Moderator Popular Post brassmonkey Posted April 22, 2018 Moderator Popular Post Share Posted April 22, 2018 (edited) ADMIN NOTE Every nervous system is different. You may find a modification of the below method suits yours better. It is only a suggestion of a place to start if you're very sensitive to dosage reductions. Listen to your body and tailor this method to it. Calculators: BrassMonkey Slide Online Calculator tapering-calculator-at-reversepsychiatry.org simple-brassmonkey-slide-tapering-spreadsheet (below in this topic) BrassMonkey Slide – Pick your taper rate Micro-taper instead of 10% or 5% decreasesMaking a liquid from a tablet or capsules Using a digital scale to measure doses The Brassmonkey Slide Method Starting a taper can be a very scary proposition. I’ve heard is mentioned repeatedly by our new members and even by members who have been on extended holds and are about to restart. The overwhelming concern is fear of the symptoms that can be unleashed by reducing the drug in question. I was as bad as anyone else, I was scared to death before I started my taper, and just for that reason. Most of us try to research our taper before we start, so we can make a plan and have some idea what we are getting ourselves into. That research often includes reading a lot of other people’s stories, which can be very upsetting. This can be a source of a lot of misinformation, out of context statements and vivid details that are hard to ignore. Which is why we have a large number of forums that give detailed information of how, when and why to taper. The symptoms that are experienced during a taper can be far from pleasant and keeping them at a minimum is a prime goal of any taper plan. With this in mind, the protocol of reducing a person’s dose by 10% of the previous dose every four (4) weeks was established. Over the years it has proven to be a good starting point and has been very effective for many people. It does, however, prove to be too harsh for others. The second option is the “micro-taper”. This involves reducing a tiny amount every few days over a very long time. It does a great job of reducing symptoms but is very tedious and takes a very long time to complete. There needs to be something in between. Something that can reduce the effects of the symptoms and yet doesn’t take forever to complete. This is where the Brassmonkey Slide Method comes in. The idea behind the Brassmonkey Slide Method is to maintain the speed of a standard 10% taper while reducing the symptom load by taking the reductions in smaller bits. When I was researching my taper, I observed that there was a large hit of symptoms that occurred several days after the reduction was made. These symptoms would then peak and decrease over the next several weeks until the person would return to an average state of feeling bad. My idea was that if the reduction were taken in smaller pieces fairly close together you would experience reduced symptoms for a shorter period of time and by doing reductions back to back, as the symptoms resolved, a person could maintain a 10% reduction and experience reduced symptoms. The basic Brassmonkey Slide Method consists of four (4) weekly reductions of 2.5% in a row with an additional two (2) week hold. This gives a total reduction of 10% ever six (6) weeks. Although it isn’t the standard reduction plan it is very close. The extra two (2) week hold is very necessary to let the cumulative effects of the four (4) reductions settle out and things return to baseline before attempting the next reduction. So, the reduction schedule looks like this: Week 1 reduce 2.5% Week 2 reduce an additional 2.5% (for a total of 5%) Week 3 reduce an additional 2.5% (for a total of 7.5%) Week 4 reduce an additional 2.5% (for a total of 10%) Weeks 5,6 Hold at the last reduction level This schedule proved very effective for the duration of my taper and has been used by many others with great success. But, it’s not the only way to do it. Some people find that even on this schedule the symptom spike after each drop is just too great. For them the answer has been to take even smaller reductions. Any combination of four (4) small reductions and a hold can be used. A reduction of 1.25% a week will yield a total drop of 5% or a reduction of 0.625% would give a total drop of 2.5%. A very popular method is to reduce by 1% a week. We need to keep in mind though, the lower the reduction percentage the longer the taper will take to complete. The half-life of a standard 10% taper is six months. Meaning that six months from now you will be at half of your current dose. If the taper is reduced to 5% the half life doubles to a year. Likewise a 2.5% taper would have a half-life of two years. No matter what the reduction rate is it is very important to maintain the two (2) week hold every round of four (4) reductions. The symptoms that we feel after a drop are only a small part of what is happening to us. Psych drugs work by making physical changes to the body. As we taper these changes need to be undone in an orderly manner, so the body can continue to function the way it is meant to. If we don’t allow time for these changes to be made properly, they pile up and pile up until there are just too many of them. The body then gets very confused and a crash occurs. That crash will take a long time to correct and stabilize. This behind the scenes repair work is one of the keys to the Brassmonkey Slide Method. By making smaller reductions the bodies “to do” list is kept to a manageable size and most of the tasks can be completed before the next reduction happens. Giving the body an extra two (2) weeks helps make sure it has enough time to get it all done. If the reduction is too large then the “to do “ list is also quite large and the body has a much tougher time getting started on the jobs and figuring out what to do first. Another benefit to the Brassmonkey Slide Method is that it feels like it is very proactive. I see a lot of comments from members who feel like they are not doing enough to help themselves get better. Making any decision and sticking to it is being proactive with a taper but the long periods of time between decisions can cause people to lose track of that. By making a controlled reduction in dose every week it makes it appear that things are progressing faster, even though the total reduction is the standard 10%. This can be quite a boost for people who “want to take control of the situation”. With all these changes being made it is a good idea to keep written records. This will help track your progress, but it will also help keep things from getting confused. With a constantly changing dose it is very easy to lose track of where you are and start making mistakes. The records don’t have to be elaborate. I tracked the date of the reduction, the amount of the reduction, the strength of the dose in mgai and the weight that I would measure on the scales in mgpw, on a weekly basis. Mgai, milligrams active ingredient, being the strength of the dose starting with the full strength listed on the bottle and reduced by the percentage of the reduction each week, i.e.33.2mgai. While mgpw, milligrams pill weight, being the weight of the dose that is measured on the scales, starting with the weight of a whole tablet and decreased by the percentage of the reduction each week, i.e.265mgpw. Example: October 23; 2.5%; 33.2mgai; 265mgpw As with any taper it takes a long time to get off these drugs. Using the Brassmonkey Slide Method is a way to keep that time as short and as painless as possible, while maintaining a feeling of control and allowing your body to make the changes necessary to heal in an orderly fashion. Edited August 13, 2023 by brassmonkey Updated link, removed broken links, corrected typo 16 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wantrelief Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 1 hour ago, brassmonkey said: No matter what the reduction rate is it is very important to maintain the two (2) week hold every round of four (4) reductions. The symptoms that we feel after a drop are only a small part of what is happening to us. Hi Brassmonkey - When you state the importance of a two week hold every round of four reductions, are you referring to folks doing the Slide method or for any taper? -1/06 - 3/07 Cymbalta. Fast taper (essentially CT); withdrawal symptoms after 4 mos (didn't realize was WD) -10/07: 100 mg Zoloft; 1 mg Klonopin - tapered off Klonopin after 4 mos. Several unsuccessful slow tapers of Zoloft; went up and down in dose a lot -Spring 2013 back on 1 mg Klonopin to counter WD symptoms; switched over 5-6 mos from Zoloft to 35 mg citalopram -Two attempts at slow tapering citalopram, always increased dose due to WD; also increased Klonopin to 1.25 mg in 2014, then to 1.5 mg in 2015 -8/17-9/17: After holding one year at 20 mg, feeling withdrawal symptoms due to stress - slowly increased to 25 mg. No change in symptoms after 6 months (? tolerance ?) - decided to start citalopram taper February 2018 (still on Klonopin 1.5 mg). Supplements: fish oil; magnesium; vitamin D3; calcium Citalopram taper: 2/2018 - 12/2019: 25 mg - 11.03 mg I 2020: 10.89 mg - 7.9 mg I 2021: 7.8 mg - 5.26 mg I 2022: 5.2 mg - 3.36 mg I 2023: 3.3 mg - 1.47 mg 2024: 1/5/24: 1.44 mg; 1/19/24: 1.40 mg; 1/26/24: 1.37 mg; 2/2/24: 1.34 mg; 2/9/24: 1.31 mg; 2/23/24: 1.28 mg; 3/1/24: 1.25 mg; 3/8/24: 1.22 mg; 3/15/24: 1.19 mg; 3/29/24: 1.17 mg; 4/5/24: 1.14 mg; 4/13/24: 1.11 mg; 4/20/24: 1.09 mg; 4/27/24: 1.06 mg; 5/4/24: 1.04 mg; 5/11/24: 1.01 mg; 5/18/24: .99 mg; 6/8/24: .97mg; 6/15/24: .95 mg; 6/22/24: .92 mg; 6/29/24: .90 mg; 7/13/24: .88 mg; 7/20/24: .86 mg; 7/27/24: .84 mg; 8/3/24: .82 mg; 8/17/24: .80 mg; 8/24/24: .79 mg; 9/2/24: .77 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted April 22, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 22, 2018 This method is working for me. Using it, I've gone from 20mg Lexapro to 7.2mg in 16 months with tolerable WD symptoms and no need to updose. I rate my symptoms daily, with 0 being very mild symptoms and five being extremely bad symptoms, and my log has mostly 0's and 1's, an occasional 2, a few 3's, maybe one 4 and no 5's. I plan to use it to taper Imipramine when the time comes. 2 Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of Aug 26: 4.0mg Taper is 95% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase, L-Glutamine, milk thistle, choline I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. It is information based on my own experience as well as that of other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snowyowl16 Posted April 22, 2018 Share Posted April 22, 2018 I have been reducing by 2.5% weekly because the 10% drop made me feel sick for almost a week after the drop. Using the 2.5% drop I have only minimal symptoms. I hadn't thought of the 2 week hold however. Hmmmmm 2 Start citalopram late 2004 20 mg/d, tapered to 10 mg 1xd on for several years Citalopram 5 mg 1xd, occasional attempt to taper; off citalopram 4 months Aug. 2016 Venlafaxine 37.5 mg 2 months Nov, Dec 2016 stopped ct and change to citalopram 10 mg/d severe withdrawal with daily nausea Citalopram 20mg/day April 2017 - Feb 21, 2018, Citalopram 15 mg/day Feb. 21 - 3/3/2018 Citalopram 20 mg/day 3/4/18, Citalopram 18 mg 1xd 3/5 - 4/1, Citalopram 17 mg 4/2, 16.6 mg 4/16, 16.2 mg 4/23, 16 mg 5/14, 15.8 mg 5/18, 15.6 mg 5/22, 15.4 mg 5/29, 15.2 mg 6/5, 15 mg 6/12, 14.6 mg 7/21, 14.2 mg 7/28, 14 mg 8/4, 13.6mg 8/18, 13.2 mg 8/25, 13 mg 9/1, 12.6 mg 9/22, 9/25 13 mg, 11/9 12.8 mg, back to 13 mg after a few days. 1/9/19 12.8 mg, 1/14 12.6 mg, 1/20 12.4 mg, 1/27 12.2mg, 2/4 12 mg, 2/24 11.8 ,3/1 11.6, 3/6 11.4, 3/11 11.2, 3/14 11, by 4/28 10 mg. Nov. 1 9.8 mg, Nov 8 9.6 mg, Nov 22 9.5 mg, slow taper down to 9 mg 1/27/2020. Slow taper down to 8 mg Sept 1 2020, decrease by approx. 10% a month to 5 mg/day Jan. 2021. Supplements/other: multivitamin, vitamin d 2000 u 1xd,, melatonin 0.75 mg mg 1xd prn, magnesium, Propranolol Sr 60 mg/day Feb. 2016 (?), alprazolam 0.125 mg prn (rarely taken) approx. <2 yrs Change to famotidine 20 mg prn, cetirizine 10 mg prn or loratadine 10 mg prn for allergy sx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted April 23, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 23, 2018 Hi Wantrelief-- in this case it is specific to the people using the Slide Method. It is however, a good idea to throw in a hold now and then when using the standard 10% taper also. especially of you are making reductions every four (4) weeks. This is due to the reasons I gave above, there has to be enough time allowed for the healing going on in the background to get done. Otherwise the "to do" list gets out of control and people lose control of their taper. 2 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarEyes Posted April 28, 2018 Share Posted April 28, 2018 Thank you for this, Brassmonkey. You are exactly right: I did feel scared to start my taper, especially after reading other people's stories. It is encouraging and reassuring to know that your individual take on the slow taper idea has helped you and Gridley. Because I have had such bad experiences in the past trying to get off antidepressants, I have decided to to go a step slower and cut 2.5% of the Lexapro (mgpw) every two weeks, for a 5% reduction each month. If I'm able to make it to 10mg, I will try a nice long hold of at six months to a year to make sure I'm stable, i.e, I'm not going to go to freak out and stop sleeping. I'm on week two. I get that this will take years if I'm able to complete it, but it's the only way I'll be sure I gave my brain the best possible chance to recover. If I stop sleeping on this gentle of a taper, then I know I need the drug to function, much as I'd love to be rid of it. 1 Trazadone 150mg 1988-1993; 1994-2006. Successful tapers in 1993 and 2006. Klonopin 1-2 mg 1994-2006. Successful taper in 2006. Zoloft 150mg 1998-2004. Unsuccessful taper. Swtiched to: Lexapro 20mg (though briefly at 30mg over 10 years ago) 2004-2018 Tried getting off 4x. Wound up completely unable to sleep. Last time was November-March 2017. All attempts to taper were 50% reductions, over a period between 2 and 9 months, except when I cut my 30mg to 20mg at one point 10+ years ago without any trouble). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centime Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Thanks for all this info, Brassmonkey. Very useful. I’m going to try your method. Long history with many psych drugs beginning in 1987. Went through two too-fast Paxil withdrawals in the past. Ended up in ER both times. I successfully got off Wellbutrin, and (occasional only) Seroquel, Concerta, and Klonopin over six months. Current supplements: multivitamin, probiotic, D3, magnesium, CBD. Current drugs: Ranitidine 300 mg. for acid reflux, Paxil (tapering off). Paxil Taper History, 2018/2019 Jan.1: 60 mg. May 1: 55 mg. May 13: 50 mg. June 3: 47.5 mg. June 14: 45 mg. June 21: 42.5 mg. July 5: 40 mg. Switched to figuring by weight. 40 mg. = .704 July 22: .686. July 29: .669. August 5: .652. August 12: .635. September 2: 30 mg. October 2: 25 mg. November 2: 22 mg. December 1: 20 mg. January 6: 18 mg. Now using a digital scale and an emery board to taper. January 16: I decided to go back on the drugs after a year of tapering. I’m more depressed than ever, and do not believe it’s withdrawal. Thank you, everyone, for your support, advice, and kindness. Centime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabe Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Yes thank you for the really detailed account brfssmonkey. I am going to take those thoughts to my doctor. I finally dropped the Viibryd by 5% yesterday...was terrified after December! But made it through yesterday...didnot do very much and actually got out today. The anxiety and headache thus far have been the only bad things...I remember you saying it takes 4 days for the body to get to a steady state again so will feel better after 4 days...is that right? Can the 2.5% be done with the Viibryd as well...any of the medications? Thank you! -Nardil 1976 < year, stopped. React to AD's. Klonopin .5BID 1990, 2.5mg til 2016 -Klonopin doubled Jan '16. Taper to 2.25mg May to Nov '16. Bad react to Lexapro, stop. React to Prevacid too, taper off. -November '16 Tapered .25mg Klonopin in hospital. Jan '17 started Viibryd, 20mg from Feb to June '17, -20mg to 10mg Viibryd from 3/25 to 6/10 2017, 12/15 10% Viibryd taper...back up next day -Clonazepam 2mg to 1.85mg 4/14 '17 to end November; taper to 1mg Clonazepam in hospital 9/1 tp 9/14 '17 -Feb '18 Amiloride .25mg 5/18 off Amiloride d/t react. Clonaz compounded -4/27 '18 Viibryd 9.5mg, 6/11 9.0 mg, 1/27 '19 Viibryd 8.75mg, ; Clonazepam .2mg 530pm and .7mg 1130pm, Premarin .3mg 830PM CARAFATE QID 2/27/19 to 3/5/19 -July 6'19 1/2 10mg Claritin 230pm, stopped it about July 18, started Oct 11 '19, -7/27 Viibryd 8.5, 8/29 8.25, 10/24 8.0, 12/19 7.75, Feb '20 7.50, 3/20 7.25, 5/20 7.0, 6/20 6.75, 7/20 6.5, 8/20 6.25, 10/2 20 6.0, 11/25'20 5.75, 1/9/21 5.5, 2/23 5.25 -1015 AM Viibryd, vit D 4,000IU 130, 415 Clonazepam .2mg, 815 Premarin .3mg, 1015 Clonaz .7mg, 1115 3t fish oil+D 1145 Castor Oil 650mg(4) 1230 Carafate 1/2GM,Methylated B Vit 1/week,Reacted Mag prn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabe Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 (edited) Also wondering, I was going to hold for 4 weeks after this 5% drop but am wondering if I can drop again sooner? I had started some trauma work but gratefully Shep said that is discouraged during WD...so I am stopping. I had such an awful awful number of days after it!!! Sat at the lake and cried and wanted to quit! Yikes! Edited January 19, 2019 by ChessieCat correct Step to Shep -Nardil 1976 < year, stopped. React to AD's. Klonopin .5BID 1990, 2.5mg til 2016 -Klonopin doubled Jan '16. Taper to 2.25mg May to Nov '16. Bad react to Lexapro, stop. React to Prevacid too, taper off. -November '16 Tapered .25mg Klonopin in hospital. Jan '17 started Viibryd, 20mg from Feb to June '17, -20mg to 10mg Viibryd from 3/25 to 6/10 2017, 12/15 10% Viibryd taper...back up next day -Clonazepam 2mg to 1.85mg 4/14 '17 to end November; taper to 1mg Clonazepam in hospital 9/1 tp 9/14 '17 -Feb '18 Amiloride .25mg 5/18 off Amiloride d/t react. Clonaz compounded -4/27 '18 Viibryd 9.5mg, 6/11 9.0 mg, 1/27 '19 Viibryd 8.75mg, ; Clonazepam .2mg 530pm and .7mg 1130pm, Premarin .3mg 830PM CARAFATE QID 2/27/19 to 3/5/19 -July 6'19 1/2 10mg Claritin 230pm, stopped it about July 18, started Oct 11 '19, -7/27 Viibryd 8.5, 8/29 8.25, 10/24 8.0, 12/19 7.75, Feb '20 7.50, 3/20 7.25, 5/20 7.0, 6/20 6.75, 7/20 6.5, 8/20 6.25, 10/2 20 6.0, 11/25'20 5.75, 1/9/21 5.5, 2/23 5.25 -1015 AM Viibryd, vit D 4,000IU 130, 415 Clonazepam .2mg, 815 Premarin .3mg, 1015 Clonaz .7mg, 1115 3t fish oil+D 1145 Castor Oil 650mg(4) 1230 Carafate 1/2GM,Methylated B Vit 1/week,Reacted Mag prn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted April 29, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted April 29, 2018 That's one of the nice things about it Rabe, the Brassmonkey Slide Method can be used with any medication that you can taper. We have people tapering ADs, APs, PPIs, and Benzos. It doesn't have to be just tablets either, liquids can be reduced in the same manner. Four weeks between reductions in the minimum recommended hold period. The body is doing a lot of healing in the background that we don't even notice, but if that healing can't keep up with the pace of the reductions it builds up and builds up until the body can't keep up and goes on strike. That strike is usually in the form of a crash which will take months to stabilize from before a taper can be restarted. In the long run it ends up taking more time to try and go faster then it does to go slowly and it can be a lot more painful. 1 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorMussyWasHere Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 This method sounds excellent, thanks BrassMonkey. I'm following this topic. I am here as a supporter to certain individuals undergoing withdrawal, and to learn from and contribute to the forum where possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooke57 Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Thank you! I’m going to try this. I have a question and sorry if it has been answered and I missed it. After I complete the first taper of 10%, for my second taper do I calculate 10% off my original bead weight (I’m weighing beads) or the weight with the first 10% gone? Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted May 13, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted May 13, 2018 Hi Brooke-- The 10% calculation is taken off of the dose that your are just completing, which is referred to as the "previous dose", or as you stated the weight of the first 10% gone. Welcome to SA. Would you please start a thread in the Introduction forum and tell us about yourself. Once we get to know you we an offer more specific information and support. Brassmonkey 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor Moonpie Posted June 26, 2018 Mentor Share Posted June 26, 2018 This may seem like a silly question, but I am not a math whiz. I have been reducing my Ativan by weight. Next will be Lexapro. You're method sounds great. I am going to try it. Question is what do I multiply The Weight by to reduce it to 2.5% a week. The weight of my 10mg Lexapro is .169 M mg. Thank you. Moonpie .025 Xanax 3 x daily Start date 10-13-2013 through 8-13-2014. Started tapering 6-2014 to 8-2014. Some small discomfort. 25 mg Zoloft - Start date 5-1-2014. 50mg. 6-2014. through 7-14-2014 . Started tapering 7-14-2014, stopped tapering 10-2014. I did 1/4 of the dose a month. small discomfort. These next 3 were prescribed when I made some seriously bad choices with my thyroid medication. Was in ER twice for possible heart attack. INTENSE anxiety, panic, fear. Lost 30 pounds in 2 weeks. Thyroid levels bounced to extremes for 8 months. Dr. prescribed Zoloft 50mg 9-2105. After 2 doses had a bad reaction passed out in my bedroom. Also prescribed Xanax .025 at the same time. 3 times daily, 4 if needed. Was only on it about 2 weeks. Was not working. Trip ER they gave me an Ativan IV and it worked and lasted. switched to Ativan. 9-24-2016. 1.5 mg Ativan - .5 mg three x daily -start date 9/24/16. Attempted taper start 12-16-2016. Was shaving Pills and alternating tapering AM, PM and midday dose weekly. Buspar .5mg -2.5mg. am and 2. 5mg. pm start date 9-26-2016 . Lexapro .10mg start date - 10-26-2016. Found SA and began 10/14/2017 tapering .001 by weight of pill every 4 days Held longer if there were was WD. Was very sensitive to Ativan. 3-15-2018 Off midday dose - 7-16-2018 Off PM dose - OFF ATIVAN! 11-17-2018 10 mg. Lexapro. PM - 5 mg start date 10/11/2016 increased to 10 mg 2/2/17. 1-1-2019 Began tapering Lexapro. .001 gm every 4 days. Held longer if there was WD. Last doses some I held a month. OFF LEXAPRO! 2-21 2021 5 mg. Buspar divided into two, 2.5 mg doses AM and PM- Start date 9/26/2016 Cold turkey on Dr. direction, AM and Pm doses. Reinstated 9-22-16. Began Buspar taper 1-29-23, .001 mg by weight of pills. N.P. Desiccated Thyroid. 1-2023 Labs okay but not where I feel best. 60 mg. daily now but adding 15 mg. more twice weekly for a few months then check. Bioidentical hormones. Bi-est/Prog cream, 1/4 tsp. 1 time daily My intro: Moonpie:. Need help and supporting tapering off of Ativan My benzo thread: Moonpie: Need help Ativan weight tapering Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarEyes Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi Moonpie, I had trouble figuring this out at first, too. To reduce by 2.5%, you would multiply your full dose of 16.9 grams pill weight by 97.5% (.975) which equals 16.47. Then, the next time you reduce you'd multiply the 16.47 by 97.5% again, and so on. Beware, though: weights of the same medication can vary significantly. I initially weighed my 20mg Lexapro pill, and it weighed 25 grams. So I cut from there. Later, I found a post saying to be sure to weigh at least several of the pills and take an average weight. It turns out my Lexapro varied from 25. 2 to 25.8. By cutting 2.5% of 25 grams I may have inadvertently made a 5% cut instead of 2.5%, and I did feel weepy those two weeks. So I held the 5% until 4 weeks were up, since I'm doing a 2.5% cut every two weeks. So far, so good. Good luck on your Lexapro taper. StarEyes 1 Trazadone 150mg 1988-1993; 1994-2006. Successful tapers in 1993 and 2006. Klonopin 1-2 mg 1994-2006. Successful taper in 2006. Zoloft 150mg 1998-2004. Unsuccessful taper. Swtiched to: Lexapro 20mg (though briefly at 30mg over 10 years ago) 2004-2018 Tried getting off 4x. Wound up completely unable to sleep. Last time was November-March 2017. All attempts to taper were 50% reductions, over a period between 2 and 9 months, except when I cut my 30mg to 20mg at one point 10+ years ago without any trouble). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabe Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Brassmonkey I have a question. What if your worse symptoms seem to come around 12 to 14 days or so after you decrease? Do you still drop every week? I get this kind of almost too good feeling the first week usually...maybe that will change...and then after bout another week symptoms start up. Thank you! -Nardil 1976 < year, stopped. React to AD's. Klonopin .5BID 1990, 2.5mg til 2016 -Klonopin doubled Jan '16. Taper to 2.25mg May to Nov '16. Bad react to Lexapro, stop. React to Prevacid too, taper off. -November '16 Tapered .25mg Klonopin in hospital. Jan '17 started Viibryd, 20mg from Feb to June '17, -20mg to 10mg Viibryd from 3/25 to 6/10 2017, 12/15 10% Viibryd taper...back up next day -Clonazepam 2mg to 1.85mg 4/14 '17 to end November; taper to 1mg Clonazepam in hospital 9/1 tp 9/14 '17 -Feb '18 Amiloride .25mg 5/18 off Amiloride d/t react. Clonaz compounded -4/27 '18 Viibryd 9.5mg, 6/11 9.0 mg, 1/27 '19 Viibryd 8.75mg, ; Clonazepam .2mg 530pm and .7mg 1130pm, Premarin .3mg 830PM CARAFATE QID 2/27/19 to 3/5/19 -July 6'19 1/2 10mg Claritin 230pm, stopped it about July 18, started Oct 11 '19, -7/27 Viibryd 8.5, 8/29 8.25, 10/24 8.0, 12/19 7.75, Feb '20 7.50, 3/20 7.25, 5/20 7.0, 6/20 6.75, 7/20 6.5, 8/20 6.25, 10/2 20 6.0, 11/25'20 5.75, 1/9/21 5.5, 2/23 5.25 -1015 AM Viibryd, vit D 4,000IU 130, 415 Clonazepam .2mg, 815 Premarin .3mg, 1015 Clonaz .7mg, 1115 3t fish oil+D 1145 Castor Oil 650mg(4) 1230 Carafate 1/2GM,Methylated B Vit 1/week,Reacted Mag prn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubbles Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi @brassmonkey Do you vary the method according to the half life of the drug? I'm wondering about applying this to the sertraline. Sertraline has a 23-26 hour half life but also has an active metabolite with a 66 hour half life. I *think* that means that the sertraline is at steady state after two weeks. I'm thinking that a pattern could be: Start 8.1mg week 1 7.9mg week 2 7.7mg week 3 7.5mg week 4 7.3mg week 5 hold week 6 hold That is 10%, over four weeks, then a two week hold. However, it would take the two weeks to get to steady state, which means that there is almost only one week at the new normal before starting over again. I'm wondering if something like this might be better: Start 8.1mg week 1 7.9mg week 2 7.6mg week 3 7.3mg week 4 hold week 5 hold week 6 hold Or, is it a trial and error sort of thing? 2005 St John's Wort / 2006-2012 Lexapro 20mg, 2 failed attempts to stop, tapered over 4.5 months in early 2012 January 2013 started Sertraline, over time worked up to 100mg July 2014 Sertraline dropped from 100mg to 75mg, held for six months, slower tapering until 2019 22 Dec 3.2mg 2020 Sertraline 19 Jan 3.1mg, 26 Jan 3.0mg; 1 Mar 2.9, 7 Mar 2.8, May (some drops here) 24 May 2.5, May 29 2.4, June 21 2.3, June 28 2.2mg, July 4 2.1mg, July 24 (or maybe a bit before) 2mg, early Nov switched to home made suspension; 29 Nov 1.8mg; approx 25 Dec 1.6mg) 2021 Some time in about Jan/Feb realised probably on more like 1.8mg and poss mixing error in making suspension; doses after 10 Feb accurate; 10 Feb 1.6mg; 7 Mar 1.4, continued monthly 10% drops until 1mg, then dropped 0.1mg monthly. May 2022,0.1mg, now dropping 0.01mg per week 29 August 2022 - first day of zero! My thread here at SA: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1775-bubbles/page/21/ Current: Armour Thyroid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 26, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi bubbles- Good questions. What I have described is the baseline model for the Brassmonkey Slide Method. It's a jumping off point for people to modify if it is required. Longer holds are always a good thing. Taking into account the half life of a drug and its time to steady state are certainly factors that should be taken into consideration when designing a personal taper. The dynamics of paxil and sertraline are almost identical so there shouldn't be any problem using the same method for both of them. Your second example is a quite workable plan. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 26, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted June 26, 2018 Hi Rabe-- is that the symptom pattern for doing a full 10% reduction at one time? The symptom pattern will be different when making a series of smaller tapers on successive weeks. Possibly moving the drips to two weeks apart might help. It would slow things down, but symptom reduction is the object not speed of taper. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted June 26, 2018 Author Moderator Share Posted June 26, 2018 Moonpie and StarEyes-- that's the way it works. Multiply your current dose by .975 to get the weight of your new dose. There is going to be a small variation in the total weight of the tablets, it's a manufacturing thing and is very hard to work around. However, the difference is very small. When you work out the AIC (active ingredient concentration) of the drug, divide the strength by the total weight of the tablet, you will find that the difference is insignificant. In your cans MoonPie the AIC is .017 mg or written out the long way 0.000017 grams. Compare this to your full strength of 0.010 grams and you can see that it isn't a whole lot. Unless a person is extremely sensitive to the drug it is a non factor. The way around it is to crush the tablets into a fine powder and only weigh out the amount you need from a supply pile. Also work with an average weight calculated from a number of tablets to determine your starting dose and go from there. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorMussyWasHere Posted July 21, 2018 Share Posted July 21, 2018 7 hours ago, brassmonkey said: DoctorMussy-- thank you for all the help with the calculator, it's really appreciated. Brass Thank you, Brass. I thought my 2-year journey had failed, but the suggestion of gentler taper has been well-received, and I am eternally grateful that essentially we are all working together to map the escape-route. 1 I am here as a supporter to certain individuals undergoing withdrawal, and to learn from and contribute to the forum where possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PH1 Posted August 5, 2018 Share Posted August 5, 2018 Brassmonkey, I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for your words of wisdom and willingness to share your experiences with all of us. You are truly a blessing to me and thousands of others. God bless you! 1 2010: Escitalopram (Lexapro) 10 mg. Mirtazapine (Remeron) 15 mg. 2011: Tapered Mirtazapine: 5 month successful taper. Then tapered Lexapro: 4 month successful taper May 2011 to August 2017: No medications, full recovery September 6, 2017: started Mirtazapine (Remeron) 15 mg - due to severe sudden insomnia November 16, 2017: started Escitalopram (Lexapro) 10 mg January 1, 2018 to October 30. 2020 -- 34 month taper off of Mirtazapine 15 mg to 0.00 mg June 16, 2018: Started slow taper of 10 mg Escitalopram (Lexapro) Current (mgai): 0.23 mg Escitalopram Supplements: Fish Oil, Curcumin, bio active B vitamins, zinc, magnesium glycinate, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, saffron, citrus bergamot, ashwagandha "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rossho Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 Hi brassmonkey. Quick question. You state that a 10% taper with the slide method has a 5 month half life. Is this with reducing by your current dose or by a percentage of your starting dose? Stilnox january 2014 - may 2014 10-20mg a day Stilnox august 2016 one month use 10 mg a day Xanax 2 weeks september 2016 1.5 - 3 mg a day, viscious withdrawal. Valium reinstated October 2017 - march 2018. Fast tapered. Risperdal october 2017 to present 1.5 mg. Celexa December 2017 to present 20 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted August 21, 2018 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 21, 2018 The percentage reduction, whether with the standard 10% every-four-weeks taper of with the Brassmonkey 2 1/2% per week taper, is always a percentage of your current dose. With the standard 10% taper every four weeks, you will be at half your current dose in 6 months. With the Brassmonkey taper, you will be at half your current dose in 9 months. The additional time is because there is a 2-week hold after the fourth 2 1/2% weekly taper. 1 Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of Aug 26: 4.0mg Taper is 95% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase, L-Glutamine, milk thistle, choline I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. It is information based on my own experience as well as that of other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 19, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 19, 2019 (edited) If asking questions specific to your own situation, please post the question in your own Introduction topic post a link to the question here in the BrassMonkey Slide topic. Posting in your own topic will keep your history in one place. After posting in your own topic copy link by right clicking on the share icon (top right of post) and select copy link location, then click in the reply box here in this topic and right click paste, or Ctrl + V. Edited January 19, 2019 by ChessieCat * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 19, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 19, 2019 I've moved posts specific to a member's own situation to their own Intro topics. I've left general posts here for the information of other members. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokeshaw Posted January 19, 2019 Share Posted January 19, 2019 7 yrs Lexapro 10 mg. Mar/2011 - 1 month taper. Severe W/D. Multiple symptoms.Gallbladder and parathyroid surgery in Aug and Oct. Disability 3 months. Dec/2011 reinstated 5mg Lex and went back to work. very bad shape. By Aug/2012 - self tapered to 1.25 mg cutting pills. -very bad shape. Nov/2012 Dr. Hinz neuro-replete. up and down. Aug/2013 at aprox 1.0 mg Lex stopped neuro-replete ~Oct 2013 Found this site ~ began using compounded Lexapro and have been micro tapering since then and holding as needed. 11/6/2013 - 0.6 mg 2/1/2018 - .135 mg Now reducing 5-10% per month 4/1/18 - .1 mg 4/17/18 - changed delivery from compounded individual caps to aliquot. went from .1 mg to .09 aliquot 7/4/2018 - .09 mg Holding due to wave of W/D symptoms 7/22/18 updosed to .1 mg aliquot 9/30/18 - reduced to .0975 aliquot 2/1/19 - updosed to .1 mg aliquot due to instability bad wave W/D 9/12/19 - back to .1 mg individual caps since could not get stable using aliquot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 27, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 27, 2019 (edited) For members who prefer visual information: BRASSMONKEY SLIDE – Pick your taper rate Calculation: Average monthly % reduction = weekly % x 4 divided by 6 x 4 Wkly % Mthly % = av Mnthly % Reduction Reduction Reduction for 4 wks to calc wkly % 0.1 0.4 0.27 0.2 0.8 0.53 0.25 1 0.67 0.5 2 1.33 0.75 3 2 1 4 2.67 1.25 5 3.33 1.5 6 4 1.75 7 4.67 2 8 5.33 2.25 9 6 2.5 10 6.67 Edited January 30, 2019 by ChessieCat removed the amounts >10% mthly reduction * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pokeshaw Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 On 1/19/2019 at 4:41 PM, ChessieCat said: If asking questions specific to your own situation, please post the question in your own Introduction topic post a link to the question here in the BrassMonkey Slide topic. Posting in your own topic will keep your history in one place. After posting in your own topic copy link by right clicking on the share icon (top right of post) and select copy link location, then click in the reply box here in this topic and right click paste, or Ctrl + V. Hi Chessie - Thanks for the above. I think I did what you suggested. See my post here from Jan 19th. Can you confirm that I did it right. I am a bit confused. I would like to be able to communicate with BrassMonkey now and then so I want to be sure to do it right so that he will see it. Thanks! Poke 7 yrs Lexapro 10 mg. Mar/2011 - 1 month taper. Severe W/D. Multiple symptoms.Gallbladder and parathyroid surgery in Aug and Oct. Disability 3 months. Dec/2011 reinstated 5mg Lex and went back to work. very bad shape. By Aug/2012 - self tapered to 1.25 mg cutting pills. -very bad shape. Nov/2012 Dr. Hinz neuro-replete. up and down. Aug/2013 at aprox 1.0 mg Lex stopped neuro-replete ~Oct 2013 Found this site ~ began using compounded Lexapro and have been micro tapering since then and holding as needed. 11/6/2013 - 0.6 mg 2/1/2018 - .135 mg Now reducing 5-10% per month 4/1/18 - .1 mg 4/17/18 - changed delivery from compounded individual caps to aliquot. went from .1 mg to .09 aliquot 7/4/2018 - .09 mg Holding due to wave of W/D symptoms 7/22/18 updosed to .1 mg aliquot 9/30/18 - reduced to .0975 aliquot 2/1/19 - updosed to .1 mg aliquot due to instability bad wave W/D 9/12/19 - back to .1 mg individual caps since could not get stable using aliquot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 28, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 28, 2019 BrassMonkey is on holidays at the moment. He may pop in every now and then. Posting the link here in this topic will allow him to see it, but also keep your history and the responses in your Introduction topic. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 29, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 29, 2019 * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted January 29, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 29, 2019 Just found a small issue with this calculator: Micro Taper Off calculator with built-in 2 week hold Using the calculator for the following the total reduction would be higher than 10%. You would have to round up the 1.67 to 1.68. How to work out the percentage: (Start dose - end dose) divided by start dose x 100 = % reduction (1.86 - 1.67) divided by 1.86 x 100 = 10.215% (1.86 - 1.68) divided by 1.86 x 100 = 9.6774% Starting dose 1.86 1.81 1.77 1.72 1.67 1.67 1.67 * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 4, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 4, 2019 Meeto has a question: 51 minutes ago, Meeto said: I noticed a two week hold is recommended presumably to stabilize. My question is, I am kindled was in WD before tapering. It usually takes about 4 months for me to stabilize from any drop. I've only dropped 1.2 mg in a year. Should I just hold the two weeks and keep going anyways regardless of how I feel? * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jozeff Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Hello fellow sufferers, My tapering keeps me busy and I have created a tapering schedule. WWW.taperoff.co (which was created by some great guy who helped his wife) is exactly the same but I created an offline sheet that does about the same. I made it to use it offline and print it etc. The schedule is filled in but you can (and should) use your own dose, and tapering speed I hope you can use it. It has some hidden columns that do the math so it is a simple spreadsheet to use It is according to Brass Monkey slide method. cheers, Jozeff Taper spreadsheet.xls 2 Sep- 2016 - Okt 2017 citalopram some months 15 mg some months 20 mg Nov 2017- Apr 2018 citalopram 25 mg Apr 2018 - Jun 2018 citalopram 3 month TAPER too fast from 25mg to 16.5 mg (0.1 mg per day decrease, felt horrible and crashed) Jun 2018 - Aug13th 2018 citalopram trying to stabilize at 16.5 mg for 5 wks, updosed to 18 mg - 14Aug 2018 - 26apr 2019 citalopram 18 mg, hold 8 months 2019 apr 27 : START taper citalopram @ 18 mg: 29Jun 16.4 mg / 19aug 15.4 mg / 25aug 15.2 mg / 30sep 14.0 mg / 4dec 13.1 mg 2020 03Jan 12.75 mg / 28Jan 12.29 mg / 18Feb 11.83 mg, 25Feb 11.68 mg hold.. / 7May 11.33 mg hold...., 4Aug 10.98 mg / 5Dec 10.0 mg 4 month hold... 2021 30mar 9.8 mg / 06apr 9.5 mg / 13apr 9.4 mg / 14may 8,5 mg / 04jun 8,0 mg / 11jun 7.75 mg, 02jul 7.35 mg / 09jul 7.2 mg hold 3 weeks during holiday /31jul 7 mg/ 8aug 6.8 mg / 15aug 6.63mg / 22aug 6.5mg / 1sep 6.3 mg / 8sep 6.15 mg / 15sep 6.0 mg / 22sep 5.9 mg / 29sep 5.8 mg / 04 oct 5.65 mg / 10oct 5.55 mg / 17oct 5.45 mg / 24oct 5.35mg / 30oct 5.25 mg hold 3 wks / 22nov 5.15 mg / 01dec 5.1mg / 12dec 5.0mg / 20dec 4.85mg / 30dec 4.70mg 2022 08jan 4.5 mg / 16jan 4.4 mg / 23jan 4.3 mg / 27jan 4.2 mg / 18feb 4.1 mg / 25feb 4.0 mg / 04mar 3.9 mg / 11mar 3.75 mg / 18Mar 3.65 mg / 09apr 3.55 mg / 16apr 3.45 mg / 23apr 3.35 mg / 01may 3.25 mg / 8may 3.15 mg / 17may 3.10 mg / 28 may 3.0 mg / 7jun 2.94 mg / 18 Jun 2.88 mg / 27 jun 2.84 mg / 05 jul 2.80 mg / 16 jul 2.75 mg / 23 jul 2.70 mg / 01aug 2.65 mg / 09aug 2.60 mg hold 5wks / 18sep 2.55 mg / 25sep 2.5 mg /02oct 2.45 mg / 10oct 2.40 mg / 19oct 2.35 mg / 27oct 2.30 mg / 05nov 2.27 mg / 14nov 2.25 mg / 22nov 2.20 mg / 29nov 2.10mg / 09dec 2.05 mg / 15dec 2.0 mg 2023 hold 2.0 mg for 5 months / 05may 1.95 mg / 14may 1.90 mg / 24may 1.87 mg / 02jun 1.85 mg / 17jun 1.82 mg / 27jun 1.79 mg / 07jul 1.75 mg / 31jul 1.72 mg / 12aug 1.69mg / 27aug 1.67 mg / 04sep 1.65 mg / 09sep 1.63 mg / 22sep 1.61 mg / 27sep 1.60 mg / 12oct 1.58 mg / 18oct 1.56 mg / 31oct 1.54 mg / 06nov 1.52 mg / 18nov 1.50 mg / 04dec 1.48 mg / 11dec 1.46 mg / 22dec 1.45 mg / 28dec 1.44 mg 2024 01jan 1.43 mg / 06jan 1.42 mg/ 10jan 1.40 mg hold / 08apr 1.38 mg / 15apr 1.36 mg / 20apr 1.34 mg / 28apr 1.33 mg / 2may 1.32 mg / 9may 1.30 mg hold / micro taper 0.002 mg/day start 17jun / 27jun 1.28 mg / 06jul 1.26 mg / 29jul 1.20 mg / 24aug 1.14 mg / 02sep 1.12 mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noearthlyfamily Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Jozeff this is wonderful! thank you for making this for all of us! hope your lil vacation time with your son goes great ☺️ UPDATED: 9/01/2019 Quetiapine: 2000-2005: 50mg; 2005: 100mg; 2008: 400mg; 2011: 100mg; 2014: 300mg; 2014-2017: 400mg; 7/2018-2/2019: 75mg; 1/2019: 68.75mg; 4/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (25mg 8AM, 18.75mg 4PM, 25mg MIDNITE); 5/2019: 68.75mg (switched to all liquid taper using HUMCO suspension agent) 8/2019: 61mg Clonazepam: 2008: 2mg then 0.25mg; 2012: 0.5mg; 2014: 1mg; 4/2019: 1mg ~completed switch to 3x daily dosing (0.25mg 8AM, 0.25mg 2PM, 0.5mg 8PM); 8/2019: 1mg (switched to all liquid taper using propylene glycol as solvent) Gabapentin: 2011: 100mg; 2011: 200mg TID 2014: 300mg; 2017: 600mg; 2019: 900mg PM; 3/2019: completed switch to 3x daily dosing (300mg q8h) Prior drugs: Please see this link: (the remaining dates & meds records will be updated as i receive my complete medical files.) Suppl's: Deva Vegan Multi & Mineral Supplement w/Greens 1x, Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate 100mg 4x, vit c 1000mg 2x, zinc gluconate 50mg 1x q.o.d., Allicin Max 180mg TID, chlorella/spirulina 50/50 blend 2tabs 5x daily HRT: 300mg oral progesterone h.s., 0.1mg estradiol transdermal patch 2x week Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecowisback Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 this is really good - thankyou! Took prozac 40 mg for 20 years. January 2017 started cutting down prozac by 12.5% a week. End of February 2017 completely off prozac and withdrawals began. Currently taking Levothyroxine 75 mcg, Magnesium citrate 200mg,Sage leaf 50mg daily Amlodipine: October 2017 , discontinued 26 Feb 2019; Candesartan: 26 Feb 2019, 4mg. Discontinued magnesium citrate 200mg Apr 3rd 2019 Reinstated prozac: 14 Jan 2019, 1mg; 26 Jan, 1.5mg; 4 Feb, 2mg; 16 Feb, 2.5mg; 2 Mar, 3mg; 5 Mar, 2.5mg, 23 Mar, 3 mg; 6 Apr, 3.5mg, 14 Apr 4mg, 23 Apr 5mg, 10 Jul 8mg, 1 Dec 20mg, 1 Apr 2020 40mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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