How to Reduce Dosage Properly If I Want to Transition or Go off Medication?

First scenario is when I want to go off medication. If I am taking 5mg should I take the next lower amount i.e. 2.5mg consistently for 2 weeks or alternate between 5mg and 2.5mg. Day 5mg and day 2.5mg or 4 days 5mg and 1 days 2.5mg, then decrease i.e. 3 days 5mg and 2 days 2.5mg, 2 days 5mg and 3 days 2.5mg and until I slowly replace 5mg entirely with 2.5mg?

Second scenario is when I want to transition to another medication. I do this like what I described above, except alternating with new medication and starting with small doses and increasing until I get to the dosage prescribed by psychiatrist? Like if I was prescribed 5mg, do I start with 2.5mg and gradually go up?

Thanks!

Depends on the medication honestly. Some meds have godawful withdrawals and need to be tapered off veeeeeery slowly. Other meds can be tapered off fairly quickly.

I think you should ask your pdoc what he or she thinks is best for you. It's a very individual thing and depends on the type of med (as I said above).

But for what it's worth, I have done the alternating thing and I have done the consistently for 2 weeks thing. I did that with Lexapro and both methods didn't work because the withdrawal was too much for me to handle... but I did it all under the supervision of my pdoc since he's far more knowledgeable about these things than I am.

I have never met a Doctor (pdoc or otherwise) that know the slightest thing about psyche drug withdrawal. They all want to do it WAY too fast and they also think there are no such things as withdrawal symptoms.

But as Blue mentioned it depends on the drug and also the person. But no matter what do it slowly. I just quit taking Cymbalta and the doc wanted me to do it in 3 weeks, I said "no way" and I did it myself taking 3.5 months and I still experienced some withdrawal effects.

Benzobuddies is a good place to look for how to withdraw from various meds, not just benzos. You can also get a free copy of the withdrawal handbook "Harm Reduction Guide" (just Google it it).

Second thing you want to do (switch meds) sounds like you have the right idea but I have no idea about dosages to do it properly, again benzobuddies should have something.

Well I disagree. The ONLY manner in which you should be weaning yourself off of medications is under a doctor's care.

Ripose, I apologise but just how many psychiatrists then have you known in your experience. Are you really prepared to say then that all are the same?

I agree with you. You need to talk to your pdoc about this and he can help you come up with a safe plan to reduce meds. If you don't have a doctor willing to at least discuss this with you, then you might need to consider finding a different doctor. However, you also need to be willing to listen to the pdoc's reasoning/plan.

My pdocs have been very knowledgeable about withdrawal issues and able to find ways to get through those phases with as little discomfort as possible. They have also been willing to listen to my needs, hear me out, and once I was stable and able truly manage on fewer meds and/or smaller doses, very helpful and supportive in assisting me to reduce meds. (With my pdocs help, I am now on no meds at all, but it required communication and cooperation from both of us.) As far as transitioning from one med to another goes, I would guess your pdoc would give you instructions for how best to go about doing this. Much depends on the meds involved, so please ask your pdoc.

Of course ideally one should be working with a pdoc to get off of meds, but that is not always what happens. My pdoc is much more knowledgeable and careful in how to safely go up in dose to a therapeutic level than he is in tapering down/going off them, and if I did decide to get off them he would not support that decision which would mean i would be on my own.

And pharmaceutical companies make lots of "starter packs" of psychiatric meds to slowly increase the dose but I have never heard of a "stopper pack" existing. I am not anti-meds but if I am being totally honest, they don't make it easy to get off of this ****.

Anyway I hope u can get your pdoc to help you with this; if not be safe and go slow. I agree with another poster re looking into websites/online forums that are solely dedicated to getting off of medications. Best of luck. Be safe.

Different meds require different tapering methods to reduce and/or discontinue. I agree with the others that you should work with your psychiatrist to do this. If not, find a tapering schedule online and follow that. If you're switching to another med, you can often schedule a "crossover" strategy to reduce one and start the other at the same time.

I was at the appointment and was told that Olanzapine/Zyprexa does not come in 2.5mg. I asked what if I would split tablet in half but it felt he was not very sure about efficacy of that. Does this method cause stomach issues, especially in people who have mild gastritis?

He acknowledged weight gain that above medication causes and mentioned medication that I can't recall now. I think he told me that replacing Zyprexa with this medication will require blood monitoring . For now we let Zyprexa at 5mg but I am thinking of either going 2.5mg or still finding alternative. Could Viepax or Seroquel be?

When I asked about Lithium (medication?) he told me that if I start taking it, I will have to keep taking it for the lifetime which made me concerned. There is also Lamictal I heard about but forgot to ask him about. Is it Lithium alternative?

Is providing personal phone number qualifies for good pdoc? Mine did not provide it to me and now that I have questions I just have public number that I use to schedule appointment. Next appointment is in month and half.

Sometimes makes me wonder if they are working together...
Did your pdoc at least shown some interest judging by your conversation with him for reducing dose? Have you ever had conversation about alternative ways of helping/managing condition?

Is crossover something that I schedule with pdoc first?

Hey. I'm glad u have gotten to see ur pdoc. I have never had a pdoc who give me their personal phone # or that I could reach outside office hours. My current one has an emergency line but It pretty much just says to go to the ER.

I take lamictal. I think it helps me and I have no side effects I can think of from it. It is most known for helping with bipolar depression and mood stsbilization, but I don't think it really is an anti-manic drug. Not totally sure though.

When I brought up the possibility of experimenting with lowering meds a year or so ago after I had felt pretty stable, my doctor freaked the **** out. He raised his voice and was like "you've got to be kidding me?!" I tried to explain that since summer was coming up I thought it would be a good time to try it (I don't work in the summer). Anyway let's just say it didn't go well. Which made me realize if I ever do decidE I want to try reducing them I am on my own or need to find another pdoc. I think he pretty much said if I wasn't on medication there was no point to keep seeing him or something like that...
I'm not feeling stable enough right now so have no plans to change meds but I would eventually like to see if I could at least come off the Wellbutrin. Being on an AD long term doesn't have that great outcomes according to stuff I have read. Idk.

I hope you find a med combo that works for you. Good luck. Take care. Be safe.

Lithium for life???

WHAT???!!!
Tell your Pdoc I say he should stop going to work high.

He has it backward, lithium needs to be discontinued at a certain age due to its tendency to damage your kidneys, so its not recommended for people over 60 or some shyt like that, coz they might end up on dialysis. Idk the exact age, so please don't quote me.

Olanzapine does come in a 2.5mg dose. He does not understand the efficacy of 2.5mg tablets? Perhaps he was talking about as it relates to your personal situation. I think that this dosage level can have efficacy for some. It did for my mother. JMO No expert here.

[snip]

You would have to take it for a lifetime? I think your pdoc was trying to say that taking lithium for a lifetime has its health issues.

I do not know of any doctor that provides personal telephone numbers. IMHO this is a good practice for them.

IMO you should schedule all ramping up or down of meds with pdoc.

FWIW

Tucson

That's what I need actually because I don't have mania. Because I have psychosis the pdoc prescribed me Zyprexa. I am not sure that I even have psychosis but I do have schizophrenia. Are these mutually exclusive though?

I will ask him about Lamictal next time.