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Hi @sandnit, If the liquid is 20mg/ml, and you are taking 4.5 ml, I would dilute 1ml of the drug into 19ml of the solution. You now have 20ml of solution which contains 20mg of drug so each 1ml solution has 1mg of the drug. You can then take 4.5ml of that solution. Or alternatively, you can take 0.5ml of the drug, dilute it into 9.5ml of water and take 4.5ml of the solution. First one would give you 4 day's worth and the second one would give you 2 days worth. you can keep it in the fridge for a couple of days or make it new every day. I think it should be OK for some time (but don't know for sure). Please read the leaflet that comes with the liquid medicine carefully. liquid Citalopram had 1.25 times the strength of the tablet. 1ml of citalopram (not escitalopram!) had 40mg citalopram but that was equivalent to 50mg tablet pill citalopram. It doesn't have to be the same for escitalopram but please read carefully for any warnings to make sure. This will be stated on the leaflet. I'd suggest that you stabilize at 4.5mg strips for an extra month (or two if necessary). Then move to 4.5mg liquid the month after that and then you can start tapering slowly. The slower you go the fewer symptoms you should feel in principle. Let me know if you have any questions about this. Need to get some zzzs and should log off before making mistakes!

Hello again Edmunda, Many thanks for your reply and answers to my questions. Thank you for your advice that I should hold my dose for months. Do you have any advice as to how many months I should hold for? I realise this is individualistic. Perhaps my question is best framed as: after how many months holding (after a big dose reduction followed by a crash) does it reach a stage where a 10% reduction is no longer a high risk of causing a severe flare up/crash? I have been holding for nearly 3 months now. I am not sure whether I am experiencing withdrawal damage from a very bad crash in the last week of December through to the start of February or withdrawal symptoms. I developed new symptoms during the crash such as a fear of being alone, strong anxiety when out in public, etc. If I am never going to fully stabilise on the drug after the crash then I do not want to hold for like 9 months or a year or 2 years, etc. On the other hand I really cannot afford to make my symptoms significantly worse by tapering too soon as I am at times struggling a lot. I am finding my anxiety levels at times to be very difficult to cope with. Sometimes I have to quickly leave a shop and head for home due to acute anxiety symptoms. Is there any medication that is not an antidepressant that could help me? Or do I just need to wait it out? What is best? My post-withdrawal/crash or post-acute/protracted withdrawal symptoms come in waves — sometimes, perhaps most of the time, I feel not too bad, almost normal and other times I am suffering a lot. Sometimes they (the symptoms) come on for no reason and at other times there is a stressful trigger. Is it a good sign that my symptoms come in waves? Another concern I have is that I have never been mentally well on citalopram, it has made me prone to angry outbursts and impulsivity and addictive shopping/spending as well as attacks of hypomania. Although reducing the dose to 5 mg has taken a big edge off these side effects it has been at the cost of developing new withdrawal symptoms. So I need to strike a balance between getting off citalopram at a speed that reduces my suffering of side effects but does not cause a serious withdrawal crash/acute mental breakdown. I am mindful of the advice that “there are no short-cuts”…. I know I could be tapering for another year or so. Maybe even longer. My ongoing symptoms include broken sleep where I wake up at least once for several hours, sometimes several times so I often find myself sleeping at funny times during the day. Other symptoms include markedly increased anxiety episodes and low mood and feeling suicidal. My dizziness symptom seems to have eased recently. Would holding likely help to correct my sleep difficulties? I tried taking magnesium at a dose of 400 mg per day but it seemed to paradoxically make me worse. I began to feel more anxious and all day long and paced up and down the garden for hours. I am tempted to give magnesium another go though, at a lower dose of say between 50 and 100 mg per day. Have you heard of this reaction to magnesium before? Why am I so sensitive? Haha, glad you knew what I meant. I hope you are progressing well with your taper and your symptoms are decreasing. I am not sure how to quote people’s posts properly on this site, is there a site guide to do this? Many thanks for your time and kindness in this matter.

Hi Ottergirl! I found water titration easier. I just couldn't get the pill cutting down. I hope all is well.

Hang in there Jeppe. Thanks for checking in. Enjoy every bit of sleep you can get.

Yep, everyone can see and read your thread here. There are many side effects from ADs, some really strange and random things, too. I experienced things 20 years ago that I have only now realised were side effects, reading the experience of others here. I'd encourage you to use the search function in the Success Stories. Read up on those who have successfully tapered from your AD. You'll learn a lot and be encouraged. Also, use the search function in the Introduction & Updates section. Interact with others tapering from the same AD. Again you'll learn a lot / benefit greatly. 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. It's not a race. Slow is the way to go. Keep us posted.

I've been so much time in crisis that I forgot how I was before, how life was.

Since I’m logging 24 hours a day I’ve noticed that my restless legs start 1 1/2 hours after I take the imipramine. Also, while tapering it’s extremely important to stay hydrated with electrolyte. if I miss a day or two my restless legs are much worse.

Thank you. You say this thread is the best place for me to ask questions. Will people see the message if I ask a new question here? I guess I am wondering if the adrenaline type feelings that sometimes happen when I lay down to relax could be the drug or rather some underlaying mental issue. It feels very physical to me so I wondered if it was possible to be a side effect of the Mirtazapine that developed later.

I agree with LostinCanada.

Very misinformed, and all too common, sadly. Be kind to yourself. I recall when I was in a bad place, I'd just do something small, like a very slow/short walk, just to get outside in the sun and see something different. Rant away 😊 It's not a nice experience, but you are amongst people who do understand. Time and much patience.

Many thanks. It can get very, very difficult. Reflect on the comments from Dahlia50. Reinstating is best sooner rather than later. You're only a few days at 0mg. The window is wide open for you...but 100% your choice. Have a read of Josh and ThreeLittleBirds. Emonda

Why am I the only one that gets no response? Feeling really lonely.. could use some support.

Llevo todos estos años tratando de "curar" mis emociones y sentimientos morales, mi "disfuncionalidad" y mi "inmoralidad", lo que "está mal" en mí, para ser una persona plenamente "funcional", "normal", "moral", "sana", por culpa del sanismo psiquiátrico en el que llevo atrapado desde 2015 buscando desesperadamente aliviar mi sufrimiento moral y salvarme, ser apto, válido, querido, etc. Para integrarme en mi entorno relacional y satisfacer mis necesidades humanas y personales, traumáticas y desesperadas.

Cheers fireflyfyte - appreciate the advice which I’m gonna follow

Hello @Catina7, Why can’t you do keto now? Does it worsen some of your with withdrawal symptoms? I’m kinda curious because for some reason my body is also rejecting ketosis while i go through a severe withdrawal / adverse reaction

hi, peaceandlove i hope you are fine...i had adverse reaction after taking just one pill...i am having overactive painfull bladder like you...i was reading your story...i wanted to know about your overactive painfull bladder frequent urinating....i quoted your artice from feburary 2023 where you wrote that your overactive bladder is better now....did it really took nine months for your bladder to get ok...is your overactive bladder fine now....or do you still have it after 9th month...if your overactive bladder is fine can you tell how long it took you to see improvement for your overactivebladder...according to your posts it seems your frequent urination got ok around month 9 of your adverse reaction...am i right

I suggested for you to move the paroxetine to the morning months ago. These 2 drugs should not be taken together. Plus Klonopin needs to be spaced from the pregabalin as well. *Sorry I had said Xanax but it has the same effects as Klonopin with pregabalin and paxil

Thank you Erimus, that what I was thinking too. I have tried natural alternatives for my anxiety, besides taking my regular meds and they worked but I got side effects. CBD oil gave me terrible stomach aches but worked really well, hops gave me headaches and valerian root gave me headaches and stomach aches. I called a local health store, and they suggested amino acids called GABA. It's not supposed to cause stomach pain or headaches. It's the same thing that is in meat. and it isn't very expensive. I don't eat much meat so maybe that's my problem, not having enough amino acids. I hope the GABA works! I am so tired of trying things and wasting money on things that don't work, or if they work have too many side effects.

Haha... we can agree to disagree lol! But I do plan to take things super slow and careful. I literally have nothing better to do than take care of myself right now, and pay close attention to the signals my body is sending me. If I were still working, I likely wouldn't tackle both drugs at the same time- there's no way I could do it. I actually didn't take Magnesium last night or the night before at all. My one night experience with it freaked me out lol! I may try it again, but instead of the pill, I might try that 'Calm' powder instead. I used that years ago, and found it helpful without the crazy brain symptoms. I don't know if it will have the same effect though- I seem so much more sensitive to virtually all meds and supplements now. Worth a try though- I'm going to pick some up tomorrow.

@LostInCanada back in December my dr tried to shift pregabalin at morning, i couldn't tolerate it. Symptoms were severe. trachychardia is my new symptom which starts after taking kolonopin at 7pm. I feel sedation and mild calmness after taking pregabalin.

Just wanted to say I’m so sorry… I am in a very similar situation and when you have acathisia, it’s almost impossible to calm down. Everybody’s trying to tell you to. it’s such a torturous situation and we literally have to survive 2nd to 2nd and people that have not been in that situation. Can’t even begin to understand what that feeling is like not having extreme panic or anxiety. It’s not the same thing. aka terror is a whole diff beast, all consuming like glue and can’t think straight and want to scream and run and thrash all of it at the same tome. I’m in the same situation so I completely understand and I am so so so sorry. You dont deserve this, no one deserves aka. I also went through medical trauma for the last four years because of one panic attack in the hospital when I had Covid like symptoms. So last four years. So many meds after being told I had anxiety and panic and issues with all being changed about so quickly inducing aka. I was completely normal happy loved life for my 37yrs. I’ll never understand this abd pray that God delivers us from this hell. I’m stuck on mirt forced on psych ward for aka and it’s mage it worse, have had mania etc and can’t move down much at all in complete hysterics sobbing and screaming. i coped thru 3yr hell of Klonopin taper so know all the coping tools and this has just been impossible feeling. lean on anyone around you that you can abd reach out here….. one hour at a time. My brain too is off the charts these last few days and we just gotta trust we will survive. Hugs and love

Pregabalin and paxil should be taken together with caution but especially not within an hour of each other. Pregabalin , Paroxetine . Either increases the level of the other by added drug effects. You are taking these two drugs too close to each other. This is one of the reasons I tried to get you to move paroxetine to the morning. Med checker adding Xanax to the mix: Significant interaction possible (monitoring by your doctor required). Pregabalin + Alprazolam Pregabalin , Alprazolam . Either increases the level of the other by added drug effects. Pregabalin + Paroxetine Pregabalin , Paroxetine . Either increases the level of the other by added drug effects. Pregabalin also exhibits many side effects that you experience including fast heartbeat and choking feeling. https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/pregabalin-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20067411 I have mentioned this before. The only way to determine what drug is doing what is to not take them near each other. The further apart the better.

Porque necesitamos a los demás para satisfacer nuestras necesidades humanas y personales, es decir estar ajustado al sistema moral imperante, cultura dominante, y nuestro entorno relacional. Para salvarnos a nosotros mismos. Para sobrevivir y evitar sufrir. En este tipo de cultura y sociedad tóxicas, en las que la supervivencia no está garantizada, en la que el valor humano es extrínseco, no intrínseco. Trataba de calmarme desesperadamente y controlar mis emociones y sentimientos postraumáticos y morales y mis reacciones postraumáticas, para evitar el sanismo, la opresión y la alienación, especialmente la opresión y la alienación que experimenté en el hospital, por la psiquiatría, es decir, evitar ser revictimizado por la psiquiatría. El sanismo no está sólo en el sistema e industria de "salud mental", es cultural, está en todo mundo, es sistémico, un adoctrinamiento moral.

Hi @Catwoman73 Insomnia suck Maybe a lower dose of magnesium (compared to the one you took a few days ago) could help when you're stuck like this? I'm not changing my mind on this one, haha! But hey, it's only an opinion. At the end of the day, I'm clueless.... and mostly driven by a crazy fear of things going wrong. That being said, I do understand the NEED to get off AD. And I do understand that your situation is complex. As long as you you go slow and listen to your symptoms... I'd hope that you'll be ok!