Marsha: can I taper off geodon before gabapentin?

[Marsha]

So I read that you should reduce PPI by 25%. I might have to reduce by 10% of the prevacid as well if clearence is involved.

[Altostrata]

You wrote that you had reduced Prevacid from 30mg to 15mg.

[Marsha]

Yes I did that yesterday morning. And when I started having panic I took the other. 15 mgs at 9:30 pm along with the third dose of librium. Within an hour I was ok. So if I reduce by 25% is that still going to be too large a reduction due to clearence? Will I need to reduce by 10% to avoid withdrawal symptoms?

[Altostrata]

That cannot be predicted. You might try a 25% reduction and see if that works.

[Marsha]

Everyone is different, but generally it is recommended by this forum to go off the benzo (clonazepam) last, unless you have a particular issue or concern.

hi Meimeiquest. Did you taper off zyprexa and antidepressants. While still taking benzodiazepines?

[Meimeiquest]

Ha! I started tapering Zyprexa 1/8 per month, then I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and stopped the benzo (slowly) while still tapering Zyprexa. Started taper in April. In mid-December restarted benzo because wasn't sleeping. Didn't see it as a big deal. At the end of December stopped Zyprexa early after mishap with the pills. Found this site a couple of weeks later when I was way overstimulated by Wellbutrin without Zyprexa to "balance" it, but was too scrambled to stop the benzo then. Still tapering the benzo to this day . Which proves you don't have to do it perfectly to succeed.

[Marsha]

Ha! I started tapering Zyprexa 1/8 per month, then I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and stopped the benzo (slowly) while still tapering Zyprexa. Started taper in April. In mid-December restarted benzo because wasn't sleeping. Didn't see it as a big deal. At the end of December stopped Zyprexa early after mishap with the pills. Found this site a couple of weeks later when I was way overstimulated by Wellbutrin without Zyprexa to "balance" it, but was too scrambled to stop the benzo then. Still tapering the benzo to this day . Which proves you don't have to do it perfectly to succeed.

hi Meimeiquest. When you alternated your zyprexa and benzo taper how did it go? Did you taper 10% with each one? How did you feel? Did you experience insomnia and panic attacks? Because the geodon is so stimulating I can't reduce the benzo beyond this point because of insomnia from the geodon.

[Meimeiquest]

I don't remember the details. I was really clueless. I probably dropped 5 mg at a time. I just remember restarting the benzo because I was sleeping so little. Then I got more information and got 1) really mad, which made me really determined and 2) learned more about my drugs and the tapering process here.

[Marsha]

Since my addition doctor replaced the clonazepam I. Have had insomnia off and on. Its been two weeks and two days. The side effects of librium are not as bad as clonazepam I don't really want to go back to clonazepam. But I sure would like my sleep to stabilize so I can start to taper the geodon. Clonazepam was great for sleep. Also I was taking the clonazepam just at night. But the librium I take in three divided doses. Does anyone know anything about this situation? How do I access the benzo forum on this site?

[Meimeiquest]

The benzo forum is the last forum listed under the support section when you look at the list of forums.

[Marsha]

Is it safe to start the geodon taper after being switched from clonazepam 20 days ago? I am desperate to get off geodon. I need to get off it because it is causing insomnia. I sleep 9 hours one night then the next night 5 hours. I was put on trazodone when I was at higher doses of geodon but then I got down to 80mgs of geodon and then tapered off the trazodone. What can be causing my sleep disturbance? I can't go back on trazodone because of a major interaction with geodon. I'm wondering what to do. I need to move forward in my geodon taper. But the addiction Dr wants me to taper off the librium and gabapentin. Feeling stuck. Don't know what to do.

[Iamfine]

Are you planning on doing a 10% taper with the Geodon? We are all so different, when I was taking 240 mg I could sleep 20 hours a day. Even now at 80 it helps me to sleep 8-9 hours a day. For this reason Geodon will be the last to go for me. I tapered it earlier in the year from 240 to 80 in 80 mg steps over about two months. I find that I don't sleep well under 80 and I think it will be hard for me to let it go.

[Marsha]

Are you planning on doing a 10% taper with the Geodon? We are all so different, when I was taking 240 mg I could sleep 20 hours a day. Even now at 80 it helps me to sleep 8-9 hours a day. For this reason Geodon will be the last to go for me. I tapered it earlier in the year from 240 to 80 in 80 mg steps over about two months. I find that I don't sleep well under 80 and I think it will be hard for me to let it go.

hello Iamfine. Yes I am planning to taper by 10%. Did you taper any of your antipsychics before your clonazepam withdrawal? If so how did you feel? Did you experience insomnia or any other symptoms?

[Iamfine]

I was taking Geodon when I quit the Clonazepam. The Seroquel I've only been taking for about 3 or 4 months (I took Seroquel for a long time years ago but it made me fat). The antipsychotics have, for the most part, been my most successful drugs and wouldn't ya know it, they are the worst for your body. To do the 10% taper, how are you planning on cutting your dose since it only comes in tablet form, and it's a very fine powder? Oh and I'm not psychotic the antipsychotics work on my depression and anxiety.

[Altostrata]

Marsha, please read Tips for tapering off ziprasidone (Geodon, Zeldox)

[Marsha]

Thank you for the information about tapering geodon. I will start my taper today.

[Marsha]

Also. I am sleeping much better now that librium is being taken in divided doses. I am not going back to the addiction doctor. She really messed things up when she switched me from clonazepam to librium. I was taking 1 1/4 Mg's of clonazepam and she stopped it abruptly and started the librium. I suffered panic attacks and the final dose of librium is 75 Mg's equal to anywhere from 1.5 to 1.9 Mg's eliminating three months of hard work tapering the clonazepam. But that's all water under the bridge. Now begins the geodon taper. If I go slow enough and at the 10% of each current dose I hope I will be ok. Better times will be in the future.

[Marsha]

Hello Altostrata. I read in tips for tapering geodon that I should be taking the geodon 80 mgs in divided doses but the last time I tried that I had what seemed to be withdrawals. I don't seem to have interdose withdrawals so should I leave it alone? I don't want to mess things up by making too many changes.

[Iamfine]

I take all my Geodon in the evening with dinner per doctor's orders, even when I was on a higher dose I took it that way.

[Altostrata]

Marsha, if you're used to taking it in the evening, keep on doing that. Don't divide up the doses.

[Marsha]

Ok iamfine and Altostrata. I will continue to take the geodon in the evening. No divided doses.

[Marsha]

Well I didn't get to start my geodon taper on 6.22.15. When I tried to turn on the milligram scale I got from Amazon the batteries were dead. Both of our vehicles broke and by the time my husband was able to repair one it was too late to go buy some. My husband was put on the drug merry-go-round too. I am angry angry angry! I want to snap my fingers and make all these wasted years go away. My husband and I are both on disability because of these drugs. We have lost everything because of these drugs. And we were put on these drugs without our informed consent. And we have no legal recourse. How frustrating!

[Altostrata]

Do you take 80mg Geodon in one tablet?

[Marsha]

Hello Altostrata. Yes I take one geodon but it is a capsule.

[Altostrata]

Can you ask your doctor to write a prescription for 40mg capsules, to be taken twice a day? Then you can make a liquid from the second 40mg capsule.

[Marsha]

I don't know that would be a good idea. When I tried to split the doses before. I suffered from what seemed like withdrawal symptoms. When I restored the dose to once in the evening the symptoms stepped. Is there something about dividing the doses I don't understand?

[Altostrata]

No, I mean that is the request to the doctor. You would take your dose at the same time.

 

Will your doctor help you taper?

[Marsha]

Yes. Hello Altostrata. My doctor will help me taper. So I should request 40 mgs of geodon liquid and 40 mgs capsule and start the reduction with the liquid is that right? Or should I just request to be prescribed the liquid and taper from it?

[Altostrata]

Okay, that's even better. This is what you can do: Ask for your prescription in 60mg capsules plus the GEODON Oral Suspension, 10 mg/mL in 60 mL (600 mg), order code NDC 0049-4030-32

 

Your doctor may need the order code. Also, he or she may have to write the prescription as "take twice a day" to get it covered by insurance. Be sure to get a 10mg oral syringe from the pharmacist.

 

Taking part in capsule form and part in liquid will be easier on your nervous system. For your first decrease from 80mg, you would take the 60mg capsule plus 12mg in liquid, all at the same time each day, for a total dose of 72mg.

 

For your second decrease, you would take the 60mg capsule plus 4.8mg in liquid, for a total dose of 64.8mg.

 

Then, you'd need a prescription for 40mg tablets plus the liquid. (You'll probably have some liquid left, you might be able to use that for a while.) Your third decrease would be a 40mg capsule plus 19mg in liquid, for a total dose of 59mg.

 

And so forth until a 10% decrease would be under 40mg. Then, you'd need a prescription for 20mg tablets plus the liquid.

 

When you're about to take less than 20mg, you would use the liquid only.

 

Does that make sense?

[Marsha]

Oh making my own suspension is way to confusing. My brain has been damaged too much by 20 years of psychiatric drugs. Especially benzodiazepines and geodon. I need to make measurments the most easy way possible.

[Altostrata]

Well, if your doctor will write the prescriptions, this is doable.

[Marsha]

Ok. I will see if the doctor will write the script. I am sure he will. The tricky part is getting the insurance to cover the suspension. The. Non generic needs prior approval from the insurance company. What does he need to say in his request?

[Altostrata]

He needs to say "60mg capsule in morning and 12mg oral suspension in evening" (that would be your first 10% decrease from 80mg to 72mg per day).

 

There are no 12mg capsules, so the oral suspension is justified.

[Marsha]

I started my geodon. Taper last night at 10% of 80 mgs or 72 mgs.

[Iamfine]

Good luck to you, I'll be right there with you before too long. I gotta dump a couple other drugs first. Please let us know how it goes.

[Marsha]

Thank you so much iamfine. I hope you CA taper successfully too. Thank you to Altostrata, all the members and moderators for all of your help.