I wish there were more people educating on SSRI withdrawal. I’ve tried to taper twice unsuccessfully and was told it was my underlying illness rather than the effect of SSRI withdrawal.
@cxvzf the thing is I believe some of us actually have an underlying issue. I was so severely depressed I was not functioning at all. At that time ssris did not exist. I was put on Imipramine and it saved my life literally. Later i was put in prozac. Im so afraid to try and go off Prozac. Right now I'm working on reducing my Klonopin. One drug at a time. The whole thing scares the hell out of me because of how severely depressed I was years ago.
@@MARCIA.ZZZZZZplease try the keto diet. Read up on mental illness cured be keto. Lots on RUclips. Even bipolar and schizophrenia. Also cures diabetes and epilepsy
I was prescribed benzos for 30 years. I started tapering 2 yrs ago. What no one seems to talk about is the emotional dependence. I depended on the meds for 30 years for a perceived need. But like an abusive relationship, it's what I know. #benzo
@@Lolipop59 Hi there, I am still tapering, very slowly and I didn't do the tapering correctly. There is a ton of information out there now on how to do a microtaper to minimize side effects. Angela Peacock is a great advocate who experienced benzo withdrawal and now is an expert. You can find her videos on RUclips
I'm curious what you think about supplements made from medicinal plants and vitamins and minerals. I'd also love to see a video about nutritional medicine as well and how diet and nutrition can support mental health and wellness. I'd love to see a video on both of those topics. I've been finding success with some easy to find, low cost supplements as an alternative to benzos & antidepressants.
Check out Chris Palmer's book "Brain Energy". He's a psyche who uses Keto diet with his patients to cure anxiety, depression, even schizophrenia . Utube video interviews also with him.
This is great advice, thank you for sharing! I believe that once you get lower in the dose you will have to dilute the solution to 1mg/10ml in order to continue the micro dosing or you will need to switch to a taper and hold as you could not accurately draw 0.001. You can only accurately draw up 0.01mg at a time with that current solution. So eventually you still need to do math, but keeping the solution in tens makes it easier.
I was on 20mg Lexapro. Basically the doctor to me said, half the dose for 2 weeks and quit. It took me 3 weeks to feel stable, so what I think I will do is quarter my 20mg pills and take the 5mg till i stabilize then quit. Hopefully wont take more than a month. Listen to your mind and body first before just doing what the doctor says. Main symptoms for me has been irritability.
Have u weaned off since this comment? Im also on 20mg and my doc said the same thing and I had horrible withdrawals. Mainly dizziness and nausea. Its awful I had to get back on 10mg and will slowly tamper off that way.
Excellent info. In general doctors use a one size fits all taper. When I discontinued Xanax after being on it 6 months (dose was .25 mg 2x a day) doe vstibular migraine my neurologist told me I could stop cold turkey...but what I'd read said differently...I did a slow taper...about 12 weeks...I was on X a short time yes, but a very low dose, and it was very effective..so a very small reduction caused syptoms to ramp up...I'd wait for things to settle before I took the next reduction..a couple of times I had to step back up to the previous amt and stay there for a few daystil things settled and then I do a smaller step down than previously. I was also dealing with interdose withdrawal as well, but I didn't want to remain on X long teIrm and I also didn't want to have to keep increasing the dose either. Now I'm tapering off of sertraline, also prescrbied for the VM, because it quit working even after increasing the dose...My VM symtpoms are ramped up just like they were when I tapered off of X. I recently read the SSRI's are migraine triggers and are not good as preventatives and are more likely to trigger vm IF they do anything at all. Neuros love to boil down everything to 'you're anxious" here's a pill. Soooooo frustrating...my VM started after a virus in 2020..maybe covid, I don't know b/c at the time (March 2020) docs were telling people to stay home unless you had difficulty breathing and had a fever. I was diagnosed with VM by elimination using CT, MRI,audiological testing etc...my symtpoms also are much like MDDS and Menieres..I do have sensorineual hearing loss in both ears.
Thank you very much , I am tapering off Duloxetine after 7 years of taking it... Currently I only take an eighth of a pill, and yet it is being very difficult to stop completely.
@@alexgordon951 I’ve just come off of Cymbalta after 3 years of being on it. My doctors were very unfriendly about tapering off-- was told just to suck it up… not kidding. I purchased empty gelatin caps off of Amazon and started the tapering-off process. I have been cutting my 30mg a day dosage since January 1, and as of yesterday, I have ceased taking it all together. The wonkiest I have been is tonight, hence being on RUclips to make sure that I haven’t screwed myself into a cerebral corner. So, basically 5 months of tapering a dose by counting minuscule pellets down to the last two weeks of 5 invisible pellets a day. I’ve gained 20 lbs in the process. But, if the wonkies keep at bay, I will consider this a W. I can handle the occasional irritability, and my fiancé said that it is nice to have me back. Big Win IMHO 😊. Thank you for helping us who are mind altered and fighting the fight. It’s good to know that someone is out there on the other side of the river with a warm, dry towel. ❤
Never had problems quitting SSRIs but SNRI is different. I tried to quit pristiq twice with 2 months tapering and was unable to. Wish my doctor warned me about the horrible withdrawal symptoms before he put me on it several years ago.
I quit Venlafaxine because they tapered me off from 225 mg to 0 mg within 1,5 weeks in a psychiatric hospital in Germany. 🥲 I had withdrawal symptoms for several weeks. It was horrible, but the best thing to endure this period was taking diphenhydramine for my sickness, metamizole for migraine-like headaches some days. You don't need to push through without any medication to attenuate the symptoms.
I have been on an SSRI for 25 years, & have been on 40 mg Citalopram for the last 20 years. I have tried at least four times to get off, and the last time in 2013 I developed severe chronic insomnia from the withdrawal.
I am only on 50mg of sertraine. I have been for 8 months. I feel worse now than before, and the initial side affects never seemed to wain for me. I am tapering by cutting tablets down with a sharp blade. By about 10% per week. Down to about 60% of original tablet size now. So far so good.
You might be fine since it has only been 8 weeks, but I think most taper-specializing psychiatrists would say you should slow down. You should do 10% per month not per week for most antidepressants. Again I’m not a doctor so I don’t know for sure.
Im trying to wean off remeron, i have been on it for 12 years 45 mg was put on it for fibromyalgia pain. Have been slowly tapering past few months now on 22 mg day. Im hoping i dont get any rebounding pain. Im in Australia.
@@jennylawson1484 hi jenny, im still on 15mg not in a rush to taper , im ok have waves of deppresion anxiety at times but could be due to stress at home for years hard to tell the difference to be honest
@@technodweebs As long as you’re not debilitated by any withdrawal symptoms then you should be fine. Keep in mind, I’m not a physician! I do have a significant amount of experience coming off of various meds. If you drop down to 5 from ten and it’s bad, then you can try to stay there for a bit until it subsides or go back to 10 and taper down to 7.5.
Thanks for showing how to cut pills using the scale, but can you show how to use a scale with capsules of powder like fluoxetine Prozac, which comes in a capsule so you’d have to weigh powder can you explain how to weigh powder on a scale?
Same with Efexor XR :( I read the coating on these pills is there for a reason so it only dissolves once it travels to the right part of the body. Something about the digestive tract and basically not taking the powder out as the capsule lining/shell is lined for a reason. So yes how do we deal with this? no one knows?!!!
@@brightstarnight10you would try to find an equivalent that does not come in an extended release pill and take half your dose twice per day instead of whole dose once per day. I believe he said that at the beginning of the video when he was looking at the list of meds. If there is no equivalent then that is a question to ask your doctor to switch to a med that can be tapered.
This info with long term withdrawal and protracted withdrawal is really all new in the last few years. Ive been on about every anti depressant there is and usually they just pull you off whatever it is within 2 weeks maybe 1 month. And ive always thought that was too fast.
Can you make a video on how to taper the pills after the first taper? Do you do 10% (x.90) of the weight of the pill, or 5% more of the dose you’re on?
Thank you. I really needed this demonstration. I still feel as dumb as a post, and scared, about doing this correctly. I am 68 and have been on Klon since 2008, so no doubt I've lost a lot of brain cells. The drug was initially misprescribed; I had a profound drop of B12 from a small bowel resection when I was 6 years old and needed methyl B12 to help heal my brain, not this garbage, which caused even more damage to my brain.
@@Jackie-lz1te down to 150 mg brain zaps, headache, nausea I can’t wait to be completely off this drug has made me physically ill since I started on it. Going down 37.5 once a month not to mention sore muscles that only lasted one day Thank goodness.
I tried Prozac for 3 months. Did nothing for my protracted Effexor withdrawal. Now I need to wean off 40mg but I feel like if I do it super slow I'll actually become more dependent on it.
After taking escitalopram 10 mg for 3 days, I stopped abruptly. Sexual functioning and libido overall has been affected. 4 hours of sleep on average. Non stop panic attacks and loss of identity. Is this normal?
I know this is late yet but yes, you had an adverse reaction. All of these drugs have black box warnings on them but none of us are ever told about the possible side effects of them. It all heals with time.
I had severe anxiety, insomnia just like your situation when trying this same med for two weeks. Said no and am tapering off past two weeks. Still having some withdrawal effects but it is getting better. Afraid to start another med prescribed.
@@mwilson7842 I am no medical professional, and I don’t want to advise you. But based on my experience, I would never ever touch that stuff ever again. Read up on how toxic and destructive these drugs are. Look up PSSD. Look up Peter Breggin. Save yourself by changing your thinking and being grateful of what you have. I’m still fighting every single day all because of that poison. No such thing as a chemical imbalance. Much love and good luck, hope your symptoms all go away.
I'm watching from Guyana couple of months ago i was very sick n the doctor says i depression i have no idea about the treatment i was given folixtin and clonazepam the side effects was terrible
How can I be sure that non soluble pills like citalopram, can be crushed and evently distributed when doing syringes? Is the method good enough even for those pills?
There are more and more studies coming out about the use of diphenhydramine to significantly reduce withdrawal symptoms from both benzodiazepines and SSRIs.
I was on 10mg lexapro for a year, doc said i should take one full tablet one day, half the tablet next day for 2 weeks, then half the tablet every other day for 2 weeks and then nothing, but it id like to, i can have half a tablet every 3 days for the additional 2 weeks. I never heard of such an approach before and i'm too scared to try
A course nail file will also work. They sell them in the beauty section of Walmart. You can experiment with various coarseness of files and see what works best. Sandpaper will also work but it’s harder to hold on to.
With the file method it’s harder to add more to the scale like he is showing here though if you take off too much because it’s sticks to the file. The benefit though is that it’s easier to take off a little at a time vs. cutting with a razor.
Unless I'm misunderstanding something, slow tapering a 10% reduction would take over two years to get off 30 mg. By the end of it, you'd be decreasing less than 1 mg per month. Is that really what you're recommending?
If people have more than one med to taper. How stable should they be before starting another taper? Nearly 3 years ago I rapidly tapered off Abilify, gabapentin, and Ativan--one after the other. I waited nearly two years and then started tapering mirtazapine. I'm down to 19mg from 30 but I have quite a few withdrawal symptoms. I don't know whether I should hold for a long time or continue to taper extremely slowly.(I'm still on 20mg escitalopram, as well).
Great question. Do you take the mirt at night? If so, I would consider tapering the lex first. I’m a big advocate of holding as long as you need or a combination of holding then continuing at a decreased taper speed. Good luck!
@@Uma921 Yes, I take it at night. I was thinking about maybe switching to tapering lex. once I get down to 15mg of mirt. My taper off mirt is sooo slow at this point. I feel like I'll be tapering off these meds for the rest of my life.
I’ve been off Lexapro for 2 1/2 months having some withdrawals. I only tapered for six weeks. I am feeling moderate depression. I wonder if it’s better just to continue on my path and see what happens or do as he says and retake the Lexapro and then do a longer taper. Any thoughts on this?
Is it safe to do this with efexor XR? I read that the coating on these type of tablets are there to safe guard the pill so it gets to the right place in the body before the internal powder is released and the coating dissolves. I AM SO CONFUSED AND TIRED :( I want to cut down my dose but am scared to just open an Efexor pill and empty the powder into a glass and liquid taper. IS IT SAFE? And he does not see patients in Australia? Why??? Any yes he is spot on about most Psychiatrists having no idea. They put me on this cocktail in the first place over 17 years and Lyrica which is by a Pain Medicine Specialist and now long term I have more nerve issues than before (permanent pins and needles, allodynia, hyperalgesia, numbness) vision blurred at times, light sensitivity, grogginess, short term memory issues, nausea, weight gain) etc and wish to cut down on a bunch. If anyone knows if can do this with powdered Efexor XR tablets??
Effexor xr capsules are filled with beads not powder. I tried tapering off 75mg xr capsules by counting out the beads every morning and subtracting a few beads every morning consistently for a few months. It was too fast of a taper, and the side effects were terrible. I ended up going back on the full 75mg.
@@d_pat73hi yes beads HOWEVER I have found out extended release is just that and it is not safe to taper in that way as it has ti be compounded made up by hand as extended release medicines cant just be divided up DIY like others as pharamcalogy it is quite specialised and we dont know which beads are what. Just google it as experts literally answer why XR needs to be compounded (made by a pharmacist) one you go lower than 37.5 I mean. As obviously you buy a smaller does 75 mg to 37.5 i did that no probs but I cant get a smaller dose nor weigh or count beads by reduction % once i decrease as it is extended release. Pharmacist needs to do it.
@jeannienicholson6747 No, not that many. I can't remember the number, but it varies depending on the size of the beads. I believe each capsule is measured by weight not the bead number.
I have been on paxil for over a decade. Every time I try to stop I get the lethargy and brain zaps really bad. The worst part though is severe unrelenting nausea as well as restless legs at night. I have tried to quit 3 times and the longest I made it was 2 weeks with no lessening of the problems. If anything they got worse. My doctor has tried to get me on other SSRIs so that I can be weened off but I still get the nausea (although the other stuff doesn't happen). I was told the paxil pill cannot be broken apart as it makes the time release not work and there is no other form sold in the US, so I have no way to ween myself off. I'm really desperate to stop it as it dulls my emotions and doesn't even help with the social anxiety I was put on it for in the first place. I really don't know what to do. I can't take off work for the month plus I'd need to go cold turkey.
Im cross tapering from paxil 30 mg with zoloft 25 mg been a week and im at 10 mg paxil and the zoloft but fml it’s kicking my ass i only did 2 days on 20 mg per doctors orders lmao but he did say to stay at 10 for 2 weeks and depending how i feel stop or go down to 5 and continue the zoloft. This is rough man 😞
Please tell me what someone should do when they have gone cold turkey for a month and now experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Gone cold turkey on escitalopram (first 10 mg - for 3.5 years, then 5mg for 3 months till 1 Aug 2024), as of now its been 25 days, experiencing anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbance and low mood, burning sensation only first 1 to 2 hours after waking up, no brain zaps or balance issues. What should I do? Should I brave through with supplements or should I reintroduce and do slow taper, afraid of paradoxical reactions but withdrawal symptoms are horrible. If I reintroduce at what dose? If supplements, which supplements?
If I reduce my mirtazapine by 5%, I feel a little ick for about 10 days but then feel fine for at least a week, is it safe to decrease again or should I always wait a full month to decrease the dose? Is there anything benefit wise physically to wait a month?
@@halcr0 good. I have been off of mirtazapine for about 6 weeks now. I went through a few very mild anxiety things but nothing I couldn't handle. My sleep was bad for a few weeks, but it is getting better. I think I was used to sleeping hard and long on the mirt and now my body is just adjusting back to what is normal for me.
@@halcr0 It may not have been the best way to do it, but It worked for me. No doctors around here were helpful My stomach doctor is the one who prescribed it...I was on it 2.5 yrs for stomach issues actually at 45 mgs. At first I decreased by 10% every 2 weeks. A couple of months into that I experienced some dizziness, so I changed to a 5% decrease every 1-1.5 weeks. If I felt good for 3 plus days, that's when I knew I could decrease. I never had any bad withdraw symptoms but I would feel blah and in a fog then normal. I weighed my disintegrating tabs, then shaved off the 5%. Most people will say that's not a proper way to do it... should do a liquid etc but it worked for me ok so I stuck with it.
I'm looking into doing a liquid taper of 15mg Lexapro. I am working on making a chart to do a 5% decrease each month. Do I drop 5% of the original total each month (.75) or 5% of the NEW dose each month?
@@maryhannahsmith9307 I’ve been on 5-15mg for the past decade. Currently I’m on 5mg. I’m picking up the liquid version today at the pharmacy. Are you doing a liquid? I just read your first post and it looks like you have the liquid. Good work 👏
One question. I would like to use the liquid method and my SSRI, Citalopram does come in liquid but it is a 10mg base/5mg. How do the calculations change?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is it OK to just cut the pills into the teeny pieces and scrape them into a piece of food and eat the food instead of messing around with the capsules didn’t know if you were using the capsules just because they’re simpler or is there any danger to the actual cut pill doing any damage to the esophagus or stomach :-)…?? Anybody know the answer to this ?
BENZO TAPERS PLEASE! They are so much harder than antidepressants! 😢 Not everyone can or should switch to Valium or afford compounding. Dry cutting? Gemini scales are ridiculous. You interviewed Christy Huff, who uses a $1000 scale! How are regular people supposed to taper safely when we are told our weights must be EXACT? We seriously need affordable tapering strips in this country. Thanks for the efforts.
Hi Mk, My taper off of clonazepam has been a cake walk compared to my devastating rapid taper off of a long term SSRI (akathisia, acute insomnia, etc.) Now, I’m not saying antidepressants are much harder relative to benzos, it’s just my experience. Each circumstance is different and depends on the individual, time the drug has been taken, etc. But I see this sentiment a lot in the benzo community: ADs are innocuous or much easier to taper. It can be an inflammatory sentiment when so many are devastated by ADs, including those who die by suicide, aka, etc. Thank you for the well wishes. I agree; Big Pharma is to blame. All of these drugs can be awful and injure many, like me. I’m wishing you a speedy recovery, as well. I believe Josef has done some videos on benzo tapers, btw. Beating Benzos on FB is also a good resource for beginning tapers, but I find some of their principles problematic. It is always okay to hold for however long you need to, it’s okay to go much slower than what’s typically recommended in that group, and keep in mind the water tapers are linear, not hyperbolic, so if you choose a micro water taper, for example, it can be tailored to be more hyperbolic-ish. I started by tapering 1ml a day from 300ml of water (1.5mg of K dissolved in water) and ran into some problems towards the last 20% of my taper (the last 20% of a drug has more receptor occupancy hence the need for a hyperbolic taper). I’ve slowed my reductions down and things have been good with the exception of protracted injury from my SSRI. Good luck, MK.
I have been coming off klonopin after 20 years. It’s has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. It really depends on the person and their situation.
@@sandrachisholm2310 Benzodiazepines tend to be harder, especially if taken for year’s, because they take over the gaba a receptor’s through the body. The gaba a is what naturally calms the body. So now your body no longer know’s how. Yes, I have tapered off Paxil after 5 year’s. It was difficult but not as bad as klonopin has been.
I just saw this video and thought it was great. I’m on 50mg of desvenlafaxine in Australia which is the lowest dose available and it’s sustained released. Could you tell me how I would manage to come off that?
What do I do if each pill weighs something different? I am on 100mg of Zoloft, and I weigh each pill, and each one weighs a different amount. I tried weighing each one and taking 5% of each, and I was fine. Then I tried doing 5% of one pill, and doing the rest at that same calculation, regardless of what they weighed, and I started having my nocturnal panic attacks all of a sudden. What am I doing wrong?
Why don’t more doctors know this? My doctor told me to half my dose of celexa and I had HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms. I thought it was my underlying illness but now that I think about it - I don’t think it was
Hi Dr, im not sure I ever heard you mention Buspar as a treatment for GAD? Seems like the safest option with no tolerance or withdrawl. Are you a fan of it at all? God Bless
It took me almost 2 years to get off buspar. Yes there is tolerance that will develop, and yes there is withdrawal. Maybe not as quick as benzos, but it's there and a definite risk.
I use a blade on a shaft. It is easier to work with than holding a razor blade ridectly. When I have 60 % dose I use a pillcutter to do the "rough job", and then fine adjust with the blade-pen.
You can have a compounding pharmacy order their own mirtazapine powder and make a liquid or bring your pills in and they can make it for you. You have to call around and ask but I've done this several times in many states.
I believe in you dear, you’re very strong and I’m proud that you’re taking this step!! I’m on ssris as well and I know how bad the withdrawals can be. You got this!!!
I must be one of the rare & fortunate ones. I've been taking Effexor XR for approximately 23 years. Immediately prior to this, I was on Prozac for five years. It's dosage escapes me. I then immediately started on 75mg of Effexor. Over the years, the dosage increased to 225mg, of which I've been taking for approximately 15 years. However, prior to being prescribed 225mg, due to various life situations, it wasn't unusual for my dosage to increase & decrease. Two months ago I decreased to 150mg, of which my body had no reaction. After two months, I further reduced to 75mg. This was six days ago. On the second day, I became aware of intermittent sweating & that strange intermittent feeling one has if one has forgotten or is late with taking the next capsule. I can't fully explain the sensation, except to say it was an unpleasant pcychological wave, spreading one way through my body. Anyway, that lasted for two days. I'm now on day six & am having zero withdrawal symptoms. If all continues to go well, I'll stop all together after finishing one month of 75mg. Yes, I realise I could reduce one last time, to 37.5mg, before going cold turkey. However, I'd rather not. I still have the option to commence 37.5mg, if I'm finding it too soon to completely stop. Yes, my doctor is aware of how I'm doing this. I'm also a retired RN who is very in- tuned with her body. *Please note, I'm definitely not advocating this approach for anyone else.* As previously mentioned on numerous occasions, everyone is different.
I have been on ssri since I was 18 (I’m 41). I started slow taper in 2021. I’m at 12.5. It’s a scary thing. I’m here today to recommit to it. For the most part, it hasn’t been bad. Journal and pay attention so you can remind yourself that what your doing is going to have at least some changes. Paying attention to how you feel is important, but also try not to emphasize discomfort as having ultimate importance. Do you have a good support system? That is key as well. Someone who can let you know if they notice things being off. Someone you can talk to.
My doctor took me from 6 mg zanax to 1.5 overnight. I had 2 panic attacks and suicidal thoughts in 5 days. Thanks god, my sister walked me back from the ledge and suggested I go back to my initial dose but my doctor says no. I'm going to a different doctor on Wednesday and hope to God he will help. I'm 69 years old, 15 year user and will probably have extended withdrawal. I think I have 10 years to live, if genetics plays a roll, and the cost benefit analysis doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather stay on my dosage until I die...
You guys are wanting to make me cry and scream for you guys to wake up! Quit putting your faith in man and put your faith in God! Hint* one of them is the right answer and the other is wrong.... I'm speaking from experience people, after u start taking those poison in a pretty little blue or green pill, you will wish u would of never put all your faith in the government because they have never been out for anyone's well being... put your faith in the Lord, please use your brains that God gave us for reasoning and judgment.. if you look up the definition of generalized anxiety and you will have every word in the dictionary. If u have trouble sleeping, sore muscles, yup it must be anxiety... but guess what anxiety is a normal emotion response... love, excitement, and other pleasant emotions are all forms or anxiety... people r using it as an excuse to get high and numb yourselves from reality... thats the truth
I'm tapering atm but I am doing it for my long term health its really gross what adverse effects these drugs have on people and the ingredients in them.
10% per mount means to take 10 months to go to zero? This is kind of discouraging. This crap does not work and is blocking me from progressing on CPTSD healing. I want to get rid of it ASAP. You do that on a linear rule? The first part of the cut is normally easier to do than the last part. It's not linear at all. I have been able to cut down 50% (from 10 mg to 5 mg) of my Lexapro dose last years in 4 weeks with only some temporary brain zaps as side effect. For the remaining, I don't see the difference, I was depressive and anxious even at 10 mg. I expect that a much longer time will be needed to get rid of the remaining 5 mg.
Alright, when tapering it’s taking 10% off the current dose you’re on. Tapering 10% from the original 10mg would be too fast especially at lower doses. So now you’re on 5 the next 10% reduction would take you down to 4.5mg 👍
Didnt really taper, but was only taking 25-50mg sertraline a day. Sent me into mental breakdown kind of thing. Tried to take again, one pill put me in A&E. Can i taper back in? Wondering what to do
It sounds like an adverse reaction after trying to reinstate. I’d give yourself time to heal from the rapid taper without trying to superimpose another drug effect on the injury.
I think you failed to mention that liquids often has different absorption rates and half lives. I started your method 4 days ago and i feel like a trainwreck due to side effects from switching to liquid from pills.
At least they know then how taper and don't coldturkey... And if the mania was ssri/snri induced, the drug should be reduced, anyway, too. The general answer from other shrinks is, to add an antipsychotic or to coldturkey. Therefore providing this information is a thousand times more safe than psychiatry's practices in general and actually saves people. (People die due to coldturkey because they were told by other psychiatrists that those drugs don't cause dependency.) Those drugs are not safe and psychiatrists have been mislead by big pharma.
Imagine being on an antidepressant and your DR saying you can safely taper in weeks after 10 years. It happens all the time. This comment is massively ignorant.
I've seen the results of rapid tapers and it isn't pretty. after watching more videos i'm confident Dr Josef is spot on with his advice. It just worries me that certain patients will 'go it alone' and fall into the trap of withdrawing without assistance because they 'feel fine' and drop dose too fast, thats all@@jaimeleecreta8098
Wrong place pal, don't you dare come here and say that ignorant comment. This man is helping thousands avoid serious irrevisble damage. You sound like you have a personal problem that needs to be addressed.
OR: I am now on 20mg Escilatopram/Lexapro. I want to lose the weight I gained on them, ca 40 Pounds😅, and go off. I asked my doc for 10 mg's and 5's. No need for liquids. I will VERY SLOWLY, (Cause been on them for about 5 years) go down like this. First month from 20- 17.5. (I will take 1×10 mg, 1×5mg and then cut 1- 5 mg in half and take that. For a month. Then I will be down 2.5. If I need to go slower I will. Then, if all goes to plan- I will in November go and do the same. From 17.5mg down to 15mg. 1×10 and 1×5mg pr day for a month etc. December I will NOT REMOVE ANYTHING since I want to have a nice holiday etc. I will wait untill after the first week og January. Then I will go from 15mg-12.5mg. I will then take 1×10mg and a half 5 mg. For a month ca. In February I will go down to 10. I will stay on 10 for about 2 months or so, to see how I feel. BUT I will take my time. After that I will go down to 7.5mg. I will take 1×5mg and a half 5mg. After a month or so, I will go down to 5. Then again down to 2.5. I will stay there for maybe 2 months and then go off. Hope this can help someone.
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I wish there were more people educating on SSRI withdrawal. I’ve tried to taper twice unsuccessfully and was told it was my underlying illness rather than the effect of SSRI withdrawal.
The BS continues by drs
@cxvzf the thing is I believe some of us actually have an underlying issue. I was so severely depressed I was not functioning at all. At that time ssris did not exist. I was put on Imipramine and it saved my life literally. Later i was put in prozac. Im so afraid to try and go off Prozac. Right now I'm working on reducing my Klonopin. One drug at a time. The whole thing scares the hell out of me because of how severely depressed I was years ago.
@@MARCIA.ZZZZZZ best of luck. slowly slowly
@@MARCIA.ZZZZZZcuánto llevas con Prozac? Yo llevo 23 años y ya me volví resistente lo quiero dejar pero me da miedo
@@MARCIA.ZZZZZZplease try the keto diet. Read up on mental illness cured be keto. Lots on RUclips. Even bipolar and schizophrenia. Also cures diabetes and epilepsy
Great video. You are doing an amazing job of helping thousands of people.Thanks so much Dr.!
I was prescribed benzos for 30 years. I started tapering 2 yrs ago. What no one seems to talk about is the emotional dependence. I depended on the meds for 30 years for a perceived need. But like an abusive relationship, it's what I know. #benzo
How did you do your tapering please? Are you done with ? Thank you!
@@Lolipop59 Hi there, I am still tapering, very slowly and I didn't do the tapering correctly. There is a ton of information out there now on how to do a microtaper to minimize side effects. Angela Peacock is a great advocate who experienced benzo withdrawal and now is an expert. You can find her videos on RUclips
@hypermonki perfect analogy. I'm doing this taper very very very slowly
@@hypermonki I don't care if it takes the rest of my life to taper off, but I will NOT increase the dosage again
“As simple as brushing your teeth” 🙄😂
That made me laugh 😂
I'm curious what you think about supplements made from medicinal plants and vitamins and minerals. I'd also love to see a video about nutritional medicine as well and how diet and nutrition can support mental health and wellness. I'd love to see a video on both of those topics. I've been finding success with some easy to find, low cost supplements as an alternative to benzos & antidepressants.
YES i wanna see 5htp, fish oil, mucuna, etc
I wanna see him on ATMC (alt to meds center)
Can u tell the rest of with what are you finding success please? ❤
Check out Chris Palmer's book "Brain Energy". He's a psyche who uses Keto diet with his patients to cure anxiety, depression, even schizophrenia . Utube video interviews also with him.
Why weren't you around before I started this... I love all the videos BTW.
This is great advice, thank you for sharing! I believe that once you get lower in the dose you will have to dilute the solution to 1mg/10ml in order to continue the micro dosing or you will need to switch to a taper and hold as you could not accurately draw 0.001. You can only accurately draw up 0.01mg at a time with that current solution. So eventually you still need to do math, but keeping the solution in tens makes it easier.
I was on 20mg Lexapro. Basically the doctor to me said, half the dose for 2 weeks and quit. It took me 3 weeks to feel stable, so what I think I will do is quarter my 20mg pills and take the 5mg till i stabilize then quit. Hopefully wont take more than a month. Listen to your mind and body first before just doing what the doctor says. Main symptoms for me has been irritability.
I have too irritability and also had bad lack of b3
Look into a peptide called Selank
that sounds really fast?
@@devinaxtman6171 to me it doesn't matter how long the taper takes because I've been on them most of my life
Have u weaned off since this comment? Im also on 20mg and my doc said the same thing and I had horrible withdrawals. Mainly dizziness and nausea. Its awful I had to get back on 10mg and will slowly tamper off that way.
Excellent info. In general doctors use a one size fits all taper. When I discontinued Xanax after being on it 6 months (dose was .25 mg 2x a day) doe vstibular migraine my neurologist told me I could stop cold turkey...but what I'd read said differently...I did a slow taper...about 12 weeks...I was on X a short time yes, but a very low dose, and it was very effective..so a very small reduction caused syptoms to ramp up...I'd wait for things to settle before I took the next reduction..a couple of times I had to step back up to the previous amt and stay there for a few daystil things settled and then I do a smaller step down than previously. I was also dealing with interdose withdrawal as well, but I didn't want to remain on X long teIrm and I also didn't want to have to keep increasing the dose either. Now I'm tapering off of sertraline, also prescrbied for the VM, because it quit working even after increasing the dose...My VM symtpoms are ramped up just like they were when I tapered off of X. I recently read the SSRI's are migraine triggers and are not good as preventatives and are more likely to trigger vm IF they do anything at all. Neuros love to boil down everything to 'you're anxious" here's a pill. Soooooo frustrating...my VM started after a virus in 2020..maybe covid, I don't know b/c at the time (March 2020) docs were telling people to stay home unless you had difficulty breathing and had a fever. I was diagnosed with VM by elimination using CT, MRI,audiological testing etc...my symtpoms also are much like MDDS and Menieres..I do have sensorineual hearing loss in both ears.
Long term use of SSRI can lower dopamine. So, tapering may increase your motivation.
Thank you very much , I am tapering off Duloxetine after 7 years of taking it... Currently I only take an eighth of a pill, and yet it is being very difficult to stop completely.
how are you doing? i help people specifically with cymbalta tapering.
@@alexgordon951
I’ve just come off of Cymbalta after 3 years of being on it. My doctors were very unfriendly about tapering off-- was told just to suck it up… not kidding. I purchased empty gelatin caps off of Amazon and started the tapering-off process. I have been cutting my 30mg a day dosage since January 1, and as of yesterday, I have ceased taking it all together. The wonkiest I have been is tonight, hence being on RUclips to make sure that I haven’t screwed myself into a cerebral corner.
So, basically 5 months of tapering a dose by counting minuscule pellets down to the last two weeks of 5 invisible pellets a day. I’ve gained 20 lbs in the process. But, if the wonkies keep at bay, I will consider this a W. I can handle the occasional irritability, and my fiancé said that it is nice to have me back. Big Win IMHO 😊.
Thank you for helping us who are mind altered and fighting the fight. It’s good to know that someone is out there on the other side of the river with a warm, dry towel. ❤
@@alexgordon951how do I do it ? Rather than bead counting? Any tips would be great
@@alexgordon951yes,I agree. Extremely hard to
Can you please make videos about medication for psychosis
Never had problems quitting SSRIs but SNRI is different. I tried to quit pristiq twice with 2 months tapering and was unable to. Wish my doctor warned me about the horrible withdrawal symptoms before he put me on it several years ago.
That’s terrible, I quit cold turkey and was fine in 3 weeks.
I quit Venlafaxine because they tapered me off from 225 mg to 0 mg within 1,5 weeks in a psychiatric hospital in Germany. 🥲 I had withdrawal symptoms for several weeks. It was horrible, but the best thing to endure this period was taking diphenhydramine for my sickness, metamizole for migraine-like headaches some days. You don't need to push through without any medication to attenuate the symptoms.
@@informedcarpet how long were u taking it?
Yes its for life and they dont tell you that. Also on Srni 30 years
@@wellinever1558 no, it's not necessarily. I quit venlafaxine and duloxetine and many others did, too. So it's not for life if you don't need it.
I truly appreciate your videos and your work. You’re helping so many people.
I have been on an SSRI for 25 years, & have been on 40 mg Citalopram for the last 20 years. I have tried at least four times to get off, and the last time in 2013 I developed severe chronic insomnia from the withdrawal.
Great work.
I am only on 50mg of sertraine. I have been for 8 months. I feel worse now than before, and the initial side affects never seemed to wain for me. I am tapering by cutting tablets down with a sharp blade. By about 10% per week. Down to about 60% of original tablet size now. So far so good.
You might be fine since it has only been 8 weeks, but I think most taper-specializing psychiatrists would say you should slow down. You should do 10% per month not per week for most antidepressants. Again I’m not a doctor so I don’t know for sure.
Im trying to wean off remeron, i have been on it for 12 years 45 mg was put on it for fibromyalgia pain. Have been slowly tapering past few months now on 22 mg day. Im hoping i dont get any rebounding pain. Im in Australia.
How are you getting on?
@@jennylawson1484 i have been on 15mg daily now past few months. No issues but not planning to reduce again for a while
@@jennylawson1484 hi jenny, im still on 15mg not in a rush to taper , im ok have waves of deppresion anxiety at times but could be due to stress at home for years hard to tell the difference to be honest
The problem with cutting tablets is the inconsistency of the medication that will be invested. The medication isn't spread evenly across the tablet...
I'm getting overwhelmed just listening to this.
HAHAHAHAHA....Isn't that the dang truth!
What’s overwhelming? How can I help?
@@chriscarrion8018 is it wrong to taper by just going from 10mg to 5mg to 2.5mg, etc.?
@@technodweebs As long as you’re not debilitated by any withdrawal symptoms then you should be fine. Keep in mind, I’m not a physician! I do have a significant amount of experience coming off of various meds. If you drop down to 5 from ten and it’s bad, then you can try to stay there for a bit until it subsides or go back to 10 and taper down to 7.5.
You are not alone ❤
Thanks for showing how to cut pills using the scale, but can you show how to use a scale with capsules of powder like fluoxetine Prozac, which comes in a capsule so you’d have to weigh powder can you explain how to weigh powder on a scale?
Same with Efexor XR :( I read the coating on these pills is there for a reason so it only dissolves once it travels to the right part of the body. Something about the digestive tract and basically not taking the powder out as the capsule lining/shell is lined for a reason. So yes how do we deal with this? no one knows?!!!
@user-hp4st3lz1x I take capsules too so I'm wondering if it comes in 10 mg and 5 mg caps.
@@brightstarnight10you would try to find an equivalent that does not come in an extended release pill and take half your dose twice per day instead of whole dose once per day. I believe he said that at the beginning of the video when he was looking at the list of meds. If there is no equivalent then that is a question to ask your doctor to switch to a med that can be tapered.
This info with long term withdrawal and protracted withdrawal is really all new in the last few years. Ive been on about every anti depressant there is and usually they just pull you off whatever it is within 2 weeks maybe 1 month. And ive always thought that was too fast.
Can you make a video on how to taper the pills after the first taper? Do you do 10% (x.90) of the weight of the pill, or 5% more of the dose you’re on?
Very helpful
Thank you. I really needed this demonstration. I still feel as dumb as a post, and scared, about doing this correctly. I am 68 and have been on Klon since 2008, so no doubt I've lost a lot of brain cells. The drug was initially misprescribed; I had a profound drop of B12 from a small bowel resection when I was 6 years old and needed methyl B12 to help heal my brain, not this garbage, which caused even more damage to my brain.
@@carolinedanielson4387 unbelievable!!!! I'm 66 and trying to taper Klonopin. It's so scary.
He has a video on how to taper off Benzo’s too.
I recommend (not a Dr 😅) doing a bead taper for Effexor XR. I haven’t run into any problems yet (112.5mg down to 32ish mg)
Pouring some beads out of the capsules Effexor is brutal
Did you do this on slow release ?
@@Jackie-lz1te down to 150 mg brain zaps, headache, nausea I can’t wait to be completely off this drug has made me physically ill since I started on it. Going down 37.5 once a month not to mention sore muscles that only lasted one day Thank goodness.
Could you do the same using capsules?
Open the capsule
weigh the powder
reduce by x%
Put reduced amount back in the capsule?
You could go that route. It would be time consuming, but if you have the patience go for it.
It would cost you a lot more money because you'd run out of the capsule cases.
I tried Prozac for 3 months. Did nothing for my protracted Effexor withdrawal. Now I need to wean off 40mg but I feel like if I do it super slow I'll actually become more dependent on it.
@@thisgirl5933 I can't imagine you would become more dependent.
Thank you
After taking escitalopram 10 mg for 3 days, I stopped abruptly. Sexual functioning and libido overall has been affected. 4 hours of sleep on average. Non stop panic attacks and loss of identity. Is this normal?
I know this is late yet but yes, you had an adverse reaction. All of these drugs have black box warnings on them but none of us are ever told about the possible side effects of them. It all heals with time.
@@kimberlyk1437 thanks for the kind words
I had severe anxiety, insomnia just like your situation when trying this same med for two weeks. Said no and am tapering off past two weeks. Still having some withdrawal effects but it is getting better. Afraid to start another med prescribed.
@@mwilson7842 I am no medical professional, and I don’t want to advise you. But based on my experience, I would never ever touch that stuff ever again. Read up on how toxic and destructive these drugs are. Look up PSSD. Look up Peter Breggin. Save yourself by changing your thinking and being grateful of what you have. I’m still fighting every single day all because of that poison. No such thing as a chemical imbalance. Much love and good luck, hope your symptoms all go away.
@@mwilson7842how do yoy tape off 10 mg , do you take like one on and one day off or how ?
I'm watching from Guyana couple of months ago i was very sick n the doctor says i depression i have no idea about the treatment i was given folixtin and clonazepam the side effects was terrible
Oh my goodness! How are you now? I would get a second opinion next time before starting meds like that.
How can I be sure that non soluble pills like citalopram, can be crushed and evently distributed when doing syringes? Is the method good enough even for those pills?
Thankyou so much for what you’re doing . If only you were in Australia
There are more and more studies coming out about the use of diphenhydramine to significantly reduce withdrawal symptoms from both benzodiazepines and SSRIs.
Really? That’s Benadryl, right? I feel absolutely awful when I take Benadryl. I get super anxious and have heart palpitations and insomnia.
I'm curious about this because Benadryl is linked to higher chances of developing Alzheimer's..
I was on 10mg lexapro for a year, doc said i should take one full tablet one day, half the tablet next day for 2 weeks, then half the tablet every other day for 2 weeks and then nothing, but it id like to, i can have half a tablet every 3 days for the additional 2 weeks. I never heard of such an approach before and i'm too scared to try
I wondernhoww to get off Trileptal for mood stabelizer
Instead of using a razor to cut the pill in the early stages just rub it a couple of times on smadpaper
sandpaper?
Fine grater?
Wont you lose half the pill ?
A course nail file will also work. They sell them in the beauty section of Walmart. You can experiment with various coarseness of files and see what works best. Sandpaper will also work but it’s harder to hold on to.
With the file method it’s harder to add more to the scale like he is showing here though if you take off too much because it’s sticks to the file. The benefit though is that it’s easier to take off a little at a time vs. cutting with a razor.
Unless I'm misunderstanding something, slow tapering a 10% reduction would take over two years to get off 30 mg. By the end of it, you'd be decreasing less than 1 mg per month. Is that really what you're recommending?
Excellent video. I don't believe these techniques will work for pristiq. Any help for tapering pristiq would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Same question, because Pristiq is ER.
I have the same question
If people have more than one med to taper. How stable should they be before starting another taper? Nearly 3 years ago I rapidly tapered off Abilify, gabapentin, and Ativan--one after the other. I waited nearly two years and then started tapering mirtazapine. I'm down to 19mg from 30 but I have quite a few withdrawal symptoms. I don't know whether I should hold for a long time or continue to taper extremely slowly.(I'm still on 20mg escitalopram, as well).
That's a very good question.🧐💧
Great question. Do you take the mirt at night? If so, I would consider tapering the lex first.
I’m a big advocate of holding as long as you need or a combination of holding then continuing at a decreased taper speed. Good luck!
@@Uma921 Yes, I take it at night. I was thinking about maybe switching to tapering lex. once I get down to 15mg of mirt. My taper off mirt is sooo slow at this point. I feel like I'll be tapering off these meds for the rest of my life.
I’ve been off Lexapro for 2 1/2 months having some withdrawals. I only tapered for six weeks. I am feeling moderate depression. I wonder if it’s better just to continue on my path and see what happens or do as he says and retake the Lexapro and then do a longer taper. Any thoughts on this?
Is it safe to do this with efexor XR? I read that the coating on these type of tablets are there to safe guard the pill so it gets to the right place in the body before the internal powder is released and the coating dissolves. I AM SO CONFUSED AND TIRED :( I want to cut down my dose but am scared to just open an Efexor pill and empty the powder into a glass and liquid taper. IS IT SAFE? And he does not see patients in Australia? Why??? Any yes he is spot on about most Psychiatrists having no idea. They put me on this cocktail in the first place over 17 years and Lyrica which is by a Pain Medicine Specialist and now long term I have more nerve issues than before (permanent pins and needles, allodynia, hyperalgesia, numbness) vision blurred at times, light sensitivity, grogginess, short term memory issues, nausea, weight gain) etc and wish to cut down on a bunch.
If anyone knows if can do this with powdered Efexor XR tablets??
Effexor xr capsules are filled with beads not powder. I tried tapering off 75mg xr capsules by counting out the beads every morning and subtracting a few beads every morning consistently for a few months. It was too fast of a taper, and the side effects were terrible. I ended up going back on the full 75mg.
After watching this video, I am going to get the 37.5mg tablet and take twice a day and go from there.
@@d_pat73hi yes beads HOWEVER I have found out extended release is just that and it is not safe to taper in that way as it has ti be compounded made up by hand as extended release medicines cant just be divided up DIY like others as pharamcalogy it is quite specialised and we dont know which beads are what. Just google it as experts literally answer why XR needs to be compounded (made by a pharmacist) one you go lower than 37.5 I mean. As obviously you buy a smaller does 75 mg to 37.5 i did that no probs but I cant get a smaller dose nor weigh or count beads by reduction % once i decrease as it is extended release. Pharmacist needs to do it.
@@d_pat73Oh my goodness, you actually counted all the beads? There must be hundreds, if not at least a thousand.😮
@jeannienicholson6747 No, not that many. I can't remember the number, but it varies depending on the size of the beads. I believe each capsule is measured by weight not the bead number.
I have been on paxil for over a decade. Every time I try to stop I get the lethargy and brain zaps really bad. The worst part though is severe unrelenting nausea as well as restless legs at night. I have tried to quit 3 times and the longest I made it was 2 weeks with no lessening of the problems. If anything they got worse. My doctor has tried to get me on other SSRIs so that I can be weened off but I still get the nausea (although the other stuff doesn't happen). I was told the paxil pill cannot be broken apart as it makes the time release not work and there is no other form sold in the US, so I have no way to ween myself off. I'm really desperate to stop it as it dulls my emotions and doesn't even help with the social anxiety I was put on it for in the first place. I really don't know what to do. I can't take off work for the month plus I'd need to go cold turkey.
Will a compounding pharmacy not do this for you? I want to start tapering my Lexapro but feel like this is too much for me to handle.
I think they would. It’s just more expensive.
You are doing god's work. Thank you so much.
Im cross tapering from paxil 30 mg with zoloft 25 mg been a week and im at 10 mg paxil and the zoloft but fml it’s kicking my ass i only did 2 days on 20 mg per doctors orders lmao but he did say to stay at 10 for 2 weeks and depending how i feel stop or go down to 5 and continue the zoloft. This is rough man 😞
I was cut off of my antidepressant Auvelity. I nearly ended it all. I was already horribly depressed and this added a new level of hell.
1:26 important info.
Please tell me what someone should do when they have gone cold turkey for a month and now experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Gone cold turkey on escitalopram (first 10 mg - for 3.5 years, then 5mg for 3 months till 1 Aug 2024), as of now its been 25 days, experiencing anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbance and low mood, burning sensation only first 1 to 2 hours after waking up, no brain zaps or balance issues.
What should I do? Should I brave through with supplements or should I reintroduce and do slow taper, afraid of paradoxical reactions but withdrawal symptoms are horrible.
If I reintroduce at what dose?
If supplements, which supplements?
Great video thank you ❤
If I reduce my mirtazapine by 5%, I feel a little ick for about 10 days but then feel fine for at least a week, is it safe to decrease again or should I always wait a full month to decrease the dose? Is there anything benefit wise physically to wait a month?
How are you now?
@@halcr0 good. I have been off of mirtazapine for about 6 weeks now. I went through a few very mild anxiety things but nothing I couldn't handle. My sleep was bad for a few weeks, but it is getting better. I think I was used to sleeping hard and long on the mirt and now my body is just adjusting back to what is normal for me.
@michellewilson1221 that's great news!! How long were u on mirt for? What did your taper look like? Cheers
@@halcr0 It may not have been the best way to do it, but It worked for me. No doctors around here were helpful My stomach doctor is the one who prescribed it...I was on it 2.5 yrs for stomach issues actually at 45 mgs. At first I decreased by 10% every 2 weeks. A couple of months into that I experienced some dizziness, so I changed to a 5% decrease every 1-1.5 weeks. If I felt good for 3 plus days, that's when I knew I could decrease. I never had any bad withdraw symptoms but I would feel blah and in a fog then normal. I weighed my disintegrating tabs, then shaved off the 5%. Most people will say that's not a proper way to do it... should do a liquid etc but it worked for me ok so I stuck with it.
I'm looking into doing a liquid taper of 15mg Lexapro. I am working on making a chart to do a 5% decrease each month. Do I drop 5% of the original total each month (.75) or 5% of the NEW dose each month?
%5 of the current dose. Your taper will be too quick if you calculate from the original starting point.
I’m about to start my taper of Lexapro. You got this!!!
@@celestepiccolo6586 Good luck to you! What dose are you tapering from? Are you doing a liquid taper?
@@maryhannahsmith9307 I’ve been on 5-15mg for the past decade. Currently I’m on 5mg. I’m picking up the liquid version today at the pharmacy. Are you doing a liquid? I just read your first post and it looks like you have the liquid. Good work 👏
If I dry cut Zyban SR - is it still sustained release?
I went cold turkey on 2 antidepressants without even knowing that I had to taper off gradually!!
Same 😂
Did you have withdrawal symptoms? Thanks.
Which two?
@intermilan6202 wow so what happened to you? Did you get depressed?
Hi doc, may I ask if this can be done with Prozac ? Is there liquid for Prozac or do I have to chip away ? Thanks in advance doc
Hi, is it safe to stop taking zoloft (25 mg) completely without any tapering after taking it for only 7 days?
Thanks
One question. I would like to use the liquid method and my SSRI, Citalopram does come in liquid but it is a 10mg base/5mg. How do the calculations change?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is it OK to just cut the pills into the teeny pieces and scrape them into a piece of food and eat the food instead of messing around with the capsules didn’t know if you were using the capsules just because they’re simpler or is there any danger to the actual cut pill doing any damage to the esophagus or stomach :-)…?? Anybody know the answer to this ?
BENZO TAPERS PLEASE! They are so much harder than antidepressants! 😢
Not everyone can or should switch to Valium or afford compounding. Dry cutting? Gemini scales are ridiculous. You interviewed Christy Huff, who uses a $1000 scale! How are regular people supposed to taper safely when we are told our weights must be EXACT? We seriously need affordable tapering strips in this country. Thanks for the efforts.
Benzos aren’t “so much harder than antidepressants”.
Hi Mk,
My taper off of clonazepam has been a cake walk compared to my devastating rapid taper off of a long term SSRI (akathisia, acute insomnia, etc.) Now, I’m not saying antidepressants are much harder relative to benzos, it’s just my experience. Each circumstance is different and depends on the individual, time the drug has been taken, etc. But I see this sentiment a lot in the benzo community: ADs are innocuous or much easier to taper. It can be an inflammatory sentiment when so many are devastated by ADs, including those who die by suicide, aka, etc.
Thank you for the well wishes. I agree; Big Pharma is to blame. All of these drugs can be awful and injure many, like me. I’m wishing you a speedy recovery, as well.
I believe Josef has done some videos on benzo tapers, btw. Beating Benzos on FB is also a good resource for beginning tapers, but I find some of their principles problematic. It is always okay to hold for however long you need to, it’s okay to go much slower than what’s typically recommended in that group, and keep in mind the water tapers are linear, not hyperbolic, so if you choose a micro water taper, for example, it can be tailored to be more hyperbolic-ish. I started by tapering 1ml a day from 300ml of water (1.5mg of K dissolved in water) and ran into some problems towards the last 20% of my taper (the last 20% of a drug has more receptor occupancy hence the need for a hyperbolic taper). I’ve slowed my reductions down and things have been good with the exception of protracted injury from my SSRI.
Good luck, MK.
I have been coming off klonopin after 20 years. It’s has been the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. It really depends on the person and their situation.
Have you taken SSRI's? Until you've tried to get off Paxil, and can then tell me that Benzos are so much harder, we cannot have a conversation.
@@sandrachisholm2310 Benzodiazepines tend to be harder, especially if taken for year’s, because they take over the gaba a receptor’s through the body. The gaba a is what naturally calms the body. So now your body no longer know’s how. Yes, I have tapered off Paxil after 5 year’s. It was difficult but not as bad as klonopin has been.
Does anybody have any other recommendations for scales. I found the Gemini very inaccurate.
I just saw this video and thought it was great. I’m on 50mg of desvenlafaxine in Australia which is the lowest dose available and it’s sustained released. Could you tell me how I would manage to come off that?
If it’s capsules pour some of the beads out only way or you’ll go through withdrawal
But what about the extended release pristiq tablet?
What do I do if each pill weighs something different? I am on 100mg of Zoloft, and I weigh each pill, and each one weighs a different amount. I tried weighing each one and taking 5% of each, and I was fine. Then I tried doing 5% of one pill, and doing the rest at that same calculation, regardless of what they weighed, and I started having my nocturnal panic attacks all of a sudden. What am I doing wrong?
Why don’t more doctors know this? My doctor told me to half my dose of celexa and I had HORRIBLE withdrawal symptoms. I thought it was my underlying illness but now that I think about it - I don’t think it was
@@smints4913 half??? Just using common sense tells us that's too fast.
Celexa is worse than some, it's got a shorter half life than say Zoloft.
im on seroquel 100mg and went to 50mg for 2 weeks but i have withdrawal symptoms..how do you suggest tapering off seroquel 100mg??thank you
What is your accent from? Australia?
Can I just use a pill cutter instead of liquid?
Hi Dr, im not sure I ever heard you mention Buspar as a treatment for GAD? Seems like the safest option with no tolerance or withdrawl. Are you a fan of it at all? God Bless
Currently on Buspar. It’s just another drug that will require a taper and comes with its own set of side effects.
It took me almost 2 years to get off buspar. Yes there is tolerance that will develop, and yes there is withdrawal. Maybe not as quick as benzos, but it's there and a definite risk.
Very curious as to how you tapered. I’m preparing my taper now and unsure if I’ll do a water suspension or cuts. What rate did you taper?
TIA
I got depressed just watching this lol
Can i use a metal nail file instead of a blade?
I use a blade on a shaft. It is easier to work with than holding a razor blade ridectly. When I have 60 % dose I use a pillcutter to do the "rough job", and then fine adjust with the blade-pen.
could not find liquid for mirtazapine :(
You can have a compounding pharmacy order their own mirtazapine powder and make a liquid or bring your pills in and they can make it for you. You have to call around and ask but I've done this several times in many states.
How to taper off fluoxetine that is a capsule
I've been on an ssri for at least 15 years. I'm really scared.
I believe in you dear, you’re very strong and I’m proud that you’re taking this step!! I’m on ssris as well and I know how bad the withdrawals can be. You got this!!!
@@MARCIA.ZZZZZZ there's no rush. Take it slowly
I must be one of the rare & fortunate ones.
I've been taking Effexor XR for approximately 23 years. Immediately prior to this, I was on Prozac for five years. It's dosage escapes me. I then immediately started on 75mg of Effexor. Over the years, the dosage increased to 225mg, of which I've been taking for approximately 15 years. However, prior to being prescribed 225mg, due to various life situations, it wasn't unusual for my dosage to increase & decrease.
Two months ago I decreased to 150mg, of which my body had no reaction. After two months, I further reduced to 75mg. This was six days ago. On the second day, I became aware of intermittent sweating & that strange intermittent feeling one has if one has forgotten or is late with taking the next capsule. I can't fully explain the sensation, except to say it was an unpleasant pcychological wave, spreading one way through my body. Anyway, that lasted for two days. I'm now on day six & am having zero withdrawal symptoms. If all continues to go well, I'll stop all together after finishing one month of 75mg. Yes, I realise I could reduce one last time, to 37.5mg, before going cold turkey. However, I'd rather not. I still have the option to commence 37.5mg, if I'm finding it too soon to completely stop. Yes, my doctor is aware of how I'm doing this. I'm also a retired RN who is very in- tuned with her body. *Please note, I'm definitely not advocating this approach for anyone else.* As previously mentioned on numerous occasions, everyone is different.
I have been on ssri since I was 18 (I’m 41). I started slow taper in 2021. I’m at 12.5. It’s a scary thing. I’m here today to recommit to it. For the most part, it hasn’t been bad. Journal and pay attention so you can remind yourself that what your doing is going to have at least some changes. Paying attention to how you feel is important, but also try not to emphasize discomfort as having ultimate importance. Do you have a good support system? That is key as well. Someone who can let you know if they notice things being off. Someone you can talk to.
protracted withdrawal injury. WAIT WHAT????
I take two antidepressants not normal?
My doctor took me from 6 mg zanax to 1.5 overnight. I had 2 panic attacks and suicidal thoughts in 5 days. Thanks god, my sister walked me back from the ledge and suggested I go back to my initial dose but my doctor says no. I'm going to a different doctor on Wednesday and hope to God he will help. I'm 69 years old, 15 year user and will probably have extended withdrawal. I think I have 10 years to live, if genetics plays a roll, and the cost benefit analysis doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather stay on my dosage until I die...
@@tomgreve8014 That's understandable
Look into the Ashton Protocol for benzo tapering. I would look into Amanita Muscaria as well to help with symptoms.
You guys are wanting to make me cry and scream for you guys to wake up! Quit putting your faith in man and put your faith in God! Hint* one of them is the right answer and the other is wrong.... I'm speaking from experience people, after u start taking those poison in a pretty little blue or green pill, you will wish u would of never put all your faith in the government because they have never been out for anyone's well being... put your faith in the Lord, please use your brains that God gave us for reasoning and judgment.. if you look up the definition of generalized anxiety and you will have every word in the dictionary. If u have trouble sleeping, sore muscles, yup it must be anxiety... but guess what anxiety is a normal emotion response... love, excitement, and other pleasant emotions are all forms or anxiety... people r using it as an excuse to get high and numb yourselves from reality... thats the truth
I'm tapering atm but I am doing it for my long term health its really gross what adverse effects these drugs have on people and the ingredients in them.
10% per mount means to take 10 months to go to zero? This is kind of discouraging. This crap does not work and is blocking me from progressing on CPTSD healing. I want to get rid of it ASAP.
You do that on a linear rule? The first part of the cut is normally easier to do than the last part. It's not linear at all.
I have been able to cut down 50% (from 10 mg to 5 mg) of my Lexapro dose last years in 4 weeks with only some temporary brain zaps as side effect. For the remaining, I don't see the difference, I was depressive and anxious even at 10 mg. I expect that a much longer time will be needed to get rid of the remaining 5 mg.
Alright, when tapering it’s taking 10% off the current dose you’re on. Tapering 10% from the original 10mg would be too fast especially at lower doses. So now you’re on 5 the next 10% reduction would take you down to 4.5mg 👍
Hey man. This is saving so many people so much pain. I’m currently tapering citalopram (Celexa). Is a measurement of 0.5g to 0.5ml the same?
Will this still work in 2025?
Dang! I think I'll just stay on my meds after all those calculations! 🙄
Praxil tappering 10 mg to Zero how to do it.thank you
Didnt really taper, but was only taking 25-50mg sertraline a day. Sent me into mental breakdown kind of thing. Tried to take again, one pill put me in A&E. Can i taper back in? Wondering what to do
It sounds like an adverse reaction after trying to reinstate.
I’d give yourself time to heal from the rapid taper without trying to superimpose another drug effect on the injury.
I think you failed to mention that liquids often has different absorption rates and half lives. I started your method 4 days ago and i feel like a trainwreck due to side effects from switching to liquid from pills.
Can prozac be used to get off paxil?
so, basically go really slowly
The best way is to not take them in the first place
😮
Your content is terrific however the title pages of you videos diminish your message by looking so ridiculously clownish
Ohh, you are not a real doctor. Please do not fool everyone
How do you know?
the danger of people finding your videos during a period of mania just kinda bugs me...
At least they know then how taper and don't coldturkey... And if the mania was ssri/snri induced, the drug should be reduced, anyway, too.
The general answer from other shrinks is, to add an antipsychotic or to coldturkey. Therefore providing this information is a thousand times more safe than psychiatry's practices in general and actually saves people. (People die due to coldturkey because they were told by other psychiatrists that those drugs don't cause dependency.)
Those drugs are not safe and psychiatrists have been mislead by big pharma.
Hopefully people take on board, the importance of taking medication on time, or weaning slowly.🗝
I cry for the unborn babies, taking this medication..
Imagine being on an antidepressant and your DR saying you can safely taper in weeks after 10 years. It happens all the time. This comment is massively ignorant.
I've seen the results of rapid tapers and it isn't pretty. after watching more videos i'm confident Dr Josef is spot on with his advice. It just worries me that certain patients will 'go it alone' and fall into the trap of withdrawing without assistance because they 'feel fine' and drop dose too fast, thats all@@jaimeleecreta8098
Wrong place pal, don't you dare come here and say that ignorant comment. This man is helping thousands avoid serious irrevisble damage. You sound like you have a personal problem that needs to be addressed.
OR: I am now on 20mg Escilatopram/Lexapro. I want to lose the weight I gained on them, ca 40 Pounds😅, and go off. I asked my doc for 10 mg's and 5's. No need for liquids. I will VERY SLOWLY, (Cause been on them for about 5 years) go down like this. First month from 20- 17.5. (I will take 1×10 mg, 1×5mg and then cut 1- 5 mg in half and take that. For a month. Then I will be down 2.5. If I need to go slower I will. Then, if all goes to plan- I will in November go and do the same. From 17.5mg down to 15mg. 1×10 and 1×5mg pr day for a month etc. December I will NOT REMOVE ANYTHING since I want to have a nice holiday etc. I will wait untill after the first week og January. Then I will go from 15mg-12.5mg. I will then take 1×10mg and a half 5 mg. For a month ca. In February I will go down to 10. I will stay on 10 for about 2 months or so, to see how I feel. BUT I will take my time. After that I will go down to 7.5mg. I will take 1×5mg and a half 5mg. After a month or so, I will go down to 5. Then again down to 2.5. I will stay there for maybe 2 months and then go off. Hope this can help someone.
How did it go?