Coralashley: In 2 months I will begin my taper off of remeron

[Coralashley]

Hi everyone, I wanted to get some insight on what u have done to taper off of remeron.

What does work and what doesn't work.

 

Here is the taper plan I am considering following from a book i bought and theyve had great success getting people off of remeron and other anti-dpressants...

currently I am between 7.5-3.75 in dosage per night... in the liquid form I have 1.o = 7.5 and I am taking .7mg.. not 3.75 and not 7.5

 

It should only take me about 14 weeks to taper off of the remeron with their plan or action.  I'm going to wait to start my remeron taper till I'm off the benzo for 2 months at least (or if I feel better I may start sooner). Great news is I'll be off the benzo in 2 weeks or less.  YEAH!! 

Im going to give you some insight as to what the book says to do to taper off remeron, which makes sense b/c you don't really feel the full extent of the w/d till about 2 weeks... that's when I always had to go back on and now looking back I wish I hadn't.. but today is a new day and one day soon this will be all over!

Once you are down to 7.5 or lower you can start this taper plan.. if you are on a higher dose, please get the book b/c it explains everything...

this will say what week #, what day # and how much mg per each day.

week 1:

day #1 7.5mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 7.5, day #4 7.5, day #5 7.5, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 2:

day #1 7.5mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0mg, day #5 7.5, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 3:

day #1 7.5mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 0mg, day #4 7.5, day #5 7.5, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 4:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0mg, day #5 7.5, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 5:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0mg, day #5 7.5, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 6:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0mg, day #5 7.5, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 7:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 0, day #4 7.5, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 8:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 0, day #4 7.5, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 7.5

week 9:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 0, day #4 7.5, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 0

week 10:

day #1 0mg, day #2 7.5, day #3, 0, day #4 7.5, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 0

week 11:

day #1 0mg, day #2 0, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 0

week 12:

day #1  0mg, day #2 0, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 0

week 13:

day #1  0mg, day #2 0, day #3, 0, day #4 7.5, day #5 0, day #6 7.5, day #7 0

week 14:

0mg, day #2 0, day #3, 7.5, day #4 0, day #5 0, day #6 0, day #7 0

 

Please let me know if anyone has ever used this method, if u agree or don't agree with it and why..

 

And a big thanks for all ur help!

Hugs!

[Meimeiquest]

Good luck! So wonderful that you are planning ahead. I went off my benzo first, and that didn't work so well for me...I ended up restarting it during an antipsychotic taper. Insomnia is huge with AD withdrawal (probably any WD), so it might be easier to hold on the last bit of benzo while you do the Remeron. I have a personal bias that a symptom-based taper, rather than a calendar- based taper promotes self-awareness and nurturing...two things that are important for a drug-free life. But I am still on a lot of medication, so I am no expert. Really wish you the best!

[Coralashley]

Thank u for ur reply! I wish u the best of luck on ur journey!

I could stay on the bezo but I was told that u should taper off the one u started tapering off of 1st.. Unless tons of other people say the same thing as u...

I know insomnia may happen.. I tried to stop remeron 3x whole tapering off benzo....and my sleep was not good and I felt paniky wheni drove on big highways, etc.. I hate remeron it's made me gain weight and retain water.. It does help with sleep though...

So I can c how the benzo may help.. But I'm only on less than a quarter of a 2mg pill... I have liquid Valium..

So when I stop remeron. I was planning on using 5htp and possibly tryptophan (which is 5htp in slow release form) which helps with sleep b/c it helps increase serotonin.

 

So the question is out.. Should I stop the benzo since I am soooo close or should I stop remeron?...

Either way I think since I've had some w/d here and there coming off of the benzo.

[Jemima]

I wouldn't venture to give any advice without knowing more of your drug history. Would you please put it in the signature area of your profile, including any psychiatric drug use prior to the Valium and Remeron that you're currently taking? Here are directions:

 

How to Add Your Drug History to Your Signature

 

Alternating drug doses as this plan does at the end is comparable to batting your brain around like a ping-pong ball, and 14 weeks is very likely not enough time for a safe, comfortable taper at 10% or less of the current dosage, which is what we usually recommend. Remeron is a very nasty drug to quit.

 

Tapering according to a rigid schedule such as this is generally not a good idea because individuals respond, well, so individually to reductions in dosage. Please read through some of the introductory threads and see how others have coped and are coping, especially with Remeron withdrawal.

 

Here are some topics that may be of interest:

 

Tips for Tapering Off Remeron

 

Why Taper By 10% of My Dosage?

 

BTW, I moved your post from Tapering to Introductions and updates, which is where your posts regarding your own progress and questions should go. Please continue to use this thread for future posts. The Tapering section is meant more for information on tapering that's of general interest. It's also best to view this website on a regular computer or tablet rather than a phone, because you may miss important information on a phone screen.

 

Welcome to the forum. I'm glad you checked in here before starting your taper.

[Rhiannon]

Jemima has pretty much said everything I would say, but I wanted to add my "yes."

 

Most of the time coming up with a rigid schedule ahead of time is not really useful. You will want and need to adjust your taper--both the size of the cuts and how often you make them--in response to your withdrawal symptoms.

 

These drugs alter our brain chemistry, and our brains change themselves in response to that, physical changes in cells, cell networks, genes that get deactivated and activated, receptors that get installed and others removed. So when we reduce the drug, our brains have to change themselves again. It's a remodeling process that takes time.

 

This isn't something that can be scheduled on a calendar ahead of time, any more than, for example, you could schedule how fast a broken bone or a damaged liver would heal. Healing follows its own time frame.

 

So generally it's best to get a grasp of general tapering principles and then to start with small, conservative cuts and long breaks, so you can see how your own withdrawal symptoms are going to manifest and how they will unfold and then resolve over time. Once you get a sense of how your body's going to react to a taper, you can then adjust it, faster or slower or whatever.

 

So the idea is that you listen to your body and let it tell you how to taper. That's what I advise people to do. Our bodies are the experts on what our bodies need.

[Coralashley]

Hi Jemima and Rhi, I added a signature... It wouldn't let me add in all this other info about my history so here it is...

 

Put on 7.5m of Remeron to get off benzo.. Been on remeron since June 2012, I've tried to discontinue remeron 3x now... Each time I tried to get off I had upset stomache, insomnia, dry eyes, breathing issues, obsessive compulsive with worrying about sleeping, etc. The longest I've made it off of the remeron was 13 days...

My full history of phyc meds:

In 2000 while in college is was put on (together) efexor, serzone, & xanax- I believe I stopped cold turkey on the 2 ADs but wasn't on them for more than a couple of months. I was in partying too much and was in a bad relationship and that's why I sought help from a psychiatric for help..l but didn't know I'd leave having him prescribe all those meds to me.. I was happy he prescribed the Xanax to me, b/c at the time I would use those with friends when we went partying. (I really had no clue as to what I was doing was bad for me)( I don't drink at all now of course)

Off and on xanax for 13 years (stooped cold turkey for both my pregnancies, but didn't know it was bad to c/t, was only on .25 Xanax per day. But now looking back I know I had w/d, I had low blood pressure, dizzy spells,etc. I had our 1st son in July of 2005 and our 2nd son in December 2008)

Highest dose when I started taper (3) .5 mg xanax per day

Switched to 35mg Valium per day to come off 

In 3 months (may 2012) the out patient detox place i went to had tapered me down to 4mg Valium and it wasn't until I went out to dinner with my husband and had two glasses of wine to celebrate a new job i just fot... that I spiraled down into a dark whole of withdrawals... So I was in the middle of switching from one managerial position to another with another company.. So luckily was taking 1 wk off before I started the new job,.. But that one wk became 2 wks.. (I havent drink alcohol since and I can't even drink caffeine)

So lucky I am a women of faith and I prayed the Lord would lead me to a new psychiatrist and I made a call and set up an appointment.

The new p dr said i was in withdrawal and Upped Valium back to 7 mg per day and put me on 1/8 of 15mg of Remeron 

Then as We cut down Valium p dr upped the remeron to 1/2 15 mg Remeron

Tried to come off remeron 3xs while being on 2mg of Valium

Had withdrawal symptoms, some insomnia so:

We reinstated Remeron to stop benzo 1st

Was on .5mg valium but am reinstating to 1.5mg Valium to cut slower. 

Been cutting valium by .25mg every 2 weeks. I've been following this 100%,it's not easy but working.

5.10.13 cut another .20mg.. Now only on .75 mg of 1mg of Valium, yeah!

Been cutting valium by .25mg every 2 weeks.

5.12.13 .5mg of Valium. 

5.16.13 Cut liquid remeron from .8 to .7 = less 7.5mg

5.21.13 .4mg liquid valium

5.28.13 .3mg liquid Valium

5.31.13 2mg 

Will taper remeron after ive been off benzo for 1-2 months, going to follow "Back to Life" tapering schedule

 

I hope all this is helpful for you to help me with some words of encouragement and insight!

 

Thank u from the bottom of my heart!

[Coralashley]

I didn't nclude that I was off and on Ritalin for 10 yrs when I was real young.. Think they discovered I was ADHD when I was in 1st grade.. So for the summers I'd stop taking the Ritalin..doctors recommendations.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Coralashley.

 

What is the name of this book and where did you get it?

 

I have to say I strenuously disagree with it's advice to alternate dosages. This is entirely unnecessary with a liquid formulation, and under any circumstances is more likely to provoke withdrawal symptoms than a smooth, gradual taper.

 

Please do NOT alternate dosages according to this book for your taper.

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

Found this:

 

http://www.citap.org.uk/final_008.htm (the page is about the lady who wrote the book), chop all after the last '/' to get to main site.

[Coralashley]

Yes the Book is, Back to Life" by Pam Armstrong.. the UK is where it originated from.. they have different tapering plans per AD you are on.. the tapering plan isn't all the same.. this is one of the ADs that does have days you don't take it, etc.

I am on .7mg, so between 3.75 and 7.5mg..

It just stinks that it's going to take 6 - 7 months to get off this stuff...

I am sooo tired of tapering off a med..

I have been slowly tapering of this benzo for 1 yr 4 months.. and I have two more weeks to go.. I'm only on .2mg liquid.. and I will cut .1 per week and then i'll be off and free of those.

So how long do you think I should wait before I start tapering off the remeron once off the benzo? 2 months, 3 months, etc?

Thank you for all your help!

:-)  GO TEAM!

[cymbaltawithdrawal5600]

I have to say I strenuously disagree with it's advice to alternate dosages. This is entirely unnecessary with a liquid formulation, and under any circumstances is more likely to provoke withdrawal symptoms than a smooth, gradual taper.Please do NOT alternate dosages according to this book for your taper.

 

I agree with Alto, had I even heard of such a thing as tapering I would not have had the horrific w/d that I did. It is the long term effects of AD withdrawal that careful tapering is designed to avoid as much as possible.

[Coralashley]

Hello everyone, I hope all is great!

 

So I've been having great sleep and feeling great for the past several days..

 

Then last night i took my .7 of liquid remeron, same time, same routine, etc and my 400mg of magnesium and I didn't sleep well at all.. Acutally I layed down to go to bed at 9:45pm and didn't fall asleep unto 4am.. or something like that. I made sure that I wasn't laying in my bed the whole time, I got up to sit in a reclyner,etc.. just as the dr says to do, etc.. (remove yourself from the bed and sit and read or watch boring t.v and then try to fall asleep, etc)

But I was itching all over...

I found I am allergic to Benadryl and once when I was prego, I took tylenol Pm to help me sleep and I was itching all over..so the dr told me it has benadryl in it to help you sleep and I must be allergic to it.

So I know that Remeron has histamine like Benadryl.. but do they hit the same receptor sites, etc?

 

Anyways, I am not quite sure why I couldn't sleep and why I was soo itching.. I was thinking it might have been from a sunburn I got 2 weekends ago.. but it's had been 8 days since I got the burn.

 

Plus I'm not itching all over today.. i am here and there but not like last night.

 

Hopefully you all can give me some good insight as to what you think might be the culprit!

 

Thank you as always!  Coralashley