Saphriskill: Tapering off Saphris

[Saphriskill]

I have been on various antipsychotics since 2016.

I've been on Saphris for almost a year, and I am taking 3/4 of 5mg tablet currently.

I'm determined to come off antipsychotics eventually.

However, I would like to stay on 3/4 tablet until mid-April because I expect some changes in my life.

I don't know how to taper off Saphris because it can't be dissolved in water.

I am splitting my medication but I don't use scale to measure the dosage.

 

Edit: I don't know how to add my medical history.

 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Saphriskill.

 

You can use the following link to post your drug signature (drug history)--doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

The only way to taper Saphris is by reducing the tablet.  To get consistent and accurate doses it's much better to use a digital scale rather than just cutting tablets.  Many members use the Smart Weigh digital scale, available on Amazon.  Here's the link:

 

Amazon.com: Smart Weigh: All Scales

 

The following link is about tapering Saphris

 

Tips for tapering off asenapine (Saphris) - Tapering

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium (glycinate is a good form) and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

[littlebird]

19 hours ago, Saphriskill said:

I am splitting my medication but I don't use scale to measure the dosage.

 

Hello and welcome! Just popping in to say that I had a huge difference when I started using a high quality scale to measure my meds. I thought at low doses it wouldn’t matter than much if I eyeballed it. When I started measuring, I started feeling a lot more steady.

 

There’s a learning curve to it, especially when it comes to fillers in meds, but it helps so much. I learned the hard way not to try a discount scale, and returned it to get the recommended Gemini 20 Scale. It’s much more exact, and worth the investment. Can’t tell you how much it helped to get exact!

[Saphriskill]

On 1/30/2023 at 2:01 PM, Gridley said:

Welcome to SA, Saphriskill.

 

You can use the following link to post your drug signature (drug history)--doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

The only way to taper Saphris is by reducing the tablet.  To get consistent and accurate doses it's much better to use a digital scale rather than just cutting tablets.  Many members use the Smart Weigh digital scale, available on Amazon.  Here's the link:

 

Amazon.com: Smart Weigh: All Scales

 

The following link is about tapering Saphris

 

Tips for tapering off asenapine (Saphris) - Tapering

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium (glycinate is a good form) and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

Thank you for the reply.

I started using pill cutter, and I think I really need to use scale to be stabilized.

I have had semi depression for almost 3 weeks since I was not motivated to do anything.

I was not motivated to do my school work but I also didn't know if I could handle any types of work during withdrawl process.

This is the reason for delayed response.

[Gridley]

Just now, Saphriskill said:

I think I really need to use scale to be stabilized.

It's very important to get a consistent, accurate dose.  As @littlebird noted, the Gemini-20 scale (now called the Smart Weigh scale) works very well.

[Saphriskill]

On 1/30/2023 at 3:43 PM, littlebird said:

 

Hello and welcome! Just popping in to say that I had a huge difference when I started using a high quality scale to measure my meds. I thought at low doses it wouldn’t matter than much if I eyeballed it. When I started measuring, I started feeling a lot more steady.

 

There’s a learning curve to it, especially when it comes to fillers in meds, but it helps so much. I learned the hard way not to try a discount scale, and returned it to get the recommended Gemini 20 Scale. It’s much more exact, and worth the investment. Can’t tell you how much it helped to get exact!

 

Sorry for the delayed response.

Thank you for your advice!

I am stabilized on 3/4 tablet currently, and I am going to buy a scale you mentioned to have a steady withdrawal process.

My psychiatrist added Lexapro after I told him that I had anxiety attack for stopping Saphris cold turkey.

 

I think Lexapro might be helpful for tapering Saphris but I don't want another brutal withdrawl process.

 

I am in mu 20s, and there are many years left behind. I want to live a life without taking any more neurotoxin.

[getofflex]

20 minutes ago, Saphriskill said:

I think Lexapro might be helpful for tapering Saphris but I don't want another brutal withdrawl process.

I'm sorry to hear that your psychiatrist added Lexapro.  This is an extremely powerful SSRI drug, and can be very hard to get off of.  It takes only 4 weeks for your brain to adapt to Lexapro and become dependent on it.  If you just recently started the Lexapro, as in the past few days or week or 2, you can just stop it without tapering.  When did you start this Lexapro?  Please add this to your drug signature, thank you.  Psychiatrists are notorious for adding more drugs to patients, and this usually causes more problems than it solves.  Instead of helping with WD, it may just confuse your brain more to have more chemicals put in it.  Just FYI, it took me 5 years to taper off Lexapro, and it was very difficult.  I'm just trying to help you avoid big problems in the future.  

 

Your drug sig says "Saphris 5mg February 2022- till now". Please say the actual date, as we won't know what "till now" is.  

 

Psychiatrists MO is to add drugs.  You can recover without adding Lexapro or other drugs.  

[Saphriskill]

25 minutes ago, getofflex said:

I'm sorry to hear that your psychiatrist added Lexapro.  This is an extremely powerful SSRI drug, and can be very hard to get off of.  It takes only 4 weeks for your brain to adapt to Lexapro and become dependent on it.  If you just recently started the Lexapro, as in the past few days or week or 2, you can just stop it without tapering.  When did you start this Lexapro?  Please add this to your drug signature, thank you.  Psychiatrists are notorious for adding more drugs to patients, and this usually causes more problems than it solves.  Instead of helping with WD, it may just confuse your brain more to have more chemicals put in it.  Just FYI, it took me 5 years to taper off Lexapro, and it was very difficult.  I'm just trying to help you avoid big problems in the future.  

 

Your drug sig says "Saphris 5mg February 2022- till now". Please say the actual date, as we won't know what "till now" is.  

 

Psychiatrists MO is to add drugs.  You can recover without adding Lexapro or other drugs.  

 

I used to take Lexapro with Invega from 2016 to 2018. I had no adverse reaction to CT cause I was taking another antipsychotics.

This time is different. I am reducing antipsychotics and my body mechanism could have been changed for the past 6 years.

 

I have not reinstated Lexapro yet and I am taking  Saphris only.

 

[getofflex]

1 hour ago, Saphriskill said:

I have not reinstated Lexapro yet and I am taking  Saphris only.

That's good.  

 

Be aware that the more we go on and off drugs, the more sensitive our systems tend to become, and the harder it is to taper off the drugs.  

[Hello20]

Hi @Saphriskill how are you going? i am currently at 2.5 mg of Saphris and currently waiting. Do you know how to taper with the scales? Can you please tell me? Cheers.