WishforBest: Introduction and Where to Start?

[WishforBest]

Hi everyone,

 

I've been a long time recipient of the psychiatric system since I believe 2008/2009. Eventually, I was labelled schizophrenic (and recently labelled "anxiety disorder"). Of course, I am very skeptical of the psychiatry paradigm. I totally forgot my medication past but I have been on Risperdal before, which is all I remember. Right now, the psych drugs I am on are 1mg Benztropine (mornings), Divalproex 500mg S,T,Th,Sat (night), Divalproex 750mg M,W,F (night), and Olanzapine 10mg daily. I used to but stopped Minoxidil. I also take Omega 3 fish oil and vitamin d3. My moods have been usually stable. I have been hospitalized in the past but been stable for at most 7 years. I do have somewhat of a problem with my sleep as I stay up late (and many times have difficulty falling asleep) many times past midnight, and get out of bed late usually 11am or even past noon. I used to run and do exercises but have stopped recently. Sometimes, I do have some anger and frustration. I want to eventually lower my dosages to the lowest possible if not completely. 

      I was wondering which of the psychotropic medications should I lower first? Should I lower one at a time or do a combination of lowering? I read a bit about multiple drug tapering on this site. I read the Inner Compass Project site. I've visited various blogs. I also looked elsewhere. I read that benztropine is not a benzodiazepine but an anticholinergic antiparkinson agent. Is that true? I think I already messed up with my doctor. She has never had a patient who has deprescribed completely and probably wants me on the medication for life. I also have no allies in my family as they are in the medical profession, have seen me at my worst, and they probably believe that any form of psychiatry skepticism is anti-medicine/anti-science.

     Thanks for any constructive help, WishforBest

     

[FireflyFyte]

Hi WishforBest,

 

Welcome to SA. Thank you for putting your drug summary in your signature.

 

16 hours ago, WishforBest said:

Should I lower one at a time or do a combination of lowering?

 

We recommend only tapering one drug at a time so if you experience any withdrawal symptoms, we can easily isolate the cause.

 

16 hours ago, WishforBest said:

I was wondering which of the psychotropic medications should I lower first?

 

We have a resource for this topic at Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?. Generally, we recommend tapering the most activating first but in your case Olanzapine is a very powerful medication so it might be worthwhile to see if you can lower that dosage.

 

16 hours ago, WishforBest said:

I do have somewhat of a problem with my sleep as I stay up late (and many times have difficulty falling asleep) many times past midnight, and get out of bed late usually 11am or even past noon.

 

We encourage members to practice good sleep hygiene as getting enough sleep can be crucial during the tapering journey. More information can be found at Tips to help sleep: so many of us have that awful withdrawal insomnia

 

16 hours ago, WishforBest said:

I used to run and do exercises but have stopped recently.

 

Gentle exercise can be helpful. We recommend walks (especially outside), non-strenuous yoga, and other movements that your body can tolerate.

 

Thanks,

 

Firefly

[WishforBest]

Thanks FireflyFyte for taking the time to respond to me. I also have some other questions to ask.

 

      I have talked to my psychiatrist and judging by the conversation, I do not believe the psychiatrist is experienced at psychiatric drug withdrawal. I believe I made the mistake of asking her essentially if I could withdraw completely. After asking more questions, I remember she admitted she has no experience in complete deprescribing of medication for clients.

      I've read a lot on psych drug withdrawal. All of my sources seem to say that lowering doses should be 10%, usually monthly 10% reductions from the previous month's total dosage. So, when I heard my psychiatrist offer to reduce the depakote by a third (MWF dose), I refused. I also suspect that an earlier breakdown could partially be related to improper dose reduction in a previous medication.

      Due to my issues at university, hospitalizations, and my earlier disability diagnosis, I live with family. However, I have completed college and even had a small job, so I have a degree of competence. My mother wants to tell my psychiatrist about my desire to attempt a gradual reduction of olanzapine starting with 10%, but I do not think my psychiatrist will be understanding. It also seems that my mother thinks it best for me to be perpetually medicated.

      However, I believe that I've been at least 6 to 7 years stable and I believe psych drugs cause more harm than good. I want to be psych drug free.

      My resources are limited because of the situation I'm in. I am virtually on government assistance. The government insurance does not seem to pay for a non-medication based psychiatrist and therapist.

     What should I do? What is a good directory for professionals who can assist in this process? How do I navigate my relationship with my psychiatrist and family to ensure support and help in withdrawing?

 

[FireflyFyte]

You might find our thread at How to talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal? What to expect. helpful. Generally speaking, most doctors know little to nothing when it comes to tapering and withdrawals.

 

We also have resources for recommended doctors, etc. at Recommended doctors, therapists, and clinics