Scorelando Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hello, I am currently on 20 mg Prozac (off and on for about 12 years) and 50mg Lamictal (on this for the past 5 months). I was actually off all meds for a year and a half and did well until my OCD/anxiety (pure "o") got so bad so fast that i had to go inpatient. I am looking to stay on medication (along with other supplemental help) but want to be on the lowest effective dose possible. Any suggestions on how to safely go from 20 mg prozac to 15 mg and lamictal 50 to 25 safely? I have read about the taper methods on here with liquid but am confused and overwhelmed by all of the information lol I might just need it to be broken down step by step. I appreciate any help and really thank everyone in here as we are all in this together. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted March 24, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 24, 2017 Hi Scorelando, welcome to SA. It sounds like you were hit by delayed withdrawal when you had been off drugs for a while. Doctors always say it is a return of the illness when it is in fact withdrawal. The lowest dose can be very tiny, and tapering very slowly will get you where you want to be, whether that is completely off or on a small dose that has less side effects. We recommend tapering no more than 10% of the current dose with at least 4 weeks between cuts, and to taper the anti depressant first. Prozac can be tapered by making a liquid, or is available in a liquid on prescription, if your doctor will prescribe it. It is aimple to make a liquid, once you have tried it, it becomes really easy. You could taper prozac down a little, hold there for a while then taper the lamictal. It is entirely up to you how low you go. If you feel any symptoms of withdrawal stop tapering until you are stable. This does not mean that your mental illness is returnng, it is withdrawal from the drug. Your brain is working around the drugs and they need to be 'sneaked away' so the brain doesn't feel it. Here is the link for tapering prozac http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/759-tips-for-tapering-off-prozac-fluoxetine/ And lamictal http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1122-tips-for-tapering-off-lamictal-lamotrigine/ We ask all our members to fill out their signature with their drug history, most important the most recent doses. All drugs including supplements as sometimes there are reactions. You can find instructions how to do that here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/12364-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
nz11 Posted January 12, 2018 Share Posted January 12, 2018 Do you need anymore help with tapering Scorelando? Any questions on those excellent links from mammaP Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
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