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iwanttobefree: Tapering off lithium and I have no clue what I'm doing


iwanttobefree

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ive been on lithium ER (600 mg) and lamotrigine (50 mg) for about 4 years now. i was put on these medications to help with the relapse mania from going off seroquel, lithium, and effexor. i think going off effexor triggered the relapse but im not sure because i went off those 3 medications for close together. so a year later i was prescribed lithium (again) and lamotrigine and i stuck with that up to today.

 

now im ready to go off because its doing more harm than help. i want to go off my meds the right way this time. the first time i went off years ago wasnt with doctors orders and i barely did research. i have an appointment with my psychiatrist next week but i already started tapering off lithium from 600 to 300 mg last night. we briefly talked about me wanting to go off and shes not opposed to the idea. im starting to wonder if 600 to 300 mg is a huge jump though? to my knowledge, lithium ER only comes in 300 sets so i dont know how else to taper down. i read you can not cut lithium ER in half otherwise thats lithium dumping.

 

so questions:

how the heck do i go about tapering? 

should i go off lithium or lamotrigine first?

is 600 to 300 mg safe?

 

please offer advice! im new to all this so please make it easy to understand!

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  • Shep changed the title to iwanttobefree: Tapering off lithium and I have no clue what I'm doing
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi, iwanttobefree.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA).

 

On 5/23/2021 at 3:09 AM, iwanttobefree said:

 i have an appointment with my psychiatrist next week but i already started tapering off lithium from 600 to 300 mg last night. we briefly talked about me wanting to go off and shes not opposed to the idea. im starting to wonder if 600 to 300 mg is a huge jump though?

 

Please updose back to 600 mg lithium since you just reduced a couple of days ago. That is far too high a reduction. 

 

Also, we really need to get your complete drug history first and then set up a game plan. Please do not rush this. Let's go with a harm-reduction approach.

 

I'm going to leave you with some links to read over:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

Tips for tapering off lithium

 

 

Please add a signature.  Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

  • Any drugs and supplements prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
  • Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
  • Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
  • Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
  • A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
  • This is a direct link to your signature:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

For more on setting up a signature, please see the first post here - How to List Drug History in Signature

 

As you provide more information, we can better guide you in setting up a taper. And again, please do not rush this. Your brain and body have adapted to these drugs. A slow and careful taper will give you the best chance of having an easier and faster recovery. 

 

 

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