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DailyRecovery31

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When tapering, do you round to the nearest 100th decim[/size]al place?  I'[/size]m getting for instance [/size]0.56902862332, etc. Do you round to 0.569? I'[/size]m trying to figure out how to taper off Risperdal. [/size]

 

Please help![/size]

Edited by scallywag
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I'm sorry, I dont know. Hopefully someone can help.

Paxil 20mg from 1998-2011 

Paxil 40mg from 2011-2012 while experiencing poopout

October 2013 quit cold turkey

Oct-mid Nov 2013 great window

Late November WD nightmare 

Windows and waves pattern 

Now: 28 months cold turkey...doing decent learning to deal with the windows/waves pattern fighting it every step of the way. 

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Welcome to the site, DR31.

 

Would you like to give us a little more information about yourself such as how long you have been on risperdal, what dose and why you would like to discontinue the drug?

 

Here is our tapering information on that particular drug:

 

Tips for tapering off Risperdal (risperidone)

 

I take it that you are going to use a scale to measure the amount you want? I would round off the above number to .57, which is a bit more than half a milligram. How did you come to start your question with that amount specifically? Is it the amount you wish to decrease by?

Edited by cymbaltawithdrawal5600
fixed wrong link

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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Hi Everyone,

 

Has anyone had success tapering off Risperdal with schizophrenia? How addictive is this drug and how severe are the withdraw symptoms? I'd love to hear about success stories of people who have successfully tapered off this drug with schizophrenia. 

 

I'm also feeling rather depressed because I cannot find anyone who will help me taper off this drug in the State of Oregon. Would any of you happen to know of a psychiatrist, medical doctor, counselor, or therapist who can assist with drug tapering while accepting sliding scale or Medicaid? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Administrator

Welcome, DailyRecovery.

 

If 0.56902862332mg is the amount of your dose, I would round up to 0.57mg. A smaller decrease is better than a larger one.

 

Please do give us more detail.

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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I have merged you second post (made as a new topic in Tapering) into the topic I created for you in our Introductions forum. It will be your place to ask questions and get information on your specific journey. I sent you a link on how to find your topic.

 

(And I see the site admin and I were posting at the same time)

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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How do you taper off Risperdal if you're taking 2 mgs daily?

 

So for instance if you determine that you're supposed to take 0.5692833581 mgs by Dec. 2015, do you take 0.569 mgs or the full 0.56928.... mgs?    

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Please put your posts in this topic, I have sent you PM's with the link. Altostrata answered your question above. The tapering forum is for more general questions.

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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Hi DR31, welcome to SA.  CW has given you the link to tapering risperdal, it is important to taper slowly to get off it safely and you seem to be planning a slow taper.  It is very difficult to measure the doses with so many numbers after the decimal point and it literally makes me shiver thinking about it  :o ! I would round up as CW and Alto suggested. 

 

We ask all our members to fill out their signature strip with drug and tapering history, here is how to do that. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

You might also like to read the 3 KIS    Keep it simple, keep it stable, keep it slow

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6632-the-rule-of-3kis-keep-it-simple-keep-it-slow-keep-it-stable/

 

Tell us a little about yourself so we can get to know you, we are a friendly bunch here and will support you through your taper if that is what you would like. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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I have gone back and read your initial post again and it appears as though you have been told to end up taking a dose of .57 mg (2 decimal places is close enough for this kind of thing) by December of this year, is that correct? So your taper would be extremely slow and was probably recommended to be that slow to catch any emerging symptoms from the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

 

We usually recommend no more that 10% of the CURRENT dose no oftener than every 3-4 weeks as long as you are stable. You are probably being recommended to do a 5% taper instead. So how you would find your doses is multiply the dose by .05 (5%) and subtract that from the dose amount.

 

2 X .05 = .1 so the dose would be 2.0 - .1 = 1.9 mg. The next drop would be 1.9 X .05 = .095 (round up to .1) 1.9 - .1 = 1.8 and so on.

 

Does this seem right?

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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So it's not necessary to drop by 10% of your dose? You can drop by 5% of the dose if you have a condition like schizophrenia? Please let me know.
 
I was formally diagnosed with schizophrenia back in 2008, and I was hospitalized twice for psychotic breaks. (Once I served a civil commitment.) And while I have been seen twice at the Crisis Resolution Center since my last hospitalization (all due to holiday and/or unresolved past issues with my family), I have never liked the side effects of the drugs I'm taking nor the idea of "forced" psychiatry. 

 
Currently, I'm taking Consta I
nvega 156 mgs once monthly (the injectable form of Risperdal) and Saphris 10 mgs at bed time. Truth be told, I haven't been taking the Saphris as I don't like the drowsy/sedated/foggy brained feeling I get from this drug.

 
I'm still trying to find the right doctors to help me navigate the process of drug tapering. And while this is a huge part of the process, I'm preparing myself mentally for the time when I finally do taper off all drugs.

 

When I'm finally ready to start tapering with my doctor, should I convert to the traditional (tablet) form of Risperdal (risperdone) or should I stay with the Consta Invega (the injectable form of Risperdal)

 

Thanks for all your feedback! I don't feel so alone, now. It brings tears to my eyes knowing I'm on the right track... 

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You can drop as slowly as you would like, there is no hard and fast rule. What we caution against is dropping by too large an amount and too frequently because in our experience, that seems to put the body into a physical (if not also mental and emotional) uproar that does not subside easily by just going back up in the dose.

 

Here is our topic on tapering risperdal in the form you have revealed to be 'Consta Invega' which is also called 'Invega Sustenna':

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7101-tips-for-tapering-off-invega-paliperidone/?hl=risperdal

 

Please read everything in that topic that Alto has discussed and ask questions here in your topic if you do not understand, Alto will see it and attempt to help.

 

Here is our topic on tapering risperdal if you switch to the pill form:

 

Tips for tapering off Risperdal (risperidone)

 

Do you give your injections to yourself or does the doc or a nurse do that? Do you have your doctor on board for tapering this drug? (Edit: I see from above you aren't quite at this stage.)

 

We also want to caution you that irregular use of saphris could cause a problem. Irregular use of any psychiatic medication is never a good idea, especially when you are trying to change dosages.

 

Something that strikes me odd that we would like you to explain is that your initial post requests help in reducing a drug you are 'taking daily' but the Contra form is an injectable that is only taken once a month. Which form are you taking? Are you taking a mixture of both? (Edit: I guess not, you are wanting to switch or end up tapering on the pill form I think).

 

And why the saphris? According to the manufacturer's website it is for 'bipolar I'. Is that a part of your differential diagnosis too? Please put all of the medications (and over the counter drugs and supplements) you are taking into the drugs interaction checker at drugs.com and post the results here in your topic. We need to know everything you are taking. mammaP has given you the link above on how to put these into your 'signature'. I have it in my sig too.

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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DailyRecovery, there are several doctors in Oregon on this list Recommended doctors, therapists, or clinics

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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Hi  Daily Recovery ,    I just want to say welcome.

 

This is a wonderful site for information about tapering.    You can ask any questions you have here on your thread , and keep us up to speed with how you're going.

 

I wish you the best for this journey ,

 

Fresh

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • 1 year later...

Hi

I was on 4 mg of risperdal  after being diagnosed with psychosis, and started tapering off three months later. 

 I didnt like the drug because I felt lifeless and it was too sad for me. My psychiatrist said I would have to stay on the drug for another year to two years minimum to avoid relapse. I visited a hormone doctor who prescribed many vitamins, a gluten free diet and injections of vitamin B12 (check this vitamin, a deficiency can lead to mental unbalances).

I visited my general practitioner and we decided to start tapering off. We decided to go onto pills to facilitate the tapering. He only gave me half the injection, and two weeks later I was meant to start with 2 mg of risperdal pills. As the consta injection stays in your system for seven weeks or so, I had a strong reaction to taking the pills. It was like an overdose, I woke up completely stiff, but alive. So, we decided against taking pills with risperdal still in my system and let the medication taper off over a seven week time period. I then took the minimum dosage of risperdal, o.5mg for two weeks, then 0.25 mg for two weeks and then completely stopped. The side effects of my dramatic withdrawal were depression, but my healthy dose of vitamins, especially Niacin and vitamin B12, exercise and a therapist twice a week kept me going. I strongly believe in this 'prescription to nutritional healing' guide, as my hormone doctor prescribed almost exactly to what this guide prescribes for schizophrenia. I was enrolled in an art class at the time, which really helped the depression withdrawal. I really hope this helps

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  • 8 months later...

Hi Altostrata,

 

I have a few questions about the half-life of Invega Sustenna in relation to withdraw symptoms. 

 

Questions:

 

1) If the half-life of this drug at 120 days is 6.25%, then why do people continue having withdraw symptoms up to 3-4 years later?

 

2) What are the anecdotal stories of people having withdraw symptoms from this medication years into the future?

 

3) Are there any natural supplements, vitamins, and dietary changes a person can implement that will mitigate these symptoms?

 

4) Do tablet forms exist for all forms of Invega Sustenna including: 39 mg, 78 mg, 156 mg, 234 mg? 

 

5) How would a prescriber approach reducing the tablet form of this drug in 10% increments?

 

6) Would the prescriber send it off to a compounding pharmacy? Or are you responsible for reducing the amount in such situations? 

 

Sincerely,

 

DailyRecovery31

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi DR,

 

I've moved your new post from Tips for Tapering Invega to your Intro/Update topic.  Please ask questions about your own situation here in your topic so that your history, questions and the responses will be in one place.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

DailyRecovery, here are a few links that explain why symptoms take longer to resolve than it takes for the medication to be metabolized:

One theory of anti-depressant withdrawal syndrome

How your brain responds to psychiatric drugs - aka "Brain remodeling"

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

If you can find a prescriber willing to work with you on 10% tapers, you would still have to either make your own doses or get prescriptions for compounded doses.

 

For information about standard doses available, check this invega page on drugs.com.

 

The supplements that most people find helpful are omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium.

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil).

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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  • 1 year later...

Hi All,

 

So what would a "s-l-o-w" taper off of a 156 mg dose of Invega Sustenna look like using the 10% gradual reduction method? What's the next incremental dose? How long should I go in-between tapers? Should I take the tablets after tapering down to the next dose? Or is there anything else I need to know? etc.

 

I've finally gotten off of the 10 mg of Saphris in April 2016. I'd taken that drug since Dec. 2012. 

 

(Yes, the withdrawal symptoms were "life shattering!" I went through waves and waves of depression caused by severe body aches and pains for four agonizing years. I stopped taking it without my doctor's knowledge years before my former prescriber took me off of it a little over two years ago. She was a very compassionate woman and I miss her terribly!)

 

But I digress...

 

I've been taking the Invega Sustenna since Aug. 2012. Prior to that, I'd taken 37.5 mg of Risperdal Consta from July '09 to July '12. I'd been placed on 1 mg of Risperdal from Feb. '09 to Jun. '09.

 

I'm happy to report, I no longer take any of these drugs with the exception of the Invega!    

 

The bad news is that I've been on some form of atypical antipsychotics for nearly a decade. 

 

Based upon the severity of my withdrawal symptoms I went through with getting off of the Saphris, I thoroughly expect I'll go through even worse tapering off of the Invega.  

 

  • How badly could the "worst" withdrawal symptoms get? How long do others typically go through them and are they able to hold down jobs? Or are their symptoms so bad that they can't focus well enough to do menial tasks? (I'm currently on SSI, but I expect I'll need to get a job once I decide to taper off my drugs once I'm done with college . . . and I have NO idea what I might look like!)

 

  • Are there things others have done which have mitigated their withdrawal symptoms from these drugs (e.g. yoga, going for long walks, guided meditation, supplements, etc.)? 

 

Excuse my French, but when I got off the Saphris, I felt like "sh!@" all the time, and there was never a day that went by, that I didn't feel like ending my life... 

 

I no longer feel that way, and I'm so glad I waited for the worst to reside! 

 

However, I'm nervous about the way I'll feel getting off of the Invega. 

 

Any tips that others have found helpful would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Sincerely,

 

DailyRecovery31 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Administrator

Hello, I moved your post here to update your Introductions topic.

 

If you're asking whether maybe you won't have withdrawal symptoms going off Invega, the answer is you probably will, as your nervous system has been stressed by your previous going on and off drugs.

 

How bad can they be? There's no limit to how bad withdrawal syndrome can be. You may not be able to work. That is why we urge a slow taper, to minimize withdrawal symptoms. You still may wish to employ non-drug techniques to manage whatever discomfort you feel, such as long walks, yoga, meditation, etc.

 

How to taper Invega is explained in the first post here

 

Please read this carefully and post any questions here in your Intro topic.

 

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature

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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  • 2 months later...

Hi Dailyrecovery31,

Thanks for your post above. Could you tell me how long you had Saphris withdrawal symptoms for? I’m now 4 months into Saphris withdrawal, it’s so intense! Keen to hear how long yours took, although I know mine could be quite different. 

Thank you so much for sharing!

After the birth of my second child I became highly anxious, and cycled between being suicidal, and very energised. 

- GP prescribed citalopram, which I took for 12mths. 

I still felt sometimes terrible and sometimes very energised. Went to psychiatrist, who recommended a wash out (no meds for two months) for diagnostic purposes. I was at my worst. Anxious, suicidal every few days, with days of high energy in between. Diagnosed bipolar 2, rapidly cycling mood disorder plus anxiety. 

- started on 5mg Saphris (Asenapine, an AP) 

- few weeks later started on 20mg fluoxetine also.

I Hated how I felt on Saphris. A little dead on the inside, drowsy most of the day, emotionless. 

- weaned off fluoxetine after one year of taking it

-weaned off Saphris over approx one month, after taking it for more than a year

- 1 month of awful anxiety, erratic short mood swings, trouble sleeping, flu symptoms 

- 2 months still terrible anxiety and some trouble with sleep

Im hoping to connect with others who have made it through Saphris withdrawal, as I’m only 3 months medication-free. 

Now I’m not taking any medication 

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  • 1 year later...

Altostrata - Is it recommended that one slowly titrate down from a high dose of Invega Sustenna over a period of 6 mos. to 1 year if they've taken this medication over a period of nearly ten years? Or can a person taper off this medication right away? 

 

Ex. Month 1-2: 156 mg. 

 

       Month 3-4: 117 mg.

 

       Month 5-6: 78 mg.

 

       Month 7-8: 39 mg. 

 

       Month 9-12: Stop. Do not administer any additional medication. 

 

Thank you,

 

DailyRecovery31

 

Edited by ChessieCat
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  • ChessieCat changed the title to DailyRecovery31: introduction
  • 6 months later...

Hi dailyrecovery 31,

 

how are you doing? Have you succeeded with tapering invega ? 
 

thanks,

- 2013-2014 zoloft 100 mg  xanax 1 mg

- 2015 prozac 40mg/ Xanax 1 mg / zopiclone 7.5

- 2016  brintellix 20mg /Pristiq 50mg / xanax 1 mg

- 2017  Cymbalta / xanax 1 mg / zopiclone 7.5 mg

- 2018 cibralex 10mg/ lexotanil 1.5/ 

- 2019 Effexor 150mg / lexotanil 1.5 

- December 2019  Concerta 36 mg/ zyban 300 mg/ lexotanil 1.5  / zopiclone 7.5 mg / quit on June 2020

- July 2020  Invega Sustenna XR 100 mg shot / lexotanil 1.5 mg  / zopiclone 7.5 mg

- October 2020 reduced the dose to 75 mg shot and Quit

 

i am still on lexotanil 1.5  / zopiclone 7.5 mg 

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  • 1 year later...

Tapering off Invega Sustenna

 

Hi,

 

I've been on 156 mg of Invega Sustenna since summer 2012.  I'd been reading that the half life is 25-49 days.

 

My question is... is it possible to come come off it cold turkey? What might the repercussions be of coming off it abruptly? How might one taper off an injection? What do other users who've come off it recommend?

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic - moved from success stories forum
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  • Moderator Emeritus
5 minutes ago, DailyRecovery31 said:

is it possible to come come off it cold turkey?

 

Of course, technically, anyone can stop their psychiatric drug cold turkey.  Whether they can do it successfully without incurring bad withdrawal symptoms and take many years to recover is another matter.

 

From my observations here at SA we have members who have done this and ended up regretting it.  Unfortunately some of them only found SA after going off their drug (and many of them are very sad, angry, disappointed, frustrated that they didn't find SA before they cold turkeyed and learned that cold turkeying was not a good idea), whereas you have been a member since 2015 so you have access to the information so you can make an informed decision.

 

SO in answer to your question

 

8 minutes ago, DailyRecovery31 said:

What might the repercussions be of coming off it abruptly?

 

We don't know.

 

BUT ...

 

SA strongly recommends AGAINST cold turkeying any psychiatric drug and using a harm reduction approach of a careful taper when stopping the drug.

 

SERIOUSLY ASK YOURSELF THIS:  Do I want to take the risk, especially knowing that there is a way to get off a drug which reduces the risk?

 

Please carefully read Post #1 of this topic which urges caution regarding trying to get of too quickly especially if you have had psychotic symptoms in the past:

 

Tips for tapering off paliperidone (Invega)

 

You might find this helpful
 

https://willhall.net/comingoffmeds/

 

Also see:

 

Cold Turkey and Too-Fast Tapers

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Post #1 of this topic also explains ways of how to taper:

 

Tips for tapering off paliperidone (Invega)

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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ChessieCat, my chief concern seems to be getting anyone who will taper me. My current prescriber says they don't want to reduce my dose due to the lack of side effects. However, I'd noticed a few weeks ago, a nerve in my jaw twitching, but then it went away.

 

I've wanted to reduce the dose for many years, as I've had body aches, muscle rigidity, lack of motivation, hair loss, 'flu-like' symptoms whenever I eat garlic, broccoli, or cabbage (due to the activation of certain enzymes which reduces drug levels), and the numbing effect on my ability to think or function. However, my doctors refuse to listen, asserting that this is likely due to symptoms of my illness.

 

Yesterday, when I went in to let my doctor know that I was ready to taper, after he initially expressed wanting to taper me down to 117 mg due to the excessive weight gain, he changed his mind, as he said my weight had stabilized after 3 months. 

 

I'm currently on public benefits, so finding somebody in a rural community who will accept Medicaid who is non-conventional, is difficult, if not, impossible. 

 

Have other users run into this? What have others done?

 

I have schizophrenia (SZ). 

 

Thank you    

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  • Moderator Emeritus

You could try contacting Will Hall via the Mad in America website.

 

Here is information about him:

 

https://www.madinamerica.com/author/whall/

 

And there is a contact form and also a general email address on this page:

 

https://www.madinamerica.com/contact-us/

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Instead of telling the doctor that you want to taper off your drug completely you might, instead, say that you wish to reduce the amount of drug that you take, which is called "lowest effective dose".

 

Please completely and thoroughly read through Post #1 of this topic which explains possible ways of reducing your dose:

 

Tips for tapering off paliperidone (Invega)

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 4 weeks later...

Tapering while in a different state

 

I'd been reading on a different thread about those who have found other programs in different states or in different parts of their states, in helping them reduce or even tapering off their anti-psychotic meds. Which sorts of programs might these have been? Which states might offer better options? My diagnosis is schizophrenia. Thanks

 

 

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic
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  • Moderator Emeritus

@DailyRecovery31 Did you see my post:

 

On 7/15/2022 at 9:42 AM, ChessieCat said:

You could try contacting Will Hall via the Mad in America website.

 

Here is information about him:

 

https://www.madinamerica.com/author/whall/

 

And there is a contact form and also a general email address on this page:

 

https://www.madinamerica.com/contact-us/

 

Edited by ChessieCat

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 10 months later...

It's been a while since I've posted to this forum. But I have a question about tapering and withdrawal symptoms. 

 

So I've been taking 156 mgs of Invega Sustenna since Aug 2012, and finally in a position where I might be able to finally switch from my current injectable onto an oral pill (or the generic version or paliperidone). It's the only med I currently take to manage my condition.  

 

How difficult might it be to suddenly switch from such an injectable onto an oral dose? Might there be any withdrawal symptoms associated with such a transition? What might have other user's experiences been?

 

Any thoughtful feedback or insight would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Thanks   

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  • Administrator

@DailyRecovery31 see Tips for tapering off paliperidone (Invega)

 

Before further discussion, Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

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

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