Mcasais: need help with multiple polydrugging drugs

[Mcasais]

Hello I am an Spanish 67 years old mother polydrugged for many years. I never wanted to take psychiatric drugs with problems of depression and psychotic symptoms like I don't have money to buy food. I was raised years after the Spanish Civil War. I don't think I need all these evil drugs I am in, Zyprexa,lithium carbonate, Anafranil and lamotrigine. I had multiple stays in psy wards where they changed me drugs or I CT them.My family took me there when I was bad like refusing to eat because I was psychotic. I want to come off of this dreadful cocktail. If not possible with all of them then with some. I think I kindled because of multiple CTs or irrational taper plans. Last time like 3 or four years ago I was forced to come off of zyprexa 15mg to 7,5mg. That is a huge drop. When they made that cut i could keep my back straight. I was like that for many months. I have arthrosis and osteoporosis. My last visit to my psychiatrist he suggests going to Zyprexa 5mg tablets. I was on  7,5mg of Zyprexa or Zolafren 7,5mg capsules here in Spain. I want to know how can I taper this awful poison with the least risks. 

 

Thank you for reading my story, 

 Maria Casais

[Frogie]

@Mcasais

 

Welcome to SA. We are a volunteer ran site helping people taper off psychiatric medications or have tapered off and are now healing.

 

This is your introduction page where you will receive information, ask questions and meet other members. We ask that you only have one introduction page so we can keep all your information in one place.

 

Can you please create a signature.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

You can certainly taper off your medications. We don't suggest tapering off more than one medication at a time and not more than 10% a month to keep wd symptoms at a minimum and some members go much slower than that.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

Preparing to taper

 

Tips for tapering off lithium

Tips for tapering off olanzapine (Zyprexa)

 

 

 

 

Tips for tapering off lamotrigine (Lamictal)

 

We don't suggest supplements on here as they can be too stimulating to the nervous system, except 2. If you would like to try them, try one in a small amount and wait a few days before introducing the other.

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) - Symptoms and self-care - Surviving Antidepressants

 

After you have read the links provided please reach out with any questions you may have.

 

 

[Mcasais]

My pharmacist is suggesting this: One strategy is to make antipsychotic withdrawal as smooth as possible.

A strategy would be to take every day 1 tab or cap of 5mg 

and 1/2 tab of 2.5mg (there are several brands and generics of 2.5mg). The drawback is the difficulty and inaccuracy of the 1/2 tablet of 2.5mg.

Another possibility is to give 7.5mg and 5mg on alternate days. The elimination half-life of olanzapine (active ingredient) is 35 hours, which would allow this practice.

There is no liquid preparation of olanzapine, since it is very unstable, and once dissolved it would spoil in little more than 1 hour.

 

Is these risky? 

[Frogie]

@Mcasais

 

I provided links on how we suggest to taper each medication.

 

You never want to skip doses as then the medication is not steady in your bloodstream.

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

[Manny78]

Thank you @Frogie

[Mcasais]

Good evening everyone.  I need help with my taper. I am tapering dry cut Zyprexa with the scale. Currently at Zyprexa 7mg. I hold it for one month and I want to cut to 6,3mg. I think that is 10 percent of the original 7mg cut. 

My question is I am using Zyprexa 5mg pills that weigh 0,121g. I use one pill and I cut another 5mg pill in a half which would be equal summing up the whole 5 mg pill(0,121g) plus the half (0,0625g). I am now shaving one half 5mg to 0,049g which I think it is adding 0,121g plus 0,049g makes for 7mg. What is my next cut in grams? 

Thank you 

 

MCasais

[ChessieCat]

I've asked the other mods for their assistance.

[Frogie]

@Mcasais

 

I'm going to try to explain this as well as I can and also give you a link to using a scale.

 

1. Weigh 10 tablets all at once to get an average. This is the only time that you will have to weigh the 10 tablets. Your tablets 0.121? Correct?

 

2. You crust 10 tablets at a time. That will give you plenty of powder to work with for a few days.

 

3. To get the 7 mg, you will want to weigh 0.182 (round up from 0.1815). 

 

4. To make a 10% taper you will take 0.182 and times it by .90 (0.182 X .9) and that will equal 0.164. That is a 10% taper. If you want to taper less then just take the 0.182 times what every amount to taper.

 

5. You will need "0" or "00" gel caps to put the powder in and a dry dark colored empty pill bottle to store the extra powder.

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

 

If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to reach out.

[brassmonkey]

To calculate a 10% reduction, you would multiply your total combined dose by 0,90.

 

0,121 + 0,049 = 0,170g

 

0,170 X 0,9 = 0,153g for your new total combined dose.

 

0,153 - 0,121 = 0,032g which is the new weight of the cut up pill.

 

For future reference these pills have an AIC (Active Ingredient Concentration) of 0,04. Meaning for every 0,001g of pill there is 0,04mg of medication. If you switch to a different brand or strength of pill this number may change.

 

Using the AIC we can calculate your current dose as 170 X 0,04 = 6,8. Making your current dose strength 0,0068g or 6,8mg.

 

When you do the reduction you are planning, 0,0068 X 0,9 = 0,0061. Your new dose would be 0,0061g or 6,1mg.

 

Hope that helps.

[Mcasais]

49 minutes ago, brassmonkey said:

To calculate a 10% reduction, you would multiply your total combined dose by 0,90.

 

0,121 + 0,049 = 0,170g

 

0,170 X 0,9 = 0,153g for your new total combined dose.

 

0,153 - 0,121 = 0,032g which is the new weight of the cut up pill.

 

For future reference these pills have an AIC (Active Ingredient Concentration) of 0,04. Meaning for every 0,001g of pill there is 0,04mg of medication. If you switch to a different brand or strength of pill this number may change.

I don't plan to switch.  Maybe to Zyprexa 7,5mg capsules. I don't have enough  Zyprexa 5 mg pills.  My script says Zyprexa 5mg:0-0-1

Meaning that I would have pills for just 15 days.  I am using 1 pill and half of the other. 

 

49 minutes ago, brassmonkey said:

 

Using the AIC we can calculate your current dose as 170 X 0,04 = 6,8. Making your current dose strength 0,0068g or 6,8mg.

 

When you do the reduction you are planning, 0,0068 X 0,9 = 0,0061. Your new dose would be 0,0061g or 6,1mg.

Thank you @brassmonkey. I am having a really hard time to function cognitively. Should I go to 0,032g? I still have to see if I can do a 10 percent cut. 

49 minutes ago, brassmonkey said:

 

Hope that helps.

Thank you @brassmonkey. 

[Mcasais]

9 hours ago, Frogie said:

@Mcasais

 

I'm going to try to explain this as well as I can and also give you a link to using a scale.

 

1. Weigh 10 tablets all at once to get an average. This is the only time that you will have to weigh the 10 tablets. Your tablets 0.121? Correct?

 

2. You crust 10 tablets at a time. That will give you plenty of powder to work with for a few days.

 

3. To get the 7 mg, you will want to weigh 0.182 (round up from 0.1815). 

I don't understand the 0,182 @Frogie

 

4. To make a 10% taper you will take 0.182 and times it by .90 (0.182 X .9) and that will equal 0.164. That is a 10% taper. If you want to taper less then just take the 0.182 times what every amount to taper.

 

5. You will need "0" or "00" gel caps to put the powder in and a dry dark colored empty pill bottle to store the extra powder.

I have capsules 

 

Using a scale to weigh and measure doses

 

If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thank you @Frogie