Protracted withdrawal and difficulties coming off antipsychotics.

[JosephineFay]

Hi there ladies, I know that I ask this question once every few months but is anyone else currently struggling to come off their meds?I've managed to go down from 4mg to 2.7mg of Haloperidol since October 23.

It's been a very difficult time and apart from survived with colour and Pikorua I haven't met anyone else whose felt very ill on their meds but I know a few ladies who chose to come off would you be able to let me know if any of you have side effects?

My psychiatrist thinks I should not take antipsychotics and that we must wean me off as soon as is possible.

She is an integrative doctor and believes that long term use of the drugs in my case is not beneficial.

Instead of feeling better I have felt nothing but pain, severe insomnia and depression since being put on the drug a year ago.

Thank you

Jo

[Ellie_at_APP Partner]

Hi JosephineFay

Thanks for writing. I hope you may receive some other replies from people about coming off medication. It sounds very difficult, and I know you are experiencing such awful symptoms on the medication.

Have you managed to see a local psychiatrist too, from your local mental health team?

I know we are also in touch by email, so I'll drop you an email as well.

Take care

Ellie X

[Survivedwithcolor]

So sorry to hear you're struggling, but hey - your dose is down about 30%! That's terrific! I know it's been long and hard.

When they wanted to make abrupt changes for me in antipsychotics, I was always put in the hospital for my own safety. Is that a possibility? Just get off it once and for all? Under medical supervision they can give you secondary meds to help you cope.

To clarify, I didn't exactly feel sick on my antipsychotics, but I definitely had unpleasant side effects, the worst of which was weight gain. It was really the extreme weight gain which had such a devastating effect on my health long term.

Keep working with your doctor, you're coming along.

[JosephineFay in reply to Survivedwithcolor]

Hello there, your messages always make me feel so comforted. Unfortunately here in the UK they won't admit you to a psychiatric unit unless they feel that you're very unwell and usually psychotic. I agree with you that I should be in a clean, loving hospital while I taper down off the medication under close medical care and supervision but they don't offer that unless you go private and that would likely cost tens of thousands of pounds.I am on another peer forum for people who are suffering very bad withdrawal from antipsychotics as it helps to know I'm not the only one. The worst side effects are the pain in my joints, the overwhelming sedation and the horrendous insomnia and addiction to both the Haloperidol and now the zopiclone and Promethazine. But my private psychiatrist has instructed my GP not to wean me off the sleep drugs until I'm off the antipsychotics. To be honest it's been so bad worse than when I've been psychotic what I'm going through. Thank you so much for writing.

[Survivedwithcolor]

I’m sorry to hear you don’t have any in-hospital options. It sounds like you’ve been able to make some changes though. How did you get through the times when you made a drop? I wonder if you could repeat that, allow that to sink in a few weeks, then repeat it again, and so forth until you succeed. Be methodical with it, in other words. If you do have a relapse, go into the hospital and tell them what you’re trying to do. Maybe they’ll help you.

So sorry you’re suffering through this. Hugs across the ocean.