Help Weaning off anti psychotic

[Jdieiejdjaow]

My situation is such that I take an anti psychotic for mood régulation and sleep. When I first attempted, I was on meds which contributed to my SI and aborting.

After trauma therapy, I understood from my therapist that they were the culprit (he didn't say it like so, but I understand from what he meant).

The problem is I can't sleep if I stop taking the risperidone (4mg).

How can I wean off and stop taking them without abruptly stopping so I can still sleep but decrease the dosage to the point of stopping taking them?

 

[Pale_Rider]

Very slowly is my thought. Break them in halves. Then quarters until it works. Or just muscle your way though lack of sleep for a while. Brain chemistry will eventually recover if that's what it is.

 

[Jdieiejdjaow]

How long should I stay on the reduced dosage? Is 1 month enough to go from 4mg to 3mg initially? And then to 1.5 and then to 0.5 and then to 0? Or are 2 weeks enough for each transition to lower dosage?

 

[cowboypants]

Talking to your psychiatrist would be the best approach. I have gotten on and off meds a few times now.

Anyway, If you were taking for 1–2 years. Dose it down slowly for 1–2 months. If you were taking it longer you need to be even more careful, our symptoms might not immediately show up but after 6 months or so they come back. You have to see how your body reacts and modulate the dose until you are on the least possible dose.

 

[kagebunshin]

Agreed with what others have said about slowly decreasing the dosage under the guidance of a mental health professional. Also, if you have issues with sleeping, there are many different other medications that can help you there, so it might be a good idea to ask your psychiatrist about those as well. Good luck~

 

[Jdieiejdjaow]

Thanks, folks. I tried the psychiatrist route but she refused to wean me off. I stopped taking medication but couldn't sleep and had some symptoms come back (which is fine, but the sleep makes me irritable and mean and I don't want to have that in the homeless shelter as it can lead to being evacuated and I lose my chances at transitioning with my preferred method of choice).

If you were taking it longer you need to be even more careful, our symptoms might not immediately show up but after 6 months or so they come back.

I am taking them since more than 2 years. I'll try 1 month and go longer if it's problematic. I'll have to wait for symptoms to come back because that's when my SI almost disappears.