Go slower?

[grandmaD]

My recently dilemma was whether to go even slower. I crashed after 4 months doing a 5% taper over a year ago, but was informed that it was because of all the up/down dosing in previous 4 years when I was trying to get off (by myself). I took 3 months to "stabilise" but realised that was not long enough.

ANyway, I began tapering, usually taking 11-12 weeks. At least 10 weeks before I saw any imporvement. I got very concerned and agitated because I saw the normal was 4-6 weeks and many people doing it every 3 or weeks.

I was encouraged by another member after 11 weeks (when I was too scared to drop) to drop anyway. And I had a very good 4 weeks and tapered after 4 weeks! To this day, I still don't know if I had weighed the tablets wrong or something, it was so weird.

Anyway, the next taper was again 11 weeks and so I thought I should go slower (2.5%) but people advised against it. I decided to keep to the 5% for the next 2 drops and see how I do.

I have read that as time goes by the drops get better, and I couldn't see that happening in the first 12 months, but perhaps I was still stabilising as well as tapering due to the messing around the previous 4 years. So I am hoping this next 12 months might be better.

What do others think?

By the way, I thought I was going to taper off the WHOLE TABLET IN THAT FIRST 12 months and that also led to my discouragement and despondency! I now realise it is going to take another 5 or 6 years at this rate. NOT happy about that, but have no choice as I am determined to get off it and learnt the hard way that there is no other way.

[Luc]

Hey, GrandmaD, I moved your two most recent threads "Go slower?" and "Weighing Tablets" to the Tapering section of the forum. :) I will answer re them soon, and the others will have more ideas, too.

[Luc]

Since I'm a double c/t guy and I have never done any taper myself (I didn't know better at the time), my advice hinges on what I've read so far and my intuition. The taper may differ from person to person a lot, thus the most important thing is to listen to your body as much as possible. If you felt reasonably ok going down with the dose faster, perhaps continuing this would be a viable option. In case the symptoms worsened, you will go back to the previous method. There's indeed quite many people who feel better when well into the taper.

[Sheila]

It's a good question you're asking, gD. It *is* a dilemma, because sometimes a person will do better by going even slower, and sometimes they'll do better by just taking the next drop after a reasonable wait.

You may need to experiment, now that you have gotten farther away from the up-and-down dosing period of your life, and see, after a couple of trials of each method, which seems to work better for you.

You do want to try to listen to your body, and be flexible about your taper schedule. And you do want to try to avoid drops in the middle of a lot of stressful events going on. But, the fact is, some people never stabilize that well after a drop, and they have to just proceed slowly anyway.

I don't think we can predict whether the drops will get easier or harder as you go down. There may even be a range where they're easier, followed by a range when they're harder, followed by a range when they're easier, etc.

I so understand your frustration and comparing yourself to others, but I think it would be in your interests to work on letting go of time frames and amounts, and just concentrate on slowly moving forward, listening to your body, and continuing to learn all that there is to learn from this process you're going through. The goal is *not* to get off faster. The goal is to heal. You may get a lot more healing from going slower.

[stan]

hi Grandma,

there is here Angie who after 14 years taken has tapered over 4/5 years, the important is her taper was a success;
i tapered over 11 months, i have taken 13 years, i have also success in taper, but i have much suffered;

if i had to do it today, i would do a taper over 2 years, but not 4 or 5 years,
why? to not prolonge the taper, as i am near 62 years; and i would know i will suffer...

[grandmaD]

Thanks for your replies. I am considering doing some experimenting, but for the time being I will do this drop and perhaps another drop at the 5% rate. Whether I will try and shorten the time frame to less than 11 weeks will depend on how I am feeling, I guess. Is that right? Or have others just dropped at a certain time fram and found it worked depsite feeling crap?

[Luc]

I think it'd be worth exploring the slightly faster route (Stan is right). If the symptoms intensify, you will simply slow down. Congrats on lowering it down to 6.6!

[grandmaD]

the most important thing is to listen to your body as much as possible. If you felt reasonably ok going down with the dose faster, perhaps continuing this would be a viable option. In case the symptoms worsened, you will go back to the previous method. There's indeed quite many people who feel better when well into the taper.

Okay, so I need to listen to my body... This is tricky, because some symptoms improve over the weeks while others get worse ... anyway, will see how I go this taper.
I would like to think I am one of those who get better as they get more into their tapers. THis is my 5th taper. Good advice, thanks!

[grandmaD]

You may need to experiment, now that you have gotten farther away from the up-and-down dosing period of your life, and see, after a couple of trials of each method, which seems to work better for you.

You do want to try to listen to your body, and be flexible about your taper schedule. And you do want to try to avoid drops in the middle of a lot of stressful events going on. But, the fact is, some people never stabilize that well after a drop, and they have to just proceed slowly anyway.

I don't think we can predict whether the drops will get easier or harder as you go down. There may even be a range where they're easier, followed by a range when they're harder, followed by a range when they're easier, etc.

I so understand your frustration and comparing yourself to others, but I think it would be in your interests to work on letting go of time frames and amounts, and just concentrate on slowly moving forward, listening to your body, and continuing to learn all that there is to learn from this process you're going through. The goal is *not* to get off faster. The goal is to heal. You may get a lot more healing from going slower.

Thank you for more good advice! I have read it all again. I need to re-read all the time as I forget! Esp. as I keep wanting to get off faster! I hear you about going slower, but I dont like it!

Okay, I have to have a new goal - to heal, right? I will think about that. Thanks!

[grandmaD]

hi Grandma,

there is here Angie who after 14 years taken has tapered over 4/5 years, the important is her taper was a success;
i tapered over 11 months, i have taken 13 years, i have also success in taper, but i have much suffered;

if i had to do it today, i would do a taper over 2 years, but not 4 or 5 years,
why? to not prolonge the taper, as i am near 62 years; and i would know i will suffer...

Are you saying you took the meds for 13 years?