Juy 27, 2011
4. Newblog2011: 07/27/11 Don't stop taking medication abruptly.
I've done some writing about how destructive I found psychiatric medication to be. However, it's important not to stop taking it all at once. Various people say various things about the process of tapering off medication. The more that you're taking, and the longer that you've been taking it, the more difficult, lengthy and painful the process of ceasing to take it will be. There's information in books and on the Web about how to do it; as with anything on the Web, doing some research and trying to find the sources that seem the most thoughtful and reliable will result in the fewest problems.
When I did it a few years ago, I found that the doctor's timetable was too short; I had an adverse reaction and ended up in the hospital for a few weeks. Before I got out, the doctors at the hospital told me to stop taking the medications they'd put me on while I was in the hospital one at a time when I got out. I went to a pharmacist and asked what to do; she gave me a tiered approach to it. It was a very gradual reduction, something like this:
Say you're taking 1 pill a day. Take 1 pill for two days, then 3/4 of a pill for one day, then 1 pill for two days, then 3/4 of a pill for one day, then 1 pill for 1 day, then 3/4.....
and then eventually it will be more like:
3/4 of a pill for two days, and then 1/2 of a pill for one day.....
the same pattern.
That's an example; it doesn't have to be exactly that way. You could feel weird after taking 3/4 of a pill, and then go three days taking one pill a day before having a 3/4 day again.
I went through a lot that summer a few years ago; one of the medications I'd been taking for about 3 years didn't want me to stop taking it. I threw up a lot when I was trying to stop taking that one. It took several months to be off all of them, and then it took me about a year to get used to having to watch where I was going and what I was doing. When I was on them, everything about me was desensitized; I'd bump into things and not feel it, and only later notice that I had a bruise.
I'm writing this because I know that a lot of people read my blog, and that probably at least some of them will stop taking medication because of things I've written before today. I don't want those people to get hurt, so I'm writing this now.
4. Newblog2011: 07/27/11 Don't stop taking medication abruptly.
Copyright L. Kochman 07/27/11 @ 1:36 p.m./final edit@ 1:40 p.m.
4. Newblog2011: 07/27/11 Don't stop taking medication abruptly.
I've done some writing about how destructive I found psychiatric medication to be. However, it's important not to stop taking it all at once. Various people say various things about the process of tapering off medication. The more that you're taking, and the longer that you've been taking it, the more difficult, lengthy and painful the process of ceasing to take it will be. There's information in books and on the Web about how to do it; as with anything on the Web, doing some research and trying to find the sources that seem the most thoughtful and reliable will result in the fewest problems.
When I did it a few years ago, I found that the doctor's timetable was too short; I had an adverse reaction and ended up in the hospital for a few weeks. Before I got out, the doctors at the hospital told me to stop taking the medications they'd put me on while I was in the hospital one at a time when I got out. I went to a pharmacist and asked what to do; she gave me a tiered approach to it. It was a very gradual reduction, something like this:
Say you're taking 1 pill a day. Take 1 pill for two days, then 3/4 of a pill for one day, then 1 pill for two days, then 3/4 of a pill for one day, then 1 pill for 1 day, then 3/4.....
and then eventually it will be more like:
3/4 of a pill for two days, and then 1/2 of a pill for one day.....
the same pattern.
That's an example; it doesn't have to be exactly that way. You could feel weird after taking 3/4 of a pill, and then go three days taking one pill a day before having a 3/4 day again.
I went through a lot that summer a few years ago; one of the medications I'd been taking for about 3 years didn't want me to stop taking it. I threw up a lot when I was trying to stop taking that one. It took several months to be off all of them, and then it took me about a year to get used to having to watch where I was going and what I was doing. When I was on them, everything about me was desensitized; I'd bump into things and not feel it, and only later notice that I had a bruise.
I'm writing this because I know that a lot of people read my blog, and that probably at least some of them will stop taking medication because of things I've written before today. I don't want those people to get hurt, so I'm writing this now.
4. Newblog2011: 07/27/11 Don't stop taking medication abruptly.
Copyright L. Kochman 07/27/11 @ 1:36 p.m./final edit@ 1:40 p.m.