20mg for 10+ years to 0mg in 4 weeks
Yeah I don’t think my psychiatrist actually has any clue what he’s doing, unfortunately I couldn’t find another one in time.
I’m bipolar 2, and have been on SSRIs non stop for the last 16 years. This dude had me go from 20mg (since 2016) to 0mg in 4 weeks in 3 steps. He also got me on lamotrigine (also way too fast a taper, different issues) and convinced me it would compensate for the serotonin deficit but turns out that was wrong (different mechanism and months before any real effect). I know escitalopram was the wrong drug for me (it’s contraindicated for bipolar and possibly made it worse), but I didn’t need to speed run the taper either.
Honestly? Considering the mess he put me in I feel ok, I’m at 2 weeks on 0mg. I’ve had a week or so of wild nightmares, waking up gasping for air, sweating weirdly and with the worst sleep, dizzy all the time. I’m anxious sometimes and so on edge I feel I could punch someone, other days I just feel intense depression and lack of interest in anything. I think I’ll be ok long term, I am pretty well-adjusted and responsible/mature, I just have to fight neurotransmitters sometimes.
Has anyone similarly speed ran an SSRI taper and done ok? Or tbh I’ll take the bad stories too.