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Lavendergirl: Can anyone offer me advice on tapering?


Lavendergirl

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So I'm on risperdal at night 1mg and haven't stopped it.But I had an extra 2mg for one week then 1mg for one week,and am trying to come off that.So in total a two week dose.

I thought because I only had the increase for two weeks I could taper in two weeks instead of the 10% months and months I'd read.That was a big mistake I should have tapered very slowly.I had half the 1mg for one week,then went down to 0.25 the second week.
 
When I got down to 0.12mg at the end of the second week I developed some sort of anahedonia (lack of enjoyment of things) it's the hardest thing to explain, but when I look at food I have no reaction it's like looking at a rock,when I read my favourite thing - fairy tales,I don't feel enchanted or anything,nothing evokes,that's the main thing.I looked at Christmas things and couldn't feel any Christmas feelings and many other things.

But I was still enjoying things, and the last three days the food thing seemed to improve Significantly.Then monday for whatever reason I experienced what felt like withdrawl - nausea and the food issue became bad again and suddenly I felt no excitement over anything.

I was still on 0.12mg but increased it to 0.25mg after that withdrawl(reinstate to prevent any further Withdrawl) but experienced withdrawl feelings even today so increased it to 0.25mg plus 0.12mg, so almost half the 1mg. 
 
My main concern is that when I jump off this now in months this will just happen again.Maybe even worse? That's why I was even reluctant to increase.But the anahedonia getting worse was too much for me so I felt I had too.
 
when I have the 1mg at night (which I have had every night) it should stop any withdrawl feelings,it doesn't really change anything, so I don't know that increasing the med is even the right thing,but when I do increase it I feel less foggy.
 
I should say I have come  off the injection of risperidone four times and never have the slightest withdrawl,I feel normal and fine immediately after just stopping it,not even tapering and sleep fine even. I think it must be the slow release that continues for over a month.But everytime I've tried to come of oral meds(twice) it's been complete disaster.This happened to me three years ago not the ahadedonia but I tried to come off the oral tab,My memory went and I developed constipation, I went for a depot days after (25mg)it happened and it all went away and I just didn't go for the second depot and I still slept fine,experienced no withdrawl.
 
Should I try getting the depot again,and come off that,I'm worried my brain is destabilised now so maybe I have to taper this way.
i am thinking about seeing a pdoc(psychiatrist) since I don't have one since I'm Confused what to do.
 
Any advice welcome.
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  • Administrator

Welcome, Lavendergirl.

 

How long have you been taking Risperdal all together? It sounds like you had been getting injections but then started taking 1mg at night?

 

When did you start taking 1mg Risperdal at night? When did you take 2mg per night?

 

Please do not go up and down in your dosage. The emotional anesthesia may be a side effect of the drug, or it may be a withdrawal effect, but going up and down in dosage can bring on worse symptoms.

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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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Lavendergirl: Can anyone offer me advice on tapering?

The reason it was upped was because I was in hospital for those two weeks.

when I came out I didn't feel that extra day dose was needed and tapered off for two weeks.

 

ive been on the 1mg every night for about five months,I don't have any intention to stop it.I just wanted to get off the day dosage I'd been on for two weeks.

 

anyway since this bad withdrawl/anhedonia happened I've increased/reinstated to 0.5mg,but I'm still having days of withdrawl symptoms,I think my brain/system  is just destabilised from the too fast taper.Any advice? 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Lavendergirl, it can take more than a few doses after an increase to stabilize. Please read:

How long to stabilize after reinstating or updosing.

 

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Thanks for your advice.

Does anyone think two months on this reinstated 0.5mg is too short to stabilise the brain/system and then start tapering again.

 

im having other bad side effects from the medication and really need to come off it,but atm that seems completely impossible because my brain was clearly destabilised by the two week taper.I look at food and have no reaction,no sense of what it might taste like or anything.I no longer feel any interest in books which I was very passionate about.I use to watch the ballet and feel enchanted now I feel nothing at all, there has clearly been brain damage.

 

i hope anyone who reads this follows the advice on here and tapers as slow as humanly possible, if I had this would not have happened,and the dose I tried to taper off I was only on for two weeks! I truly wish I tapered slowly maybe it wouldn't have happened.

 

i feel very devestated and that my life is over,as I was an incredibly romantic passionate person with hundreds of interests.

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