Content Posted July 14, 2020 Posted July 14, 2020 Hello everybody, I am so glad that I found this site, you provided me with invaluable help! First and foremost, being not alone is so important for all of us here, as we all are sensitive people facing institutions that are not willing or capable to hear our stories and experiences I took Citalopram 20mg for 9 years, tried to stop it several times and always suffered from panic attacks and depression pretty soon after reducing the dose from, say, 20mg to 10mg as my psychiatrist advised me. So I took 20mg again. The doctors kept telling me that I suffer from endogenous depression and have to take this medication for the rest of my life. After some years I totally lost any sexual interest and as I could not get rid of Citalopram (as I thought) the psychiatrist prescribed me Milnaneurax (Milnacipran) because she thought that it would reduce these problems. I stopped with Citalopram 20mg and took Milnaneurax 50mg from one day to another. For some reason, I did not suffer from withdrawal, but my sexuality was not cured either. I found this site and started tapering half a year after I switched to Milnaneurax. This time, I had withdrawal symptoms as soon as the reduction was higher than 10%. I started the reduction with the help of my local pharmacy that made pills with the right dosage. After one year of tapering I am down to 12mg Milnaneurax. I started to reduce the dosage on my own a couple of days ago by making a liquid, because I figured out at some point I would have to anyway, because the pharmacist can only make a dose down to 0,5mg. Because of the short half-life of Milnaneurax (8hours, I read) I started to split my daily dose into two, so instead of 12mg in the morning I take 6 in the evening and 6 in the morning. So far, it seems to be going good, but I started wondering, whether it was risky. I didnt find any information about this technique on this site, does somebody have an advice? Theoretically, it should reduce the ups and downs, I figure, does someone have any experience with it? Thanks a lot, Content 1 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
Content Posted July 14, 2020 Author Posted July 14, 2020 Correction: I took Citalopram for 11 years, before switching to Milnaneurax. 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
Moderator DataGuy Posted July 15, 2020 Moderator Posted July 15, 2020 Hi @Content, Welcome to SA. I'm glad you've had some time to look around the site. Your technique is sound. We will pretty regularly recommend splitting dosages if the half life of a drug is short or if it may be interfering with the metabolism of another drug. It might even help to split your dosage into three, one upon waking, one midday, and another right before bed. This would result in a steady blood concentration of Milnaneureux. I'm not sure what parts of the site you have perused, but you might find these non-pharmacological coping techniques useful. Excellent work getting down to 12mg! It seems like you really know what you are doing. I assume you have read the article we have on why to taper by 10%. I believe it mentions that the taper can become more difficult near the end, so if you find you get an uptick of symptoms, it's ok to slow the taper down. This happens because the receptor occupancy of the drug decreases at a non-linear rate, so larger reductions in occupancy happen at lower doses, leading to bigger drops in the effect of the drug on your nervous system. The article mentions it is also best to be conservative, because once your nervous system gets destabilized, it can take awhile to recover. Can you please summarize your drug history in your signature? This will allow people to quickly see what you have been through and allow them to help you more quickly. This site is run purely by volunteers, so we really appreciate when members are helpful in providing enough concise information. This link should take you to your signature. The previous one will tell you how to fill it out (it should be relatively quick for you). Please let us know if you have any further questions and we'll do our best to support you. Good luck! Remeron - 2004-2005 (bad withdrawal) Clonazepam - 2005-2018 (jumped around March) Olanzapine - 2014- late 2017 Domperidone - 2008-2018 Many drugs in between including Lexapro, other benzos and z-drugs. Still suffering post-withdrawal from Clonazepam (Klonopin), Olanzapine and Domperidone.
Content Posted July 15, 2020 Author Posted July 15, 2020 Thank you so much, DataGuy, for your quick reply. I am very relieved to hear, that this technique of splitting dosages is sound! I promise to summarize my drug history asap. Thanks also for the recommendations. I already read some of it, but I will have a look at it again. You guys are doing a great job volunteering on this site. I hope if one day I have more energy and ability to concentrate I can give back some of what I got from you and volunteer as well. So far, I have to really concentrate on what is most important while I am tapering (I am a single parent with a stressful part-time job so there really is enough). No further questions so far. Just a big relief. Take care and good luck to you, too! Content 1 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
Content Posted February 23, 2021 Author Posted February 23, 2021 Hi DataGuy, hi everybody, does somebody have any experience with how long I can keep a solution of milnaneurax/Milnacipran in the fridge without loosing its active components? Right now I keep it for two days, but I would like to store it for 3-4 as I go down with my dosage. Thanks in advance, Content 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
Moderator DataGuy Posted February 23, 2021 Moderator Posted February 23, 2021 (edited) Hi @Content, Hope things are going well for you. Yes, you should be able to store it for 3-4 days in the fridge in a dark bottle with no problem. I also forgot to link the tips on tapering Milnacipran last time, but it seems you're doing very well with it : ) Congrats on getting down so low! Edited February 23, 2021 by DataGuy Remeron - 2004-2005 (bad withdrawal) Clonazepam - 2005-2018 (jumped around March) Olanzapine - 2014- late 2017 Domperidone - 2008-2018 Many drugs in between including Lexapro, other benzos and z-drugs. Still suffering post-withdrawal from Clonazepam (Klonopin), Olanzapine and Domperidone.
Content Posted February 24, 2021 Author Posted February 24, 2021 Thanks again @DataGuy for your very quick reply! No worries, I found the tips on tapering Milnacipran right from the start with the search function. I have to admit though, that some information is not easy to find, e.g. the link you sent. So thanks again. After a few months hold through the winter I am very confident to restart tapering What works well for me is a combination of whole natural food with many raw vegetables and fruits, daily exercise, daily meditation, reduction of anything that can cause stress as far as possible, and psychotherapy. I am very lucky that a couple of months ago I met someone I care for who is very understanding. Tapering antidepressants really is self-transformatory. Behind all the despair, pain and sadness is the chance to change our lifes in a mindful, sustainable way. This is to anybody who might read this: dont loose your hope. You are getting there! Best, Content 1 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
Content Posted September 12, 2022 Author Posted September 12, 2022 Hi @DataGuy, hi everybody, I managed to "cross the line" and set my dose lower than 1 mg! I am happy and proud about that but on the other hand I have to admit that I am a bit frustrated to see that tapering is going slower and slower and the withdrawal symptoms seem to intensify. I split my doses into three per day, as advised, which does help to keep the levels stable, so thanks for that again. I searched the forums and other sources on information about what would be a sensible point to go down to zero. I didn't really find what I was looking for. Can someone advice what would be a reasonable approach? Do you guys also have/had intensified symptoms when approaching the zero? Honestly: I am frustrated. I am tapering for more than three years now. There still seems to be such a long way to go. Sometimes it feels like this will never stop. Sorry about that negativity. Thanks in advance for any advice, link or shared experience... 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted September 12, 2022 Moderator Emeritus Posted September 12, 2022 Congratulations on getting down so low on your dose. That is a really big achievement. Thank you for updating your drug signature. Please continue to be cautious and do not get impatient and rush to get off. Many members find that the lower their dose gets the slower they need to go, reducing less and/or holding for longer. Because I was having health issues, being diagnosed with diabetes in the middle of October 2021 which was only 2 weeks before my planned end date, which was stressful and then changing my diet, I decided to go very low and went to 0.0025mg Pristiq but I was reducing more often. This post My tapering program gives the doses and the number of days on each dose for my taper. Brassmonkey went down to 0.016mg of Paxil. Why taper paper: dose-occupancy curves When to end the taper and jump to zero? It is important to listen to your body/symptoms and it sounds like you have been doing this which is really good. managing-the-endgame-taper 1 * 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
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted September 12, 2022 Moderator Emeritus Posted September 12, 2022 1 hour ago, Content said: Honestly: I am frustrated. I am tapering for more than three years now. There still seems to be such a long way to go. Sometimes it feels like this will never stop. Sorry about that negativity. I think this is perfectly normal. We just want it to be over and done with and finally find out what it is like to live without an AD. It is important to note that: It Doesn’t end at “0” Experiences after tapering to zero 1 * 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
Content Posted September 22 Author Posted September 22 Hi ChessieCat, hi Dataguy, hi everybody. I am still here, still alive, still tapering. I wanted to update my signature but didnot find the place to do it in my profile. I am down to 0,0045mg of Milnacipran now. In the last weeks I had two "hard and fast breaking waves" with anxiety, sleeplessness, restlessness, you name it, as I did not have for a long time. In both cases I took my dose a few hours later. Normally, in the past years, that kind of incontinuity didnot strike me that bad. Has anyone experienced that as well -- the body getting more sensitive to slight incontinuities when approaching the 0? Or harder waves in general? And, oh my, how long is this still going to continue? I hoped that around 0,006 mg would be safe to jump to zero, but with these experiences I am not so sure. I had a wonderful open window though, a few month ago, there were a few weeks if not month that almost felt like a normal me, like it was 10 years ago, before tapering. You know something is really weird. I still have times when I doubt that it is the tapering causing all these symptoms. When I explain the whole situation to people not familiar with SNRI etc. it sounds to myself like something I totally made up. There are some "hard inner facts" I can remind myself on, e.g. that exercise is not helpful as it used to be or alcohol only has a debilitating effect on me and, last but not least, PSSD, meaning an almost total loss of libido in my case. But so many other things are hard to attribute. Is the headache, the sleeplessness, the flew-like feeling a symptom? Or just flew? Stress? Me? Of course, the medical establishment negating the whole story is not helpful. I am sure some of you out there know what I mean. Oh and by the way and totally off-topic: has anyone hear realized that the suicide of DFW (David Foster Wallace) sounds a lot like in context of withdrawal after a sudden change in his medication? I read an biography. Seems like he was never the same again after that sudden change, shortly before his dead. Keep it up, everybody! And thanks for any reply and your valuable commitment here... Content 1 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
LostInCanada Posted September 22 Posted September 22 Hi @Content thanks for the positive update. Chessie cat is no longer active on the site. Dataguy still comes on. I had a quick read of your story. I would suggest a long hold just to let any withdrawal symptoms that accumulated or the waves to settle, have time to work themselves out. It seems going lower before jumping off might be a great idea. The moderator Go2zero went super low when jumping off prozac and he had no issues because of that. You might want to check out his last few pages of his thread. Sounds like you are doing really well. Congratulations for getting on such a low dose. 👍 2 I am not a medical professional. My comments are based on my personal experience and information on this site. 2016-twice weekly for a couple months-oxazepam 10 mg sleep/ 2020-22-once a week 3.75-7.5 mg Zopiclone for sleep/20 yr+ Paroxetine/ Dec2018-May 2022 20 mg/ May 2022 30mg/2022.07.28-2022.08.24 30mg to 0mg/ August 24-29 2022 10mg Prozac/2022.11.28-2022.12.04- 5mg Paroxetine/Dec 5&6/22 10mg Paroxetine/ Dec 8&9/22 10mg Prozac/ 2022.12.07 to 2023.07.01 5mg Paroxetine TAPER 23.07.02-58mgpw/4.9mgai/ 23.07.21-4.8mg/23.07.28-4.73mg/23.08.04-4.65mg /21.09.23-4.58 mg/27.10.23-4.56 mg/5.12.23-4.54 mg/2.1.24-4.52 mg/9.1.24-4.51 mg/17.1.24-4.49 mg/26.1.24-4.47mg/6.2.24-4.46mg/ 19.2.24-4.44mg /4.4.24-4.43mg/28.4.24-4.4 mg/5.5.24-4.39 mg/19.5.24-4.36 mg/2.7.24-4.34 mg/9.7.24-4.32mg/31.7.24-4.3 mg/ 1.10.24 -4.29mg/27.11.24-4.25 mg 8am-probiotics/9am-paroxetine, 200mg mag bisglycinate/ 1000mg Vitamin D/5pm-75 mg DGL/200mg calcium citrate/0.25 mcg melatonin nightly "... your strength will be in keeping calm..."-Isaiah 30:15
Content Posted September 30 Author Posted September 30 Thanks LostInCanada! I have a little correction: I am down to 0,045. 0,0045 was wishful thinking, I guess. Updated my signature. All the best to you, too. 2007-2018 Citalopram 20mg Several times tried tapering too fast/cold turkey with severe withdrawal symptoms without understanding what they were. February 2018 Milnaneurax (Milnacipran)50mg. July-Oct 2018 fast tapering Milnaneurax (50mg-25mg-0) with severe withdrawal symptoms. Back to 50mg. May 2019 started tapering again after researching the forum and other sites with 10% reduction. May 2019 45mg, July 2019 40mg, September 2019 35mg, October 2019 32,5mg, December 2019 30mg, January 2020 27mg, February 25mg, 22mg, March 20mg, April 18mg, May 16mg, 14,5mg, June 13mg, July 12mg, November down to 5mg Dec 2020-Feb 2021 hold with 5mg April 2021 3,7mg, June 2021 3mg, August 2021 2,5 mg, November 2021 1,9 mg, December 2021 1,66mg, January - April 2022 hold with 1,4mg May 2022 1,0mg, July 2022 0,9mg, September 2022 0,8mg, October 2022 0,75 mg During winter hold with 0,75mg I lost some of my notes in between... June 2023 0,5mg, July 2023 0,43mg, September 0,375mg, October 2023 0,36mg September 2024 0,045mg
LostInCanada Posted September 30 Posted September 30 24 minutes ago, Content said: I am down to 0,045. 0,0045 was wishful thinking, I guess. Hey that still sounds amazing. ♥️🙏 I am not a medical professional. My comments are based on my personal experience and information on this site. 2016-twice weekly for a couple months-oxazepam 10 mg sleep/ 2020-22-once a week 3.75-7.5 mg Zopiclone for sleep/20 yr+ Paroxetine/ Dec2018-May 2022 20 mg/ May 2022 30mg/2022.07.28-2022.08.24 30mg to 0mg/ August 24-29 2022 10mg Prozac/2022.11.28-2022.12.04- 5mg Paroxetine/Dec 5&6/22 10mg Paroxetine/ Dec 8&9/22 10mg Prozac/ 2022.12.07 to 2023.07.01 5mg Paroxetine TAPER 23.07.02-58mgpw/4.9mgai/ 23.07.21-4.8mg/23.07.28-4.73mg/23.08.04-4.65mg /21.09.23-4.58 mg/27.10.23-4.56 mg/5.12.23-4.54 mg/2.1.24-4.52 mg/9.1.24-4.51 mg/17.1.24-4.49 mg/26.1.24-4.47mg/6.2.24-4.46mg/ 19.2.24-4.44mg /4.4.24-4.43mg/28.4.24-4.4 mg/5.5.24-4.39 mg/19.5.24-4.36 mg/2.7.24-4.34 mg/9.7.24-4.32mg/31.7.24-4.3 mg/ 1.10.24 -4.29mg/27.11.24-4.25 mg 8am-probiotics/9am-paroxetine, 200mg mag bisglycinate/ 1000mg Vitamin D/5pm-75 mg DGL/200mg calcium citrate/0.25 mcg melatonin nightly "... your strength will be in keeping calm..."-Isaiah 30:15
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