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Sally3: Prozac and Klonopin


Sally3

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I am so lost - I don't know what to do...I have updosed by .06 so far and am afraid to go further - is that too much or not enough to perhaps feel an updose?  I am so confused...maybe I should just stay where I am now and not do any more updosing nor cutting and just try to live with this dose and hope I can stabilize on it.  Thank you for your advice but I am a mess and just need to talk with someone about all of this...can someone please talk with me?

Sally3

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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hi there sally3 are you ok??

2010-withdrew from Effexor 150mg to zero over a period of 9 months

After six weeks became very ill

Doctor was adamant a reinstatement of 150mg was needed

I didn't know much of withdrawal symptoms at this time

 

February 2013- taking beads out of capsule 150mg

have taken out 112 beads equivalent to 30mg= 120mg taken

 

June 2013- Doctor visit- recommended given me 75mg capsules

take one in morning and one at night( take beads out of night one)

 

So am currently taking 75mg in morning and take beads out of 75mg night capsule to make up the other 45mg= 120mg

 

currently am down to taking 112.5mg..

 

 presently reduced down to 103mg

 

at 93mg

at 87mg

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Not really....I just don't know whether I should try to updose to my original dose that I was supposed to cut to which was .5 ml or just updose a teeny bit from the .4 which I mistakenly cut to.  I am so confused by this board - I posted somewhere else on here as well but can't find it...I have already updosed to just .04 above the .4 and thinking of whether I should updose more or just stay here...I haven't felt any improvements since Monday...I don't know how long I should wait or should I updose again....or maybe I shouldn't updose at all....I am almost hysterical at this point....forgive me.....

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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At .5 I was getting windows...now nothing..just misery!  Horrible depression - it's scary....  Is it safe for me to go back p to the .5 that I was originally at before I made this mistake?

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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Alto - can you tell me if the good idea is to updose by just a small amount or should I updose to the .5 ml that I was originally at?  At ,5 I was getting windows...now I'm getting nothing but misery....have updosed by .02 twice a day so far....from .4....

Thank you - I am very bad right now and hope I gt some advice.  I have read Rhi's and Strawberry's posts on another post I made but am still not sure what I should do....please help!

Sally3

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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 Is it safe for me to go back p to the .5 that I was originally at before I made this mistake?

 

I should think so, yes.  Then, as others have suggested, you should stay put for a while and try to heal.  I know this is difficult, hang in there.  

3 Years 150 mgs Effexor

2 month taper down to zero

3 terrible weeks at zero

Back up to 75 mgs

2 months at 75

6 or so months back to regular dose of 150 - was able to restabilize fine.

3 month taper back to zero

1 HORRENDOUS week at zero

2 days back up to 37.5

3 days back up to 75

One week at 150 - unable to stabilize.

Back down to 75 mgs

At 75 mgs (half original dose) and suffering withdrawal symptoms since October 2012.

 

"It is a radical cure for all pessimism to become ill, to remain ill for a good while, and then grow well for a still longer period." - Nietzsche

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Thank you Narcissus for your reply....I just wanted a direct answer....

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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I think you'd be safe to go to the .5 Sally and just stick there, don't move anymore, for a long time. Let your nervous system catch up.

*** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***





http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007.
Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. 

A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido.

 

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Hi Sally just answered on your other thread, but yes I think go to .5 and stop there for a long long while. I'm so sorry your suffering so badly.

*** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***





http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007.
Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. 

A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido.

 

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Thank you Strawberry - should I go up slowly and what does that mean exactly...a small increase every day, every week...what is a small increase - a .01 ml...larger?  Could I go up the whole milliliter than I cam down from?  I'm sorry to be so dense but I am so afraid to make myself much worse than I already am...

Thank you again...getting desperate and need to get somewhere stable and stay there...

Sally3

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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I'm not sure what you're taking right now, but I think Strawberry and Narcissus meant for you to go back to the .5 level all at once.  There's really no point in going upward slowly unless a person is reinstating from being completely off a drug.

 

When you're feeling better, please update the drug history in your signature.  Also, "ml." means milliliter and it's a liquid measure that could contain any number of milligrams.  Please describe what you're taking in milligrams, otherwise we won't have accurate information when we try to advise. 

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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Sally,

 

I've merged all of your topics into your Intro because your information was getting disorganized and scattered all over the forum.  I've also added the link to your Intro in the signature area so you won't have trouble finding it again.

 

Please post your comments and questions about your journey through antidepressant withdrawal here in this thread.

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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Sally,

 

I'm going to go ahead and post your PM here since that was your original intention.  I'm doing this so all the staff and members who read this thread will be up to speed.  Here's Sally's post in response to my two posts above:

 

Jemima - I am beyond frustrated trying to find my way around the board...I just typed you a reply with all the info regarding my taper issue and it said I had no permission to respond and I lost the whole thing. I may be dense but this is ridiculous. Here is what I want to say - I would rather have it on the board (emphasis mine--Jemima) but don't know how to get it there and don't want to start another new post...Please bear with me while I try to type this all again.

I use a 1 ml Syringe with 50 black ticks on it...each tick is equal to .02 ml. I dose twice a day, am and pm. At the end of April I had tapered down to .5 ML or 4 MG of liquid Prozac. When I did my next cut, because I was so happy to be at 4 MG, the number 4 just stuck in my head. So when I went to do my cut in the morning, I only extracted the Prozac liquid from the bottle up to the .4 ml line on the syringe. That was causing me to miss .10 ml from the morning dose and .10 ml from the evening dose. I was not aware of this and this has gone on for the last two months. About 4 days to a week, I experienced a terrible wave. I had been having windows often up to that point and could not understand what was happening. I blamed it on a setback from my Klonopin c/t w/d which I did in Sept of 2010 and have been still dealing with almost 3 years later.The waves were very bad and the windows ceased but still no clue!

 

On Monday the 17th of June, amidst a terrible day I somehow decided to check all my records and there I discovered that I had under-dosed myself since the end of April. I have updosed so far to .21 twice a day....my question was whether I could take the whole missed dose which would be .08 ml (I think that's right) total but I would take it .04 ml twice a day...or do I have to do it at smaller amounts? I was told here by Rhi and I believe Alto backed her up that I should do microscopically small updoses. I just don't know what to do but need some clear answers...I don't want to cause myself any more harm than I have already done...this is all so very painful. I hope this makes sense and please excuse me for sending you a personal message but after I replied to your post and I wasn't allow to reply, it all got lost. Now I can't even find your response to my post...I dont know why this forum is so hard for me to get around, but it always has been...Thank you Jemima...hope you can help me....

 

I think what may have happened is that you signed out and then decided to post. 

 

Okay, now that I know you mean 4 mg. of Prozac some of your previous posts make more sense.  Please continue to describe your dosage in terms of milligrams.  Five milliliters just means the volume of liquid, not the dose of medication it contains so there's no way to give you advice based on .5 milliliters.

 

What dose are you on now in milligrams?  (Be sure you're signed in this time.)

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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I'm getting more and more confused.  On page 1 of this thread, Alto posted a chart showing the dose of medication in each fraction of a milliliter, and it looks to me like .5 ml. would equal 2 mg. of Prozac, not 4 mg.

 

In view of my utter confusion, I'm going to notify the other staff that I need help here.  I have no idea what to tell you at this point.

Psychotropic drug history: Pristiq 50 mg. (mid-September 2010 through February 2011), Remeron (mid-September 2010 through January 2011), Lexapro 10 mg. (mid-February 2011 through mid-December 2011), Lorazepam (Ativan) 1 mg. as needed mid-September 2010 through early March 2012

"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity." -Hanlon's Razor


Introduction: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1588-introducing-jemima/

 

Success Story: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6263-success-jemima-survives-lexapro-and-dr-dickhead-too/

Please note that I am not a medical professional and my advice is based on personal experience, reading, and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers.

 

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There are a few things going on here which are really confusing, one of them is the dosing twice a day, another is that this is a micro taper, tapering down minute amounts every few days, the other is that the 1ml syringe is divided into 50 marks rather than 100. I'm tapering Prozac as well and I'm finding this very confusing. I DO know that 1ml liquid Prozac = 4mg Prozac.

 

I would tend to agree with the previous suggestion and micro taper back up to 4mg Prozac and stop there, for a good long while, months.

 

Is there a reason for the twice daily dosing? I'm sorry if I missed the reason for doing that.

 

Jemima's suggestion of always talking to us in mg Prozac if that's ok with you would really help us to unravel this as well.

 

I'm sorry this is all so frustrating and horrible for you Sally right now :(

*** Please note this is not medical advice,discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner***





http://prozacwithdrawal.blogspot.com/
Original drug was sertraline/Zoloft, switched to Prozac in 2007.
Tapering from 5mls liquid prozac since Feb 2008, got down to 0.85ml 23/09/2012, reinstated back to 1ml(4mg) 07/11/2012, didn't appear to work, upped to 1.05ml 17/11/2012, back down to 1ml 12/12/2012 didn't work, up to 1.30ml 16/3/2013 didn't work, bumped up to 2ml (8mg) 4/4/2013 didn't work, in July 2013 I reinstated Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg, feeling better now. 

A few months down the line I switched to 5ml liquid Prozac and tapered down to a compromise dose of 3ml liquid Prozac and have stayed there ever since, no withdrawals and no emotional blunting/loss of libido.

 

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my question was whether I could take the whole missed dose which would be .08 ml (I think that's right) total but I would take it .04 ml twice a day

 

I think we all think you can and should do this, and then stay put there until you're on firmer ground.I made a similar mistake while tapering and I think it also caused me much suffering.  I know how frustrating it is.  I hope you're doing at least a tiny bit better.  Please stop in and let us know how things are going.

 

 

3 Years 150 mgs Effexor

2 month taper down to zero

3 terrible weeks at zero

Back up to 75 mgs

2 months at 75

6 or so months back to regular dose of 150 - was able to restabilize fine.

3 month taper back to zero

1 HORRENDOUS week at zero

2 days back up to 37.5

3 days back up to 75

One week at 150 - unable to stabilize.

Back down to 75 mgs

At 75 mgs (half original dose) and suffering withdrawal symptoms since October 2012.

 

"It is a radical cure for all pessimism to become ill, to remain ill for a good while, and then grow well for a still longer period." - Nietzsche

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Wow - I am so sorry for all the confusion and the ml and mg mixup.  Thank you Jemima for putting this whole thread together for me and I hope I can keep track of it it now.  I know it is confusing with the 50-tick syringe.  The 100 tick syringe is very small for me to read but I will take a look at it again as it may make it easier for me as well.

  I dose twice a day because that was a suggestion someone made and I tried it....Last summer I tried combining the doses and I had a terrible time...guess putting it all together at one time suddenly was too much for my CNS...as I was still in w/d from a Klonopin c/t. 

I am not sure how to keep track of the MGs that I am cutting...because my syringe is a milliliter syringe.  My Prozac bottle says that I have 20 mg/5 ml....so when I got down to 1 milliliter, I knew I was at 4 mg. Right?  I'm not sure how the 2 mg fits in there Jemima...because 20 divided by 5 is 4.  That's how I figured it.  I'm sorry if this is all so confusing. 

My question now is not whether to updose back up to the .5 ml or not, but as to HOW to do it....I have read on here to go up microscopically or just try a fraction of a mg....I'm not sure how much a fraction of a mg is....1/4, 1/3, 1/2?  and I have read to just go up to .5 ml from the .4 ml I was at....all at once?

  How would I determine what mg I am at when I am at .4 ml on the syringe.  Would I multiply .4 by 4(the amount of mg in each ml in the bottle?)  I am sorry to be so dense about all of this...it has been an issue for me from the beginning.  But I thought that I had it figured out right. 

  Please don't lose your patience about all of this...it has taken me two years to get this far and I want to continue going..just want to do it right without causing myself any more pain. Forgive me for all the confusion.

Sally3

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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I just went back and read Skyler's post - I do not have a 10 ml syringe...I have a 1 ml syringe with 50 little ticks...each tick is worth .02 ml....if I am repeating myself, I'm sorry - just want to get this straight.  I now extract the Prozac up to the .4 line....so would that be .4 ml times 4 mg.....that would be 1.6....mg? right?  And since I do that twice a day - I am taking a total of 3.2 mg...for the day...right?

Can't see how that could be wrong....but.....

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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Sally, please ask your pharmacist these math questions. They're too complicated for us to understand on a discussion board.

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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OMG - I did ask my pharmacist these questions and he gave me the wrong answer ...he told me 3 mg in each ml...I can't ask him....I just wanted some advice on how to go from the .4 ml which is 1.6 mg which I take twice a day ....up to the .5 ml....should I go all at once or should I just taper up.  I've gotten contradictory advice here and I am confused...and for sure the druggist won't know what to tell me about updosing...he's just as clueless as the doctors... I am so sorry to have caused all this confusion here...and sorry to have annoyed all of you....

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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Write everything down and take it with your syringe to another pharmacist, nurse, or doctor who will work out the conversion accurately.

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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My question now is not whether to updose back up to the .5 ml or not, but as to HOW to do it....I have read on here to go up microscopically or just try a fraction of a mg....

 

We usually have people updose in increments when they're making a more significant change.  It's my feeling that you should be able to go back to your previous dosage all at once, as the difference is so small.  

3 Years 150 mgs Effexor

2 month taper down to zero

3 terrible weeks at zero

Back up to 75 mgs

2 months at 75

6 or so months back to regular dose of 150 - was able to restabilize fine.

3 month taper back to zero

1 HORRENDOUS week at zero

2 days back up to 37.5

3 days back up to 75

One week at 150 - unable to stabilize.

Back down to 75 mgs

At 75 mgs (half original dose) and suffering withdrawal symptoms since October 2012.

 

"It is a radical cure for all pessimism to become ill, to remain ill for a good while, and then grow well for a still longer period." - Nietzsche

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Thank you for your response Narcissus - I appreciate it!

Sally3

Have been on .125Klonopin for 17 years....was tapered off rapidly (3 weeks)from a 6 week updose of 1.50 K....went back on .125 K and tapered off there in 3 weeks - September 7 2010...horrible w/d sx. Have been suffering ever since, although do get windows.
Was put on 20 mg Prozac back in 1993 also...no issues ever with the prozac. Was told last summer to get off the Prozac by a psychiatrist who thought that my benzo w/d was really due to the Prozac i.e., jitteriness, shaking, nervous, anxiety and depression. He wanted me off in 3 months. I started decreasing 1 mg per months - am now down to 9 mg Prozac....feel like I have been tapering incorrectly.

 

Introductory Post:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2439-sally3-i-am-new-here/page-1

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Hi Sally3,

 

I copied your question from tapering here to your introduction thread, its directly related to your situation and will get a better response.

 

Haven't been here for a while...tried doing my tapering on my own...and I've done it so far satisfactorily.  But now I am down to 1.04 mg and feeling pretty awful...but I also know that is due to my Klonopin c/t 3.5 years ago...still not healed from it.  However I have been tapering Prozac for almost three years.  My question is ... is it possible to go too slow in the taper?  Is 1.4 mg a dose that people jump off or is it common to keep going until you get all the way down to 0? 

     Because I am not feeling well at all, the lower I go, I am thinking that maybe I should do as my CBT therapist suggested and just get off.  She said it would be maybe one or two weeks feeling bad instead of dragging this out for 3 more months or so.  I was tempted but I am afraid because I know that one or two weeks may not be all it will be. 

      Hoping to hear some of your thoughts about what's the most sensible thing to do.  I think I know, but I would like to hear from this group because they have so much experience.  Thank you for any of your thoughts.

Sally3

 

I'm not a doctor.  My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one.

My Introduction Thread

Full Drug and Withdrawal History

Brief Summary

Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects

2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010

Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal

DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms

Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal)

May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins.

Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes

Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine

Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D

June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens.

Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered

Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days.

April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close.

VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from?



VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made?



VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes?



VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects?

VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes

 

 

 

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We have a poster here that is doing a micro taper (Hudgens) and is just under 1 mg (.4 or .6 I think). You could scan his thread for ideas while you are waiting for someone to chime in. And mammaP is trying to find a way to split a tiny bead because a whole bead drop caused symptoms (can't do liquid). There is definitely an advantage for some in tapering very slowly at the end.

What happened and how I arrived here: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4243-cymbaltawithdrawal5600-introduction/#entry50878

 

July 2016 I have decided to leave my story here at SA unfinished. I have left my contact information in my profile for anyone who wishes to talk to me. I have a posting history spanning nearly 4 years and 3000+ posts all over the site.

 

Thank you to all who participated in my recovery. I'll miss talking to you but know that I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines, suffering and rejoicing with you in spirit, as you go on in your journey.

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What are your symptoms, Sally? What's your tapering schedule?

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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  • Moderator Emeritus

Sally, take a look at this thread:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6036-why-taper-paper-demonstrates-importance-of-gradual-change-in-plasma-concentration/

 

When you open the document go to page 4 and look at the charts. You will see that at lower doses you must taper EXTRA slow, not faster. At higher doses, when you cut 1 mg, it only reduces your receptor occupancy by a small amount; but from 1 mg down to 0 you drop from 20% occupancy straight down to zero!

 

That's why we say calculate your cuts based on 10% of your CURRENT dose. (Or a smaller percentage if you're using a smaller one.)

 

I know this is tricky. I'm down to 1 mg of citalopram and started running into withdrawal symptoms even though I thought I was cutting really slow, but when I did the math I had made a 10% cut.  (I usually cut by no more than 5% at a time.)

 

Print out a copy of that graph and show it to your CBT counselor so she can see it's not straightforward at lower doses.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Sally3: Prozac and Klonopin

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