Posted by bleauberry on December 21, 2008, at 17:27:13
In reply to Switching from Lexapro to Zoloft, posted by clm2007 on December 20, 2008, at 19:57:56
I do not like the idea of doing an abrupt switch with a history of being on a med for several years. That is too much of a shock. While the two meds do have the same end result, there are a lot of individual characteristics of each that do not overlap. They are different drugs. Different is different no matter how you look at it.
I switched from longtime Prozac to Lexapro, and then from Lexapro to Zoloft, and then back to Lexapro, and then full circle ended up on Prozac again. So I am well versed in that game.
The way I did it was with cross-tapering. That is, reducing the dose of the med being eliminated while at the same time introducing in low escalating doses the new med. So there is overlap. For example, a switch from 20mg lex to 50mg zoloft could look something like this:
15mg lex + 10mg zoloft for 4 days
12.5 lex + 15mg zoloft for 4 days
10mg lex + 15mg zoloft for 4 days
7.5mg lex + 20mg zoloft for 4 days
5mg lex + 25mg zoloft for 4 days
5mg lex + 35mg zoloft for 4 days
2.5mg lex + 35mg zoloft for 4 days
1mg lex + 50mg zoloft for 4 days
1mg lex every other day + 50mg zoloft for 8 daysNot those exact numbers, but you can see the pattern. One is going up, one is going down, small steps for both, sometimes staying level at one while the other changes, sometimes they both change at the same time.
You need a razor blade so you can cut these pills to custom sizes. They do not have to be exact. Actually, the error you make in trying to get exact sizes is to your benefit. It aids in the whole cross-taper overlap thing. Just get them as close as you can, but base all of it on what you are feeling. You may be able to faster and more aggressive, or you may find you need to go slower and more cautious.
And one final note. Don't fall for the insurance game and end up with generic zoloft. Get the real stuff. The potential for that to make a real difference is very real and worth the cost. If it all works well for you, try switching to a generic later on down the road. But for now, insist on brand name Zoloft.
poster:bleauberry
thread:869932
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081214/msgs/870136.html