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sly's method for measuring beads of the same size -- instead of counting them


sly

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Hi guys!
 
Finally tired of counting beads of you medicine? Tired of starting over and over again? Tired of dropping beads from the table so cats and dogs are already also on your drug:D  Tired of refilling the beads from the table back into the capsules and loosing beads?
 
:excl:  Here is the solution: :excl:
 
As I am still on CYMBALTA and tapering down. I use 30 mg capsules which contain 290 (+/-) little beads here in Germany. If you live in the states or somewhere else make sure to count (only ONCE) how many beads you have in your capsules.
 
What you need: :blush:

  • Print yourself a sheet of paper with rulers on it!

You can get different versions of rulers on this site for free http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/paper_rulers/.
As we use cm instead of inch in Germany I personally use the file rules_cm_20cm.pdf but you can make your own choice.

  • Print the downloaded pdf with your rulers on it on colored paper (I use blue) to have a nice contrast to the white color of your beads.

Make sure your printer settings are correct to get the exact proportion :excl: when you print the rulers on your printer.
If you printed the pdf it should look like this:

      15664043gs.jpg

  • Cut a piece of the printed paper so you get a sheet with 4 rulers on it. Now fold this piece of paper to get a nice little chute that can be placed on a table without tipping over to one side. Also make sure you fold a little bend at each end of the chute to avoid loosing beads. :mad:

This is how it should look like:
15664041le.jpg

  • Now open your capsule that you use and pour some beads into your chute. Make sure to have the little rascals exactly in one row and not piled up here and there.  :wub:  Done so you can exactly determine how many beads you have on 1 cm (or inch). Me using 30 mg capsules of CYMBALTA beads -  I have exactly (always the same) 11 beads on 1 cm.

15664040kq.jpg

  • Here we are – no counting anymore – MEASURE your beads! As I said I have 11 beads on 1 cm, I now know that e.g. 8 cm of beads in a row are exactly 88 beads. You can now easy calculate how many beads you have to measure when reducing the content of your capsule. In my case (290 bead are 30 mg) 5 mg has a length of 4,4 cm. So when I reduced my dosage by 10 mg the first time I measured exactly 8,8 cm in my chute.

15664037fh.jpg

  • If you have measured your beads open one side of your paper chute and first pour the rest of the beads into a different cup. Then fill the exact amount of measured beads into a new capsule. As you see I use clear capsules to see the content.

15664038aa.jpg
 
It’s THAT EASY !!!
 
Let me know if this was helpful to you and what you think! B)
 
Best wishes and lots of health to you!
 
Sly <_<

Edited by mammaP
fixed text

My dog:
15663989yz.gif
My current condition: :)

My method of measuring beads: http://survivinganti...-counting-them/
My thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4856-sly-on-cymbalta-and-tapering/?p=61238

 

2013 - 28. December - Cymbalta 2 mg

2013 - 16. December - Cymbalta 5 mg - 12 days

2013 - 02. December - Cymbalta 8 mg - 14 days

2013 - 17. November - Cymbalta 12 mg - 15 days

2013 - 28. October - Cymbalta 16 mg - 20 days

2013 - 11. October - Cymbalta 22 mg - 17 days
2013 - 19. September - Cymbalta 30 mg - 22 days
2013 - 26. August - Cymbalta 40 mg - 24 days
2013 - 04. August - Cymbalta 50 mg - 22 days

S T A R T Tapering Cymbalta 60 mg - after 88 days

:wacko:Constant side effects: Libido, sometimes slight headache, muscle stiffness, sometimes slight tinnitus, weight gain.
2013 - June / July- Cymbalta 60 mg Ongoing stable situation.

2013 - 18. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Effect: Depression is gone! Anxiety is getting significantly better!

2013 - 08. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Incease the dose of 30 mg in the morning with an evening dose of another 30 mg.Again symptoms when inceasing the dosage but weaker this time.

2013 - 01. May - Cymbalta 30 mg Starting with 30 mg for 7 days with very bad side effects for about 4 days.

2013 - Mid April Diagnosis: Stress related nervous breakdown with following depression and anxiety.

I am: male, 52 years old, 85 kg heavy, 1,88 m tall, runner, non smoker, living in Germany

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Excellent idea Sly, those little beads are a pest to count, my capsules have 400 of the things!

Welcome to SA, the best place to be for support while tapering and withdrawal.  :)

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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I loved the cat and dog thing! Sounds like something our family would do :)

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Oh my, the cats and dogs...HA! :-)

 

Sounds like a useful method. I've never tapered with beads myself but I would be interested to hear how our bead-taperers feel about this and how well it works for them.  Could be a good addition to the tapering tool set.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Administrator

sly, have you verified the accuracy of your measuring method? It seems to me the beads would slide around some, leaving space between them.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Hi Altostrata,

 

well you have to make sure with a little shaking and moving the bead in the chute (like gold washing :D) that the beads are not piled up or leaving space between them.

Sometimes I use a letter opener or knife to move them a little. But I am really satisfied withi this method. I varified the method by counting beads after measuring and it always was accurate. As I said I have 11 beads on 1 cm - ALWAYS. So currently I measure 9,7 cm for my current dose of 11 mg in the morning and 11 mg in the evening.

I use an EXCEL sheet which I could also offer here. The 9,7 cm with beads are 106 beads.

 

So for me to measure the 9,7 cm, shake the chut and correct the beads then fill them back into a capsule, maybe takes me - lets say max. 1 minute. HOW LONG would it take people to COUNT 106 beads floating around on the table !!!! And another BIG advantage is that you can pour the beads directly into the capsule without loosing a single bead.

 

I thought about making a movie and post it on youtube but didn't do it so far.

If you have more questions and would like more pics or my EXCEL sheet let me know.

 

Sly ;)

 

See my sheet. This is in german but I could do an english one too.

Posted Image

My dog:
15663989yz.gif
My current condition: :)

My method of measuring beads: http://survivinganti...-counting-them/
My thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4856-sly-on-cymbalta-and-tapering/?p=61238

 

2013 - 28. December - Cymbalta 2 mg

2013 - 16. December - Cymbalta 5 mg - 12 days

2013 - 02. December - Cymbalta 8 mg - 14 days

2013 - 17. November - Cymbalta 12 mg - 15 days

2013 - 28. October - Cymbalta 16 mg - 20 days

2013 - 11. October - Cymbalta 22 mg - 17 days
2013 - 19. September - Cymbalta 30 mg - 22 days
2013 - 26. August - Cymbalta 40 mg - 24 days
2013 - 04. August - Cymbalta 50 mg - 22 days

S T A R T Tapering Cymbalta 60 mg - after 88 days

:wacko:Constant side effects: Libido, sometimes slight headache, muscle stiffness, sometimes slight tinnitus, weight gain.
2013 - June / July- Cymbalta 60 mg Ongoing stable situation.

2013 - 18. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Effect: Depression is gone! Anxiety is getting significantly better!

2013 - 08. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Incease the dose of 30 mg in the morning with an evening dose of another 30 mg.Again symptoms when inceasing the dosage but weaker this time.

2013 - 01. May - Cymbalta 30 mg Starting with 30 mg for 7 days with very bad side effects for about 4 days.

2013 - Mid April Diagnosis: Stress related nervous breakdown with following depression and anxiety.

I am: male, 52 years old, 85 kg heavy, 1,88 m tall, runner, non smoker, living in Germany

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  • Administrator

sly, this might be perfectly fine. People can check the accuracy of their measurements against the information you've given.

 

Thank you for developing this method and explaining it.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Hi Altostrata,

 

yes I think the method is really a very practical one - AND ITS FOR FREE! You dont' have to buy an expensive scale. Print a coloured piece of paper fold it - done.

I use it and I think it makes tapering much more easier and you don't have to worry about loosing beads and how to get them back from the table into the capsule.

I am very happy that maybe I helped some people in tapering there med.

My dream would be that this method would make it into the official TAPERING section in this forum as a PINNED thread! :D

 

All the best.

 

Sly ;)

My dog:
15663989yz.gif
My current condition: :)

My method of measuring beads: http://survivinganti...-counting-them/
My thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4856-sly-on-cymbalta-and-tapering/?p=61238

 

2013 - 28. December - Cymbalta 2 mg

2013 - 16. December - Cymbalta 5 mg - 12 days

2013 - 02. December - Cymbalta 8 mg - 14 days

2013 - 17. November - Cymbalta 12 mg - 15 days

2013 - 28. October - Cymbalta 16 mg - 20 days

2013 - 11. October - Cymbalta 22 mg - 17 days
2013 - 19. September - Cymbalta 30 mg - 22 days
2013 - 26. August - Cymbalta 40 mg - 24 days
2013 - 04. August - Cymbalta 50 mg - 22 days

S T A R T Tapering Cymbalta 60 mg - after 88 days

:wacko:Constant side effects: Libido, sometimes slight headache, muscle stiffness, sometimes slight tinnitus, weight gain.
2013 - June / July- Cymbalta 60 mg Ongoing stable situation.

2013 - 18. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Effect: Depression is gone! Anxiety is getting significantly better!

2013 - 08. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Incease the dose of 30 mg in the morning with an evening dose of another 30 mg.Again symptoms when inceasing the dosage but weaker this time.

2013 - 01. May - Cymbalta 30 mg Starting with 30 mg for 7 days with very bad side effects for about 4 days.

2013 - Mid April Diagnosis: Stress related nervous breakdown with following depression and anxiety.

I am: male, 52 years old, 85 kg heavy, 1,88 m tall, runner, non smoker, living in Germany

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  • Administrator

Has anyone tried Sly's method for measuring beads? Please let us know how it worked for you.

 

If you have any questions about this method, please post in this topic and sly will answer them.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • 1 month later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I've spent some time today experimenting with Sly's technique. This is what I've found with the meds I have.

 

Venlafaxine EFFEXOR, I would not recommend anyone to even attempt this, the granules are so uneven in size.

There is no uniformity whatsoever. Doses would not be consistent and I really wouldn't recommend even counting

beads at the lower doses, from my own experience, when down to the last few beads uniformity is ESSENTIAL. 

 

Venlafaxine generic RODOMEL is the one I have now.

(the effexor was an old pack from before I was switched to generic)

Rodomel is uniform, and round, visibly they all look the same, perhaps there could be very slight variations but I 

couldn't see them really. BUT they are tiny and because they are round, they roll all over the place and are hard

to handle! They also seem to have some kind of static charge and cling to things, paper, fingers, each other and

even the tweezers, making the whole experience of trying this a bit frustrating. I couldn't imagine doing it every day.

 

Then I tried it with Omeprazole, an acid blocker, can't remember the name  :blush:

That has quite large beads, very uniform and it would work. I didn't print the ruler just folded card, but will give it a go

when I taper the omeprazole, definitely.

I took some photos along the way. 

 

The photos are too big to upload so I need to sort that out. Watch this space. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Posted Image

 

EFFEXOR  Uneven some flat no uniformity.

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Posted Image

 

 

OMEPRAZOLE, easy to handle, uniform round beads. Would work with Sly's measuring technique for me. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Posted Image

 

RODOMEL more uniform, round beads. Can see some variations in size in the picture, it was taken with macro setting 

so easier to see than by eye.  

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Posted Image

 

EFFEXOR there was no dust on the card, everything in the picture is from the capsule.

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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My conclusion is that Sly's method could be good for some but not for others, It all depends on the beads. 

I thought it was genius when I saw it and wished I'd seen it way back at the beginning of my taper but I

couldn't have managed it anyway with those little blighters! 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Stellar experimentation, mammaP. Thank you.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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It passed a few hours and I actually got into it which is great because I still have little concentration.

I was quite surprised at the difference in the beads. It really isn't a suitable method for all beads but could

work for some. 

 

By the way, I must mention, the pack of Effexor that I used was 5 years old so they could have changed

the way they are made now.

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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Hi mammaP,
 
thanks for your experimentation my method with other meds. I can only recommed it for CYMBALTA because the beads are all the same size.
If you have a medication that has beads with different sizes the method should not be used but in that case COUNTING BEADS should also NOT be used. In that case you probably really have to buy a scale for micro amounts.
 
So my method really replaces only countig beads!
 
I also recommed to download ruler paper from http://www.vendian.o...3/paper_rulers/.

15664040kq.jpg
All the best!
 
Sly ;)

My dog:
15663989yz.gif
My current condition: :)

My method of measuring beads: http://survivinganti...-counting-them/
My thread: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4856-sly-on-cymbalta-and-tapering/?p=61238

 

2013 - 28. December - Cymbalta 2 mg

2013 - 16. December - Cymbalta 5 mg - 12 days

2013 - 02. December - Cymbalta 8 mg - 14 days

2013 - 17. November - Cymbalta 12 mg - 15 days

2013 - 28. October - Cymbalta 16 mg - 20 days

2013 - 11. October - Cymbalta 22 mg - 17 days
2013 - 19. September - Cymbalta 30 mg - 22 days
2013 - 26. August - Cymbalta 40 mg - 24 days
2013 - 04. August - Cymbalta 50 mg - 22 days

S T A R T Tapering Cymbalta 60 mg - after 88 days

:wacko:Constant side effects: Libido, sometimes slight headache, muscle stiffness, sometimes slight tinnitus, weight gain.
2013 - June / July- Cymbalta 60 mg Ongoing stable situation.

2013 - 18. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Effect: Depression is gone! Anxiety is getting significantly better!

2013 - 08. May - Cymbalta 60 mg Incease the dose of 30 mg in the morning with an evening dose of another 30 mg.Again symptoms when inceasing the dosage but weaker this time.

2013 - 01. May - Cymbalta 30 mg Starting with 30 mg for 7 days with very bad side effects for about 4 days.

2013 - Mid April Diagnosis: Stress related nervous breakdown with following depression and anxiety.

I am: male, 52 years old, 85 kg heavy, 1,88 m tall, runner, non smoker, living in Germany

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  • 10 months later...

Thank you Sly for such a GREAT method of using the ruler! I will do this soon!  I used to count the beads; no more!  One IMPORTANT question though...I hope you can answer. You mentioned that you had "slight tinnitus" when taking the Cymbalta. I too have the tinnitus, but more pronounced. When you finally ended your taper, did the tinnitus fully cease???  Much thanks, AnthonyO.

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It passed a few hours and I actually got into it which is great because I still have little concentration.

I was quite surprised at the difference in the beads. It really isn't a suitable method for all beads but could

work for some. 

 

By the way, I must mention, the pack of Effexor that I used was 5 years old so they could have changed

the way they are made now.

This may sound a bit off the wall but I was off the wall when I did it.  When I was counting in my attempted taper... I sorted the beads and was I thought at one point close to figuring out a ratio...lol... I was not thinking too well at the time but thought surely there would be some rational to the different sizes... then my plan was to divide the correct amount of larger and smaller beads to this "ratio"  I would figure out and take the same ratio. 

 

Trying to go back effexor made me extremely ill so I never did get to test my off the wall theory.  When I figured out there were different numbers of beads in a capsule my great expectations of scientific clarity and precision and integrity kind of flew out the window.  It did not cross my mind at the time that it may all work out to be the same weight... I did not have a scale and so do not know if the contents of the capsules if measure is always precise or if they are different weights too.

 

If they were different weights I guess my loss of faith would still hold ... actually my faith was blown out of the water by the first 6 months of cold turkey.  I no longer care if the capsules weigh the same but some of you may want to check it.

peace all 

WARNING THIS WILL BE LONG
Had a car accident in 85
Codeine was the pain med when I was release from hosp continuous use till 89
Given PROZAC by a specialist to help with nerve pain in my leg 89-90 not sure which year
Was not told a thing about it being a psych med thought it was a pain killer no info about psych side effects I went nuts had hallucinations. As I had a head injury and was diagnosed with a concussion in 85 I was sent to a head injury clinic in 1990 five years after the accident. I don't think they knew I had been on prozac I did not think it a big deal and never did finish the bottle of pills. I had tests of course lots of them. Was put into a pain clinic and given amitriptyline which stopped the withdrawal but had many side effects. But I could sleep something I had not done in a very long time the pain lessened. My mother got cancer in 94 they switched my meds to Zoloft to help deal with this pressure as I was her main care giver she died in 96. I stopped zoloft in 96 had withdrawal was put on paxil went nutty quit it ct put on resperidol quit it ct had withdrawal was put on Effexor... 2years later celexa was added 20mg then increased to 40mg huge personality change went wild. Did too fast taper off Celexa 05 as I felt unwell for a long time prior... quit Effexor 150mg ct 07 found ****** 8 months into withdrawal learned some things was banned from there in 08 have kept learning since. there is really not enough room here to put my history but I have a lot of opinions about a lot of things especially any of the drugs mentioned above.
One thing I would like to add here is this tidbit ALL OPIATES INCREASE SEROTONIN it is not a huge jump to being in chronic pain to being put on an ssri/snri and opiates will affect your antidepressants and your thinking.

As I do not update much I will put my quit date Nov. 17 2007 I quit Effexor cold turkey. 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1096-introducing-myself-btdt/

There is a crack in everything ..That's how the light gets in :)

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  • 2 years later...

If you are still here...Thank you Sly for this method of ruler counting on the medication decreasing. It is an amazing scientific method. A WHOLE LOT better than counting hundreds of spheres each day. Kudos! 

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  • 2 years later...
  • Mentor

I’m about to start sorting my Effexor beads into piles of small, medium, and large beads. I think I’ll make a chute like this to aid in organizing the beads from small to large. I won’t use the ruler to count, but I love the chute idea. Seems like it would make it easier to compare the sizes of my beads (I’m on a very low number of beads). 

1988-1996  Various AD’s, all classifications.  1996-2019  Effexor XR 37.5mg to 150mg. Jan 2017 onward, 37.5 mg.

2019  Apr 11 - July 24: Trials of Latuda then Rexulti. CT'd off per dr.  Jul 24: CT Effexor (per dr)  Sep 9-19: Viibryd, CT (per dr).  Sep 23-27: Trintellix. CT (per dr).  Sep 28 - Oct 24:  Prozac 10mg.  Oct 24:  Stop Prozac, began Pristiq 25mg->50->25mg.

2020  Feb 1: CT Pristiq. Feb 1: Reinstated Effexor XR (10 large beads) gradually increasing to 22 beads (15L+7M) or 9.072mgai on Mar, 2020.

2021  Started Jan w 21 beads (13L+8M) or 8.47mgai ended Dec: 17 beads (7L+9M+1S) or 6.19mgai. Severe COVID + TIA.

2022  Ended yr w 14 beads (3L+5M+5S+1XS) or 4.5mgai. Major jaw injury during year + family tragedy.

2023  Jan: 13 beads (2L+5M+5S+1XS) or 4.2mgai; Feb: 12 beads (2L+4M+5S+1XS) or 3.9mgai; Mar: 11 beads (2L+4M+4S+1XS) or 3.6mgai, Apr: 10 beads (2L+3M+4S+1XS) or 3.3mgai; Jun: 9 beads (2L+3M+3S+1XS) or 3mgai,

 

Current: July, 2023: Effexor XR -  9 beads (2L+3M+3S+1XS) or 2.7 mgai

Other current meds: Ambien 10mg 3.935mg , clonazepam .125mg .107mg, omeprazoleSynthroid, Premarin.  Supplements: D3, C, probiotic, K2-MK7, Mg Glycinate

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  • 4 years later...

Cool technique. Appreciate the innovation.

 

However, folks should be careful about whether or not their beads are uniform in size. I'm counting brand Cymbalta and I'm finding that this wouldn't work so well for me. About half the beads are the same size and nicely spherical. Then maybe 20% slightly larger and 20% slightly smaller. 5% very large (actually look like two beads fused together) and 5% very small. The very small beads weigh about 1/3 what the very large weigh. Also many beads are distorted spheres which will affect the distance-per-bead consistency and perhaps the spacing between them.

 

On the upside, I'm using this variance as a way to manage the endgame of the taper where the % step downs become really large (e.g. difference between 2 beads and 1 bead is 50%). Do a step with 2 reg size beads; then 1 reg + 1 small; then 1 reg; then 1 small...something like that. Using size as a way to create an extra step within a particular number of beads.

- - - - - - past rx- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Prozac 20mg [2015 - 2017]   |  9-12 month taper, no withdrawal syndrome

Wellbutrin XL 150mg [2015  - 2017]  |  9-12 month taper, no withdrawal syndrome

 

- - - - - - current rx- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wellbutrin XL 150mg [8/2022 - present]

Cymbalta 30mg  [7/2022 - 11/2022]   ....  Cymbalta taper (currently 2.3mg) [11/2022 - present]

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