Posted by 49er on November 15, 2009, at 1:18:47
In reply to Re: Peter Breggin » Alexanderfromdenmark, posted by SLS on November 14, 2009, at 19:07:20
<<However, some people advocate discontinuing antidepressants and benzodiazepines by reducing the dosage at a rate of 10% every 3-4 weeks. If one were to begin to taper from a dosage of Lexapro of 40mg beginning today, he would not reach the endpoint until early 2011. And still, it is very likely that one would experience some withdrawal symptoms upon each dosage reduction. What's that all about? I don't understand it. I have yet to see a clinical study supporting such an algorithm. I only see accounts of people who still suffer during these protracted taper periods. The funny thing is, when confronted with a case like this, their answer is to cut back to 5% reductions. >>
I guess you are talking about me:) By the way, in another post, you criticized me for confronting a position you took as you said you didn't criticize me directly. I thought you had a good point but now you're kind of doing the same thing.
I have never said that tapering slowly means that you will be completely free of withdrawal symptoms. But based on how I have seen people suffer horribly on this board from tapering too fast, I will bet their symptoms would be alot less if they slowed down.
What difference does it make how long it takes? The person who takes 3 weeks. vs. the person who takes 3 years may actually suffer longer than the person who took 3 years. So really, no time is saved.
Tapering slowly gives your brain time to adjust to the neurochemical changes these drugs have made throughout the body. This isn't an issue of lowering a drug like Tylenol.
There isn't a clinical study because drug companies have no interest in studying withdrawal and psychiatrists keep advocating tapering schedules according to what the drug companies say. Not all of them but quite a few.
All I know SLS is if I had tapered the way my psychiatrist wanted me to which would have have been alot faster, there is no way I would have been as successful in tapering off of my meds. I would probably still be on all of them.
People on the Paxil Progress boards who tapered slowly are doing alot better than the folks who cold turkeyed or tapered too quickly. Many people who cold turkeyed or tapered too quickly said they wish they had found Paxil Progress Boards.
Anyway, to relate this thread back to the original comment, while I mentioned alot of good things Breggin has done, one of my criticisms ironically is that people like him aren't very helpful as far as helping people get off of meds.
49er
poster:49er
thread:925110
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20091107/msgs/925785.html