Why Might You Reduce A Psychiatric Drug?

If you find that the medication you are currently taking is no longer providing the desired benefits, you are experiencing side effects, have concerns about long-term safety or if you have developed a tolerance requiring higher doses, we can assist you with medication tapers. There are various reasons why a medication taper may be necessary. For instance, you may be experiencing emergent adverse effects such as weight gain, emotional blunting, sexual dysfunction, dizziness, or inter-dose withdrawal symptoms. Alternatively, the stressors that initially led to your need for medication might have resolved, or you may have doubts about the accuracy of the initial diagnosis for which the medication was prescribed. Some individuals also wish to explore life off medications to discover their baseline well-being, while others are concerned about polypharmacy, do not want to become dependent on a controlled substance or feel that they are taking too many drugs. Our expert team can guide you through a safe and personalized medication tapering process, addressing your specific concerns and helping you achieve the desired outcomes.

Why It Is Important To Do A Psychiatric Drug Taper With A Medical Professional?

• Often official tapering guidelines are too fast for many.
• Some medical providers are inflexible and use a “tough love” approach, which can potentially place someone at a greater risk of severe and/or protracted symptoms.
• Validation that withdrawal syndromes are real and can cause significant disability.
• To avoid misdiagnosis by accurately differentiating withdrawal symptoms from “relapse” and/or other medical conditions.

Clinical Approach Routinely Used in Medication Tapers include:

• Patient led-flexible tapers 
• When necessary cross titration onto longer-lasting benzodiazepines (diazepam) to facilitate a more controlled taper. 
• Dose frequency adjustments to mitigate interdose withdrawal (worse symptoms occurring just before the next dose of your medication) 
• The use of compounded prescription medications to allow smother and more personalized dosage reductions.
• The judicious use of supportive medications when appropriate, to manages significantly distressing pain or emergent psychiatric symptoms during medication tapering.
• Collaboration with specialized tapering coaches who are skilled in providing supportive counseling and specific psychotherapeutic strategies aimed at assisting patients through challenging withdrawal. 
• Comprehensive medical and nutritional workup to ensure other medical problems or nutritional deficits are addressed to improve.