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(depression) My SSRI weaning schedule
How I'm weaning off SSRIs with only 5 pills left, and why
Date: 1/30/2006 10:05:59 AM ( 18 y ) ... viewed 3602 times I've been on an SSRI for about 4 years and I'm ready to come off them for several reasons.
My doctor is about an hour from my home. This may not seem like much, but juggling a household with kids and all our activities calls for better use of my time. I certainly could get a doctor within just a few miles of me and start a new prescription, but I just don't want to do this.
Firstly, I no longer have insurance. Paying OOP, out of pocket, would not completely break my bank, but it's another thing I don't want to do. The cost of travel, time, doctor's visit (to tell me everything I already know), and paying for a prescription is a bit much... totalling about $250 + for a one month supply.
Is this really why I want to quit the SSRI? Only a minor part of it all. This, tho, was the catalyst that got me on this train of thought. I *could* order a very similar SSRI online without a prescription, but yet another thing I don't want to do. I simply don't want to depend on these pills for the rest of my life. I don't want to be dependant upon them next year, next month.
I'd like to be that strong go-getter gal from 15 years ago who didn't let life get in her way. But guess what? She's still here and she's actually bigger and better than ever. She just needs to cope in different ways, as life has changed, circumstances have changed, and she's not some post-teenie bopper anymore.
All this said, I won't fool myself. If I need medication, I will take medication. If it means being on one SSRI or another for the next 5 years, then so be it. I'll do what's best for my health, especially knowing that my well-being affects all those closest to me.
In the meantime, I will try, and I will try hard.
The schedule
... is tight. As of January 24, 2006, I only had 5 pills left. I'm at the bottom of the barrel, so to speak. I know the withdrawal symptoms of coming off an SSRI.. been there, done it a couple of times. I was unprepared before but believe I'm ready this time.
Here's my schedule.. 5 pill breakdown:
January 24: whole pill
25: no pill
26: 1/2 pill
27: 1/2 pill
28: 1/2 pill
29: 1/4 pill
30: 1/4 pill
31: 1/4 pill
February 1: 1/4 pill
02: 1/4 pill
03: 1/4 pill
04: 1/4 pill
05: 1/8 pill
06: 1/8 pill
07: 1/8 pill
08: 1/8 pill
09: 1/8 pill
10: 1/8 pill
11: 1/8 pill
12: 1/8 pill
13: 1/8 pill
14: 1/8 pill
15: 1/8 pill
16: 1/8 pill
17: 1/8 pill
18: 1/8 pill
19: 1/8 pill
20: 1/8 pill
21: 1/8 pill
22: 1/8 pill
23: 1/8 pill
The day with no pill is no big deal for me. I often skip a day, remembering to take it when dizziness sets in.
I opted to continue 1/2 pill through the 28th due to increasing PMS. Just felt it would be a bad time to decrease too much.
The 29th - 4th allows me one full week at 1/4 pill. During this week I may begin altering the time I take the pill from morning to evening. This may actually extend the full weaning time a bit. I will only try this later in the week.
I have two full weeks at 1/8 pill. This is not set in stone, as I can slice even 1/8th of this small pill into slivers. A sliver may not seem like much, but the effects of these pills can be powerful. So for the last one to two weeks, I may begin taking 1/8th pill every other day or begin slicing the 1/8 down to 1/16 as tolerated.
Overall this gives me around a month's worth of weaning time. This is still short compared to what's really best, but it's better late than never.
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