Posted by 49er on September 15, 2009, at 18:30:31
In reply to Discontinuation: How do you know?, posted by zana on September 14, 2009, at 15:52:04
> I have a major depressive disorder which is being treated with a slew of meds. I have listed them before; here goes again:
> Pristiq 100mgs- good response at first; less good now.
> Wellbutrin 300mgs- helps with sexual side effects and energy but probably increases anxiety.
> Remeron 45mgs- I sleep like a log but noticed no AD effect though it is thought to be a good combo with Pristiq.
> Seroquel 150mgs- got me out of bed when I was at my worst but never made me feel good.
> Rispedal 1mg- when I try to decrease it my thoughts darken.
> Klonopin 3mgs- started when I was in an agitated depression.
> Provigil 200mgs- improves my mood, gets me going.
> Gabapentin 600mgs- takes the edge off the provigil.
> I keep trying to decrease the doses of the seroquel and the rispedal. When I lower the seroquel 25mgs, I become weepy after about 5 days. When I lower the dose or respedal, my thoughts darken after about 5 days.
> MY QUESTION IS: How do I know what is a withdrawal symptom and what is a re-emergence of my depression? Do I just tough it out and see if the weeping lessens over time? How long do I give it?
> I really want to decrease the meds I am on but I'm stuck at this point.
> Any help?
> Thanks for reading the too long post.
> ZanaZana,
It definitely sounds like withdrawal if symptoms are occuring only after 5 days.
Pick whichever med you want to reduce first and taper by 10% of current dose every 3 to 6 weeks. With the antipsychotics, you might have to go more slowly but you could start with 10%,
I would only taper one med at a time and leave the sleep meds for last
49er
49er
poster:49er
thread:917067
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090912/msgs/917266.html