jazminet: tapering fluoxitine

[jazminet]

I'm looking for some advice, I've been taking 40mg of fluoxetine daily since being diagnosed 2 years ago. I'm now ready to start reducing my dose and have been reading lots of posts on this and other forums. If I use the method of opening the capsules and dividing the powder out could I not just put the powder back into the capsule after measuring instead of buying new gelatin capsules? Also should I start by just taking out one quarter of the powder of one capsule? So I'd be taking 1 full 20 mg capsule and 1 capsule which would have 3 quarters of the powder?

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Jazminet,

 

I have moved your post in the tapering forum to this forum to start your introductory topic where you may keep track of your progress and ask questions about how to taper off fluoxitine.

 

What were you diagnosed with 2 years ago that you were given fluoxitine? Doctors have gotten in the habit of prescribing these drugs for a variety of reasons having nothing to do with their original use. And why are you wanting to get off of it at this time? Were you able to read our information about getting off the drugs safely by only decreasing them by 10% or less of the CURRENT DOSE every 4-6 weeks only if you remain stable?

 

If you decrease by 25% that is far faster than we recommend and might set you up for withdrawal syndrome.

 

Here are some helpful links:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

Tips for tapering off Prozac (fluoxetine)

 

You have to remember that these drugs are not often able to remain stable and pharmacologically active when exposed to air and light after you have opened the capsule. Were you just planning on throwing the excess away? Will you have access to enough of the drug to last for a safe taper if you discard the medication you don't plan to take? Do you have access to a scale to accurately measure out how much of the powder to take each time?

 

All of these topics are covered in the above links.

 

I hope I have not given you too much to read but that is what you will need to do to get a solid background before you contemplate doing a taper off psychoactive drugs. This topic is most important:

 

The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable.

[Rhiannon]

Actually, CW, she said she was thinking of taking out one quarter of one capsule which is actually an eighth of the total, which isn't so bad especially at such a high dose (40 mg).

 

Jazminet, your questions may already be answered in the "tapering Prozac" thread that CW gave you the link to above. I'd read through that if I were you. 

 

It's okay to post questions specific to Prozac formulations there, but if you have questions that are more general, about your situation, about how to taper, and about withdrawal in general, it's better to post them here in your Intro and Update thread, because they'll get quicker attention here.

 

As far as taking out powder then putting it back into the original capsule, that should be fine, but you need to keep in mind that all that manipulation (removing powder, replacing it) is going to cause you to lose a certain percentage of the drug and should be included in your calculations for tapering. Eventually, especially as you get to lower doses (below about 5 mg) (which is where tapers get trickier) you may want to switch to using some kind of liquid formulation for tapering. That's probably addressed in that Prozac thread.

 

And definitely I do recommend reading through the links CW gave you above. It's worth taking the time to learn and prepare, to avoid withdrawal, which can be a pretty miserable and life-wrecking experience.

 

Welcome to the forum! I hope we can help you. With care, you can come down off this stuff safely.

[mammaP]

Hi Jazminette, welcome to our little corner of the world wide web. I'm glad that you found us before starting your taper, most of us ended up here in withdrawal after  tapering psychoactive drugs too fast or quitting cold turkey. Thankfully you will be able to avoid that now you know the best way to taper.   You will find lots of information here and a very supportive community. 

[Fresh]

Welcome  Jazminet.       Just wanted to say HI.

[JanCarol]

Hi Jazminet!  Welcome!

 

It's so good that you are looking out for ways to do this in the safest way possible!

 

Is this your first experience with antidepressants?  If you do this gently, you have a good chance of coming clear.  It may seem longer to do it the SA way - but we try to keep it so that symptoms and problems are at a minimum - which - really - even if it seems slow - actually speeds up the recovery process because it's slow and steady instead of spikes and valleys and crashes and booms.

 

I know, you've been given a lot of info up there but I would also ask you to put your history in your signature.  It helps us so much, and it could be relevant if you were put on any psych drugs earlier in life, and how you came off of them then.  It helps us to understand your possible risks.

 

The info you find here is massive, detailed, and precise.  We hope to get you off this drug with as few symptoms or problems as possible.  IF that's what you want.  As I've said to others here, SA is about taking charge of your own self, your own dosages, and finding the best way through.  We're not survivors for nothing!

 

Here's how to do your signature, here:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?app=members&module=messaging&section=view&do=showConversation&topicID=5907#msg26929

 

Later, when you are more comfortable, we can talk about your support (it's important to have support in place for a taper), and other things you can do (such as mindfulness or alternative health services, or even just having good friends to talk to) to make your journey, well, more supported.

 

Welcome!  Look forward to hearing from you!

[JanCarol]

PS - new gelatine capsules are cheap!  Do you have a scale!?  Doing that by eyeball is pretty tricky.