to support reducing dosages. However, it should be at a gradual rate that a patient finds tolerable.’ She added the board would support a national roll-out of the strips if evidence proves they work better for patients.

However, many like Sharron, were unaware of the strips and say they have greatly suffered after withdrawing too quickly.

The mother was prescribed sertraline, part of a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), after suffering a series of traumas.

Sharron said she told doctors she didn’t want to go on antidepressants while awaiting therapy, after suffering a bad reaction while taking them some years prior.

‘Within weeks I was in A&E after attempting to take my own life,’ she said.

‘[The medication] took me to a place of horror. I was walking the streets all hours of at night, I didn’t know what to do with myself.

Sharron said she wished she’d have known the risk of the side-effects before being prescribed the medication (Picture: Sharron Hudson)

‘But I was told sertraline, though it was similar to what I had taken before, was different.’

Initially she felt better but four years into taking sertraline, Sharron started suffering severe stomach problems and was vomiting up to 18 hours almost daily.

She found herself ‘constantly in and out of A&E’ but when tests came back negative she said she was sent home with painkillers and anti-nausea pills, leaving her unable to work most days in her job as a carer for the elderly.


After seeing others complain online of stomach upset while on sertraline, she decided to stop taking it having read that withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t last long.

Some days later her fingers started to go numb and she began experiencing ‘moments of uncontrollable rage’.

Campaigners say there needs to be more support offered to those withdrawing from antidepressants (Picture: Getty)

The mother said initially sertraline made her gain weight but four years later she suffered acute vomiting (Picture: Sharron Hudson)

‘I could have ripped somebody’s head off,’ she said. ‘My teeth would clench, it was scary. It could be anything like having no milk in.

‘I felt isolated, so confused and brain zapped – then the shaking began.’

After three weeks she went to the GP but said her doctor doubted the symptoms would be due to stopping the medication, as they wouldn’t usually last that long.

But the symptoms got worse and most days she now feels like she’s wearing a ‘tummy toning belt’ on her whole body.

Sharron said doctors’ dismissal to link her symptoms with withdrawal has made it yet more difficult to cope.

The mother, who has two sons and a daughter, aged 35, 31 and 26, said she has become practically estranged from most friends and family.

‘I shut myself off. I don’t want them to see me like this,’ she said. ‘If I can’t physically make my dinner, I won’t have it.

The mother hopes her story will help bring awareness to the issue and let others know they are not alone if they are struggling (Picture: Sharron Hudson)

‘I’m terrified. I don’t know if I’ll make it. It’s been life changing for me. I lost my job, friends and had to downsize my house.

‘I have to go to food banks but I need nutrition, I need healthy, fresh food because I’m not well.’


A doctor said he believes the shaking is caused by a functional neurological disorder, she said, but has been waiting for the results from an MRI scan in December to give a formal diagnosis.

Sharron writes a blog to help her deal with her difficulties and joined campaigners in calling for more awareness around withdrawal suffering. She hopes by sharing her story it will let others, who may be struggling, know that they are not alone.

She believes there should be more emphasis on talking therapies and longer term support for those who have suffered life-changing experiences.

Psychiatrists are now hoping to run a trial for tapering strips across the UK (Picture: Getty)

Professor of clinical psychology at the University of East London, John Read, said: ‘The incidence, duration and severity of the withdrawal effects of antidepressants have all been underestimated for decades.

‘Since our review (Davies & Read 2019) and the Public Health England Review, NICE has updated its guidelines. Doctors and patients will now be informed that withdrawal is common and can last for months or longer. This is hugely important.

‘The next step is to get the government to implement the PHE recommendations for withdrawal services in the NHS and a national phoneline.’

Need support? Contact the Samaritans For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.