Nina2021: Clozapine tapering

[Nina2021]

Hi all,

 

I was severily damaged by 6 Paliperidona shots. I lost my ability to sleep. Had other adverse effects too. Like cognitive impairment and extreme anhedonia. After that I was so bad that I had 2 suicide attemps and I was polidrugged. They gave me ECT and Clozapine. I feel really bad daily. I can hardly survive by myself and have no support from my family Who don't believe in the iatrogenic brain damage. I think that my only hope to improve is to tapper Clozapine. I am since the 28th of March at 175mg. I would need help. Since the cognitive impairment I am really lost. I am mostly bedridden. I am just suffering looking at my watch. Can anybody help me?? Thanks in advance. 

[Erimus]

Hello, and welcome to Surviving Antidepressants. We are a peer support forum to assist in tapering off psychiatric drugs safely, or recovering from psychiatric drug withdrawal.

 

Your first task is to create a drug signature, with the following:

 

• All current medication you take, the dose you take, when you started the drug, and when you made dose changes
• All current supplements you take
• An accurate history of recent drugs, taken in the last 12-24 months
• Dates for recent should be written as 7 Oct 2023, or Oct 7 2023, or early Oct 2023, or mid Oct 2023
• A history of drugs taken 24 months ago and beyond - if applicable
• Dates for historical drugs can simply be listed as start and stop years
• Please do not use 07/10/23 // 10/07/23 as this is intepreted differently around the world

 

• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. See my signature for example of clear and concise information.

 

• Click this link to edit your signature: Edit your signature here.

 

 

This topic is for anything relating to you, and any questions you have. Please do not start another topic.

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of your CURRENT dose each month, to limit withdrawal symptoms. E.g. 10mg --> 9mg --> 8.1mg --> 7.29mg

 

All the answers you are looking for regarding tapering and antidepressant withdrawal are on this site. Please search around and continue to read as much as you can manage. Use the site search function to search for specific words or phrases, such as drugs or symptoms.

 

Here are a few of the most useful links:

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

Micro tapering

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

 

We only recommend two supplements. Omega 3 Fish Oil and Magnesium. Both should be introduced separately and increased slowly.

 

Regards

Erimus

[Erimus]

5 hours ago, Nina2021 said:

I was severily damaged by 6 Paliperidona shots. I lost my ability to sleep. Had other adverse effects too. Like cognitive impairment and extreme anhedonia. After that I was so bad that I had 2 suicide attemps and I was polidrugged. They gave me ECT and Clozapine. I feel really bad daily. I can hardly survive by myself and have no support from my family Who don't believe in the iatrogenic brain damage. I think that my only hope to improve is to tapper Clozapine. I am since the 28th of March at 175mg. I would need help. Since the cognitive impairment I am really lost. I am mostly bedridden. I am just suffering looking at my watch. Can anybody help me?? Thanks in advance.

Please read the following topics when you are able.

 

Help with math for tapering

 

How to cut up tablets or pills

 

Given your situation it might be best to start out with cutting the pills into 1/2s, 1/4s and 1/8s, with a pill cutter. You would need to ask your doctor for the a combination of tablet strength in order to achieve the right number.

 

We suggest reducing by no more than 10% per month. So your first reduction would be from 175mg to 157.5mg. This could be approximately achieved with a 100mg tablet, a 50mg tablet, and quarter of a 25mg tablet (6.25mg). That would give you 156.25mg.

[Nina2021]

1 hour ago, Erimus said:

Please read the following topics when you are able.

 

Help with math for tapering

 

How to cut up tablets or pills

 

Given your situation it might be best to start out with cutting the pills into 1/2s, 1/4s and 1/8s, with a pill cutter. You would need to ask your doctor for the a combination of tablet strength in order to achieve the right number.

 

We suggest reducing by no more than 10% per month. So your first reduction would be from 175mg to 157.5mg. This could be approximately achieved with a 100mg tablet, a 50mg tablet, and quarter of a 25mg tablet (6.25mg). That would give you 156.25mg.

Thanks for answering.

 

I am not able to cut a 25mg pill into 4 pieces. The cutter is not precise. It is already hard to cut the 100mg pills in 2. I don't have 50mg pills.

[Erimus]

On 4/5/2024 at 8:35 PM, Nina2021 said:

Thanks for answering.

 

I am not able to cut a 25mg pill into 4 pieces. The cutter is not precise. It is already hard to cut the 100mg pills in 2. I don't have 50mg pills.

You will have to ask for your dose to be given in a combination of pill sizes. We cannot do that for you. If you are not able to do this your best bet will be creating your own liquid. See:

 

How to make a liquid from tablets or capsules

 

Using an oral syringe and other tapering techniques

 

To do this you could dissolve 175mg clozapine in 175ml of water. This would mean you have 1mg per ml of liquid. You would then need to use a combination of oral syringes to draw up a total of 157.5ml liquid. For example:

 

Draw up 150ml and add to a glass

Draw up 7ml and add to the glass

Draw up 0.5ml and add to the glass

 

You would then drink all the liquid you have added to your glass. Tip the rest of the solution you have made away, and repeat the process again the next day.