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How to talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal? What to expect.


Altostrata

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Thank you, @Faure and @LukeUK for your replies. I have an appointment with the nurse this week so will see what they say...(watch this space!).

 

 

2001 started on Venlafaxine

20xx dose of 225mg

201x  reduced eventually to 112.5mg

2024 April 102mg

2024 May 91.1mg

2024 June 82mg

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  • 2 months later...

For those of you in Australia, I do think it is a big deal that the Royal Australian College of General Practice has formally endorsed the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines - GPs do 92% of AD prescribing here. I think this provides a useful way of talking to your GP about hyperbolic tapering.

 

Also useful is the University of Queensland’s RELEASE study about redressing the over prescription of ADs here, which has sensibly identified difficulties in coming off ADs as a major contributor to over prescription. They have developed and are trialling a set of resources for GPs and patients about deprescribing and hyperbolic tapering.

 

I sent an email to my GP that included links to:

I hope this is useful.

 

 

None of my posts are medical advice, just my own experience. Please see your doctor for any medical advice.

Overview:

1991: Prothiaden short stint (about 3 months); September 1999 - 2003(?): Nefazodone then paroxetine

2005(?) onwards: Escitalopram never more than 10mg (with breaks and attempted breaks - see further below)

More recent escitalopram experience:

Late 2019 - tapered over about 6 weeks - 6 weeks later reinstatement (full dose) taking about 3 weeks to stabilise

Late 2021 - tapered over 6 months to 2mg - held there and then fairly quickly off - 3 months later reinstatement (full dose) taking about 6-8 weeks to stabilise.

2023 - tapered over several months to 1mg then jumped to 0mg on 12 August 2023. 29/9 - reinstatement at 2mg; 10/10 - 5mg; 5/12- 6mg;

2024 11/1 - 10mg; 16/1 - 8mg

Other drugs and supplements: Rosuvastatin 10mg (nightly); melatonin 1mg (nightly); ubiquinol 150mg (daily); magnesium glycinate 1500mg (equivalent to 300mg magnesium - twice daily); fish oil (EPA:DHA 2:1 - daily); creatine (twice daily); L-glycine (twice daily); iron supplement with some B vitamins (alternate days).

 

 

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