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Using an oral syringe and other tapering techniques


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2 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

@ktp

 

Please stop being sarcastic and smart.  This isn't a game that we are playing.  It is very serious and if mistakes are made a member could end up suffering.

 

The aim here is to help Kmart work out how to dilute her drug in a simple way they she understands and can do without making mistakes.

 

I agree. It's unfortunate when you come here for support and get made fun of for not understanding something. I specifically said I struggle with math and it was explained in the most complicated way possible. This is why i'm really feeling discouraged about tapering. If you happen to find someone who can simplify it for me, i'd love for you to let me know ! I think a new topic should be opened to help people with diluting liquids.

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On 8/30/2019 at 11:34 PM, Eastcoastgirl said:

I understood that I thought I was taking 1.3mg but I am actually taking 1.28mg.
I understood the calculation of how to get to my next dose.
The options for different ways to dilute made sense to me &
now i'm lost

lost where?  you get how to dilute, now choose how much to start with and a concentration.
choose a concentration for how easy it is to measure;

choose how much to make for how many doses you want to take and / or for simplicity.

 

a more specific question will get you a more specific answer!

 

Edited by Karma
name update

20090810 Dx GeneralAnxietyDisorder & PanicDisorder.  Rx Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) 50mg.  stable, side effects minor but blurry vision, impotence, others. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5418-ktp-weaning-from-4yrs-50mg-pristiq/ for more details.  

20140210 switch Pristiq50mg (can't cut them!) to Effexor (venlafaxine, V) same drug but easier dose reduction (and mfr TEVA's beads are handily ~= 1mg ea).  20140218 125mgV  0309 112mg 0401:100mg, 410:75, 0506:70, 0512:65, 0525:56, 0614:37.5, 0620:30, 0624:27, 0630:26, 0706:24, 0724:22, 0801:20, 0804:19, 0808:18, 0813:17, 0818:16, 0819:15, 0821:13, 0903:12, 0911:11, 0918:10, 0921:9, 0927:8, 1001:6, 1021:5, missed a day?, darn, it was going so well, or so I thought.  SEVERE ANXIETY, INSOMNIA. WAY TOO QUICK REDUCTIONS! hindsight: 0813:5%/5days, 0818:6%/5days, 0819:6%/1day, 0821:13%/2days, 0903: 7%/14days, 0911:8%/8days, 0918:9%/7days; 0921:10%/3days, 0927:11%/6days, 1001:25%/3days (still okay!) 1021:16%20days.  guideline is 10%/30days =  i am a self-diagnosed idiot

20141103 back to 6mgV, xanax next several days. 1111 insomnia bad, 10mgAmbien slept well. 1112 8mgV no Ambien; miserable. 1113 Ambien+xanax, tough night. 1114 Very Tired. 0.125Xanax, 25mgV at 10, better 10min later. 20141115 37.5mg V +Ambien. miserable month, still insomnia & anxiety. 1214 upped to 75mg V, ate .125Xanax. 1215 37.5mg mornings; force sleep for one week and come back". 20150115 lots of appts lots of chat but we never get to MY agenda = meds discussion.  Upping to 47.5mg mornings (no more xanax-, lunesta-forced sleep) but still anxious.  PAYING BIGTIME FOR TOO-FAST WEANING in OCTOBER 2014!  20150220 50mg V. 20150330 still anxy each am let's try reducing: 45mg V 1/day mornings. 20150511:42mg, 0611:40, 0626:39, 0710:38, 0717:37, 0731:33, 0813:32, 0915:29, 0927:28, 1004:27, 1015:26, 1101:25, 1116:22mg/day.  Still anxiety every morning, this sucks.  20151124 found a shrink who seems to get weaning: 20151125 add 10mg/day Prozac aka fluoxetine F, continue taper V to zero, then taper the F, "easier".  20151203:10mg Prozac=P 19mg V, 1213:10mgP17mgV, daily anx quieter but lurking. 1227:10mgP15mgV, 20160108:10mgP14mgV, 0124:10P13V, 0131:P10,V12. 0215 P10,V11.  0223:P10V10.  0314:P10V9. enjoying relatively quiet brain.  0407 P10V8, 0427P10V7, 0517P10V6, 0611P10V5, 0706P10V4, 0818P10V3, 0921P10V2,  1021P10V1, 20161128Prozac10mgVenlafaxine ZERO, 20170115 still anxious upped Prozac to 20mg/day, better anxiety control... 

20190301 finally stable enough to consider weaning again, started skipping one day / week.

20190501 started skipping every 3rd day so 13.3mg/day average.  several days long 1/2life must be why the docs think of prozac as 'self-tapering' i think it just means longer time between upsetting the cart and seeing apples all over the road.  skipping is bad practice, even with longlife prozac: let's do liquid: 20190902 first day of 13mg via 5ml liquid made from 13 20mg caps in 100ml water.  20190921 12mg same way(7.7%/20days).  20191010 11mg (8.3%/20days) 20191031 10mg (9.1%/20days) 20191124 9mg (10.0%/24 days) 20191213 8.5mg (5.6%/20 days) 20191231 8mg (5.9%/20days) 20200120 hit a wall?  going another 20 days at 8mg, just started Lisinopril for hypertension (caused by prozac withdrawal creating less-than-panic-grade anxiety??) and doubled atorvastatin to 40mg.  Minimizing changes in general and had a semi-panic 4am 1/20... BP still wild. 20200208 back to 9mg daily anxiety starting about 1/18.  

20200212 increase to 10mg prozac cap daily.  anxiety still there but clears within hour of drugs.  20200222 still anxy 2 hrs after 10mg, added another 1mg and mucho better.  20200223 11mg early.  anxious enough to be glad i can actually sit.  will wait another 5 days before adding another milligram. 20200229 12mg prozac still anxious.  20200317 13mgProzac still anxious.  20200610 15mgProzac.  bp under control with Losartan50mg (lisinopril cough dictates change)  

20201028 10am met w Dr S.  to switch back to Venlafaxine XR, "take 10mg prozac + 37mg VenlafaxineXR for a monththen quit prozac." i think i'll taper thanx... 
20201116 9am start 10mgProzac,37Venlafaxine,40Statin,25Losartan,81Aspirin.  20201230 5mgProzac,37Venlafaxine,40Statin,25Losartan,81Aspirin.
20210124 4mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A.  20210213 3.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A;  20210306 3mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A  20210328 2.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A; 20210501 2.0mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A;20210519 1.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A; 20210607 1.5mgP,37V,40S,50L,81A. 
20210614 1.0mgP,37V,40S, 50L,81A. 20210702 0.5mgP,37V,40S,50L,81A; 20210728; 0.0mgProzac,37.5Venlafaxine,40Atorvastatin50Losartan,81Aspirin; 20210917 0915am anxiety started about a week after dropping the last 0.5mg of prozac.  just took 0.10mg xanax.  20210929 1:28 PM I'm anxious after so carefully weaning off prozac - the last 0.5mg may need to come back??  instead, trying an extra cap of 37.5mg venlafaxine, let's see if there's sudden relief?  it seems possible.  fingers x'd.  not sure but 5 minutes later i think i feel better gawd i hope.  20210930 7am anxious out of bed, took drugs early and oops chewed them.  no more drugs 2day.  11:41 AM 10/1/2021 very jagged today, avoiding the shower.   took <1/6 of a .5mg xanax and still anxy at noon.  6:59 PM 10/4/2021 2nd or 3rd day of 75mg Venlafaxine  met w/ shrink 2day he says i'm doing  it right so  20210728 75.0mgVenlafaxine,40Atorvastatin,50Losartan,81Aspirin;10mgCarbidopa-Levodopa; 12/18/2021  112.5mgVenlafaxine, 40Atorvastatin, 50Losartan, 81Aspirin; 0.4mgFlowmax; 3x 25/100mgSinemet aka Carbidopa/Levodopa.    20220308 new neurologist, raising CL:  112.5mgVenlafaxine, 40Atorvastatin, 50Losartan, 81Aspirin; 0.4mgFlowmax; 4x 25/100mgSinemet aka Carbidopa/Levodopa.  possibly need to reduce losartan to avoid fainting.

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On 8/30/2019 at 11:50 PM, Eastcoastgirl said:

I agree. It's unfortunate when you come here for support and get made fun of for not understanding something. I specifically said I struggle with math and it was explained in the most complicated way possible. This is why i'm really feeling discouraged about tapering. If you happen to find someone who can simplify it for me, i'd love for you to let me know ! I think a new topic should be opened to help people with diluting liquids.

First, I didn't make fun of anybody.  I pointed out that dr seuss is a lot easier to read than math explanations, that it's going to take a bit of effort to understand.    I gave you all the math you need, gave you examples, And I used Eastcoastgirl-specific numbers, so you could just choose to follow the specific instructions given, then copy the equations used and re-use them for subsequent batches of various reduced concentrations.  

 

You said you wanted to understand, so I explained.  If you like, I can distill the explanations to a very simple set of you-specific instructions you can simply follow.


Please realize there's a lot of room for juggling when doing dilutions: what are your goals?

1 you want easy to measure (meaning a dose that falls midrange of your measuring device),

2 you want to make a reasonable number of doses in a batch not to little not too much,

3 you want to not waste a whole lot of drugs,

4 most important keep it simple and keep accurate records so you really know what you did.

 

So there are several angles from which to approach the issue, and none of them are 'wrong'.  But there probably is a 'best' solution.

 

I'm sorry you didn't get what you wanted; I tried to give you what you requested.  If you'll be specific about what you don't understand, I'm happy to try to clarify.  

Edited by Karma
name update

20090810 Dx GeneralAnxietyDisorder & PanicDisorder.  Rx Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) 50mg.  stable, side effects minor but blurry vision, impotence, others. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5418-ktp-weaning-from-4yrs-50mg-pristiq/ for more details.  

20140210 switch Pristiq50mg (can't cut them!) to Effexor (venlafaxine, V) same drug but easier dose reduction (and mfr TEVA's beads are handily ~= 1mg ea).  20140218 125mgV  0309 112mg 0401:100mg, 410:75, 0506:70, 0512:65, 0525:56, 0614:37.5, 0620:30, 0624:27, 0630:26, 0706:24, 0724:22, 0801:20, 0804:19, 0808:18, 0813:17, 0818:16, 0819:15, 0821:13, 0903:12, 0911:11, 0918:10, 0921:9, 0927:8, 1001:6, 1021:5, missed a day?, darn, it was going so well, or so I thought.  SEVERE ANXIETY, INSOMNIA. WAY TOO QUICK REDUCTIONS! hindsight: 0813:5%/5days, 0818:6%/5days, 0819:6%/1day, 0821:13%/2days, 0903: 7%/14days, 0911:8%/8days, 0918:9%/7days; 0921:10%/3days, 0927:11%/6days, 1001:25%/3days (still okay!) 1021:16%20days.  guideline is 10%/30days =  i am a self-diagnosed idiot

20141103 back to 6mgV, xanax next several days. 1111 insomnia bad, 10mgAmbien slept well. 1112 8mgV no Ambien; miserable. 1113 Ambien+xanax, tough night. 1114 Very Tired. 0.125Xanax, 25mgV at 10, better 10min later. 20141115 37.5mg V +Ambien. miserable month, still insomnia & anxiety. 1214 upped to 75mg V, ate .125Xanax. 1215 37.5mg mornings; force sleep for one week and come back". 20150115 lots of appts lots of chat but we never get to MY agenda = meds discussion.  Upping to 47.5mg mornings (no more xanax-, lunesta-forced sleep) but still anxious.  PAYING BIGTIME FOR TOO-FAST WEANING in OCTOBER 2014!  20150220 50mg V. 20150330 still anxy each am let's try reducing: 45mg V 1/day mornings. 20150511:42mg, 0611:40, 0626:39, 0710:38, 0717:37, 0731:33, 0813:32, 0915:29, 0927:28, 1004:27, 1015:26, 1101:25, 1116:22mg/day.  Still anxiety every morning, this sucks.  20151124 found a shrink who seems to get weaning: 20151125 add 10mg/day Prozac aka fluoxetine F, continue taper V to zero, then taper the F, "easier".  20151203:10mg Prozac=P 19mg V, 1213:10mgP17mgV, daily anx quieter but lurking. 1227:10mgP15mgV, 20160108:10mgP14mgV, 0124:10P13V, 0131:P10,V12. 0215 P10,V11.  0223:P10V10.  0314:P10V9. enjoying relatively quiet brain.  0407 P10V8, 0427P10V7, 0517P10V6, 0611P10V5, 0706P10V4, 0818P10V3, 0921P10V2,  1021P10V1, 20161128Prozac10mgVenlafaxine ZERO, 20170115 still anxious upped Prozac to 20mg/day, better anxiety control... 

20190301 finally stable enough to consider weaning again, started skipping one day / week.

20190501 started skipping every 3rd day so 13.3mg/day average.  several days long 1/2life must be why the docs think of prozac as 'self-tapering' i think it just means longer time between upsetting the cart and seeing apples all over the road.  skipping is bad practice, even with longlife prozac: let's do liquid: 20190902 first day of 13mg via 5ml liquid made from 13 20mg caps in 100ml water.  20190921 12mg same way(7.7%/20days).  20191010 11mg (8.3%/20days) 20191031 10mg (9.1%/20days) 20191124 9mg (10.0%/24 days) 20191213 8.5mg (5.6%/20 days) 20191231 8mg (5.9%/20days) 20200120 hit a wall?  going another 20 days at 8mg, just started Lisinopril for hypertension (caused by prozac withdrawal creating less-than-panic-grade anxiety??) and doubled atorvastatin to 40mg.  Minimizing changes in general and had a semi-panic 4am 1/20... BP still wild. 20200208 back to 9mg daily anxiety starting about 1/18.  

20200212 increase to 10mg prozac cap daily.  anxiety still there but clears within hour of drugs.  20200222 still anxy 2 hrs after 10mg, added another 1mg and mucho better.  20200223 11mg early.  anxious enough to be glad i can actually sit.  will wait another 5 days before adding another milligram. 20200229 12mg prozac still anxious.  20200317 13mgProzac still anxious.  20200610 15mgProzac.  bp under control with Losartan50mg (lisinopril cough dictates change)  

20201028 10am met w Dr S.  to switch back to Venlafaxine XR, "take 10mg prozac + 37mg VenlafaxineXR for a monththen quit prozac." i think i'll taper thanx... 
20201116 9am start 10mgProzac,37Venlafaxine,40Statin,25Losartan,81Aspirin.  20201230 5mgProzac,37Venlafaxine,40Statin,25Losartan,81Aspirin.
20210124 4mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A.  20210213 3.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A;  20210306 3mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A  20210328 2.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A; 20210501 2.0mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A;20210519 1.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A; 20210607 1.5mgP,37V,40S,50L,81A. 
20210614 1.0mgP,37V,40S, 50L,81A. 20210702 0.5mgP,37V,40S,50L,81A; 20210728; 0.0mgProzac,37.5Venlafaxine,40Atorvastatin50Losartan,81Aspirin; 20210917 0915am anxiety started about a week after dropping the last 0.5mg of prozac.  just took 0.10mg xanax.  20210929 1:28 PM I'm anxious after so carefully weaning off prozac - the last 0.5mg may need to come back??  instead, trying an extra cap of 37.5mg venlafaxine, let's see if there's sudden relief?  it seems possible.  fingers x'd.  not sure but 5 minutes later i think i feel better gawd i hope.  20210930 7am anxious out of bed, took drugs early and oops chewed them.  no more drugs 2day.  11:41 AM 10/1/2021 very jagged today, avoiding the shower.   took <1/6 of a .5mg xanax and still anxy at noon.  6:59 PM 10/4/2021 2nd or 3rd day of 75mg Venlafaxine  met w/ shrink 2day he says i'm doing  it right so  20210728 75.0mgVenlafaxine,40Atorvastatin,50Losartan,81Aspirin;10mgCarbidopa-Levodopa; 12/18/2021  112.5mgVenlafaxine, 40Atorvastatin, 50Losartan, 81Aspirin; 0.4mgFlowmax; 3x 25/100mgSinemet aka Carbidopa/Levodopa.    20220308 new neurologist, raising CL:  112.5mgVenlafaxine, 40Atorvastatin, 50Losartan, 81Aspirin; 0.4mgFlowmax; 4x 25/100mgSinemet aka Carbidopa/Levodopa.  possibly need to reduce losartan to avoid fainting.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Some of the posts discussing Eastcoastgirl's liquid tapering/diluting of liquid have been moved to KMart's intro topic so that she will have it there to reference and this topic about using oral syringes etc can stay on topic.

Edited by Karma
name update

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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On 8/29/2019 at 9:34 PM, ktp said:

warning this will be hard to read. 

Prozac liquid comes from the mfr at 20mg prozac per 5ml liquid. 

How are you measuring 0.14ml?  that's way too tiny a volume to measure with a 5ml syringe, which typically has 0.2ml markings.  I'd trust that syringe to be close enough to measure 2.4ml but even that is quite error-prone. 

 

First of all, thanks for the response. I've been using a 1ml syringe.

 

Quote

 

 

Quote

 

to your second question, yes your math is correct - 

if you start with 1part in 20, to get 0.1 part in 20, add 9*20 water to get 0.1part in 20.

actually thats 1part in 200 same as 0.1part in 20.

to change 1mg/5ml to 0.1mg/5ml, add 9 * 5ml water, gets you 1mg 50ml aka 0.1mg/5ml.

or as you stated it, 1mg/ml add 9ml to get 0.1mg/ml.

 

sure hope that helps.

 

I did make a dilution starting last week. I diluted as I described above and used a 3ml syringe, so instead of .14 in a 1ml syringe, I took 1.4ml in a 3ml syringe. I also never knew how to properly use a syringe until I was reading in here so no more bubbles! 

 

 

 

1998-2002 Zoloft and Doxepin 

2007-2016 Klonopin (discontinued 2013), Wellbutrin, Doxepin, Prozac (2016)

As of 1/1/2017

  • Wellbutrin, 300mg
  • Doxepin 85mg
  • Prozac 20mg

9/2017 Doxepin dropped to 75mg

1/2018 Prozac dropped to 10mg (5ml of a 20mg solution)

9/2018-12/2018 Prozac taper, .2ml every 2 weeks

2/2019 Prozac at .6ml (2.4mg I think)

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 8/30/2019 at 7:38 PM, ktp said:

Q1) liquid Paxil concentration is 1mL = 2 mg.  My current dose is .3 mL or .6 mg and I plan to stay here a while. I'm using .5 mL syringes right now but I have plenty of 1 mL syringes and a few 5 mLs. 

 

A1) at 2mg/ml and needing 0.6mg you need to take 0.3ml which is pretty tiny but doable with a 1ml or smaller syringe.  But if you dilute, you could take a larger volume, much easier to measure. 

For 10 days of med, measure out 3ml from the Rx bottle, add 27ml water, and you have 6mg drug in 30ml liquid.  your dose is 0.6mg so take 3ml each day. 

 

 

 

I'm getting ready to dilute and would love for ktp or anyone else to check my math. I don't want 10 days of med since I don't want to store it longer than 4 days. But I do want to have extra because it's hard to measure when you're down to a tiny amount. So how about this: 

 

2 mL of liquid Paxil plus 18 mL water makes a solution of 4 mg in 20 mL. It's actually the same concentration in the suggested method above, just a smaller amount. So .6 mg would be 3 mL of this solution, same as above. I already dropped to .58 mg, so my dose of this proposed solution would be 2.9 mL. When I want to drop .01 mg, I reduce the dose by .05 mL. So when I drop to .57 mg I'll take 2.85 mL. 

 

Is this all correct??

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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looks good to me.

 

20090810 Dx GeneralAnxietyDisorder & PanicDisorder.  Rx Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) 50mg.  stable, side effects minor but blurry vision, impotence, others. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/5418-ktp-weaning-from-4yrs-50mg-pristiq/ for more details.  

20140210 switch Pristiq50mg (can't cut them!) to Effexor (venlafaxine, V) same drug but easier dose reduction (and mfr TEVA's beads are handily ~= 1mg ea).  20140218 125mgV  0309 112mg 0401:100mg, 410:75, 0506:70, 0512:65, 0525:56, 0614:37.5, 0620:30, 0624:27, 0630:26, 0706:24, 0724:22, 0801:20, 0804:19, 0808:18, 0813:17, 0818:16, 0819:15, 0821:13, 0903:12, 0911:11, 0918:10, 0921:9, 0927:8, 1001:6, 1021:5, missed a day?, darn, it was going so well, or so I thought.  SEVERE ANXIETY, INSOMNIA. WAY TOO QUICK REDUCTIONS! hindsight: 0813:5%/5days, 0818:6%/5days, 0819:6%/1day, 0821:13%/2days, 0903: 7%/14days, 0911:8%/8days, 0918:9%/7days; 0921:10%/3days, 0927:11%/6days, 1001:25%/3days (still okay!) 1021:16%20days.  guideline is 10%/30days =  i am a self-diagnosed idiot

20141103 back to 6mgV, xanax next several days. 1111 insomnia bad, 10mgAmbien slept well. 1112 8mgV no Ambien; miserable. 1113 Ambien+xanax, tough night. 1114 Very Tired. 0.125Xanax, 25mgV at 10, better 10min later. 20141115 37.5mg V +Ambien. miserable month, still insomnia & anxiety. 1214 upped to 75mg V, ate .125Xanax. 1215 37.5mg mornings; force sleep for one week and come back". 20150115 lots of appts lots of chat but we never get to MY agenda = meds discussion.  Upping to 47.5mg mornings (no more xanax-, lunesta-forced sleep) but still anxious.  PAYING BIGTIME FOR TOO-FAST WEANING in OCTOBER 2014!  20150220 50mg V. 20150330 still anxy each am let's try reducing: 45mg V 1/day mornings. 20150511:42mg, 0611:40, 0626:39, 0710:38, 0717:37, 0731:33, 0813:32, 0915:29, 0927:28, 1004:27, 1015:26, 1101:25, 1116:22mg/day.  Still anxiety every morning, this sucks.  20151124 found a shrink who seems to get weaning: 20151125 add 10mg/day Prozac aka fluoxetine F, continue taper V to zero, then taper the F, "easier".  20151203:10mg Prozac=P 19mg V, 1213:10mgP17mgV, daily anx quieter but lurking. 1227:10mgP15mgV, 20160108:10mgP14mgV, 0124:10P13V, 0131:P10,V12. 0215 P10,V11.  0223:P10V10.  0314:P10V9. enjoying relatively quiet brain.  0407 P10V8, 0427P10V7, 0517P10V6, 0611P10V5, 0706P10V4, 0818P10V3, 0921P10V2,  1021P10V1, 20161128Prozac10mgVenlafaxine ZERO, 20170115 still anxious upped Prozac to 20mg/day, better anxiety control... 

20190301 finally stable enough to consider weaning again, started skipping one day / week.

20190501 started skipping every 3rd day so 13.3mg/day average.  several days long 1/2life must be why the docs think of prozac as 'self-tapering' i think it just means longer time between upsetting the cart and seeing apples all over the road.  skipping is bad practice, even with longlife prozac: let's do liquid: 20190902 first day of 13mg via 5ml liquid made from 13 20mg caps in 100ml water.  20190921 12mg same way(7.7%/20days).  20191010 11mg (8.3%/20days) 20191031 10mg (9.1%/20days) 20191124 9mg (10.0%/24 days) 20191213 8.5mg (5.6%/20 days) 20191231 8mg (5.9%/20days) 20200120 hit a wall?  going another 20 days at 8mg, just started Lisinopril for hypertension (caused by prozac withdrawal creating less-than-panic-grade anxiety??) and doubled atorvastatin to 40mg.  Minimizing changes in general and had a semi-panic 4am 1/20... BP still wild. 20200208 back to 9mg daily anxiety starting about 1/18.  

20200212 increase to 10mg prozac cap daily.  anxiety still there but clears within hour of drugs.  20200222 still anxy 2 hrs after 10mg, added another 1mg and mucho better.  20200223 11mg early.  anxious enough to be glad i can actually sit.  will wait another 5 days before adding another milligram. 20200229 12mg prozac still anxious.  20200317 13mgProzac still anxious.  20200610 15mgProzac.  bp under control with Losartan50mg (lisinopril cough dictates change)  

20201028 10am met w Dr S.  to switch back to Venlafaxine XR, "take 10mg prozac + 37mg VenlafaxineXR for a monththen quit prozac." i think i'll taper thanx... 
20201116 9am start 10mgProzac,37Venlafaxine,40Statin,25Losartan,81Aspirin.  20201230 5mgProzac,37Venlafaxine,40Statin,25Losartan,81Aspirin.
20210124 4mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A.  20210213 3.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A;  20210306 3mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A  20210328 2.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A; 20210501 2.0mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A;20210519 1.5mgP,37V,40S,25L,81A; 20210607 1.5mgP,37V,40S,50L,81A. 
20210614 1.0mgP,37V,40S, 50L,81A. 20210702 0.5mgP,37V,40S,50L,81A; 20210728; 0.0mgProzac,37.5Venlafaxine,40Atorvastatin50Losartan,81Aspirin; 20210917 0915am anxiety started about a week after dropping the last 0.5mg of prozac.  just took 0.10mg xanax.  20210929 1:28 PM I'm anxious after so carefully weaning off prozac - the last 0.5mg may need to come back??  instead, trying an extra cap of 37.5mg venlafaxine, let's see if there's sudden relief?  it seems possible.  fingers x'd.  not sure but 5 minutes later i think i feel better gawd i hope.  20210930 7am anxious out of bed, took drugs early and oops chewed them.  no more drugs 2day.  11:41 AM 10/1/2021 very jagged today, avoiding the shower.   took <1/6 of a .5mg xanax and still anxy at noon.  6:59 PM 10/4/2021 2nd or 3rd day of 75mg Venlafaxine  met w/ shrink 2day he says i'm doing  it right so  20210728 75.0mgVenlafaxine,40Atorvastatin,50Losartan,81Aspirin;10mgCarbidopa-Levodopa; 12/18/2021  112.5mgVenlafaxine, 40Atorvastatin, 50Losartan, 81Aspirin; 0.4mgFlowmax; 3x 25/100mgSinemet aka Carbidopa/Levodopa.    20220308 new neurologist, raising CL:  112.5mgVenlafaxine, 40Atorvastatin, 50Losartan, 81Aspirin; 0.4mgFlowmax; 4x 25/100mgSinemet aka Carbidopa/Levodopa.  possibly need to reduce losartan to avoid fainting.

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On 10/19/2019 at 9:54 PM, ktp said:

looks good to me.

 

 

Thank you so much for your help!

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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  • 9 months later...

I just realized it's been about a year since I started diluting my liquid Paxil, so I thought I'd give a quick update. It's going great. The solution that I make is ten times less concentrated than the original liquid, which means my measurement is ten times more accurate. That is huge. Liquid Paxil is so concentrated that any tiny variation in the amount taken, which is impossible to avoid with syringes, makes a big difference in the dose you are getting. This makes consistent daily dosing almost impossible, and I think that was a factor in how badly I was doing last year before starting to dilute. The other advantage of diluting is that I get to make drops as small as I want them, whereas before the smallest drop I could make was .02 mg.

 

I knew for years that I was not getting accurate doses due to the high concentration of the liquid, but postponed diluting because I was afraid to change anything, afraid I wouldn't be able to figure out how to actually do it, afraid I would get the math wrong. Someone in this thread kindly got me started, and actually, it's totally easy. It's hardly any more work than before.  So I just wanted to recommend dilution to anyone tapering a highly concentrated liquid medication. It will be vastly more accurate, which becomes more and more important the lower you get in dose.

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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  • 1 year later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

Just found a member's post about a possible way to help stop numbers from wearing off syringes:

 

On 10/30/2013 at 12:43 PM, Lilu said:

Also, in reading reviews on Amazon, someone suggested a brilliant idea - put a coat of clear nail polish over the numbers!

 

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 1 month later...

When measuring with syringe, some say upper part of plunger (not the tip pointy part of course), should cover the line on syringe.

But, on my syringe, upper part (line) is perhaps twice as thick as the line on syringe. Am I correct to conclude that it should not cover the line through the center but with the very top of upper part. I hope I explained this well enough.

 

Any definite rule on this? 

Various AD since 2011, various benzos since 2013
2018-  Escitalopram 20 mg, Alprazolam 0,75-1,5mg
09/20- 01/21  Cymbalta 60 mg, Alprazolam 1,5 mg ,Rapid unsuccesful 3 week taper from 12/20-01/21 (due to physical health issues on doctor's advice)
02/21    Seroxat 20 mg and Bromazepam 3 mg -discontinued Seroxat after two weeks (bad side efffects)
03/21    Reintroduced Escitalopram 10 mg, Bromazepam 3,75 mg. Tapering bromazepam (10%), direct dry taper started 04/21
03.04.21   3,375 mg, 08/21 Bromazepam OFF

25.06.22 Started Escitalopram 10mg taper, 9.5mg (5 % monthly reduction)

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59 minutes ago, indario55 said:

When measuring with syringe, some say upper part of plunger (not the tip pointy part of course), should cover the line on syringe.

But, on my syringe, upper part (line) is perhaps twice as thick as the line on syringe. Am I correct to conclude that it should not cover the line through the center but with the very top of upper part. I hope I explained this well enough.

 

Any definite rule on this? 

I'm pretty sure that the bottom of the line on the plunger should meet the measuring line. Going by the middle or the top would not make sense, because there is no liquid there. The bottom of the plunger is where the liquid stops.

 

Or are you asking about the measuring line? I aim for the center, but that line is so thin that it doesn't make much difference.  

 

Hope I understood your question and that I haven't confused you further! Honestly, whatever you do, I think you will be fine as long as you are consistent.

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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Yes, I meant measuring line. The very top line of the plunger is thicker than measuring line on syringe. If I go for the center than it covers and goes beyond the line on syringe by little. But since it's 10 ml syringe that ''little'' is important to me.

 

So my best guess is that the very top part of the plunger line  should be aligned with syringe measuring line.

 

P.S. English is not my native, sometimes it's hard to explain this technical stuff :))) 

Various AD since 2011, various benzos since 2013
2018-  Escitalopram 20 mg, Alprazolam 0,75-1,5mg
09/20- 01/21  Cymbalta 60 mg, Alprazolam 1,5 mg ,Rapid unsuccesful 3 week taper from 12/20-01/21 (due to physical health issues on doctor's advice)
02/21    Seroxat 20 mg and Bromazepam 3 mg -discontinued Seroxat after two weeks (bad side efffects)
03/21    Reintroduced Escitalopram 10 mg, Bromazepam 3,75 mg. Tapering bromazepam (10%), direct dry taper started 04/21
03.04.21   3,375 mg, 08/21 Bromazepam OFF

25.06.22 Started Escitalopram 10mg taper, 9.5mg (5 % monthly reduction)

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13 hours ago, indario55 said:

When measuring with syringe, some say upper part of plunger (not the tip pointy part of course), should cover the line on syringe.

But, on my syringe, upper part (line) is perhaps twice as thick as the line on syringe. Am I correct to conclude that it should not cover the line through the center but with the very top of upper part. I hope I explained this well enough.

 

Any definite rule on this? 

 

It doesn't really matter which way you measure it.  The important thing is to do it the same way every time - consistency.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 8 months later...

OMG I cannot believe I didn’t know about or think about this but the syringes for liquid based AD (in my case Lexapro) are different sizes!!! When I first switched from tablet to liquid I got a single plastic syringe that measures up to 10 mg. Needless to say the markings are at times hard to visually train my eyes on and each time I decrease it has to be by .25. But today, when I went to pharmacy for refill they gave me syringes that only go up to 3 ml. Thus, larger #s and now I can decrease by .10 instead of .25!!! For me, this is HUGE!!! I’m very sensitive to even the smallest of adjustments until I stabilize and my brain isn’t working overtime to catch up!!!

Lexapro Summer 2014 - March 7th 2023 - 10 mg 1x day

2023 Lexapro tapering: 3/8 - reduced to 9.75 1x day, 3/20 - reduced to 9.5 mg 1x day

Supplements:

Prescription strength fish oil 4g, Vitamin B12 500mg, Folate 400mg, NAC, Vitamin D3 1,000 IU, Lions Mane 500mg, Tumeric 40 mcg, Magnesium 250mg

Past:

2012 - 2020
Trleptal 300 mg 3x a day

2012 - 2014

Cymbalta 30 mg 2x a day

Other medications (short-term and unknown dosages):
Strattera, Latuda, Lamictal (2010 - 2016)

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You can even get 1 ml tiny syringes that have increments of 0.01 mg.  This is what I used for my end game taper.  

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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I use micropipettes. I have three different ones, each with a different volume range. The smallest goes down to 0.1 micro-liter. You set the amount you want to extract, so no need to pull up to a visually difficult to see marking. You can find them on Amazon. :)

2006 - Paroxetine, 20 mg

2008 / 2018 - Several mostly unsuccessful attempts at tapering, without knowledge of withdrawal

2019 - Decrease from 20 mg to 15 mg (June), from 15 mg to 10 mg (Dec)

2020 - Switch to 10 mg liquid citalopram (Feb), decrease to 8 mg (Apr), 6 mg (June), 4 mg (July) without clear symptoms. 3.2 mg (Sep 9), 3 mg (Sep 23), 2.8 mg (Oct 10), 2.6 mg (Oct 26), 2 mg (Nov 13).  Tapered to 1.68 mg in steps of 0.16 mg (Dec 3). Withdrawal kicked in hard. Increase to 1.8 mg (Dec 8), increase to 1.92 mg (Dec 18)

2021 - Increase to 2.2 mg (Jan 1), decrease to 2 mg (Feb 8 ), 1.92 mg (March 21), 1.8 mg (Apr 2), 1.68 mg (Apr 25), 1.56 mg (June 6), 1.52 mg (Sep 5), 1.48 mg (Sep 20), 1.44 mg (Oct 4), 1.4 mg (Oct 18), 1.36 (Nov 1)

2022 - 1.32 mg (Feb 4) - Covid (March 7) - 1.28 mg (Jul 21), 1.24 mg (Oct 3), 1.2 mg (Nov 26)

2023 - Holding at 1.2 mg

 

Other medication: sumatriptan 50 mg, when needed (migraine)

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2 hours ago, Momiki said:

I use micropipettes. I have three different ones, each with a different volume range. The smallest goes down to 0.1 micro-liter. You set the amount you want to extract, so no need to pull up to a visually difficult to see marking. You can find them on Amazon. :)


Yeah, these are what you want, I reckon.  I got a long way with plain syringes from the chemists, but the adjustable micro pipette was the best and most reliable way to get consistent dosages, especially at the end of day when you're tired and not really wanting to do a lot of maths.

YB01276-4.thumb.jpg.ef5b35ba0ffd9d434e646f9e562d3faf.jpg

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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  • hayduke changed the title to Equipment for precise dosages
  • Moderator

Hi @JF46.  I've renamed this topic to avoid confusion.  Micro-dosing is typically verbiage used around a different activity.  Cheers

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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merged with similar existing topic

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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  • 3 months later...

2015- Jan 2021 20mg Citalapram

Jan 2021- April 2021 Sertraline (CT)

June 2021 - Fluoxetine & Trazadone

Oct 2021- Trazadone to Quitiapin 

Oct 2021 to June 2022 switches Duloxetine then paroxatine then Venlafaxine.

June 2022- venlafaxine for 5 or 6 weeks at 37.5 twice daily. Upped for one week to 75mg twice daily but caused panic attacks. Dropped back down to 37.5 twice daily. Panic attacks stopped. 

1 week- 62.5mg 1 week- 50mg 1 week- 37.5mg 1 week - 25mg 

ANTIDEPRESSANT FREE SINCE JULY 22ND 2022!! 

18/05/23 - 01-06/23 doxycycline for a rat bite 

Taken propranalol since 2015. 80mg.

21/11/22 76mg. 28/11/22 72mg. 05/12/22 68mg. 19/12/22 64mg. 27/12/22 60mg. 02/01/23 56mg. 09/01/23 50mg. 16/01/23 47mg. 23/01/23 44mg. 29/01/23 40mg. 05/02/23 38mg. 12/02/23 35mg. 19/02/23 32mg. 25/02/23 27mg. 04/03/23 25mg. 11/03/23 22mg. 17/03/23 19mg. 24/03/23 20mg. 05/04/23 18mg. 11/04/23 16mg. 17/04/23 14mg. 27/04/23 20mg. 19/06/23 19mg. 25/06/23 20mg. 04/08/23 18mg. 11/08/23 17mg. 16/08/23 16mg. 25/08/23 15mg. 01/09/23 14mg. 08/09/23 13mg. 15/08/23 12mg. 22/09/23 11mg. 29/09/23 10mg. 19/11/23 9mg. 26/11/23 8mg. 03/12/23 7mg. 10/12/23 6mg. 17/12/23 5mg. 24/12/23 4mg. 31/01/23 3mg. 07/01/24 2mg. 13/01/24 1mg. 19/01/24 0mg. DONE! 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

If I needed to buy some 1 ml syringes on Amazon, is there a brand that seems to be more professionally accurate from a pharmacological standpoint than others?

2023 Moved to .5mg in 8/2023

2023 Moved to 1.5mg in 7/2023
2023 Moved to 2.5mg in 7/2023

2023 Reinstated Fluoextine 5.0mg in 7/2023 to stabilize 

2023 Stopped Fluoextine after .1mg in 1/2023; Significant w/d symptoms started 6-8mths of last dose

2021-2023 Tapered off Fluoextine starting at 5.0mg (cuts averaged around 40%)

2018 Switched to Fluoextine 5.0mg

2016 Started Effexor 18mg (Dr. advice to offset Ativan w/d). Effexor eventually "pooped out"

2016-2017 Ativan stopped cold turkey after using for 3mths; Severe w/d symptoms for 9mth

2015 Started .625 Amitripyline for GI condition (still on this)

2012-13 Quit Effexor 37.5mg (cuts averaged 20%...tried a two week taper at first that was hell); No w/d symptoms & quit in 2013 with zero problems

2002 Started Effexor 37.5mg for ADD (Dr. switched from Ritalin for ADHD)

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@ChristopherC from earlier posts in this topic:

 

On 12/13/2012 at 10:55 AM, Altostrata said:

The most precise oral syringe?

 

The best oral syringes I've found, with the clearest markings, are from the Danish company Baxa. They are called ExactaMed oral syringes (with a non Luer tip).

 

 

You do not need a prescription to get oral syringes, although pharmacy supply sites may require that you be a business to make an order.

 

On 5/3/2012 at 2:17 PM, Altostrata said:

How to care for an oral syringe

 

These plastic syringes are disposable, but they can last a long time. I've had Becton-Dickinson and Baxa oral syringes; the markings wear off only after many months of use.

 

Rinsing with warm water is sufficient for daily use.

 

Make sure you put the oral syringe somewhere to dry before using it the next time, or the water left in it will throw measurements off.

 

It's good to have a few oral syringes to rotate, to let them dry.

 

Every week or so, I wash them by rinsing them out with a little soap and very hot water, and letting them air-dry.

 

They're not sterilized to begin with, they do not have to be boiled or purified for your own reuse. Just make sure to clean them occasionally with soap and hot water. I wouldn't put them in the dish washer.

 

If the markings wear off, rinse them and recycle them with plastics, or use for crafts to apply glue, etc.

 

On 5/3/2012 at 2:12 PM, Altostrata said:

How to find oral syringes

 

Your local pharmacy probably has oral syringes. They are used to give medications to infants. They will give these away if you ask for one. They may also have more expensive oral syringes in packages for sale, in the area where they have pill cutters and pill boxes.

 

Those oral syringes may not be what you need. They may be too large or the markings may not be precise enough. The clear oral syringes are best, it can be hard to see small liquid doses in the colored ones, which may be amber or green.

 

Oral syringes come in .5mL, 1mL, 3mL, 5mL, 10mL etc. sizes, from various manufacturers. Two manufacturers I've seen who make good oral syringes are Becton-Dickenson (BD) and Baxa, a Danish company. (The Baxa oral syringes have more detailed markings.)

 

One oral syringe costs the pharmacy less than U$.20.

 

A one-milliliter (1mL) oral syringe is the same as a needle-less slip tip syringe. (Slip tip rather than lock tip.)

 

Where you can get oral syringes:

 

  • Your local pharmacy
  • If you are getting medicines compounded, from your compounding pharmacy
  • If you are not getting medicines compounded, find a compounding pharmacy in your town and buy some from them
  • Veterinarians. They use oral syringes to give medication to animals.
  • Medical supply stores
  • Web sites. You may need to buy in bulk, for example, a 10-pack http://www.amazon.com/Syringe-Luer-Slip-Sterile-Pack/dp/B000FMYDLU/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top or a box of 100. (If you buy too many, share the new, unused ones with our members.)

 

On 2/13/2012 at 1:03 PM, Altostrata said:

About the tiny 1mL oral syringe:

 

The 1mL oral syringe should have ticks at .02mL (5 ticks between 10ths) or .01mL (10 ticks between 10ths).

 

The Becton Dickinson 1mL oral syringe is marked at .02mL. The Danish-made Baxa Exacta-Med 1mL oral syringe is marked for .01mL.

 

Oral syringes may be found at pharmacies, veterinary offices, or medical supply stores. I've always gotten them for no charge from my pharmacy. They should be less than U$.25 if you have to pay for them.

 

It's always good to have a few of them, so you can wash them and let them dry between uses.

 

On 5/1/2011 at 1:56 PM, Altostrata said:

Where to get oral syringes

Many pharmacies carry the larger oral syringe and, as Brandy implies, veterinarians carry them, too, to give animals medication.

 

Compounding pharmacies will have a wider range of oral syringes.

 

They cost very little; most pharmacies will give them to you gratis.

 

What size oral syringe to get

The larger 10 mL syringe can measure out dosages as small as .2 mg; the small 1 mL syringe (see the first post in this topic) can measure out dosages as small as .01 mL.

 

There are also .5mL oral syringes, measuring as small as .01 mL.

 

All fit into a cap in the bottle if available

 

What brand of oral syringe to get

The Monoject syringe in the photo above is just one brand of oral syringe. There are many brands available.

 

In the US, Becton-Dickinson (B-D) oral syringes are widely available. They hold up through repeated uses (wash with hot water) but the markings are a little smeary.

 

My preferred oral syringe, Exactamed, is made by Baxa. The markings are clear and it holds up longer through repeated washings than the others. It comes in 10mL, 5mL, 3mL, 1mL, and .5mL sizes. Baxa Exactament oral syringes may be hard to find; Baxa will sends pharmacists or medical personnel free samples, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/235-tapering-techniques/page__view__findpost__p__38431

 

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

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  • 2 weeks later...

When tapering liquid, what can you use to measure the small amounts exactly? For example- how do you measure anything under .1 ml exactly with liquid ?

Nortriptyline -2wks- April 2023, 20 mg for migraines, depression, stopped 

Lexapro- 1 wk May 2023, 2.5 mg s

Remeron- 2 days, June 2023, 2.5 mg

Prozac/ fluoxetine- started July 5 2023- liquid

4 mg for a wk (1 ml)July 5- July 12, 2023

6 mg- for a wk -July 13- 20, 2023

8 mg- for a wk July 21- 28,  2023

10 mg-wk bad side effects July 29- August 5, 2023

8 mg- August 5, 2023, 7.6 mg Sept 2023

 

 

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You will want to use a 1 ml oral syringe, which will measure in increments of 0.01 ml.  These can easily be obtained on amazon.  For more information, please see post #1 of this thread.  

 

 

Edited by getofflex

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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Thank you for your help!

Nortriptyline -2wks- April 2023, 20 mg for migraines, depression, stopped 

Lexapro- 1 wk May 2023, 2.5 mg s

Remeron- 2 days, June 2023, 2.5 mg

Prozac/ fluoxetine- started July 5 2023- liquid

4 mg for a wk (1 ml)July 5- July 12, 2023

6 mg- for a wk -July 13- 20, 2023

8 mg- for a wk July 21- 28,  2023

10 mg-wk bad side effects July 29- August 5, 2023

8 mg- August 5, 2023, 7.6 mg Sept 2023

 

 

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I am using a 1 ml syringe to measure twice - 2 mls for Prozac (totaling 8 mg). I was reading the above posts about diluting the liquid. Would this be more accurate or should I just wait until smaller amounts? I tried to follow how to dilute but was a bit confused ….

Nortriptyline -2wks- April 2023, 20 mg for migraines, depression, stopped 

Lexapro- 1 wk May 2023, 2.5 mg s

Remeron- 2 days, June 2023, 2.5 mg

Prozac/ fluoxetine- started July 5 2023- liquid

4 mg for a wk (1 ml)July 5- July 12, 2023

6 mg- for a wk -July 13- 20, 2023

8 mg- for a wk July 21- 28,  2023

10 mg-wk bad side effects July 29- August 5, 2023

8 mg- August 5, 2023, 7.6 mg Sept 2023

 

 

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Angus, I would wait until you're on a lower dose before you start diluting. For now you're fine. There will come a time when the drop you want to make is too small to measure properly, and then you'll know it's time to dilute. I also do think the diluted liquid is more accurate, especially at small doses. I can help you figure it out when the time comes. I know it's super confusing to think about at first, but it becomes second nature after a while. 

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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Thank you! I know it won’t be for a while but all of this is a bit overwhelming. I’m not that great at math and I unknowingly stepped into this situation. I was told I could just step off Prozac no problem with little tapering :(. Anyway, thank u for the help, Hopefully you will still be available when my time comes - I’m at 8 mg so I know I have a long way to go.

Nortriptyline -2wks- April 2023, 20 mg for migraines, depression, stopped 

Lexapro- 1 wk May 2023, 2.5 mg s

Remeron- 2 days, June 2023, 2.5 mg

Prozac/ fluoxetine- started July 5 2023- liquid

4 mg for a wk (1 ml)July 5- July 12, 2023

6 mg- for a wk -July 13- 20, 2023

8 mg- for a wk July 21- 28,  2023

10 mg-wk bad side effects July 29- August 5, 2023

8 mg- August 5, 2023, 7.6 mg Sept 2023

 

 

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Don't worry, I'll be around. I'm not active on SA but I do get notifications for this thread, so you can post here or else message me. Yesterday was my first day free of Paxil after 17 years, and I couldn't have done it without diluting the liquid using ktp's method as described earlier in this thread. So I definitely want to pay it forward and help others. You could also message ktp of course. Good luck with your taper!

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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What an amazing accomplishment! You should be so proud of yourself!!
Ok, I’ll will definitely message you when I need the help. Thank u!

Nortriptyline -2wks- April 2023, 20 mg for migraines, depression, stopped 

Lexapro- 1 wk May 2023, 2.5 mg s

Remeron- 2 days, June 2023, 2.5 mg

Prozac/ fluoxetine- started July 5 2023- liquid

4 mg for a wk (1 ml)July 5- July 12, 2023

6 mg- for a wk -July 13- 20, 2023

8 mg- for a wk July 21- 28,  2023

10 mg-wk bad side effects July 29- August 5, 2023

8 mg- August 5, 2023, 7.6 mg Sept 2023

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 I am beginning a taper and wish to remove .5ml from the amount I will be ingesting. If I use an oral syringe to remove the liquid I wish to discard, I think I would be removing too much when the syringe is at the .5ml line as there is also an extra amount in the nub of the syringe meaning I would be taking out more than .5ml. Is this correct? Also, does the amount in the nub of the syringe differ for different sizes of syringes - 1, 3 ml etc. Thanks.

Olanzapine (5mg) started June 2023 - This is the only drug I'm currently taking, haven't used any other psych drugs.

After 4 weeks dropped to 2.5mg for 5 days then dropped to 1.25mg for 3 days, withdrawals commenced. I then took a single dose of 3.75mg. Then went to 2.5mg. since July 19

Hoping to hold at 2.5mg  and GODWILLING I will STABILIZE.

I can't tell WD symptoms from Long Covid symptoms. I think a bit of both, and I think my quick earlier taper has made the LC symptoms worse ... what to do.

Update: Sept 28 2023: -2.5%   Oct 5: -2.5%   Oct 12: -2.5%   Oct 19: -5%   Oct 29: -5%   Nov 10: -5%  2.0mg  Nov 20:  -5%  1.9mg  Nov 30:  -5%  1.8mg  Dec 12:  1.75mg   Dec 22: 1.70mg

Dec 29: 1.65mg Jan 06/24: 1.60mg  Jan 14: 1.55mg Jan 25: 1.50mg   Feb 12: Updose to 1.55mg

(percentage drops are from previous dose)

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Don't worry about the amount in the nub or spout, just keep your oral syringe measuring method consistent.

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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On 9/23/2023 at 3:04 AM, N2deep said:

 I am beginning a taper and wish to remove .5ml from the amount I will be ingesting. If I use an oral syringe to remove the liquid I wish to discard, I think I would be removing too much when the syringe is at the .5ml line as there is also an extra amount in the nub of the syringe meaning I would be taking out more than .5ml. Is this correct? Also, does the amount in the nub of the syringe differ for different sizes of syringes - 1, 3 ml etc. Thanks.

This is something that I worry about as I have not found a consistent response on whether the amount in the nub part makes up the dose you want on the syringe or exceeds it.

2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this).

2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet.

2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 
2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!).

2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. 
Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. 

Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember.

My full drug history can be found in my opening post 

WeLiveInHope

——————————————————

My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. 

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11 hours ago, WeLiveInHope said:

This is something that I worry about as I have not found a consistent response on whether the amount in the nub part makes up the dose you want on the syringe or exceeds it.

No need to worry. I'm pretty sure that the amount in the nub is part of the dose you want. It wouldn't make sense if you measured to the 1 mL line (for example) but were really getting 1 mL plus a little extra in the nub; they wouldn't design them that way. But it doesn't really matter either way as long as your method of measuring is consistent. 

Trying to get off Paxil since 2007. Was tapering by 0.1 mg every 4-5 weeks. Had awful crash in November 2015 at .5 mg; updosed gradually to 2 mg. 

 

Doing better and tapering again, much slower this time.  2016: Dropped from 2 mg to 1.62 mg.  2017:  1.62 mg to 1.2 mg. 2018: 1.2 mg to .76 mg. 2019: .76 mg to .56 mg. 2020: .56 mg to .33 mg. 2021: .33 mg to .13 mg. 2022: .13 mg to .03 mg. 6/12/23 .002 mg. OFF PAXIL 9/4/23

 

Started Klonopin in November 2015 to deal with crash. 1/10/16 started milk titration taper from .5 mg. Finished taper 12/6/17. Still take Klonopin for agoraphobia 2 - 3 times a week. 

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1 hour ago, Rachelina said:

No need to worry. I'm pretty sure that the amount in the nub is part of the dose you want. It wouldn't make sense if you measured to the 1 mL line (for example) but were really getting 1 mL plus a little extra in the nub; they wouldn't design them that way. But it doesn't really matter either way as long as your method of measuring is consistent. 

Thank you. While that makes absolute logical sense, and what I originally concluded, nothing about the pharmaceutical industry is to be trusted. But, I’m sure learning and reading of others experiences with this could be reassuring. 

2018 April: Reinstated Paroxetine 20mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) after abrupt withdrawal of 6 months (lots of on off AD and other drugs use for years prior to this this).

2018 August: Began slow taper of Paroxetine. At 10mg severe headaches began, switched to 10mg Fluoxetine. Cont. on Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Occasional but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet.

2018 - 2023: ‘Stable’ on Fluoxetine 10mg and Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night). Cont. but over recommended dose use of sleeping tablet, switched sleeping tablet to manage addiction and achieve sleep. Began very occasional use of benzodiazepines by 2020 (eg. 2 dose of 10mg in a 9 month period, varies according to need and some months can be more). Cont. headaches, developed anxiety and other body pains. 
2023 (February) - Rapid 4 week taper in February from Carbamazepine Prolonged Release 400mg (200mg morning and night) to nil (mistakenly!).

2023 (March to present) - very infrequent use of sleeping tablets and benzodiazepines, diagnosed with hypothyroidism (April ish) and currently treated with Levothyroxine (final dose yet to be determined), began taper of Fluoxetine 10mg (June) currently on 8mg of fluoxetine. 
Also, still invariably take CBD oil, multiple vitamins and minerals including Omega 3, iron etc. Adjusted as needed. 

Note - Throughout the above years I have been an inpatient and outpatient with decisions made for me regarding drugs inc. abrupt withdrawals. Some were planned by me when unaware of withdrawal affects. Others while I was ‘unwell’ and began by unwittingly missing doses. Like many of us I have experienced many ‘symptoms’ on and off the drugs. Above, I have tried to share my main complaints and history as best as I can and remember.

My full drug history can be found in my opening post 

WeLiveInHope

——————————————————

My words are based on my personal experiences and do not constitute medical advice or recommendations, except this: whatever any one else says, from medics to other patients, however informed, listen to your body as the human condition is always evolving, and in turn so is our knowledge on its limitations and capabilities. 

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