Stasya: Risperdone and Thinking

[Ayaa]

Привет!

 

Stasya, congratulations! Antipsychotics are very dangerous drugs and I am very happy you’ve successfully tapered off and now recovering so fast.

 

My family and I followed the advice of Ayaa

 

 

Actually  the 10% taper method was recommended on this forum and I just translated it for you mom    The reduction plan which offer our (Russian) doctors seems to me very dangerous. They usually suggest to cut a pill into quarters and to remove each quarter every week (sometimes even faster). I did this mistake and I think this is the reason why I have symptoms of protracted withdrawal syndrome (I wish I could go back and taper my neuroleptics in a different way).
 

 

 There's only Cipralex left by now

 

 

Stasya, I think you should be very careful about Cipralex (Escitalopram  or Lexapro) reduction, this drug is very dangerous and needs to be tapered very slowly. Slowly but surely you’ll be off this medication and I hope you’ll complete  your topic with the story of full recovery from ALL psychiatric drugs!

 

reachingforthestars,

 

Do doctors prescribe antidepressants and other psych meds as easily in Russia as they do in western countries? 

 

 

I agree that our (Russian) doctors are very careless about their prescriptions. But I think if we compare psychotropic drug use in Russia and western countries we’ll see the differences. It seems that psych meds are widely prescribed  just in big cities like Moscow or S.-Petersburg. Big Pharma is spreading false propaganda about AD’s and other psych drugs in media, persuading doctors that these drugs are valuable, doctors are convincing their patients etc. It started about 10-15 years ago. Before psych meds were used in hospitals, but generally people didn’t know what is AD. I’ve never heard that someone was prescribed AD for pain, fatigue or in a stressful situation.

 

I think the same situation is now in the provincial areas. People and doctors do not know much about these drugs, that’s why they don’t take it as much as in big cities. There are private clinics which offer ‘mental health service’ in rural areas, but basically people are afraid to go there, because of social stigma associated with psych meds. And because these drugs are very expensive (even local or Ukrainian or Indian generics are not cheap at all) and people think twice before to leave their money in the drug store. And private doctors are very expensive too.

 

There are special public services for people with diagnosed mental disorders, but no one likes to go there because of registration procedure. If once you’ve registered there you’ll get many problems – problem with getting driving license, problem with getting a good job etc. Some time ago there was the same service in the Municipal Health Clinics (free), where you could get prescription and free meds from psychiatrist without being registered , but few years ago it was excluded from insurance and removed from Municipal Health Centers. So, if someone need to see a psychiatrist he has 2 options: to register in a government mental health center or to go to the private doctor.

 

One more thing  about our ‘mental health service’ - in 2013 some of psych drugs were forbidden here. It basically relates to tranquilizers. For example, such drugs like Clonazepam (Klonopin), Alprazolam (Xanax) are illegal (new list of forbidden drugs is huge, I don’ t remember all). So, if someone travels to Russia, please, check whether your drug is banned.

[jmncrr]

Hi Staysa,

 

I was wondering if you experienced any withdrawals while tapering risperidone at 10% every two weeks? Did you have to slow down at the end or did you maintain 10% bi weekly all the way to the end, and what dose were you on?

 

Congrats on your tapering success!

[JanCarol]

Stasya - I have moved your story of coming off your drugs back into your intro topic.

 

Because of the Delayed Onset of Withdrawal Symptoms we like for someone to be drug free for an entire year before posting a success story. 

 

I am concerned that you have tapered too quickly, and tapered multiple drugs at the same time.  I am hoping that this goes well for you, you are young, it is possible.

 

 You still have the cipralex to go?  Please take it slowly.

 

Every day, I hear people who say, "I wish I'd gone slower."

 

I have never heard anyone say, "I wish I'd gone faster."

 

Please, 10% per MONTH, no more than that, and prepare to hold your taper when you get symptoms.  

 

We're here if you need us (thank you Ayaa, for translating, as needed!)

[Plshelp]

On 07/01/2016 at 1:44 AM, Songbird said:

That is what anti-psychotics do - they slow the brain down.  I was prescribed anti-psychotics a couple of times (not risperidone), for sleep and anxiety, not psychosis, and I definitely noticed that my brain became very quiet, and I hardly spoke as thoughts didn't enter my head.

I too have this. I don't have any thoughts in my head at all. Does anyone else experience this symptom?