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Recommended doctors, therapists, and clinics


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ADMIN NOTE If you have any recommendations for doctors, therapists, or clinics knowledgeable about tapering or withdrawal syndrome, please add a post to this topic.

 

Here are other sources for doctors who might be helpful regarding tapering or withdrawal syndrome:

 

The doctors below have shown concern and knowledge for slow tapering off antidepressants and indicated willingness to work with patients on treatment plans including non-drug treatments.

 

Before making an appointment, follow the links next to a doctor's name for more detail and use search to see comments about the doctor elsewhere on the site. Unfortunately, many doctors have reservations about the drugs but think they know more about tapering than they actually do.

 

If you consult any of these providers, please let us know your experience.
 
If you do not wish to take any other psychiatric medications after quitting, they should respect your wishes. If you find they do not, please let us know and we will remove them from this list.

Click on their links to see more about these doctors:

PHYSICIANS

UNITED STATES
 
US East Coast

US Southeast

US Central

US West Coast

CANADA

IRELAND

UNITED KINGDOM

AUSTRALIA

NEW ZEALAND

FINLAND

DENMARK

NETHERLANDS

INPATIENT (RESIDENTIAL) FACILITIES

PSYCHOTHERAPY

If you consult any of these providers, please let us know your experience.


Midwestern Center for Anxiety and Depression -- Has anyone tried this program? I keep reading good things about it, but I'm sure its biased sources. I'm curious if anyone has tried it

Edited by LotusRising
updated

Extreme fear of death since I can remember/ severe anxiety as a child/ first panic at 10 which lasted about two months and reoccurred three years later and again four years later with each episode lasting months/ started paxil in 1997, switched to zoloft around 2002 then to effexor in 2004 for a month then to lexapro which I remained on until three weeks ago. Last dose taken three weeks ago. Just beginning to experience reoccurring anxiety , OCD and depression.P

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David Allen, MD

3173 Kirby Whitten Rd #104

Bartlett, TN 38134

(901) 758-8145

 

I've been corresponding with Dr. David Allen, a psychiatrist in Bartlett, Tennessee, phone number 901-384-8040. He sees patients at his private office one day a week. He has retired as a professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Tennessee.

 

Dr. Allen, a frequent commenter on various psychiatry blogs, seems to be very responsible about using medications. He says he frequently gets patients who are overmedicated and reduces their medications to the minimum. He sees through pharma hype.

 

He believes patients generally should take antidepressants for only 6 months.

 

He is skilled at tapering people off medications. Depending on the situation, he uses a 25% initial decrease but watches closely -- responding quickly to telephone messages -- for withdrawal symptoms. He will reinstate and taper more slowly from that point.

 

(I've asked him what the rate of withdrawal symptoms is from this initial rate of taper -- how many people he needs to reinstate and taper more slowly -- but he couldn't make an estimate. He says it's not common. He believes Paxil is the worst offender.)

 

His Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-M-Allen-MD/80658565761?sk=wall

 

You can also contact him through Psychology Today http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/david-m-allen-md

 

Here's how he describes his blog on Psychology Today:

 

This blog covers mental health, drugs and psychotherapy with an emphasis on the role of family dysfunction in personality problems. It discusses how family systems issues have been denigrated in psychiatry in favor of a disease model for everything by a combination of greedy pharmaceutical and managed care insurance companies, naïve and corrupt experts, twisted science, and desperate parents who want to believe that their children have a brain disease to avoid an overwhelming sense of guilt.

Edited by Altostrata
updated

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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David Allen is one of the good guys. I've been a silent admirer of his for a while. If only he were my psychiatrist so many years ago! Good to hear you're corresponding with him, Alto.

Been on SSRIs since 1998:

1998-2005: Paxil in varying doses

2005-present: Lexapro.

2006-early '08: Effexor AND Lexapro! Good thing I got off the Effexor rather quickly (within a year).

 

**PSYCHIATRY: TAKE YOUR CHEMICAL IMBALANCE AND CHOKE ON IT!

APA=FUBAR

FDA=SNAFU

NIMH=LMFAO

 

Currently tapering Lexapro ~10% every month:

 

STARTING: 15 mg

11/7/10: 13.5 mg

12/7/10: 12.2 mg

1/6/11: 10.9 mg

2/3/11: 9.8 mg

3/3/11: 8.8 mg

4/1/11: 7.8 mg

4/29/11: 7 mg

5/27/11: 6.4 mg

6/24/11: 5.7 mg

7/22/11: 5 mg

8/18/11: 4.5 mg

9/14/11: 4 mg

10/13/11: 3.6 mg

11/9/11: 3.2 mg

12/7/11: 2.6 mg

1/3/12: 2.1 mg

2/2/12: 1.8 mg

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David Allen is one of the good guys. I've been a silent admirer of his for a while. If only he were my psychiatrist so many years ago! Good to hear you're corresponding with him, Alto.

 

I don't think he is horrible and that is good he understands withdrawal although he doesn't seem to realize that there is protracted withdrawal. I have just never had as favorable an impression. He still drinks too much of the cool-aid in the my opinion. See his latest blog entry.

 

http://davidmallenmd.blogspot.com/

 

"I pretty much agree with all the points made in these comments, and I am extremely disappointed in Angell, because she has in the past discussed what is going on between Pharma and academia and raised many valid points. When it comes to psychiatry, though, she knows nothing. Antidepressants are among the most effective drugs in all of medicine. "

 

He also is very critical of Bob Whitaker's book.

 

Still Cine, I agree with your that him being my psychiatrist would have made a big difference in my life also. I wouldn't have been on meds for all those years.

 

CS

Drug cocktail 1995 - 2010
Started taper of Adderall, Wellbutrin XL, Remeron, and Doxepin in 2006
Finished taper on June 10, 2010

Temazepam on a PRN basis approximately twice a month - 2014 to 2016

Beginning in 2017 - Consumption increased to about two times per week

April 2017 - Increased to taking it full time for insomnia

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We have to take good doctors where we can find them. What I'm looking for is doctors who are sensible about tapering, not theoretical orthodoxy.

 

Dr. Allen is a gracious correspondent, and seems genuinely concerned about his patients, who tend to be bipolar. He's a specialist in that area. For all I know, they may be truly bipolar and helped by antidepressants. He's not a big fan of polypharmacy, which is a plus, and in his own way quite critical of pharma.

 

Now, how many antidepressant enthusiasts do we know who advise taking them for only 6 months? Dr. Giovanni Fava would be proud to hear this (although he's saying 3 months now).

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Dr. Joe Tarantolo, Washington, DC

 

A recommendation from ISEPP (International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry):

 

An MD who can help people withdraw from psychotropic drugs

Joe Tarantolo, psychiatrist who practices in Washington DC. 202-543-5290

 

(Also recommended: Mark Foster in Colorado, but we know about him already.)

 

UPDATE: Dr. Tarantolo cannot help with tapering or withdrawal syndrome.

Edited by Altostrata
updated

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Dr. Mark Foster, Greenwood Village, Colorado

 

Mark Foster is a primary care doctor in Greenwood Village, Colorado. He has become an advocate for non-drug treatment of so-called mental disorders and the restoration of healthy mood and lifestyle.

 

Dr. Foster's site and contact info: http://markfosterdo.blogspot.com/

 

Dr. Foster is a contributor to Robert Whitaker's Mad in America blog.

 

He is raising money for a clinic to taper people off psychiatric drugs and provide rehabilitative therapies (Here's a topic about his clinic plans.).

 

Other topics about Dr. Mark Foster:

 

WTF/Dr. Mark Foster terminated by employer

 

It's happening! Mark Foster is thinking of opening a psych withdrawal facility!

 

Dr. Mark Foster on non-drug alternatives for mental health

 

Dr. Mark Foster SPEAKS!

 

Mark Foster/Early Stage Kidney Cancer

Edited by Altostrata
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This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Dr. James R. Phelps, Corvallis, OR

Dr. Tammas F. Kelly, Fort Collins, CO

Dr. James R. Phelps

Samaritan Mental Health

3509 North West Samaritan Drive

Corvallis, OR 97330

Phone:

(541) 768-5235

 

Dr. Tammas F. Kelly

Depression and Bipolar Clinic

315 West Oak Street

Fort Collins, CO 80521

Phone:

(970) 484-5625

 

According to psycheducation.org, the author, Jim Phelps, and his colleague Tam Kelly advocate very gradual tapering off antidepressants.

 

Drs. Phelps and Kelly agree on this technique:

 

Summary: go slow, much slower than you would have thought necessary; and of course, not without your prescriber's direct involvement.

 

B. Guidelines on how to get off antidepressants

 

1. Educate/prepare the patient well ahead of time and repeatedly.

 

2. Chart GAF scores [a psychiatric standard, Global Assessment of Function, a single number summarizing how you're doing] over time. Sometimes getting off anti-depressants isn’t the right thing to do and can be used to identify “Sweet Spot” for dosing. For example, I recently had a patient who was doing poorly on 300 Effexor XR started when she was still “unipolar”. Took two years to wean off. Retrospectively I was able to see that she was doing best around 75mg. Charting the GAF at appointments and the Lowest in between is best.

 

3. If the patient stops them AMA [against medical advice] abruptly and they are doing well then leave them off. Watch for manic symptoms. (Sometimes patients get better despite our best efforts.)

 

4. If the patient stops them AMA abruptly and they are doing worse don’t jump back up to the whole dose. The longer they were at the lower without feeling bad before felling worse, the lower dose you can return to. You can sometimes use half-lives to calculate this. Calculate the dose based on when they started feeling bad. Watch patients very closely during this time, even daily by phone or at the office.

 

5. Warn patients that they will have mood swings if they do this. Warn patients that they will have mood swings if they don’t do this, probably worse. Warn them of this over and over again. The point is to try and stop them from major panic when they do have a down.

 

6. Slowly is best. The slower the better. I usually wait ... at least 6 – 8 weeks between dosage decreases. Prozac/fluoxetine can be an exception to this.

 

7. Longer if anxiety is a major feature.

 

8. Faster if they feel better as they decrease dose.

 

9. Longer if they have difficulty with dosage decreases.

 

10. Longer if they are doing relatively well.

 

11. Never decrease before a major event or holiday.

 

12. Avoid decreasing during times of major stress.

 

13. The pt can take longer if they want to take longer for any reason.

 

14. Reduce in the smallest possible increments. As you approach zero then take the dose changes smaller or longer. Get out that pill cutter. If you can’t get dosage changes in small enough changes do every other day between the smaller dose and the larger dose. You would be surprised how often this works even on very short half-life drugs like Effexor XR.

 

15. You can go faster if they feel better as they decrease dose, but not too fast. Look for signs and symptoms of mania as well as depression. I have seen both hypomania and even mania in a [patient with Bipolar II] who stopped their antidepressant without taper. This has been reported in the literature as well. Going down slowly also avoids manic reactions

 

C. Special Rules:

 

1. Effexor XR. If the pt can tolerate doing this then this is by far the best way to do this. Open up the capsule and take one more bead out each day. Rules 11 – 13 of how to get off antidepressants apply. Pour the beads out on a creased piece of paper and count out the correct amount of beads. Then using the crease of the paper to get the beads back in the capsule. [in my town I have the advantage of a compounding pharmacist who can make small doses from the patient's large doses and allow us to decrease

 

2. If pts can’t count beads or don’t want to do this then take out about ¼ capsule for 6 – 8 weeks and repeat.

 

3. For any anti-depressant you can add in 20 mg of Prozac, get them off the anti-depressant, then taper the Prozac.

 

4. Prozac is a special case because of its long half-life. I generally will drop of one day at a time when reducing dose, e.g. decrease to 6/7 days a week for 6- 8 weeks then decrease to 5/7 days a week. Prozac is also a good candidate for every other day decreases, e.g. from a dose of 40mg a day go to 20 alternating with 40 mgs a day [to make a 30 mg-equivalent dose].

 

(Also see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1218-clinicians-share-information-about-slow-tapering/page__p__11060__hl__share__fromsearch__1#entry11060)

 

 

Note: I disagree with the info on Dr. Phelps's site describing the biologic basis of mood disorders; please don't send me outraged pms and e-mails.

 

07/26/12 Note: Drs. Phelps and Kelly are skilled at using lamotrigine (Lamictal) to treat adverse symptoms of antidepressants. (They may wish to call this bipolar disorder, respectfully decline the label if you don't agree.)

Edited by Altostrata
added note

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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CooperRiis Center, North Carolina

 

For inpatient treatment and psychiatric drug withdrawal, if you have means, there's the CooperRiis center in North Carolina http://www.cooperriis.org/overview/index.html

 

It's a residential facility, quite expensive: $12,500 a month. It sounds very pleasant. One location is a farm and the other is in Asheville.

 

My guess is you might be able to stay for a month or two, get your tapering instructions, and then leave.

 

Their intention is to rehabilitate psychiatric patients with minimal usage of drugs. I spoke to Debbie there on the phone and she said they've seen people who are misdiagnosed and overmedicated. In those cases, they taper people off medication.

 

Robert Whitaker is one of their allies.

 

My guess is one might be able to stay for a month or two, get tapering instructions, and then leave.

 

The phone number at CooperRiis is (800) 957-5155, email: info@CooperRiis.org.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Pajaro Valley Sunrise Center, Watsonville, CA (in fundraising stage)

Pajaro Valley Sunrise Center http://www.pvsunrise.org/won't open for a couple of years. One of their directors is Janet Foner in New Cumberland, PA, also on the MindFreedom board -- http://www.mindfreedom.org/about-us/mfi-board/janet-foner-raffle. The site e-mail address is info@thesunrisecenter.org

James Joseph (Joe) Gallagher, M.D., a primary care physician, is affiliated with the center. With Amy Smith and Dr. Mark Foster, he recently spoke on "Paradigm Shift: What Should a Psychiatric Medication Withdrawal Facility Look Like?" at a recent grassroots mental health conference (http://www.power2u.org/creating-connections-through-dialogue.html).

Dr. Gallagher's contact information:

Dr. Joe Gallagher
268 Green Valley Road
Freedom, CA 95019-3139
(831) 728-0440

Edited by Altostrata
updated

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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For psychotherapy, I personally recommend

 

Dr. Mary Jean (MJ) Paris, San Francisco, CA

760 Market Street

Suite 945

(between Grant Ave & O'Farrell St)

San Francisco, CA 94102

Neighborhoods: Union Square, SOMA

(415) 979-8767

 

 

Dr. Paris takes a range of insurance plans. She told me she will work with people over the phone.

 

She's supported me in withdrawal syndrome for more than 4 years and understands it as well as anybody. She lost part of her brain to a tumor when she was 15 and has to deal with chronic symptoms all her life. She's personally found Buddhist meditation to be very helpful.

 

I've found her to be extraordinarily supportive emotionally. Her approach is eclectic and existential.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Paul Abramson MD

 

450 Sutter Street

Suite 300

San Francisco, CA 94108

(415) 963-4431

Call us 24/7

 

http://mydoctorsf.com/faq.html

 

Dr. Abramson is the founder of an integrative medical group in San Francisco. According to individual needs, he will very gradually taper and carefully monitor withdrawal symptoms.

 

He says: "If patients call my office my assistant can help them figure out if it's the right place, and set them up with an intro call."

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Dr. Joe Tarantolo, Washington, DC

 

A recommendation from ISEPP (International Society for Ethical Psychology & Psychiatry):

 

An MD who can help people withdraw from psychotropic drugs

Joe Tarantolo, psychiatrist who practices in Washington DC. 202-543-529

 

See discussion of ISEPP 2011 about Dr. Tarantolo.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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David Bransford, MD, Grand Rapids, MN

 

Itasca Psychiatric Services

201 4th Street NW ( South Entrance of Central Square Mall), Grand Rapids, MN 55744

ipsoffice@qwestoffice.net

Phone 218 327 2284 (voice message) 218 327 3173 (fax)

 

From Itasca Psychiatric Services Facebook page:

 

Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluations, ongoing psychotherapy, Case Management, for the full spectrum of children, adolescents, and adults

 

Referral by MD or Mental Health Professional only.

 

No Drug Reps seen. Strong concern about the overutilization of Psychotropic meds & over diagnoses of ADHD, Bipolar, & similar labels. In practice since 1977

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"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Our esteemed member cinephile has had good experiences with these psychiatrists, both near Boston, Massachusetts:

 

Mark D. Green, M.D.

c/o Westbridge Inc.

275 Mystic Ave, Suite C

Medford, MA 02155

 

Phone: 617-913-2971

Email: markdgreenmd at mac.com

 

Bill (Wm D) Slaughter MD, MA

49 Hancock Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: 617.233.8957

 

Website: http://www.wds-md.net/

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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I just got an email from an old copatient in a psych clinic who went on to spend 6 months at cooperriis. He had a negative report. He believed he was removed too quickly from his opiate sub suboxone, though this may have occurred at the first psych clinic and not cooperriis. However his chief complaint was that he was forced to work 6 hrs a day at manual farm labor which he said he was not physically capable of, he has ulcerative colitis. So he was outcast more or less and simply left to fend for himself.

 

His case may be special in that he has a bad scale of colitis. He is over six feet and weighs like 135 pounds. In any event he said he had a bad experience though he did say he met a girl with whom he had a physical relationship and that this was a positive.

 

Alex

 

Ps - of course he was not there to taper ADs. Still I thought I would pass along the gist of his feedback. He was a former Yale undergrad who got sick got a drug problem and now lives in Russia where he had his sixth surgery last week to alleviate his colitis symptoms. Good guy. Surprisingly bad chess player...

 

 

CooperRiis Center, North Carolina

 

For inpatient treatment and psychiatric drug withdrawal, if you have means, there's the CooperRiis center in North Carolina http://www.cooperriis.org/overview/index.html

 

It's a residential facility, quite expensive: $12,500 a month. It sounds very pleasant. One location is a farm and the other is in Asheville.

 

My guess is you might be able to stay for a month or two, get your tapering instructions, and then leave.

 

 

Do I read it right that the fee is twelve thousand dollars for a month? I think very, very few people can afford that, and surely not when one has lost his job due to w/d. Also I wonder what they can do in one or a few months time, while we know that there is no shortcut to w/d. Only the people who are still onthe drug or just so shortly off that they can reinstate will be able to get the right advice for tapering, but that is not worth tens of thousands of bugs I think.

I do not live in the USA but still think of consulting a doctor if the still very bad w/d symptoms really does not go away in the upcoming 1-2 years. Though I still postone it, one day a desicion should be made to stay off all drugs and be disabled for work for indefintite time, or treat it in an experimental way by a doctor who at least does recongize the problem. I tend to consider 6 years as the ultimate time for waiting it out.

 

"Well my ship's been split to splinters and it's sinking fast
I'm drowning in the poison, got no future, got no past
But my heart is not weary, it's light and it's free
I've got nothing but affection for all those who sailed with me.

Everybody's moving, if they ain't already there
Everybody's got to move somewhere
Stick with me baby, stick with me anyhow
Things should start to get interesting right about now."

- Zimmerman

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ADMIN NOTE: 9-Oct-2023 - Dr. Yang has asked to have her name removed from our list.

 

In her blog at http://www.inwhiteink.com, this doctor shows psychiatrists can be very sensitive and compassionate -- and concerned about withdrawal.

 

I am very pleased Dr. Yang has agreed to be added to our list of doctors.

 

Maria Yang, MD

[relocating]

 

Dr. Yang writes:

 

Quote

I can share my general guidelines for tapering medications, but please

please please note that this is not medical advice. When I work with

patients for tapers, I take into account many factors: current social

circumstances, involved family and friends, medical conditions,

hospitalization history, etc.

 

Ideally, the patient has some social support (spouse, friends, etc.)

who are aware of the patient's intentions to taper off of medications.

That way, there is someone in the patient's life (who, frankly, knows

the patient's mental status better than I do) who can help monitor for

any worrisome changes.

 

I generally do not begin tapers until I have known the patient for a

few months so I have a sense of their "baselines". Furthermore, I want

to build enough rapport so that the patient and I can work *together*

during the taper. (The greatest predictor of how a patient does in

treatment is the strength of the relationship between patient and

doctor, across all specialties.) On rare occasions I will recommend a

taper during our first meeting, but that's usually because they are

taking many, many medications that I don't think they need.

 

I taper one medication off at a time. Making more than one change at a

time makes it unclear what is helpful/not helpful.

 

Those medications that are the most "difficult" (e.g. cause the most

withdrawal or discontinuation effects, etc.) to taper off usually come

off later or last.

 

I also generally follow a schedule of 10% reduction every one to two

months. Sometimes cost becomes an issue: Most people don't like it

when I prescribe more medications (even if in smaller doses) when the

goal is to taper off completely.

 

It is vitally important that the patient keeps me posted with what

reactions (if any) they are having during tapers. Sometimes patients

start their own tapers faster than I recommend. If they want to slow

it down, I don't mind as much. Sometimes patients stop medications

entirely because they are tired of waiting. This is why it is

essential that there is good rapport.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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It turns out that Dr. Tarantolo is sympathetic but is not knowledgeable about tapering or withdrawal syndrome. I've taken his name off our recommended list until he gets some training in this area.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Disappointing.

Alto, do you have specific questions or methods to differentiate btwn docs who are aware of a problem and sympathetic and those who may have just mild grasp of the complexity?

 

I know we touched on the endocrine issues awhile back. I did not find one MD who would offer any thoughts, even theoretical, on which tests will show primary endocrine problems and not yield false positives or values masked by the presence, exposure to or withdrawal from ADs. I didn't word it quite like that, but the answer was always the same: not a clue. My next question is 'what are we going to do with the results of the tests?' I personally believe that is an appropriate question before any testing or scans except to establish baseline.

All to say, if they don't acknowledge endocrine involvement, they don't grasp the big picture. IMHO

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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No, Barb, grasping endocrine involvement is not the litmus test. Even those who get it about gradual tapering will hesitate to ascribe symptoms to endocrines.

 

Many doctors will say they understand withdrawal symptoms, even if they don't, because they ascribe it to "all in the head."

 

You need to ascertain their tapering techniques.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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No, Barb, grasping endocrine involvement is not the litmus test. Even those who get it about gradual tapering will hesitate to ascribe symptoms to endocrines.

 

Many doctors will say they understand withdrawal symptoms, even if they don't, because they ascribe it to "all in the head."

 

You need to ascertain their tapering techniques.

 

Stick to basics?

What causes some docs to 'get it', in your opinion and experience?

EX: the doc Crocus saw at Kaiser read Anatomy of Epidemic and, I believe, also had a nurse who had or was DCing. Why would an MD consider reading about medicine as written by a journalist? Just for the record or anyone who might not be familiar, I believe Robert Whitaker has a grasp on the data and science far beyond most in medicine. I report from personal experience in my family... it is very disturbing for a physician to realize that they have blindly accepted data that has been severely manipulated.

 

Im seeing this from so many perspectives, I need focus.

Pristiq tapered over 8 months ending Spring 2011 after 18 years of polydrugging that began w/Zoloft for fatigue/general malaise (not mood). CURRENT: 1mg Klonopin qhs (SSRI bruxism), 75mg trazodone qhs, various hormonesLitigation for 11 years for Work-related injury, settled 2004. Involuntary medical retirement in 2001 (age 39). 2012 - brain MRI showing diffuse, chronic cerebrovascular damage/demyelination possibly vasculitis/cerebritis. Dx w/autoimmune polyendocrine failure.<p>2013 - Dx w/CNS Sjogren's Lupus (FANA antibodies first appeared in 1997 but missed by doc).

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Barb, there's variation among doctors like any other population.

 

Some doctors may actually have noticed withdrawal symptoms!

 

I've talked to more than one doctor who said he or she had stopped prescribing Paxil because of the gruesome withdrawal.

 

My gynecologist and internist LOVED their gifts of Anatomy of an Epidemic.

 

Let's assume the best and most sensitive psychiatrists recognize problems with the medications, gotten curious, and done some reading.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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  • 3 months later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Good doc..Denis Moonan, MD1515 Smith StreetProvidence, RI 02911Dr. Moonan's specialty is geriatrics, but don't let this scare you away.. docs in the area are usually good listeners. He also trained as a pathologist, so is up on the chemistry end as well.

 

NOTE 10/20/13: Dr. Moonan is in poor health and not taking any more patients.

Edited by Altostrata
updated

As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule.

 

Requip - 3/16 ZERO  Total time on 25 years.

 

Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.

BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10)  Total time on 25 years.

 

Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section.  "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

 

 

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Thanks, Georgie. What's Dr. Moonan's approach to getting off psychiatric drugs?

 

LOL.. he listens to me and prescribes what I need to taper. I've given Dr. Moonan, who I call Dr. M., detailed printouts.. some of which he has read, others probably not so much. Dr. Moonan is a hospice doctor, so is familiar with many of the issues. My taper has been a 24 month odyssey and he has been there all the way. Sigh... now for the lyrica.

 

Georgie

As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule.

 

Requip - 3/16 ZERO  Total time on 25 years.

 

Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.

BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10)  Total time on 25 years.

 

Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section.  "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • Administrator

I am honored to have received e-mail from Charles Whitfield, MD, author of

  • The Truth about Mental Illness: Choices for Healing
  • Healing the Child Within: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families
  • The Truth about Depression: Choices for Healing
and other fine books about mental healing.

 

He also wrote the paper Psychiatric Drugs as Agents of Trauma (topic).

 

Dr. Whitfield asked to be included on our list of recommended doctors. His Web site is http://www.cbwhit.com

Contact information:

 

Charles Whitfield, MD

3462 Hallcrest Dr

Atlanta Ga 30319-1910

 

404-843-3585 9:30 AM to 7 PM

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Glenmullen is in Cambridge, MA.

 

1989 - 1992 Parnate* 

1992-1998 Paxil - pooped out*, oxazapam, inderal

1998 - 2005 Celexa - pooped out* klonopin, oxazapam, inderal

*don't remember doses

2005 -2007   Cymbalta 60 mg oxazapam, inderal, klonopin

Started taper in 2007:

CT klonopin, oxazapam, inderal (beta blocker) - 2007

Cymbalta 60mg to 30mg 2007 -2010

July 2010 - March 2018 on hiatus due to worsening w/d symptoms, which abated and finally disappeared. Then I stalled for about 5 years because I didn't want to deal with W/D.

March 2018 - May 2018 switch from 30mg Cymbalta to 20mg Celexa 

19 mg Celexa October 7, 2018

18 mg Celexa November 5, 2018

17 mg Celexa  December 2, 2019

16 mg Celexa January 6, 2018 

15 mg Celexa March 7, 2019

14 mg Celexa April 24, 2019

13 mg Celexa June 28, 2019

12.8 mg Celexa November 10, 2019

12.4 Celexa August 31, 2020

12.2 Celexa December 28, 2020

12 mg Celexa March 2021

11 mg  Celexa February 2023

 

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Thank you, psychfree.

Dr. Stuart Shipko has agreed to be listed as a doctor who will help patients weaning off psychiatric medications.

He says most of his practice is doing this.

 

Dr. Shipko is extremely cautious but also extremely knowledgeable. He has an extensive informed consent process: He will make sure you know that there are no easy answers, and outcomes are variable. He will want you to be fully informed about whatever decision you make.

 

He is no longer certifying disability, but with your permission, he can share his diagnosis with other doctors who can do the paperwork.

 

He has expressed a great deal of outrage about overdrugging and doctors' blindness to adverse effects.

Read posts about Dr. Shipko here:
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/677-communications-with-dr-stuart-shipko/page__p__12377#entry12377
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1133-dr-peter-breggins-radio-program/page__view__findpost__p__10076
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/973-doctors-who-will-diagnose-drug-withdrawal/page__view__findpost__p__8485
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/786-papers-about-post-ssri-sexual-disorder-pssd/page__view__findpost__p__6753

www.stuartshipko.com
Stuart Shipko, M.D. Psychiatry and Neurology
97 W. Bellevue Dr., Pasadena, CA 91105
phone: 626 577 8290
fax: 626-795-3527

Edited by Altostrata
updated

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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I haven't read Glenmullen, but believe he is highly regarded. Where is he located?

 

I don't have a location. I just saw hi book advertised on a different webpage

 

I read his book about a year ago.. his taper rates are faster than followed here. Too aggressive for many.

As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule.

 

Requip - 3/16 ZERO  Total time on 25 years.

 

Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.

BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10)  Total time on 25 years.

 

Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section.  "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

 

 

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Dr. Glenmullen is very well respected. He's a pioneer in tapering.

 

His taper rates may well be suited to the average person -- most do not have extensive difficulty reducing dosage. His books also exhaustively explain withdrawal symptoms and to updose or slow tapering if they occur.

 

If doctors read his books and absorbed even a quarter of the advice in them, we'd all be a lot better off.

 

I don't know if he's taking private patients. If someone could contact him and see if he'd agree to be listed in this topic, I'd appreciate it!

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Does anyone know of Any good doctors in Canada? I could really benefit from seeing someone who understands my situation.

1998-2013 Various antidepressants switches and CTs.

Benzo addiction unknowingly trying to cover withdrawals in 2011

January 2012,, 25 mg Zoloft , March 2012, Remeron 7.5 to sleep and 1 mg Clonazepam.

Tapered Clonazepam from April to June 2012 from 1 mg to .25 mg (stuck)

September to October 2012 tapered Remeron 7.5 mg to 5 mg. December upped to .75 mg Clonazepam due to mothers passing of cancer.

February 2013 to December 2013 tapered off 25 mg Zoloft

January 2014 to March 2014 tapered off 5 mg Remeron Doing not to bad, not perfect but okay. Here is where I screw up May 2014 to October 2014 tapered Clonazepam from .75 mg to .25 mg. Rapidly worsening every week. January 2015 updosed Clonazepam to .5 mg. Big Mistake - Holding

Currently .25 mg  Clonazepam 11 pm at night (give or take an hour)  and .25 mg 9 am in the morning (give or take an hour)

Hope this isn't to confusing.

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Sorry, Annie, not at this time.

Edited by Altostrata
removed doctor reference

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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I am proud that Dr. Malika Burman has agreed to be listed among our recommended doctors.

 

Dr. Berman has just posted a beautiful piece on Bob Whitaker's site MadinAmerica.com at http://www.madinamerica.com/2012/05/holistic-psychiatrist-comes-out-of-hiding-2/

 

Her site is http://www.holisticpsych.net/ , where she can be reached via e-mail.

 

Dr. Malika Burman

12736 SW 55th Place

Portland, OR 97219

972-352-0674

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Our member Eonwe had a good experience with this psychiatrist and addiction specialist:

 

Dr. Noel T. Rivers-Bulkeley

http://www.atlantaprivatepsychiatry.com

 

Atlanta Private Psychiatry

4360 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd Ste 530

Atlanta, GA 30341

(770) 454-8787

 

See the philosophy Dr. Rivers-Bulkeley has published on his site.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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Dr. Robert Lefever

 

http://www.doctor-robert.com/

Flat 1, 58a Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, SW7 3DY (UK)

+44(0)7540 281 820

 

He has contributed this bio: “Dr Robert Lefever has retired from general medical practice in order to focus on his work with addiction and depression. He considers that anti-depressants are highly addictive drugs in people who have an addictive nature.”

 

(I disagree with this; one need not have an "addictive nature" to become physically dependent on psychiatric drugs. This indicates Dr. Lefever will address what he considers to be the psychological basis of your withdrawal symptoms.)

 

(See this article: Antidepressants are merely another addiction - for doctors as well as the patients (by Dr Robert Lefever).)

 

Dr. Lefever now offers counseling only. He does not write prescriptions for tapering. He will refer patients to private doctors nearby who will assist individualized tapering. He is not reimbursed by NHS and neither are the doctors to whom he refers patients.

 

One of our members reports he charges £400 per hour. For her experience with Dr. Lefever, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4107-angel9058-mirtazapine-remeron-troubles/page__view__findpost__p__51957

Edited by Altostrata
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This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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My doctor in The Dalles, Oregon is supportive of slow tapers and uses alternative nondrug treatments whenever possible. (She's fully trained in Ayurvedic medicine but also an MD.) She's not a specialist in drug tapering, though. But she refills my prescriptions and is encouraging and frequently tells me she's pleased with my progress and proud of me (and you see how slowly I'm going, but I get no pressure at all from her to go faster).

 

So I don't know if you want to add her to the list, but for sure if anyone in the Columbia Gorge area needs a doc who will support a slow taper, I'd recommend this lady. Her name's Prachi Garodia.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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  • 1 month later...
  • Administrator

Dr. Debra London

 

http://www.rightbrainpsychiatry.com

 

Debra S. London, M.D.

Right Brain Psychiatry

811 El Camino Road

Ojai, CA 93023

805-272-8039

 

Dr. London is an integrative psychiatrist who is familiar with the Prozac switch and many other tapering techniques. She writes:

 

I would be happy to be described as a psychiatrist who is skillful in slow tapers of AD's and handling discontinuation syndromes and would be comfortable supporting anyone who wants help coming off these drugs. I follow something very similiar to the Ashton Protocol for long term users of benzodiazepines. I am also trained in acupuncture by Joseph Helms, MD and use supplements and diet as well as some very powerful cognitive and meditative practices. Please feel free to list me.

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This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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