The Taper

Successfully reduce the medication by 5% every 14 days for three reductions – then increase the reduction amount to 10% every 14 days throughout the rest of the taper.

People have told me that the 10% reduction every 14 days is far too slow. When I responded, “How long have you been trying to get off the medication?” the answer was usually a few years without success. This is where slow and steady wins the race every time.

Again, if you had a problem in the past with tapering off the medication, use the 5% reduction schedule first, have some success and then move to the 10% reduction. Successfully reduce the medication at least 3 times, see for yourself that you can do this and still feel well, and then you and your physician should decide if you should reduce the medication at a larger reduction.

Make sure you work with the prescribing physician before changing the dosage of your medication.

If you are taking a medication that is time release or called extended release, you will need to switch over to the non-time release tablet or liquid. When you switch over, count the switch as a reduction and do not begin to lower the dosage for 14 days after the change is made.

Important Points of the Taper

• Ask your physician to write a prescription to accommodate a 5% reduction. You will need to use a compounding pharmacy to fill this prescription.

• Never skip any days taking your medication.

• Always take your medication at the same time each day.

• If you take your medication more than once each day, make sure the total reduction of the medication is no more than 5% or the 10% reduction during the last part of the taper.

• Take each supplement at least half an hour apart from the drug, but ideally, 1 hour apart. It is much better to take the supplements 1 hour after taking the drug, instead of before the drug.

• Continue with your supplements at the same times and amounts established during the pre-taper.

• Take each supplement at the same time each day.

• Continue taking your supplements at least 45 days after you take the last dosage of your medication.

• Remember fill out your Daily Journal each day and keep taking all of the supplements exactly as you were at the end of the pre-taper.

Taper Procedure:

1. Keep taking all supplements exactly as you did at the end of the pre-taper throughout the taper process.

2. Keep your Daily Journal up to date each day.

3. Compound medication.

4. Reduce medication by 5% every 14 days, at least during the first 3 reductions.

5. Only reduce the medication every 14 days.

6. Make sure you have at least 7 consecutive days of feeling very well before reducing the medication again. If this requires you to reduce the medication every 21 days, do that.

7. Never skip any days of taking medication.

8. After 3 successful reductions at 5% and fourteen days have passed begin reducing by 10% every 14 days.

Tapering can be this simple.

What to Do If Side Effects Begin

Withdrawal side effects can happen, but addressing them early and knowing what to do will usually keep them mild and short-lived.

Antidepressant “Electrical Brain Zaps”

The “electrical brain zaps” tend to occur when an antidepressant is reduced. If you are tapering off an antidepressant and begin to get the “brain zaps” (electrical jolt that tends to run from the base of the neck to the base of the skull) address them by doing the following:

• Start taking 5 Omega 3 Supreme in the morning and 5 at noon.

• Make sure you are taking 400 i.u. of vitamin E in the morning.

It is important to handle the “brain zaps” fully. If the above steps do not handle the “brain zaps” you should start taking the B vitamin biotin. Biotin helps the body assimilate fatty acids and the fatty acids found in Omega 3 are ultimately the best chance of handling the “brain zaps.”

Usually, the side effect will subside the same day or the next day with the increase of the Omega 3 Supreme.

If the head side effect remains mild, but is still present, continue taking the 5 softgels of Omega 3 Supreme until the symptom abates and then return to your previous amount of Omega 3 Supreme. Wait 7 full days and then continue with the taper.

If the head side effects are severe and you find it difficult to function in life due to the pain of the symptom, go back to the last dosage of the antidepressant before this reduction and remain there for 14 days. Going back to the last dosage should get rid of the “electrical zaps” quickly.

The next time you reduce the antidepressant and each reduction thereafter, increase the Omega 3 Supreme to 5 softgels in the morning and 5 softgels at noon 2 days before you reduce the medication, and remain at this level for 5 days after reducing the medication. This approach should avert the occurrence of the “electrical zaps.”

If the “electrical zaps” continue with this approach, you will need to lower the medication more slowly. Talk to your physician and get your pharmacist to find a way to fill the prescription to allow for a more gradual reduction. This will handle the taper for you.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Antipsychotic tapering side effects can include psychosis, hearing voices, seeing things that are not there or episodes of extreme aggression.

• Increasing the Body Calm Supreme has proven to be effective for these side effects.

• Increase the Body Calm Supreme to 1 capsule every 2 hours during the daytime and up to 3 capsules at bedtime for sleep.   Usually increasing the Body Calm Supreme to 1 capsule every 2 hours during the day and up to 3 capsules at bedtime for sleep will help with side effects.

• Sometimes your glucose levels may need to be addressed quickly. If you begin to crave sweets, start the Essential Protein Formula during the daytime by taking 1 scoop every 2 hours with the Body calm Supreme and take 4 scoops at bedtime. This may take 1 or 2 weeks to handle the cravings.

• If bipolar or schizophrenic, an increase of ASEA is probably in order. Start taking 4 ounces in the morning and 4 ounces at noon. If the side effects persist, add a third 4 ounce supplementation of ASEA in the late day.

• Review your Daily Journal and look for changes you might have made to your routine. If you located a change, go back to exactly what you were doing before the change and all should shortly be well. Allow 7 days for the withdrawal side effect to go away.

Once you are off the medication, make sure you keep taking the supplements for 45 days.

Read the chapter, “Once Off All Medication” and follow the ending program completely.