Withdrawal from antipsychotics

[Lawless666]

Hey all

I cant get in to see my shrink for 8 wks and I really want to wean off largactil, does anyone have any experience weaning off this or any other anti-psychotic? I dont know how little to reduce my dosage by each week, or whether to do it every 2 weeks etc.

Im on 300mg at night, also on xanax and aropax but ill tackle those another time.....

 

[mrflowers00]

i take 20 to 30mg of zyprexa a night and stop cold turkey every now and then with no problems

 

[T. Calderone]

You didn't say how long you've been on largictal. It's not a good idea to do this without a replacement medication. So if it was me I would be on the phone first thing in the morning and ask if the doc can see sooner. Are you having a bad reaction to it? Tell them so and that you need a appointment for a change of meds and don't let it go at that. Be insistant if that's how you feel, but don't try this on your own.

 

[Lawless666]

You didn't say how long you've been on largictal. It's not a good idea to do this without a replacement medication. So if it was me I would be on the phone first thing in the morning and ask if the doc can see sooner. Are you having a bad reaction to it? Tell them so and that you need a appointment for a change of meds and don't let it go at that. Be insistant if that's how you feel, but don't try this on your own.

Thanks, I know I should just wait to see the shrink but im impatient and want to get the ball rolling now. And I put more faith in the members of this forum than I do my GP.

I've been on Largactil for approximately 18 months. I'm not having a bad reaction im just finding that since giving up smoking cigarettes im sleeping a lot better, and was only prescribed largactil for the off label sedative effect......so now that my sleep has improved I want to slowly get off all meds, starting with Largactil.

 

[paranoid android]

Well if your only taking chlorpromazine for it's sedation as opposed to it's anti-psychotic or anti-emetic effects then there are lot's of other meds that you can try. You can't go off largactil cold turkey as you risk getting withdrawal symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and of course insomnia. It is a rather strong anti-nausea drug due to it'd D2 antagonism, H1 antagonism and anti-cholinergic effects. So a sort of rebound effect can happen in some people. Not everyone get's it but it does happen.

If you just need something to knock you out a tricyclic anti-depressant such as doxepin or amitriptyline. Remeron (mirtazapine) is another anti-depressant that is very sedating in low doses. I'm just throwing out options for you if you need to get off the largactil.

 

[Lawless666]

Well if your only taking chlorpromazine for it's sedation as opposed to it's anti-psychotic or anti-emetic effects then there are lot's of other meds that you can try. You can't go off largactil cold turkey as you risk getting withdrawal symptoms such as headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness and of course insomnia. It is a rather strong anti-nausea drug due to it'd D2 antagonism, H1 antagonism and anti-cholinergic effects. So a sort of rebound effect can happen in some people. Not everyone get's it but it does happen.

If you just need something to knock you out a tricyclic anti-depressant such as doxepin or amitriptyline. Remeron (mirtazapine) is another anti-depressant that is very sedating in low doses. I'm just throwing out options for you if you need to get off the largactil.

Thanks for your post.

Tricyclics that ive tried havent agreed with me, ive been on mirtazapine also, which was one of the better drugs aside from the weight gain....

Largactil only sedated me for the first couple of weeks, like every drug ive tried. Now that ive quit smoking though, im sleeping uninterrupted, hence wanting to wean off all meds, starting with Largactil. I dont want to replace it with anything, hopefully OTC meds will quell any withdrawal symptoms.

 

[paranoid android]

Thanks for your post.

Tricyclics that ive tried havent agreed with me, ive been on mirtazapine also, which was one of the better drugs aside from the weight gain....

Largactil only sedated me for the first couple of weeks, like every drug ive tried. Now that ive quit smoking though, im sleeping uninterrupted, hence wanting to wean off all meds, starting with Largactil. I dont want to replace it with anything, hopefully OTC meds will quell any withdrawal symptoms.

Talk to your doctor about it and taper slowly. OTC meds with anti-cholinergic effects such as dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine and other should help the withdrawals abit. Promethazine (phenergan, histantil) is a OTC med in some countries and it is actually in the same class of drugs as largactil the phenothiazines. It has some very very mild dopamine antagonism of it's own something like 1/10th of the potency of chlorpromazine. I wouldn't mix that with largactil until you have your dose tapered down alot.

 

[Lawless666]

Talk to your doctor about it and taper slowly. OTC meds with anti-cholinergic effects such as dimenhydrinate, diphenhydramine and other should help the withdrawals abit. Promethazine (phenergan, histantil) is a OTC med in some countries and it is actually in the same class of drugs as largactil the phenothiazines. It has some very very mild dopamine antagonism of it's own something like 1/10th of the potency of chlorpromazine. I wouldn't mix that with largactil until you have your dose tapered down alot.

Thanks, I guess the responsible thing to do is to see my shrink. Thing is when I see him often I chicken out and dont tell him I want to wean off the drugs....but I know getting off meds is whats best for me. I want to know who I am again!!!

 

[paranoid android]

Thanks, I guess the responsible thing to do is to see my shrink. Thing is when I see him often I chicken out and dont tell him I want to wean off the drugs....but I know getting off meds is whats best for me. I want to know who I am again!!!

What is your diagnoses anyway? What's the reason you are on these meds?

 

[Lawless666]

I dont have a diagnosis, just a shrink that likes to dole out meds. We agree I have bipolar traits but ive never received an official diagnosis. My reason for seeing a shrink was due to anxiety and insomnia. I dont think ill suffer from anxiety once im off meds as most of the reasons I was anxious were circumstantial and im in a better situation now. Insomnia - well to be precise interrupted sleep, has been something ive self medicated for since I was 14 - mainly alcohol, benzos, and weed, this led to further substance abuse issues, hence now going down the pharm track.