dixit2109: Starting Tapering 600mg Amisulpride from Feb'25

[dixit2109]

Dear All:

I am going to start tapering my 600mg Amisulpride from Feb'25. I have been taking it for Schizophrenia. I am taking this drug for last 14 years. I was also on Benzos, Zolpidem and SSRI for 3 years. I have successfully tapered them. Rightnow, I am taking Amisulpride only. This is the only drug I need to taper before I become drug free. I need help from all of you. Please tell me more about Amisulpride withdrawals. I have decided for a 3 year taper. Please send me as much information before I start my tapering. 

Edited December 4, 2024 by Emonda
Name to title

[Jane318]

Greetings @dixit2109 and welcome to SA.  We are a community of volunteers providing peer support in the tapering of psychiatric medications and their associated withdrawal syndromes. 

 

I commend you for your commitment to and amazing progress towards getting off all psychotropic drugs!  

 

22 hours ago, dixit2109 said:

I am going to start tapering my 600mg Amisulpride from Feb'25. I have been taking it for Schizophrenia. I am taking this drug for last 14 years. I was also on Benzos, Zolpidem and SSRI for 3 years. I have successfully tapered them. Rightnow, I am taking Amisulpride only. This is the only drug I need to taper before I become drug free

From your signature, it appears that you have been off all drugs besides Amisulpride since March 2023.  Your previous tapers were faster than what we would advise.  Even though you will have been off the other drugs for two years by when you plan to start your Amisulpride, your central nervous system could still be recovering from all these changes.  How do you feel at present?  You want to make sure you are stable before beginning another taper.

 

22 hours ago, dixit2109 said:

I need help from all of you. Please tell me more about Amisulpride withdrawals. I have decided for a 3 year taper. Please send me as much information before I start my tapering. 

You are wise to gather good information before you start tapering again, and you are in the right place!

 

Before you begin your taper, I recommend you also read:  Before you begin tapering - what you need to know

 

Also, please read  Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ 

 

Here at SA, we recommend the hyperbolic taper method, which you can read about here:  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?  The reductions are relative to the prior dosage and so get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. This process involves a degree of trial and error, as there is no way of predicting how an individual will respond. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward. The experience of others suggests that the lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with tapering. 

 

Those that taper too quickly often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) is a helpful summary of what many experience.

 

I am glad you realize that tapering will take a few years, not a few months!  Although it is good to have an idea of how long a taper will take, the important thing is to listen to your body and be willing to slow down to keep withdrawal symptoms in check.  

 

While it is not a common drug for us, we do have a few people here tapering amulsipride.  Put "amulsipride" in the search box at the top of the home page to find their stories.  Here is one thread you may want to read and perhaps connect with:  

 

 

I assume you take Amisulpride as tablets. You might see if it available for you as a prescription liquid, which is the most convenient way to taper. You may wish to take half your daily dose in tablet form and half in liquid to start, then slowly taper the liquid by 10% per month or less.  

 

For your information, see Keks, N., Schwartz, D., & Hope, J. (2019). Stopping and switching antipsychotic drugs. Australian Prescriber, 42(5). https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2019.052

 

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. 

 

Please let us know if you have other questions.

 

Again, welcome to SA and best wishes.  We look forward to following your journey, and helping out in any way we can.

 

[dixit2109]

Hey Jane318:

Thanks for the reply and info. I will go through them. You are correct, my previous tapers were very fast and it has exacerbated my constipation. I didn't face many withdrawals during my previous taper. I am taking herbal remedies to deal with my constipation and I am doing okay. 

I am doing fine and presently very stable on 600mg Amisulpride. 

 

My post still says that your content will need to be approved by a moderator. Can you please look into it? 

 

I will come back to you after going through your information. 

Thanks

dixit2109 

[dixit2109]

Hello Jane318,

I am unable to open The Daily Check List of Antidepressants Withdrawal Symptoms (pdf). It is opening some weird website. Please resend me.

Thanks

dixit2109 

[Jane318]

8 hours ago, dixit2109 said:

I am unable to open The Daily Check List of Antidepressants Withdrawal Symptoms (pdf). It is opening some weird website. Please resend me.

I am having trouble also - http://drglenmullen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/AS-Appendix-1.pdf.  I will ask our Admin Team about this.

[dixit2109]

Hello Jane318,

I have few questions please do answer them. I will ask them sequentially:

1. I developed constipation in the July of 2018 when I went off my drugs cold turkey for a period of 6 months. During my last taper, which my psychiatrist did it very fast, I exacerbated my constipation. Now it is worst than before. I know it is related to my cold turkey episodes and tapering very fast. 

Please tell me what is the reason for it. Have I harmed my CNS? Is it going to recover in the near future? Is it going to be permanently like this? I use herbal remedies for dealing with my constipation. I hope I heal.

 

2. I smoke cigarettes (Marlboro) and take caffeine in the form of tea( 4 cups a day). Should I stop them before I start my tapering journey. Does Nicotine and Caffeine are dangerous during the withdrawal? Please let me know.

 

3. In my country Amisulpride is available only in tablet form. It is not available in liquid form. I spoke to Mark Horowitz, he suggested dissolve it in water using a cup and spoon and use a syringe and that water solution. Is this method okay. I mean simply dissolving in water and then using it. 

 

Thanks

dixit2109 

[dixit2109]

Hey Jane318:

I just checked, my Amisulpride tablet is not completely soluble in water. Please tell me how to make a solution. 

 

I also have flatulence besides constipation. It was not there before 2018, when I went CT. 

 

Please let me know about Nicotine and Caffeine. 

 

Also, what about Sugar. I take sugar in good amount. 

Thanks

dixit2109

[Jane318]

@dixit2109

On 12/5/2024 at 6:56 PM, dixit2109 said:

1. I developed constipation in the July of 2018 when I went off my drugs cold turkey for a period of 6 months. During my last taper, which my psychiatrist did it very fast, I exacerbated my constipation. Now it is worst than before. I know it is related to my cold turkey episodes and tapering very fast. 

Please tell me what is the reason for it. Have I harmed my CNS? Is it going to recover in the near future? Is it going to be permanently like this? I use herbal remedies for dealing with my constipation. I hope I heal.

Constipation and related problems are common in withdrawal.  Learn more:  Bowel problems and constipation.  Many people report this problem improves with time.

 

On 12/5/2024 at 6:56 PM, dixit2109 said:

2. I smoke cigarettes (Marlboro) and take caffeine in the form of tea( 4 cups a day). Should I stop them before I start my tapering journey. Does Nicotine and Caffeine are dangerous during the withdrawal? Please let me know.

Everyone is difference, but we do encourage people who are tapering to avoid substances that affect neurotransmitters such as caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs.  Many prescription and OTC drugs can cause problems too and should be avoided as much as possible.  You might find this helpful: Tobacco, addiction and healing.  Again, everyone is different.  

 

31 minutes ago, dixit2109 said:

I just checked, my Amisulpride tablet is not completely soluble in water. Please tell me how to make a solution. 

Did you read the forum I linked above:  https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/24952-josef-hello-world-i-need-help/?  There is much useful information.  Here is one post that discusses how to use grind and weigh tablets:  https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/24952-josef-hello-world-i-need-help/page/2/#findComment-536269

 

36 minutes ago, dixit2109 said:

I take sugar in good amount. 

Some people find excess sugar problematic while tapering / in withdrawal.

 

As for me, I chose to quit caffeine (coffee) and alcohol - I wanted to do what I could to provide the best healing environment I could for my brain / CNS.  I believe good nutrition is super-important, and for me that means minimizing sugar consumption, eating plenty of high quality protein, healthy fats, and nutritious vegetables.  I don't avoid sugar altogether, but it is not something I have on a daily basis at all.  I do not smoke or use recreational substances.  I avoid even over the counter meds, choosing natural therapies when I need them.  I want my body to have what it needs in order to heal and want to keep out of it things that impede healing.  

 

There is so much information on this site, encourage you to explore / search yourself to find information.  This will be faster, as I cannot always immediately reply, and we do rely on members to dig out what they can themselves.  To find info:  You can click through the topics listed on the home, browse the various forums (menu at top) or search the site.  The best way to search this site for specific information is to use your favorite search engine. Type in "survivingantidepressants.org" then the symptom, treatment, supplement or information you wish to search for.

 

Hope this helps!

[Jane318]

@dixit2109 - Just stumbled across this post, which sheds more light on digestive issues:

 

[dixit2109]

Hello Jane318:

 

Thanks for the reply. I will now spend time searching more about my problems on the site itself. I will come to you incase I genuinely need your help. 

Thanks

dixit2109 

[dixit2109]

Hey Jane318:

I got this paper from Mark Horowitz. I had only ONE AND ONLY ONE consulting session with him. This will help you to understand the nature of Amisulpride. Please share with your team. Also, please see FIGURE 2 in this pdf. It will help you understand at what dose of Amisulpride dose response curve take a very sharp fall and hence the need to slow down. In my case, it is around 200mg to 250mg (My body weight is 100kg)

Thanks 

dixit2109 

Amisulpride D2 Receptor Occupancy .pdf

[Jane318]

@dixit2109

10 hours ago, dixit2109 said:

I got this paper from Mark Horowitz. I had only ONE AND ONLY ONE consulting session with him. This will help you to understand the nature of Amisulpride. Please share with your team. Also, please see FIGURE 2 in this pdf. It will help you understand at what dose of Amisulpride dose response curve take a very sharp fall and hence the need to slow down. In my case, it is around 200mg to 250mg (My body weight is 100kg)

Thank you so much for sharing this - I will pass to the team.  

Tip: To make sure I get immediately notified of your posts, you will need to "tag" me by:  Type "2" then start to type my name.  as you begin, you will see a dropdown list appear - select my handle.  This will make the tag appear in a blue "bubble" like your name above - this ensure I get a notification.  It took me a while to figure that out... 

 

I hope you are doing well.

[Jane318]

Here is corrected link to the Daily Checklist:  https://media.invisioncic.com/r138344/pages_media/1491703620_WDchecklist.pdf?_cb=1733760981

 

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.