METHODS OF TAPERING

After many years operating a Group on Facebook that currently has about 40,000 members, the operators of this site have documented a way to slowly wean off of this drug.  We call it the GRADUAL TAPER Method.

Three methods exist to taper by reducing the doses in a controlled way.

1. Counting
2. Weighing  https://healthwithoutantidepressants.com/weighing/
3. Compounding

This page documents the COUNTING method.

This site documents tapering recommendations of antidepressant experts such as Dr. Mark Horowitz, Dr. Anders Sorensen, Adele Framer, Dr. Peter Breggin, and Dr. Heather Ashton, who recommend a slow, steady, deliberate taper off psychoactive drugs in which each reduction gets smaller and smaller over the course of the taper. In the scientific world, this type of taper is called hyperbolic, exponential, or logarithmic.

We suggest a gradual taper decreasing by 5% or less of the most recent dose–not the original dose.  Each dose reduction should be held for a minimum of 14 days, allowing the brain and body time to adjust before the next dose reduction.  (Some antidepressants may be reducible by 10%, but our “lived experience” has demonstrated that a 10% reduction for Cymbalta/duloxetine is too fast for most people.)

Many people report that 2.5 – 5% decreases, with a minimum of 14 days in between, produce great initial results. Due to the hyperbolic function of the drug, the lowest doses have the strongest effect, so as you get lower in dose you will likely need to do the following:

• Hold longer between dose reductions until your symptoms abate
  and/or
• Lower the percentage by which you reduce the dose
• For more personalized options, please check out the Facebook group Cymbalta Hurts Worse.

We believe a gradual taper can greatly minimize the likelihood of withdrawal symptoms and reduce the risk of developing protracted (bad, long-lasting) withdrawal.

The key is to listen to YOUR body, and let it tell you what the best rate is for you.

We are part of a grassroots movement to raise awareness about the dangers of ALL serotonin-affecting drugs; the benefits of nutrition, gut health, diet and other healthy lifestyle choices; and the need to look for the underlying root causes of anxiety, depression, pain and chronic pain-causing illnesses. For many people, this is the first time they will be exposed to information that is contrary to what our society is being told by the pharmaceutical industry and conventional medicine. We hope everyone will open their minds, expand their thinking, and begin their own research, starting with our files located on this site.

THE CALCULATORS

The calculators are online here:

https://healthwithoutantidepressants.com/calculators/

You have the choice of an online calculator that you can print, or an Excel spreadsheet, your choice.  

COUNTING BEADS

Follow all the instructions on preparing for your taper.

Start your journal. Keep the journal up-to-date.

GET AN AVERAGE FOR THIS BOTTLE

Calculate the average number of beads in one capsule. They can vary from bottle (batch) to bottle.  This will be the average bead count: this is used in the Excel spreadsheet or the Online Tapering Calculator to make your first tapering calculation. Each capsule contains a different number of beads. Using an average helps to ensure the dose is consistent.

Count the beads in 3 separate capsules. If you are using one of our calculators, the three weights are keyed in and the average is calculated AUTOMATICALLY.

Put these counts in the Calculator so it can calculate the average.  You can also make calculations by hand or with a calculator, but this is error prone and not recommended.

CHOOSE YOUR TAPER

Choose your taper rate.   2.5%, 3%, or 5% are good starts.  Taper rates higher than 5% have proven to have a higher chance of withdrawal symptoms.

Decide how long you want to hold between each decrease. We recommend you start at 5% and hold the first decrease for 3 or 4 weeks. After the first decrease, you can shorten the hold time to at least 14 days or longer between decreases.  Listen to your body.  

We suggest you print the entire taper schedule and use a pencil to make notes on it as to your progress.

The key to all tapers is that you count the beads that you EAT, not the beads you remove.  This is because the individual capsules typically have different numbers of beads.  You must have the exact bead count each time.

START COUNTING

Twist the capsule open. Empty all the beads out of the capsule. Count the correct number of beads back into the capsule or into a new one. The Calculator will tell you how many. Be very careful to count correctly. 

Make up capsules for at least a few days at a time. It will take time and effort. It will get easier. Make a “thing” of it – your favorite music or radio program may help. Get help from someone if you need it. You may be surprised who will be willing to help you.

Put all the details in your tapering journal.

Remember, the first decrease should be held at least 21-28 days to see how you tolerate it.  Resist the urge to speed up.  Stick with your schedule.

COUNTING VIDEO

Video help with counting beads.  Note that it is age-restricted, so you will have to click that you understand it “may be inappropriate for some viewers”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2ygU342xoc

WEIGHING ALTERNATIVE!

If you start on this path and decide that counting hundreds of beads is not for you, the alternative is using a scale to weigh them.  One member reported they were building 14 capsules in 15 minutes with this method.  Once you hit a low bead weight, around 50 beads, you will have to switch to counting, as the scales cannot measure that low.  Learn about weighing here:

https://healthwithoutantidepressants.com/weighing/

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