DCnemsie

[MNgal1960]

I just wanted to say I think your avatar is great and I'm so impressed by how hard you are working to get drug free! Also, I made a liquid for my gabapentin. I thought it would be really hard but once I go the hang of it, it was pretty easy. You can do it!

 

MN

[DCnemsie]

25mg tab - 25 ml water - (Let it sit until disolved) Throw 5ml away.

[JanCarol]

Thanks DC, that makes our job much easier.

 

How about this - I know you've only been on it just over a month - but that's long enough for it to get its hooks in.

 

Try your first 10% taper for a month.  If that goes smoothly, try your next taper in 3 weeks - timing it to be a "good time" like a long weekend, if possible.

 

If 3 weeks works fine, do a couple of those and if they are still fine, you can shorten it to 2.  It's better to err on the side of caution, than to go too quickly and regret it.

 

Just a reminder:  the 10% is 10% of your LAST DOSE, not of your starting dose.  So 10% of 50 mg is 5 mg.  The next taper will be 10% of 45 mg, or 4.5 mg, and the taper after that will be 10% of 40.5 mg, or 4 mg.  This is important, because withdrawal is not linear!

 

I hope you see the sun today!

[DCnemsie]

[AliG]

You can do this !   

[DCnemsie]

25mg tab, 25ml water, let tab dissolve, throw away 5ml, take this dose for 4wks, is this correct?

[Fresh]

"25mg tab - 25 ml water - (Let it sit until disolved) Throw 5ml away. "

 

When you have dissolved the tablet in 50mls water , you will take 2 doses of 22.5mls each (a.m. /p.m.)

 

Then throw away the remainder.

 

Your doses need to be equal to keep everything even. Try to take them 12 hours apart.

 

You've got this.

 

[DCnemsie]

Here I go

[DCnemsie]

Just checking in. I'm doing pretty good. Have to make sure hubby doesn't pour my medication down the drain. Poor guy was upset. The articles I've shared with my family has really helped them understand what my body is going through.

[MNgal1960]

Glad to hear you're feeling better.

[DCnemsie]

Hi, Update * Still taking 625mg Lamictal * 2mg Clonazepam * Weaned to 45mg of Zoloft. I have to get off of the Zoloft as quickly as possible. I feel confident I'm not having withdrawals from the 10% decrease. Looking back, my body never acclimated to the Zoloft. I started feeling bad immediately upon taking it & now I'm feeling worse. Exhausted! Almost impossible to type this morning because of my hands shaking. Noise sensitivity is getting worse. Muscle spasms & twitching is worse. Took a long nap yesterday, something I rarely do. My "thought" is: Take 1 25mg tab plus 1/2 25mg tab for 4 weeks *** 25mg for 4 weeks *** 1/2 25mg tab for 4 weeks *** DONE *** I'm stressed, Zoloft is horrible!!!!!!

[DCnemsie]

I have a doctors appointment 1 week from tomorrow. I'm upset with myself for not stopping the Zoloft immediately. When I started taking it, I wondered if I was having an adverse reaction. Wellllll, I think so. How many times have I read on this site "listen to your body"? Wellllll, I should have paid more attention! Can you tell I'm upset?

[MNgal1960]

Yes, I feel your pain. I did stop the Prozac after 4 days but not until I almost killed myself with it. It was the weekend and I waited for the doctor's office to open to stop it. Duh! Didn't know a thing back then. Just waiting for some "professional" to tell me what to do. Apparently I'm a slow learner because look what I let them do to me with the Valium.  

 

Well, we're all wiser now and we will get through this! Others have and we will, too!  

[DCnemsie]

Thank you MN ***** THESE CRAZY MEDS!!!!!!

[DCnemsie]

This morning I cut my Zoloft to 35.5, I washed my hair twice yesterday because my head itches. Earrings I've worn for several years itch. No changes have been made with my 625mg Lamictal & 2mg of clonazepam. Has anyone else had itching while taking Zoloft? I don't want to go off cold turkey, I watched my Mom go through withdrawals.

[DCnemsie]

I feel like this is the best place for advice. Since I'm having an adverse reaction to Zoloft, is tapering 12.5 each drop going to freak my body out? Probably? I feel like it's going to be sucky if I do and sucky if I don't. Today the itching is worse, it has spread to the back of my neck. The muscle twitching is worse. I've been putting campho-phenique on one area of my scalp which is more "sensitive" than other areas.* I'm really frustrated. I wish I'd recognized my symptoms were caused by Zoloft.

[DCnemsie]

[SquirrellyGirl]

Yikes, not sure what happened but you went from cutting your Zoloft to 45 mg on April 5 to cutting to 35.5 mg today, six days later!  Are you taking it twice a day, or once?  What happened to giving yourself 3-4 weeks to see how it affects you?  Itching is a withdrawal symptom.  These drugs affect the histamine receptors as well as the intended neurotransmitters, and freeing up some of those receptors can trigger itching and allergy-type symptoms.   The symptoms you listed yesterday as getting worse are not because of an adverse reaction to Zoloft since taking LESS wouldn't make you feel WORSE - that is withdrawal, most likely, on top of the Lamictal reductions.

 

Did I miss something about how you are doing your taper?

 

SG

[Fresh]

Dc , is it correct that you started taking zoloft on 22 Feb. at 25mg twice a day? So this is a fast taper

which ideally should not take longer than the length of time you took the zoloft for (5 weeks).

I had bad itching from lexapro. It's a symptom of toxicity , so even though you're decreasing the dose ,

you're still adding more stuff each day. It will resolve when your level gets low enough.

 

To avoid confusion , please could add a line to the bottom of your signature about zoloft - total time

taken and dates/dosages of decreases.

 

You might try splitting the zoloft dose to see if that minimizes the itchiness (less of an assault on your

system than one big hit). You could do this by moving half the dose forward a few hours each day until you

have doses 12 hours apart.

[DCnemsie]

I updated my signature. On 2/22 I started on 25mg of Zoloft, 2 weeks later I increased it to 50mg. I've been bouncing around with the dose (is didn't know if I wanted to take it or not) I stayed on 50mg for a short time, approx 4 days ago I began a liquid taper of 45mg. When the itching started & got worse I dropped to 1/2 of a 25mg tab this - Tonight I took 25mg. Tomorrow I'll start 45mg again. I can't stand this itching & noise. Already showered and in bed. I'm frustrated with myself and weary. My biggest problem is.... I'm afraid my doctor is going to become impatient and take me off of the Lamictal. I know he's fine with the Zoloft. The doctor would be ok with 400mg of Lamictal (I think) it sucks having new doctors. I don't know if it's a possibility to get a liquid Zoloft from Kaiser.

[DCnemsie]

For some reason, I feel more comfortable tapering the Lamictal first. Probably because I know how much it helps my Mom & Sister. I don't think I ever needed the Lamictal. I think too much. For some reason I feel the Lamictal needs to go fir8. I'm sure you're all getting frustrated with me. I'm frustrated with myself.

[DCnemsie]

Oops, the Zoloft helps my Mom and Sister.

[DCnemsie]

Today I feel focused. I ordered my scales. I need to be organized & make sure my tapers are accurate ♡

[SquirrellyGirl]

That is wonderful, DC!  Overthinking is a withdrawal symptom, really.  Don't be hard on yourself.  I'm glad you feel confident and focused today and got your scale ordered.  I found it very empowering to take control with my scale and know that I was doing right by myself with the 10% taper.  Gotta weigh out some more doses for the next two weeks!

 

Get really comfortable with your scale and learn its idiosyncrasies.  If you got the Gemini20, it tends to drift between weighs, so what I have found works best is to calibrate the scale at the beginning of each weigh session and then put one of the 10G calibration scales on the weigh pan to be sure the scale is reading true between weighing doses.  If the weight drifts from 10.000g, take the weight off and tare the scale, then put the weight back on.  If it refuses to weigh 10.000G, recalibrate.

 

Good luck!

SG

[DCnemsie]

Hi Squirrelly ♡ Thank you so much! ♡ Instead of mixing the powder with water, would capsules work? When I dissolve my tabs in water, there's always residue at the bottom of my glass (I try to rub it off with my finger) - I can get the empty capsules on Amazon.

[SquirrellyGirl]

If you are able to get an accurate draw of the liquid before it settles, then powder in the bottom of the glass you are drinking from is not a big deal.  What I would recommend is to add water to the glass, swirl and drink. Add more water, swirl and drink.  Do this until there's no more residue.  Plus you'll be nice and hydrated :-)

 

If there is a problem with measuring your dose before some settles, then you might need to mix with a heavy syrup or get the Ora-Plus or similar suspension liquid.  I have gone to that method with my mirtazapine since it is not very soluble and will settle quickly.

 

Yes, you could get empty gel caps, but it is tricky to get the measured dose into the capsule without spilling it.  I think I saw reference to some kind of micro funnel for filling capsules but have no experience with it. If it were me, I'd stick with the liquid if you can solve any settling problem.

 

SG

[DCnemsie]

After talking with my family, we've come to the conclusion that tapering the Lamictal first is my best course of action. My goal is reducing from 625mg (10% decreases) until I reach 400mg. I'm blessed to have this group and a family willing to ride this pony with me. Please be patient with me ♡ I have to go with my gut feeling. I'm still taking 2mg of clonazepam & will hold at 45mg of Zoloft. My scales were delivered today. Calibrated perfectly, then I don't know what happened to them

[SquirrellyGirl]

My scales were delivered today. Calibrated perfectly, then I don't know what happened to them

 

LOL, did you pull one of my moves and put them in a perfectly logical place which dropped out of memory and is no longer perfectly logical?

 

When you say "scales" plural, why did you get more than one?

 

I'm so glad that you have such a supportive family, makes a huge difference!

 

SG

[Fresh]

Hahaha , SG you make me laugh. I don't think the scales disappeared , but that they stopped

weighing correctly or stopped being calibrated? What happened DC?

And is it correct to say scale or scales? I thought it was like underpants ... you never say

underpant right? Friday afternoon musings .

 

Some people find using a coin or paper clip or something small on the scales in addition to the

powder / fragments makes the weighing more accurate.

[DCnemsie]

They calibrated great, then... the numbers started "spinning" when I tried to weigh meds. Scales, because we stand on them with two feet ( plural) I'd rather stand on one foot, I'd be much happier, so would my doctor. I tell my husband, "you have two wives now"

[brassmonkey]

These scales work by very sensitive electronics and they sometimes get confused which shows up as the number "spinning".  They are designed to weigh on the even milligram and if the weight is a little more or less to round to the nearest milligram.  Sometimes they can't make up their mind about the rounding and the numbers start jumping all over the place.  They are also very sensitive to any vibrations in the table or air currents, which will cause the same thing on the readout.  I have to make sure the furnace isn't running when I do my weighing, because it really causes trouble.

 

Placing the calibration weight in the pan and pressing "tare" and then leaving the weight in the pan will put the scales into their midrange where they are the most accurate and most stable.

[DCnemsie]

Thank you Brassmonkey

[SquirrellyGirl]

Even mouth-breathing could do it ;-)

 

I like to leave the weight on and not tare so I can be sure the scale is weighing true since it can drift. I've seen it weigh the cal weight as 10.003 but still go to 0 when the weight is removed, rather than 0.003. Since both weights cause the same thing, it's time to calibrate again!

 

SG

[DCnemsie]

Thanks - I thought I broke it.

[DCnemsie]

I'll hold my breath:)

[DCnemsie]

OK, I "think" it's going to work. Trying to find a perfectly flat area, I started on the kitchen counter, moved to the stove, dining room, living room, bedroom, bathroom, back to the kitchen- I found a flat tile. It's 100% calibrated. Thank you for helping me. ♡