View Single Post
 
Old Oct 21, 2011, 03:52 PM
Anonymous45023
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Quote:
Originally Posted by sugahorse View Post
Just go slowly and be honest with yourself about what you are feeling. If you start getting SICK-seek help...
Couldn't possibly have put it better... (And a good reminder, as honest can be hard to do when determined to do something. At least for me(!)...)
Glad to hear you are not waiting until January to see them, Trippin'. That is far too long to wait. (And to echo the eternal lament..."What the hell are they thinking?!)

Here are the pages I mentioned. They've recently revamped their site an I couldn't navigate it quite as well, but...

Lithium:
http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Lithium?from=Lithium.Lithium
Discontinuation is #9:
Your doctor should be recommending that you reduce your dosage by 300mg a day every five to six days, based on the 24 hour half-life, if not more slowly than that.

Risperdone:
http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/RisperdalBasicOverview?from=Risperidone.Risperidone
Discontinuation is #5.2:
Your doctor should be recommending that you reduce your dosage by 0.25 or 0.5mg a day every 4 to 5 days, if not more slowly than that. Like all antipsychotics, you can stop taking it all at once in an emergency situation (e.g. a life-threatening allergic reaction), but you should do that only under a doctor’s supervision.
Read more about taking and discontinuing Risperdal

Prozac:
http://www.crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Prozac?from=Prozac.Prozac
Discontinuation is #9:
Your doctor should be recommending that you reduce your dosage by 10–20mg a day every 3–4 four days, if not more slowly than that.
Now, if you’re one of the rare people who start to experience SSRI discontinuation syndrome then you will have to look at reducing your dosage by 10mg a day every week. If you’re prone to the worst effects of discontinuation syndrome be prepared for a longer time. It is highly unusual for anyone on Prozac to experience severe symptoms of SSRI discontinuation syndrome, but it has happened. Here’s where you really have to balance the suckiness of what you’re dealing with in the way of side effects or whatever is forcing you to stop vs. SSRI discontinuation syndrome, because you’re looking at reducing your dosage by 10mg a day every month.
If you’re taking Prozac Weekly you’ll have to switch to the regular flavor to step down, as weekly is one size fits all. However, that extra-long half-life tends to make discontinuation less harsh, so you’ll probably be able to to get off of Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) a lot sooner. In fact switching to Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) from another SSRI or Effexor (venlafaxine) is a good way of dealing with the discontinuation syndrome of the meds with the shorter half-lives. As Prozac comes in a liquid form, you can always switch to that to wean yourself off the last bit really slowly, ml by ml.

I've not been on any of these, so can't speak from personal experience. I have heard many times though that Prozac is probably the easiest SSRI to come off.