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Tapering

Gradual dose reduction strategies, schedules, and tapering methods.

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DiscussionSERT Occupancy Chart for SSRIs & SNRIs

**Why SERT occupancy matters when tapering** SERT (serotonin transporter) occupancy refers to the approximate percentage of serotonin transporters in...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·9d ago·0 replies·
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DiscussionHow to Cross-Taper from Tablet to Liquid

Directly switching from tablets to liquid can cause issues for some people, so therefore a gradual switch can provide a smoother transition that is be...

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Catina
CatinaStaff
·2mo ago·2 replies·
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DiscussionPreparing for a Taper: Setting Yourself up for Success

Tapering off psychiatric medication is not something to rush into. The more prepared you are before you begin, the smoother and safer your journey is ...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·4mo ago·0 replies·
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DiscussionAchieving Stabilization After Reinstatement or Updosing

When withdrawal symptoms become overwhelming, some people choose to reinstate (restart the medication after stopping) or updose (slightly increase the...

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Catina
CatinaStaff
·4mo ago·0 replies·
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DiscussionHow to Calculate Your Bead Reductions

Bead counting is a practical and flexible way to taper medications that come in capsule form with small beads or pellets inside. This method allows fo...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·4mo ago·3 replies·
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DiscussionHow to Count Beads in a Capsule

Many extended-release medications come in capsules filled with tiny beads or pellets. Bead counting is a commonly used method to make small, controlle...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·4mo ago·1 replies·
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DiscussionHow to Use a Scale to Measure & Weigh Doses

When tapering psychiatric medications, precision matters. Many medications are not designed to be reduced in tiny, consistent amounts, which makes usi...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·4mo ago·0 replies·
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DiscussionHow to Talk to Your Doctor About Tapering

*If you can't find a qualified deprescribing provider and you need to approach the subject with your own doctor, this guide will help to prepare you.*...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·5mo ago·4 replies·
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DiscussionReinstatement

Reinstatement refers to restarting a psychiatric medication after withdrawal symptoms emerge, with the goal of reducing those symptoms and helping the...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·5mo ago·3 replies·
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DiscussionMicrotapering

Microtapering is a method of gradually reducing psychiatric medications in very small, incremental steps rather than making larger percentage reductio...

Catina
CatinaStaff
·5mo ago·2 replies·
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DiscussionNew To Tapering? Start Here — The Most Important Things To Know

Whether you're planning your first reduction or three years into a slow taper, this is a good place to get oriented. The single most important concep...

Based Psychiatrist
Based PsychiatristStaff
·5mo ago·2 replies·

ARTICLEWhat to Do When Your Doctor Refuses to Help You Taper

If your doctor refuses to help you taper, the single most effective next move is to put the request in writing and ask for a documented response. A wr...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·23h ago·1 replies·

DiscussionProzac bridge from Cymbalta

Hello everyone. Today is day 1 on 10mg Prozac. My bio will give the details of all the drugs I've been on and am still on over the past couple years. ...

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Flyguy10
·3d ago·1 replies·

ARTICLERitalin and Concerta (Methylphenidate) Withdrawal: What to Expect

Stopping [Ritalin](/drugs/ritalin) or Concerta (methylphenidate) after regular use often triggers a rebound: crushing fatigue, flat mood, and a return...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·5d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLESuboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Tapering: Why the Last Milligrams Are the Hardest

Suboxone, the brand name combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, is one of the most effective medications for opioid use disorder, and one of the h...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·6d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEStopping Lithium (Lithobid): Rebound Mania Risk and Why Slow Matters

[Lithium](/drugs/lithium), sold under the brand name Lithobid and generically as lithium carbonate, is one of the few psychiatric medications where st...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·9d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEBuspar (Buspirone) Discontinuation: Does It Cause Withdrawal?

Buspirone, sold under the brand name Buspar, is an anxiolytic used for generalized anxiety disorder. Unlike benzodiazepines, it is not a controlled su...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·10d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEHow to Track Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (and Why It Helps)

Tracking withdrawal symptoms is one of the most useful things you can do while tapering off an antidepressant, and one of the most overlooked. Antidep...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·13d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEAmitriptyline (Elavil) Withdrawal and Tapering: Managing the Cholinergic Rebound

Amitriptyline, sold under the brand name Elavil, is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) prescribed for depression, chronic pain, migraine prevention, and...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·14d ago·0 replies·

DiscussionHypothesis on Nervous System Adaptation During SSRI Withdrawal

During my sertraline taper, I repeatedly observed an unexpected pattern: while reducing the dose continuously by approximately 0.5% per day, I experie...

Bettoben
Bettoben
·15d ago·4 replies·

DiscussionA fascinating page-turner! 🤗

![image](/api/post-images/113b32f9-e956-4232-9393-5ab5b1b35f7c) I just want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has spent years collecting, ...

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Duloxi84
·15d ago·2 replies·

ARTICLELyrica (Pregabalin) Withdrawal: Why It Can Feel Like Benzo Withdrawal

Pregabalin, sold under the brand name [Lyrica](/drugs/lyrica), is prescribed for nerve pain, fibromyalgia, and generalized anxiety disorder, and it wo...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·17d ago·1 replies·

ARTICLEAmbien (Zolpidem) Withdrawal: Rebound Insomnia and How to Taper

Zolpidem, sold under the brand name [Ambien](/drugs/ambien), is a "Z-drug" sedative-hypnotic prescribed for short-term insomnia. It is not a benzodiaz...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·18d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEAdderall (Mixed Amphetamine Salts) Withdrawal: The Crash, the Fatigue, and Coming Off

Adderall (mixed amphetamine salts) withdrawal happens because the brain has adjusted to a steady supply of extra dopamine and norepinephrine, and need...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·20d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEVyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine) Withdrawal: The Crash, the Timeline, and How to Taper

Stopping [Vyvanse](/drugs/vyvanse) (lisdexamfetamine) after regular use often triggers a stimulant crash: exhaustion, flat mood, and a pull back towar...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·21d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEHow Do You Calculate a Safe Taper Schedule?

Calculating a taper schedule means deciding how much of a dose to cut, and how often, without triggering withdrawal symptoms. The most common mistake ...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·22d ago·0 replies·

DiscussionTapering quetiapine (my first question here)

Hi, My first post/question on this forum. My son restarted his quetiapine taper 1 month ago. He came from 600 mg three years ago. He suffered PWS for...

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Stefan
·24d ago·7 replies·

ARTICLEPristiq (Desvenlafaxine) Withdrawal: Why the "One Dose" Design Makes Tapering Hard

Pristiq (desvenlafaxine) withdrawal has a reputation among patients and prescribers for being unusually rough, and the drug's own design is a big part...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·24d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEHow to Taper Off Effexor XR (Venlafaxine): Counting Beads and Going Slow

Venlafaxine ([Effexor](/drugs/effexor) XR) has one of the roughest withdrawal profiles of any antidepressant, and the reason is pharmacological, not p...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·25d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEZoloft (Sertraline) Withdrawal: Symptoms, Timeline, and How to Taper

[Zoloft](/drugs/zoloft) withdrawal, also called sertraline discontinuation syndrome, happens when the body has adapted to a steady level of serotonin ...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·26d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEHow to Taper Off Paxil (Paroxetine): One of the Hardest SSRIs to Quit

Tapering off [Paxil](/drugs/paxil) (paroxetine) usually takes 6 months to 2 years, not the 2 to 4 weeks most prescribers suggest. Paroxetine has the s...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·27d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEHow to Taper Off Prozac (Fluoxetine): Why the Long Half-Life Changes Everything

Most people can taper off [Prozac](/drugs/prozac) (fluoxetine) by reducing 10% of their current dose every 4 weeks, then slowing down further below 5 ...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·28d ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEAntidepressant Taper Calculator: How to Size Each Dose Reduction

An antidepressant taper calculator does one job well: it sizes each dose reduction as a percentage of your *current* dose, usually around 10 percent, ...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·1mo ago·0 replies·

Check-in1st Prozac Update - Feeling Okay

Feeling okay. Been having bouts of fatigue and crying spells.

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TahoeCat
·1mo ago·2 replies·

Check-in27th Depakote Update - Feeling Good

Feeling good. Been having bouts of appetite changes. The only side effects I get from Prozac are the three most common ones. Going next month to the...

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Wolf
·1mo ago·1 replies·

ARTICLETapering Schedule Calculators: How to Use Them and Which Ones Work

A tapering schedule calculator takes your current dose and works out each reduction as a small percentage of that dose, usually 5 to 10 percent every ...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·1mo ago·0 replies·

ARTICLEWere You Warned About Antidepressant Withdrawal? Why Most People Weren't

Most people were not warned that antidepressant withdrawal could be severe, long-lasting, or hard to distinguish from relapse. In a 2019 survey of wit...

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Based PsychiatristStaff
·1mo ago·0 replies·

Check-inChange Of Plans. Feeling Good

Feeling good. I will speed up my appointment and suggest Zyprexa -25%. Next must be Depakote -50%, but I would not risk doing it that soon. I will si...

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Wolf
·1mo ago·1 replies·

DiscussionLexapro 20 to 15 mg since 8 weeks - Withdrawal antidepressant not so simple

Hello everyone,I am opening this discussion to share my experience and connect with those who are at the same stage. I am 43 years old and I have just...

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Gilles_BE
·1mo ago·3 replies·

Check-in1st Seroquel Update - Feeling Great

Feeling great. Been having bouts of nausea. Occasional heart racing but getting better after 10 days of dropping dose:

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Mom2gnj
·1mo ago·2 replies·

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