ladgma: taper down with Geodon third try

[ChessieCat]

4 hours ago, ladgma said:

I haven't been able to find anyone here that is tapering off Geodon

 

Search results for Introduction forum (there will be some duplicates but there might be some which are not):

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?q=geodon&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=3

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?q=ziprasidone&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=3

 

4 hours ago, ladgma said:

So I have decided to taper at 3.5% per week

 

That is a 14% per month taper.  SA's recommended taper rate is no more than 10% per month.

 

Tips for tapering off ziprasidone (Geodon, Zeldox)

 

From Post #1 of the above topic:

  

On 4/11/2014 at 5:34 AM, Altostrata said:

 

Reduce by 10% per month to start
The 10% rule holds for ziprasidone just like other psychiatric drugs: Reduce by 10% per month, calculated on the last dosage. (The amount of the reduction gets progressively smaller.)

See Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

 

[Josef]

@ladgma 

Hey!

Try to contact Russel B from youtube (just write his name in the search bar), you can talk to him on how he tapered Geodon. (He was on all kinds of meds for 15 years I believe)

 

Good luck!

[Kiasofia]

Thanks for the update! Good that Medicating Normal was helpful. As ChessieCat wrote, be careful not to taper too fast.

[ChessieCat]

4 hours ago, Kiasofia said:

be careful not to taper too fast.

 

We SA members who have tried to go too fast and it has ended up taking them longer than if they had done the 10% / 4 week taper rate.  Some of them have ended up switching to / adding a new drug which can cause all sorts of issues.  If switching, the new drug might not cover the withdrawal from the first, and you might get a bad reaction to the new drug - it is then difficult to know what causes any issues.  And of course if a new drug is added then it will also need to be tapered off.

[ChessieCat]

And it is important to listen to your body/symptoms and not make another reduction if you are still experiencing withdrawal symptoms.  It is better to hold for longer than to reduce too soon.

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Stability

 

WDnormal

 

And Brassmonkey talks more about it here:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

 

SA strongly encourages members to learn and use non drug coping skills:

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

[ladgma]

I thought I heard it was ok to go faster if you have no withdrawal and are practicing good self care. I must have misunderstood. 

Thank you for your post. 

[ChessieCat]

The 10% / 4 week is a guide, a harm reduction approach.  Some people might be able to go faster, however some people need to go slower. 

 

However, you would not know if you were able to go faster unless you tried it BUT if you tried it and it did not work, ie you started getting withdrawal symptoms, then because the effect of changing psychiatric drugs/doses is cumulative there may come a time when your nervous system becomes sensitised.  Once this happens you might have difficulties with other things, eg bright lights, noise, certain foods, exercise.

 

And your sleep might be affected.  Insomnia is a very common withdrawal symptom, and once you start experiencing insomnia it makes things so much harder.

 

We have SA members who have gone and off/on and off multiples drugs multiple times with no issues, then one day, BAM they make a change and what worked before doesn't and it can take a long time to stabilise, for some a very long time.

 

At least if you go at a nice steady pace there is a much higher chance that you will get off your drug successfully.  And the goal is to keep withdrawal symptoms to a minimum and be able to life you life as normally as possible whilst tapering.

 

And remember that every reduction, however small, is less drug that you are taking.

[ladgma]

Thank you for your wisdom Chessie. It's just been a really long ride started with Thorazine, Haldol, etc in my 20's and now I'm in my 60's and I just want to be done. 

I just want to be free from drugs before it is time for me to leave this earth. 

But as you said it is better to live symptom free and do a slow taper so I think I will slow it back to the 2.5%

Thank you for your kind attention.

Be well. 

[ChessieCat]

5 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

And remember that every reduction, however small, is less drug that you are taking.

 

[ladgma]

Hello @Kiasofia

I thought I would come and update. I am going slow on the taper at 2.5% per week. I am getting close to 10mg which will be a big milestone for me down from the 20mg of Geodon. 

I have noticed a lot of things since I have been reducing. I am learning to realize that if I am doing too much to let things go. Keeping it calm and steady seem to be what is needed. I can only do so much and am withdrawing so I have to be kind to myself. Kindness to others kindness to myself. I am practicing meditation, eating well and  exercising. 

I went to the symphony and out to dinner which last year at this time would have seemed too much. 

These meds zone you out and psychiatry makes you out to be a person that can't function. 

I can function and take care of myself. 

I am slow like a turtle to get off. Am feeling good. 

Blessings to you. 

[kml34524]

That is truly great news and I’m happy for you. I’m still holding at 4 mg for Geodon but I was able home to stick with the 4 mg of Valium down from 6 mg of Valium six weeks ago. One thing at at time you know. 
 

Work has been OK but my afternoons I don’t work and have decided to wait another two weeks before considering increasing my hours. 
 

Justin

 

 

[ladgma]

Hey @kml34524:

It's good to hear from you!

Hope your week is going well and work is doable. 

How are you doing on the Valium taper?

I sort of overdid it last week and ended up super tired on Friday and Saturday but have recovered. I took on an additional temp job. I am trying to take it slower but usually overbook. I've been doing a lot of meditating which for me is very helpful to calm. Today is my day off so have a pedi and want to work on my mindfulness course too. Going to take it slow. 

Hang in there! Have a good day!

 

[ladgma]

Just wanted to post an update. I have gone down on Geodon from 20mg to 10mg since October. I have been doing meditation and Yoga and I would encourage anyone on here to really try those it has helped me with anxiety and insomnia. 

There is a thing called STOP. It is simply stopping between an inbreath and an outbreath. Just stopping before we react to whatever is going on. I know it sounds simple but try it when something comes on that makes you feel stressed or bad. It could be physical or emotional withdrawal symptoms. I will be honest with you in saying I have had issues for many years and these techniques are changing my life. 

I have decided to hold at 10mg Geodon to take a vacation. I haven't had a vacation in 5 years. I am feeling well enough now to do that. 

I tried to take a vacation 5 years ago but was on so many meds-Lithium, hydroxizine, benzos, antidepresants, Geodon, Seroquel that I got so mixed up on all the meds I was ill the whole time could barely make it on the plane home. 

My life is different now. On two meds and ready to rock it on vaca!

Blessings. 

[ladgma]

Well it has been a difficult month. Have been sick this month with the flu, was diagnosed with the flu beginning of May with an urgent care test and am still having symptoms so I don't know if it is still hanging on or if these are withdrawal symptoms.

Fighting some dark feelings and looking for some respite from that.

I would like to take some time off work and recover but need to continue to work to keep up with groceries and taxes. 

I have been up since 2:30 am and unable to sleep this night. Have been reading on the site and have been encouraged a bit. 

I have been holding on my dose since May 14th in hopes of feeling better. Mainly fatigue, nausea, dizziness, depression, mild to moderate si. 

Did my signature and may have gone too fast end of April with some miscalculations around vacation time. 

Hoping it will be an easy work day and that tomorrow will be better. 

Ready to do calculations today and will hold on current dose for the upcoming week. 

 

[ladgma]

Just wanted to post an update of what went on over the summer. I tapered weekly, sometimes holding for a week if insomnia hit badly. Got outside in nature, meditated a lot, went to all day silent retreat for meditation, ate healthy local foods. This is most helpful for me in withdrawal. Mostly my symptoms are bad nausea and insomnia. Now I am down to 4mg Geodon. I read that my target exit dose is 2.5% of original dose which puts me at 0.5mg as my last dose, which is about 12 more weeks. 

[ChessieCat]

12 minutes ago, ladgma said:

I read that my target exit dose is 2.5% of original dose which puts me at 0.5mg as my last dose, which is about 12 more weeks. 

 

Please listen to your body/symptoms and do not reduce again unless you are stable.  If you need to go lower than 0.5mg then please do so.  It is better to get off carefully than to risk making things worse.

 

I had planned to be off my Pristiq 4 weeks before I finally did get to 0mg.  I had been diagnosed with diabetes (which was a bit stressful) and started a low carb diet (which can cause symptoms because my body was acclimating to the new foods or lack of expected foods; sugar and carbs) so I didn't want to get everything confused.  And it was well worth taking the extra time.  I had planned to stop at 0.025mg but ended up going to 0.0025mg, but I was reducing every 3 weeks, then every 2 weeks and then weekly.  You can see my doses and length of hold here:  My tapering program

[ladgma]

Thank you for the reply I'll take it slow and steady. 

[ladgma]

I had a question about histamine. I have been doing some research and reading articles but haven't found the answer.  From my research Geodon, the drug I am tapering, has an affinity for the histamine H1 receptor. I am a newbie at this research but could tapering Geodon be responsible for a histamine response I am experiencing that includes severe itching, breaking out on the skin, chemical sensitivity-nausea and headaches to the point of vomiting? I haven't changed any soap/lotion or added any supplements or drugs. Could there be a connection? 

[ChessieCat]

This is SA's topic started by the same member who I have mentioned below:

 

histamine-food-intolerance

 

This is on a website by an SA member GiaK (I have not read it):

 

https://beyondmeds.com/2014/07/13/histamine-psych-drugs/

[ladgma]

Thank you for the links Chessie.

I am not feeling very well.

I think I have akathesia, I didn't realize it until last night when I searched for the symptoms. I feel like I have to always be moving my leg in an up and down motion like it is restless and won't settle, wanting to walk and pace, moaning and mumbling. No SI or homi thankfully. No sleep last night, itching and twitching. Breathing and doing meditation over the long night provided some respite.

Managed to work 4 hours and make dinner. This is the best I can do today.  I will just ride it out until it passes.

Needless to say I will not be tapering this week. I am getting down to the lower doses of Geodon so this is not unexpected, but quite unpleasant. 

Thank you for reading. 

[ladgma]

I was just posting to say I have finished my Geodon taper. Done on Feb. 16 2023. Feel great, only issue is a histamine response and some skin rashes. Working 30 hours a week, facilitating meditation.

Thanks for the good info I have rec'd here, especially about the end game.

If anyone wants to chat about a Geodon taper let me know.