Mini05 Posted November 21, 2020 Share Posted November 21, 2020 Hi All Im new to the site and like to say how informative it is. so I’m in the Uk, been on venlafaxine about 8 yrs at different doses in those years. currently on 225mg im thinking on coming off them, obviously very very slowly. I hate the thought off what the drug is doing to my Brain 🧠 so is anyone on this brand ? do you know how many tiny pills are in a 75mg capsule? does anyone know of a uk based company that will do the tapering strips for me? I know of the Netherlands site, they cost 70€ for 28 pills we have nhs in uk, so get our prescription FREE, and don’t think I could get them to do this. anyone who can help ? Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted November 21, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted November 21, 2020 Hi mini and welcome to SA, It is fantastic that you have found SA before you have started tapering. Please create your drug signature following these instructions. Include ALL drugs/supplements, current AND previous. Thank you. Instructions: Withdrawal History Signature SA's recommended taper is to reduce by no more than 10% of the current dose with a hold of about 4 weeks to allow your brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug. This is a guide only and you can reduce by less and/or hold longer as needed. It is better to hold for longer if you are going through a stressful time or are sick or if you still have symptoms. Why taper by 10% of my dosage?Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms WDnormal Before you begin tapering what you need to know Post #1 of this topic explains how to get your doses: Tips for tapering off venlafaxine (Effexor) There is discussion of tapering strips here: tapering-strips-for-psychiatric-drugs-being-produced-in-netherlands The only supplements which SA recommends are Magnesium and Omega-3 Fish Oil. Try a small amount, one at a time to see how you react. You might want to get yourself set up on these before you commence tapering Effexor. Only make one change at a time. This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place to ask questions about your own situation and to journal your progress. And a message from Altostrata, SA's founder. There is also a link to a recent interview with her in my signature below this post. On 11/7/2020 at 8:23 AM, Altostrata said: One of the things that's very important to each person here is knowing that healing is possible. Please don't just go away when you feel better! "Pay it forward" by updating your Intro topic with your progress * 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
Mini05 Posted January 11 Author Share Posted January 11 Hi please can you help me start off my tapering guide so I can see/get an idea of how the maths work. I’ve tried looking at the guides but at 66yrs old I got confused by it all i currently take a 150mg XR capsule & a 75mg XR capsule So I’m going to start on the 75mg capsule first. So I’m wanting to make enough NEW capsules for a week so how would I go about this please ? could you send me the formula to do so to give me an idea so I can grasp it ? Ive got my scales empty capsules & spoon Thank You Link to comment
Administrator KenA Posted January 11 Administrator Share Posted January 11 @Emonda 2010-2011 - Tramadol - Can't remember dosage 2011 - CT Quit Tramadol 2011-2019 - St Johns Wart - Started out at 3 Pills a day (300 MG) and increased to 6 per day over the years August 2019 - CT Quit St Johns (Told by Hospital Dr to Stop Taking due to increased BP) September 2019 - Citalopram 10mg - Approx 2 weeks - CT Quit September 2019 - October 2019 - Clonazepam .5mg - Approx 3 weeks - CT Quit Drug Free Since October 5th 2019 Link to comment
Administrator Emonda Posted January 12 Administrator Share Posted January 12 Hi @Mini05 I don't have a personal experience with your AD, so, I looked at the link ChessieCat posted for you above. That's a good place to start. Do your tablets have beads in them as referred to in the link? Please don't send me PMs. I am not a doctor. My comments are based on my personal experience with ADs and tapering. Consult your doctor about your own medical decisions. Start of taper: Jan ’22 Vortioxetine 15mg, End year 1: 4.5mg, End year 2: 2.38mg, Year 3: 8 Feb 2.19mg, 21 Mar 1.99mg, 2 May 1.83mg, 13 Jun 1.69mg, 25 Jul 1.50mg, 14 Aug 1.46mg Link to comment
Administrator Emonda Posted July 2 Administrator Share Posted July 2 Hi Mini05, I understand you have a question. Please ask your question here, and I'll try to help. Best wishes. Please don't send me PMs. I am not a doctor. My comments are based on my personal experience with ADs and tapering. Consult your doctor about your own medical decisions. Start of taper: Jan ’22 Vortioxetine 15mg, End year 1: 4.5mg, End year 2: 2.38mg, Year 3: 8 Feb 2.19mg, 21 Mar 1.99mg, 2 May 1.83mg, 13 Jun 1.69mg, 25 Jul 1.50mg, 14 Aug 1.46mg Link to comment
Mini05 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 Hope this is the right place for my question im so confused (aged related 66) in my calculations tapering Im doing a 10% tapering of 75mg capsule iI weighed 3 capsules, different weights ! I added them together then divided that by 3. Averaged out at 214g each . so if I’m right that’s a 10% drop = 67.5g of a 75mg capsule so my next taper iI have to get capsules to weigh 214g then take 10% from 214g = 192.6g which then is 60.75mg capsule next taper is 192.6g take 10% off = 173.34g which is then 54.67mg capsules is this correct method to do 10% taper using scales. If so this is going to take me over 3 yrs to get off 75mg if I can do it (?) every 4 weeks because as you get lower each cut is so small is this correct the way I’m doing it ?? Link to comment
Moderator Erimus Posted July 2 Moderator Share Posted July 2 Hi Mini. Your calculations regarding the weight are correct, but I would suggest that it would be easier for you to count beads rather than weigh the capsules. If you open a 75mg capsule and count the beads in it, then write this down, and repeat for 5 more capsules. Work out the average number of beads in a 75mg capsule, and use this as a reference point to taper. I would suggest you use your total dose of 225mg when calculating your reductions. If you just focused on the 75mg you would be tapering unnecessarily slowly as you approach 150mg of effexor. Active Monday-Friday UK time Taper calculator spreadsheet MEDICATION: 1) Sertraline: 50mg - Oct 2020, 100mg - Dec 2020, 50mg - Apr 2021, 75mg - May 2021, 50mg - Sep 2021, 55mg - 23 Feb 2024, 60mg - 20 Mar 2024, Start tapering - 24 Apr 2024, crash 13 Aug 2024 - reinstate back to 58mg and hold - tapered too fast. Current dose: 58mg (1 Sep 2024) 2) Mirtazapine: 15mg - Nov 2020 SUPPLEMENTS: Fish oils, Magnesium, Vitamin C Link to comment
Mini05 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 4 minutes ago, Erimus said: Hi Mini. Your calculations regarding the weight are correct, but I would suggest that it would be easier for you to count beads rather than weigh the capsules. If you open a 75mg capsule and count the beads in it, then write this down, and repeat for 5 more capsules. Work out the average number of beads in a 75mg capsule, and use this as a reference point to taper. I would suggest you use your total dose of 225mg when calculating your reductions. If you just focused on the 75mg you would be tapering unnecessarily slowly as you approach 150mg of effexor. Link to comment
Mini05 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 Erimus im not very good with working round site, I find it confusing so I apologise for anything I havnt or have done. I’m 66 yrs old in answer to counting the beads instead of weighing that would be so hard for me to do theres literally hundreds of tge little beads in the two capsules, it would take me hours just to do 3 capsules. Hence why I opted to weighing them I will definitely do the whole dose of 225mg and not just the 75mg capsule thank you Link to comment
Moderator Erimus Posted July 2 Moderator Share Posted July 2 8 minutes ago, Mini05 said: Erimus im not very good with working round site, I find it confusing so I apologise for anything I havnt or have done. I’m 66 yrs old in answer to counting the beads instead of weighing that would be so hard for me to do theres literally hundreds of tge little beads in the two capsules, it would take me hours just to do 3 capsules. Hence why I opted to weighing them I will definitely do the whole dose of 225mg and not just the 75mg capsule thank you No problem, it is all personal preference which method you use. As long as you are happy with it and consistent you will be fine. Your reductions would be 225mg --> 202.5mg --> 182.25mg --> 164.03mg --> 147.62mg etc. If you are just altering the 75mg capsule this would be: 225mg --> 150mg + 52.5mg --> 150mg + 32.25mg --> 150mg + 14.03mg Active Monday-Friday UK time Taper calculator spreadsheet MEDICATION: 1) Sertraline: 50mg - Oct 2020, 100mg - Dec 2020, 50mg - Apr 2021, 75mg - May 2021, 50mg - Sep 2021, 55mg - 23 Feb 2024, 60mg - 20 Mar 2024, Start tapering - 24 Apr 2024, crash 13 Aug 2024 - reinstate back to 58mg and hold - tapered too fast. Current dose: 58mg (1 Sep 2024) 2) Mirtazapine: 15mg - Nov 2020 SUPPLEMENTS: Fish oils, Magnesium, Vitamin C Link to comment
Mini05 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 28 minutes ago, Erimus said: No problem, it is all personal preference which method you use. As long as you are happy with it and consistent you will be fine. Your reductions would be 225mg --> 202.5mg --> 182.25mg --> 164.03mg --> 147.62mg etc. If you are just altering the 75mg capsule this would be: 225mg --> 150mg + 52.5mg --> 150mg + 32.25mg --> 150mg + 14.03mg sorry Erimus,for being a pain am I doing it wrong ? how do you get to the calculations of altering just the 75mg + the 150mg capsule i get 75mg - 10% = 67.5mg+150mg full capsule = 217.5mg then 67.5mg+150mg full capsule = 210.75mg you get 150mg + 52.5mg ? 150mg + 32.25mg ? tgank you Link to comment
Moderator Erimus Posted July 2 Moderator Share Posted July 2 (edited) 20 minutes ago, Mini05 said: sorry Erimus,for being a pain am I doing it wrong ? how do you get to the calculations of altering just the 75mg + the 150mg capsule i get 75mg - 10% = 67.5mg+150mg full capsule = 217.5mg then 67.5mg+150mg full capsule = 210.75mg you get 150mg + 52.5mg ? 150mg + 32.25mg ? tgank you You are just removing 10% from the 75mg capsule, rather than your full dose. This doesn’t make sense, unless you intend to remain on 150mg indefinitely. 225mg - 10% = 202.5mg = 52.5mg + 150mg capsule Then: 202.5mg - 10% = 182.25mg = 32.25mg + 150mg capsule Edited July 2 by Erimus Active Monday-Friday UK time Taper calculator spreadsheet MEDICATION: 1) Sertraline: 50mg - Oct 2020, 100mg - Dec 2020, 50mg - Apr 2021, 75mg - May 2021, 50mg - Sep 2021, 55mg - 23 Feb 2024, 60mg - 20 Mar 2024, Start tapering - 24 Apr 2024, crash 13 Aug 2024 - reinstate back to 58mg and hold - tapered too fast. Current dose: 58mg (1 Sep 2024) 2) Mirtazapine: 15mg - Nov 2020 SUPPLEMENTS: Fish oils, Magnesium, Vitamin C Link to comment
Mini05 Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 Just now, Erimus said: You are just removing 10% from the 75mg capsule, rather than your full dose. This doesn’t make sense, unless you intend to remain on 150mg indefinitely. 225mg - 10% = 202.5mg = 52.5mg + 150mg capsule 👍🤦♀️ Link to comment
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