Chapter Fourteen

How to Taper Off Antidepressants, Antipsychotics,
and ADHD Medications

(Fast and Gradual Taper)

This taper procedure is for reducing time release medication and medication that can only be reduced by 20% or more with each reduction. The extended release medications are no longer a problem to taper.

Now that you have completed your pre-taper program, you are ready to start the reduction of your medication. Not knowing what each of you may have experienced personally, I do know that the vast majority of people who are ready for this step tell me that they have some trepidation starting the taper, as they have had terrible side effects when they have tried to quit before.

You might have experienced the “electrical zaps” in the head that is very common with stopping antidepressants, a return of depression, anxiety, fatigue, extreme ache and pain, or even wound up in a mental hospital. Now, as incredible as this might seem, this step should be the easy part of The Road Back Program! You see, the above symptoms are also withdrawal side effects and they can be stopped before the fact.

If you are taking a time release medication or a medication that cannot be reduced by 10% or even a 20% reduction, you should reduce the medication as close as possible to the amount recommended as possible.

Your doctor and pharmacist should be consulted with how to reduce the medication you are taking.

With some medication a pill splicer can be used to cut the tablet by one-half or even one-fourth to allow for a slower reduction.

If you are taking a time release medication do not open the capsule up, count the balls and try and decide which balls to take and which to remove. Removing balls from a capsule is not a safe method and needs to be avoided. You might have heard other people having success with removing the balls in the capsule but this success is very short lived.

To survive in this world, sometimes we need to change the environment or change ourselves to live in the environment. The environment we have been dealt regarding available dosages has been a constant problem with tapering in the past.

Either the drug manufacturers needed to make their medication in dosages that would accommodate a gradual reduction or a solution needed to be found that would allow for the large reduction while averting withdrawal side effects.

With these medications, it is not always possible to compound them to exact dosages without altering the drug structure, and with some of the medications being prescribed as a time release, large reductions are the only option. Therefore, for survival, we need to change the environment and change ourselves as well. In this case, it was improve The Road Back Program to accommodate medications that could not be gradually reduced by a small percentage.

The Road Back Program has and always will be a work in progress. However, at the writing of this book, that work has made a giant stride in handling the environment or better stated, the problem of available dosages supplied by the drug manufacturer.

This breakthrough includes medications that simply do not allow for a gradual reduction of 10% or even 20%.

With your pre-taper complete and the Daily Journal kept up to date throughout, you should know which supplement caused each positive change and handled which side effect that got you to this step.

You will be using that information during the taper phase of the program to handle any withdrawal side effect, if one begins.

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

What to Do

Two days before the first reduction you will need to increase specific supplements. You will need to use data from your pre-taper Daily Journal during this phase.

You will be increasing supplements to avoid withdrawal side effects from starting and greatly reduce the chance of having any problem with tapering off the medication.

If a side effect will begin during the taper, the odds are greatest that it will be a side effect you had before the pre-taper. Be ready for that and make sure those supplements you used during the pre-taper are increased.

Each individual is different but there are common withdrawal traits a high percentage of people will share. Those are addressed in this taper as well and the goal is to never have them start.

You will need to be the judge with some of the use of the supplements during this part.

Example: If you had anxiety and insomnia before the pre-taper and that is now handled, you will want to address that potential during the taper by increasing the supplements that handled it during the pre-taper.

If the Body Calm Supreme totally handled the daytime anxiety by taking 1 capsule every 4 hours during the daytime, you should increase the Body Calm Supreme to 1 capsule every 2 hours before you reduce the medication.

How to Increase Supplements

Using your Daily Journal and looking back at the pre-taper, locate the supplement or supplements that made the largest positive change. Here is how much you can increase of each supplement. You will also find located within ( ) what each nutritional supplement is good for.

Body Calm (anxiety and insomnia) – If you feel the Body Calm was the supplement that handled the daytime anxiety or insomnia you can increase the Body Calm to once every 2 hours during the daytime and up to 3 capsules at bedtime for sleep.

Essential Protein Formula (anxiety and insomnia) – This nutritional supplement can be increased to 8 tablespoons per serving.

RenewPro (anxiety, energy and brightness) – You can increase the RenewPro to 1 full scoop 3 times a day.

Nature’s Vitamin C (anxiety) – You can increase this vitamin C to 6 capsules a day. (Avoid vitamin C and other fruit if taking ADHD medication to avoid vitamin/drug interactions. This includes the actual fruit as well as natural fruit drink.)

Probiotic Supreme (anxiety, fatigue and depression) – Do not increase beyond recommendation on the bottle.

Ultimate Omega 3 (fatigue, brain zaps, depression and head feelings)– You can increase up to 5 softgels in the morning and 5 softgels at noon. (Make sure you are taking 1 vitamin E daily if taking Omega 3.)

Vitamin E – Do not increase beyond the 400 i.u a day.

CLA (anxiety and depression) – You can increase to 1 softgel in the morning, 1 at noon and 1 additional before 4 pm. (Make sure you are taking Omega 3 and vitamin E if you are going to use the CLA)

Power Barley Formula (energy and brightness) – You can increase the Power Barley Formula to 1 scoop in the morning, 1 scoop at noon and 1 scoop before 4 pm. Make sure you are taking a vitamin E to get the full effect of this barley formula.

Calsorption (brain zaps) – You can take 5 grams each day. There is no benefit of taking more than that. Calsorption increases the absorption of calcium and can be helpful with side effects in the gut. It is only recommended you take CalesiumD as a calcium supplement.

CalesiumD (brain zaps) – CalesiumD and Calsorption work together as a team. To achieve the highest potential calcium absorption the Calsorption is needed. Take 800 mg of CalesiumD daily or an amount recommended by your physician.

All of these nutritionals work quickly when they are what your body needs. Having all of them on hand to draw from as needed is very beneficial.

Here is an example of how to increase the nutritional supplements 2 days before a medication reduction.

Scenario – You are taking at the end of the pre-taper the following supplements and your major symptoms before the pre-taper was anxiety and insomnia.

·         (1) Body Calm every 4 hour (alternating with the Supreme)

·         (1) Beta 1, 3-D Glucan in morning

·         (1) Teaspoon of Essential Protein Formula every 4 hours and at bedtime

·         (3) Ultimate Omega 3 in am and 3 additional at noon

·         (1) Vitamin E (400 i.u.)

Example of how to increase supplements 2 days before taper:

·         (1) Body Calm every 2 hours (alternating with the Supreme)

·         (1) Teaspoon of Essential Protein Formula every 2 hours and at bedtime

If you are taking the Power Barley Formula in place of the RenewPro to handle fatigue, you would increase the Power Barley to twice the amount you were at when you finished the pre-taper.

Five days after the medication is reduced, as long as there are no side effects or only very mild side effects, reduce the supplements back down again to the amount you were taking before the increase.

Wait 10 full days after you reduced the supplements and then increase supplements once again for 2 days and then reduce your medication. Again, five days after the medication is reduced, as long as there are no side effects or only very mild side effects, reduce the supplements back down again to what you were taking before the increase.

Wait 10 full days after you reduced the supplements and then increase supplements once again for 2 days and then reduce your medication.

Repeat this sequence until off the medication. Make sure to stay on the increased supplements for 5 full days after your final reduction of the medication.

Follow instructions in the chapter Once Off medication to complete program.

Example:

You are taking 100 mg of a medication

1.      Increase supplements 2 days before reduction of medication

2.      First reduction is to 90 mg

3.      5 days after reduction of medication, lower supplements to previous amount if all is well

4.      Wait 10-days

5.      Increase supplements 2 days before next reduction of medication

6.      Reduce medication to 80 mg

7.      5 days after reduction of medication, lower supplements to previous amount if all is well

8.      Wait 10-days

9.      Increase supplements 2 days before next reduction of medication

10.  Reduce medication to 60 mg

11.  5 days after reduction of medication, lower supplements to previous amount if all is well

12.  Wait 10-days

13.  Increase supplements 2 days before next reduction of medication

14.  Reduce medication to 40 mg

15.  5 days after reduction of medication, lower supplements to previous amount if all is well

16.  Wait 10-days

17.  Increase supplements 2 days before next reduction of medication

18.  Reduce medication to 20 mg

19.  5 days after reduction of medication, lower supplements to previous amount if all is well

20.  You are now off the medication and should proceed to the chapter Once Off Medication

The previous example could also be used if you can only reduce the medication by 25% or 35%. Just increase the supplements 2 days before the reduction, keep taking the increased amount of supplements for 5 days after the reduction, wait 10 days and reduce the medication again.

What to Do If Side Effects Begin During Taper

It is important to know what to do if side effects begin while tapering off the medication.  Withdrawal side effects can happen, but addressing them early and knowing what to do will usually make them short lived and keep them mild as well.

Use the following steps if side effects take place while tapering.

Do not reduce the medication again until the symptom goes away.  However, if the new side effect or symptom is very mild you can continue with the tapering of the medication and remain on the schedule.

In the previous example, if a side effect were to start during # 7 you would not lower the medication again until at least 10-days and 7 full days of feeling very well. So, if you did not begin to feel very well until day number 12 of the waiting period, you should wait 7 additional full days before reducing the medication again.

If the side effect is not eliminated, this needs to be looked at a few ways before taking any new action. 

Do you still rate yourself at a 7 or higher on the 1 –10 scale for anxiety, sleep and other symptoms?   If so, continue with the taper schedule.

Each supplement used in this program has a specific purpose.

Using a supplement a little differently is sometimes needed to overcome withdrawal side effects.                                                                                                                            

Antidepressants – If you are tapering off an antidepressant and you begin to get the “brain zaps” (electrical jolt that tends to run from the base of the neck to the base of the skull) you need to address them by doing the following: 

a.       If you are not already taking 5 Ultimate Omega 3 in the morning and 5 at noon, begin doing so right away.

b.      Make sure you are taking 1 vitamin E each morning

c.       Begin taking 1 CLA softgel in the morning, 1 more at noon and 1 more before 4 pm.

d.      Increase the RenewPro by half as much as you currently take

e.       Start taking 2 Probiotic Supreme each day

f.       Start taking 5 grams of Calsorption each day if you do not already take it

g.      Start taking 800 mg of CalesiumD daily

It is important you handle the “brain zaps” quickly and fully.

Anxiety – If you responded well to the Body Calm Supreme during the pre-taper, taking the Supreme every 2 hours during the daytime works well. Do not take the Body Calm during the daytime with this approach.

If the Body Calm was the nutritional supplement that helped the most with daytime anxiety you can increase the Body calm to 2 or 3 capsules each time you take it during the daytime. You can take the Body Calm every 2 hours if needed. 

The Beta 1, 3-D Glucan might be the answer. Increasing this supplement to 10 capsules each day is fine. Split the amount taken between morning, noon and later afternoon. If this is the right supplement for your needs, once the amount is increased you will feel the positive difference in 1 to 3 days.

Insomnia – Handle the insomnia as quickly as possible. Increase the Body Calm, Body Calm Supreme or Essential Protein Formula as needed.

Again, the key is taking good notes during the pre-taper and making a list of which supplement handle which side effect.

Fatigue – Increasing the RenewPro or Power Barley Formula will be the answer.

Antipsychotics – Usually the Body Calm Supreme, RenewPro, Beta 1, 3-D Glucan will be the answer for any side effects that turn on if all went well during the pre-taper. Sometimes your glucose level may need to be addressed quickly. If you begin craving sweets increase the Essential Protein Formula to 4 tablespoons about 1 hour before they usually start. This might take 1 or 2 weeks to handle.

If you are having extreme swings from anxious to fatigue or feeling down, the Beta 1, 3-D Glucan should be the answer. Increase the beta 1, 3-D Glucan to as high as 10 capsules each day.

Note: If you are taking Cogentin along with another medication, you will need to rotate the reduction of the Cogentin and the other medication.

Example: If you are taking Cogentin and Haldol, you would reduce the Haldol first, wait 14-days and then reduce the Cogentin, wait 14-days and then reduce the Haldol once again, wait 14-days and then reduce the Cogentin again. Repeat this process until off both medications. Reduce the Haldol and Cogentin by the same percentage with each reduction.

ADHD Medication

Anxiety – If you responded well to the Body Calm Supreme during the pre-taper, taking the Supreme every 2 hours during the daytime works well. Do not take the Body Calm during the daytime with this approach.

If the Body Calm was the nutritional supplement that helped the most with daytime anxiety you can increase the Body calm to 2 or 3 capsules each time you take it during the daytime. You can take the Body Calm every 2 hours if needed.

Insomnia – Handle the insomnia as quickly as possible. Increase the Body Calm, Body Calm Supreme or Essential Protein Formula as needed.

Again, the key is taking good notes during the pre-taper and making a list of which supplement handle which side effect. 

Fatigue – Increasing the RenewPro or Power Barley Formula will be the answer.