Tom2022: Hello. Introducing myself. Updosed on Paxil this morning.

[Tom2022]

Hello,

 

I've viewed posts from this forum in the past and I may have had an account at one point but I couldn't find it. I was in the process of tapering Paxil and I went reasonably slow until I got to the end. I started at 40mg somewhere between two to three years ago and followed the 10% of the previous dose rule for making reductions and would make reductions every four weeks. For the most part I did well and had minor symptoms. I also was tapering down from Rexulti at the same time at a much slower rate, which I know isn't recommended, but everything was working. I either started at .5mg or .25mg on the Rexulti. I can't remember if I ever took the full pill my psychiatrist prescribed because I was somewhat terrified of taking it all, though the Rexulti did help stabilize me from SSRI tachyphylaxis in 2015 from Paxil CR.

 

Anyway, I was dry cutting the Paxil. I got down to 0.32mg using a scale and then went down to 0.16mg by crushing the 0.32mg pill and separating the dust into two piles. Since things were going well, I thought I would be fine doing that. On 5/16/2022, I went down to 0mg and had some minor symptoms at first but this last week has been brutal. The minor symptoms are tinnitus, nasuea, fatigue and some insomnia. What really is causing me problems is major anxiety and sheer panic. This isn't normal anxiety/panic but what I would call med induced anxiety/panic. It's how I felt when I was started on meds. I used to have normal panic attacks that come and go but this stuff is unrelenting. I upped my dose back to 0.32mg this morning and I hoping I'll stabilize. I know there is no guarantee and it's one day at a time at this point.

 

Anyway, I'm introducing myself and stating where I'm at.

[Onmyway]

16 hours ago, Tom2022 said:

Hello,

 

I've viewed posts from this forum in the past and I may have had an account at one point but I couldn't find it. I was in the process of tapering Paxil and I went reasonably slow until I got to the end. I started at 40mg somewhere between two to three years ago and followed the 10% of the previous dose rule for making reductions and would make reductions every four weeks. For the most part I did well and had minor symptoms. I also was tapering down from Rexulti at the same time at a much slower rate, which I know isn't recommended, but everything was working. I either started at .5mg or .25mg on the Rexulti. I can't remember if I ever took the full pill my psychiatrist prescribed because I was somewhat terrified of taking it all, though the Rexulti did help stabilize me from SSRI tachyphylaxis in 2015 from Paxil CR.

 

Anyway, I was dry cutting the Paxil. I got down to 0.32mg using a scale and then went down to 0.16mg by crushing the 0.32mg pill and separating the dust into two piles. Since things were going well, I thought I would be fine doing that. On 5/16/2022, I went down to 0mg and had some minor symptoms at first but this last week has been brutal. The minor symptoms are tinnitus, nasuea, fatigue and some insomnia. What really is causing me problems is major anxiety and sheer panic. This isn't normal anxiety/panic but what I would call med induced anxiety/panic. It's how I felt when I was started on meds. I used to have normal panic attacks that come and go but this stuff is unrelenting. I upped my dose back to 0.32mg this morning and I hoping I'll stabilize. I know there is no guarantee and it's one day at a time at this point.

 

Anyway, I'm introducing myself and stating where I'm at.

Hi @Tom2022

When did you cut from 0.32 to 0.16? It might make sense to updose to a lower dose than 0.32 instead.

 

OMW

[Tom2022]

Thanks for the reply. I went from .320mg to .160mg on 4/23/2002. Dealing with the powder was a bit of a pain and I don't think I was getting accurate doses. It was easier for now to go back to .320mg. Provided I stabilize, I'll hold there for awhile and then look at doing some kind of liquid taper. I also had started a B-12 timed release supplement sometime in the last few weeks as well and I've stopped taking that as I read that could possibly aggravate things. 

 

I only slept two hours at best last night and it was filled with anxiety as well. So far today, I've had less anxiety but it does seem to be picking up again so I may be in for another rough night.

[Onmyway]

7 hours ago, Tom2022 said:

Thanks for the reply. I went from .320mg to .160mg on 4/23/2002. Dealing with the powder was a bit of a pain and I don't think I was getting accurate doses. It was easier for now to go back to .320mg. Provided I stabilize, I'll hold there for awhile and then look at doing some kind of liquid taper. I also had started a B-12 timed release supplement sometime in the last few weeks as well and I've stopped taking that as I read that could possibly aggravate things. 

 

I only slept two hours at best last night and it was filled with anxiety as well. So far today, I've had less anxiety but it does seem to be picking up again so I may be in for another rough night.

Just because it is expedient to measure should not define how you updose - that's a 100% updose, way more than the 10% change we recommend. Would you trade severe symptoms for measuring a piece of powder for 10 seconds longer?

 

B vitamins can be activating. 

 

[Tom2022]

I agree, but it wasn't about expediency. It was about not being able to get an accurate dose by crushing the pill into a powder. It didn't matter how much time I spent on it, I never felt I was getting an accurate dose but I just pushed ahead. Also, going from 0.320mg to 0.160mg is not recommended either, nor is dropping from 0.160mg to zero. It's all water under the bridge at this point though.

 

I'm currently at 0.320mg on Paxil. I plan on holding there for awhile and then converting to liquid dosing and following the recommendations here:

 

Managing the Endgame

 

I managed a solid 8 hours of sleep last night and the anxiety, anxiety surges, burning, tinnitus and other symptoms are all much more manageable today. 

 

 

[Tom2022]

I'm really struggling today. Bad insomnia last night. Horrible anxiety today. Burning in back, arms, and legs. I don't know what to do. I've made a lot of mistakes in my taper, most of them being in the last year. I spent three years getting off Paxil but it was still too fast. I was also tapering Rexulti at this time as well which was a bad idea. I reached 0mg on the Paxil on 5/16/2022 and tried reinstating to 0.320mg. I also upped the Rexulti from 0.83mg to 0.94mg. I'm wondering if I should go higher on either or both. I dry cut the pills and I don't think I'm getting the best measurements at this low of a dose. especially on the Paxil. I've read the reinstatement post. 

 

About Reinstating