Posted by SLS on August 5, 2005, at 7:57:51
In reply to Re: Luvox withdrawal. Any advice?, posted by vitalsign0 on August 4, 2005, at 17:35:40
> > The first thing I would do would be to take the medication several times a day rather than once a day.
> >
> > If that helps, then you can perhaps use a dosing schedule that is more flexible. One strategy is to not take any medication until you feel the withdrawal symptoms begin to emerge. You should find that the interval between dosing will become longer and longer. It would be advantageous to be able to divide your medication into even smaller doses. Once the interval between 12.5mg doses exceeds 10 hours, you might want to try using smaller doses that allows the withdrawal symptoms to emerge between 6-8 hours after each dose, and continue the process from there.
> >
> > How small a dose can you divide your pills into?
> I can split the pill into 2 25mgs halves. Then into 12.5mgs. Anything lower than that and the pills just crumple into dust.I use to just nibble off small pieces with my teeth. Precision really isn't necessary when using the flexible-dosing strategy I have found success with. If you can get a small supply of the smaller 25mg tablets, it would make things easier. However, you might end up having an easy enough time not to need them.
> So you are saying try taking 12.5 doses 3x a day and only take a dose when the withdrawal appears?Exactly. You use Luvox as a PRN as needed in a way similar to using aspirin whenever a headache appears. However, don't allow the withdrawal symptoms to persist for more than 30-60 minutes before taking your next dose. It is important to wait until symptoms appear so that the system is "nudged" in the direction of re-regulation. It also guarantees that you are reducing the dosage of the drug at a rate equivalent to that of the body's ability to adjust.
From what I can see, people who go "cold turkey" and discontinue their SRI antidepressants abruptly experience an intense and protracted episode of withdrawal syndrome that can last weeks beyond their taking their last dose of medication. This might be the result of a kindling effect, something that is precipitated by allowing the withdrawal symptoms to persist for too long. In other words, don't be a hero. Trying to withstand the withdrawal syndrome for more than 30-60 minutes hurts rather than helps.
Ideally, you should now find the minimum dosage that will prevent withdrawal symptoms from appearing for approximately 6-8 hours. You should be taking small amounts of Luvox 3-4 times a day. This helps prevent the sharp peaks and valleys in blood concentration that once a day dosing produces. You will then find that it takes less and less medication to produce the 6-8 hour symptomless period. I wasn't quite so precise when discontinuing Effexor and Ativan. I just estimated the doses and erred on the side of undermedication rather than over medication. I knew that I could always take a little more if I needed it. Because Luvox comes in tablets rather than capsules, you have the convenience of breaking off small pieces.
Using the flexible-dosing method, I have been able to withdraw from Effexor 300mg on multiple occasions. I have also used it successfully to discontinue Ativan 4.0mg.
You might want to first try another method of reducing your dosage of Luvox. The most difficult part of the process is the last 25% of the original dosage. It is this last 25% for which I find the flexible-dosing method most appropriate to utilize. Flexibility gives you control over the drug and over your body. You can be creative in how you go about administering a declining dosage of medication, as long as you follow the fundamental plan of waiting for the reappearance of withdrawal symptoms before taking your next small dose.
Sometimes my explanations are not very clear. Please ask questions.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:537494
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050712/msgs/537780.html