Psychiatric medication withdrawal can be done smoothly and safely when you work with an experienced clinician who specializes in psychiatric medication withdrawal. Lowering medications on your own or without proper medical expertise will often result in significant withdrawal symptoms.
If you experience uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, the easiest way to restore balance is to go back up to the previous medication dosage. Psychiatric withdrawal symptoms signal physiological stress and a need for proper healing before lowering the medication further. See below for some central considerations before, during, and after withdrawing from psychiatric medications.

More information can be found under Holistic Articles and Podcasts.

Successful Withdrawal from Six Psychiatric Medications
Using Criteria-Based Energy Testing: Case Report

On June 4, 2023, I presented my case report at an international conference held by the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. This case report was later published in an international, peer-reviewed journal called the International Journal of Healing and Caring on September 23, 2023.

In this case report, I presented how I helped a patient taper off six psychiatric medications without a relapse during or post-withdrawal. She has been off her medications since March, 2021 and continues to enjoy vibrant health. Here is the abstract for this important, pioneering, leading-edge article:

Abstract:

Currently, the field of psychiatry is beginning to understand the severity and persistence of psychiatric medication withdrawal symptoms [1,2,3]. Functional approaches have been proposed for some psychiatric medication withdrawal processes [4,5], but there is no consensus for a reliable method for guiding safe psychiatric medication withdrawal or resolving underlying causes of mental illness for psychiatric patients’ unique needs over the course of treatment. Consequently, mental illness is still generally considered a chronic incurable disease, and the use of psychotropic medications is still recommended as the best treatment option for an indefinite period of time.

To have a successful psychiatric medication withdrawal process without having a relapse during or post withdrawal, a patient must simultaneously heal from their underlying causes of mental illness and any dependency on drugs/psychiatric medications. This process requires sufficient understanding of relevant factors impacting the patient, which shift over time (and during the actual healing process). Factors that powerfully affect a patient’s mental and physical condition include, 1) genetics, 2) nutritional status [6], 3) healing interventions, 4) internal and external stressors [7,8], 5) toxicity [9,10], and 6) drugs/medications.

Given these difficulties and challenges, how can clinicians determine what interventions would be appropriate for patients at any given point during the treatment process beyond clinical empirical guesswork? Is there a method that can reliably, efficiently, and accurately guide clinicians to help patients resolve underlying causes of mental illnesses?

This case report answers these central questions using the example of A.S., a 60 y.o. woman diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features, who successfully withdrew from six psychiatric medications within a year without a relapse during or post withdrawal.

The patient began holistic psychiatric treatment in March 2020 after being switched to six psychiatric medications. She was psychiatrically stable and presented with the following symptoms: flat and numb emotions, cognitive slowing, and excessive fatigue and sedation. Interventions during holistic psychiatric treatment included nutritional supplements, gradual medication taper, and energy psychology techniques.

Criteria-based energy testing (CBET) based on principles underlying manual muscle testing [11] or applied kinesiology [12] accessed relevant descriptive information on function that guided the treatment process. For A.S., CBET was performed through self-muscle testing [13] by the clinician for the patient at a distance, i.e., patient and clinician were located in different states when testing was performed.

This case report illustrates how specific, clinically relevant data can be accessed through CBET to successfully heal from mental illness and smoothly withdraw from six psychiatric medications by 1) determining the patient’s underlying causes of illness, 2) adjusting nutritional supplements and medication dosages appropriately, and 3) providing proper timing for supplement and medication adjustments. Using CBET, A.S. was able to taper off all psychiatric medications and remain in excellent mental health since March 2021.

Download the article here Download the graphs and data for the article here

What To Do Before Lowering Medications:

Avoiding “Protracted Withdrawal” Through Proper Preparation

Within three months of stopping their medications after a "slow withdrawal", most patients feel awful. Usually, the clinician believes that this outcome is due to the underlying "chronic and untreatable" illness. Who can say otherwise? And where's the proof they may be wrong?

I can say otherwise. And I can prove that they're wrong. How? Well, I've observed in my practice that patients who withdraw from their medications properly don't relapse after three months. In order to help patients get off their medications, however, preparation is necessary. And if I do a good job, patients fully recover from their "untreatable chronic" mental illness and don't need to be patients anymore.

The necessary preparation comes in two areas: 1) healing underlying causes (inflammation and oxidative stress) and 2) supporting specific medication withdrawal effects. For example, psychotropic medications affect the neurotransmitter system, so building more neurotransmitters would be necessary before the taper. But nowadays, psychotropic medications don't just affect neurotransmitters. They affect a wide variety of different receptors, such as histamine.

After being on medication for months or years without removing the underlying causes of the illness, it is unreasonable to expect a healthy outcome when the buffering agent (medication) is removed. A healthy outcome will occur if health is present. A medication can be lowered safely if there are proper levels of the endogenous chemicals/molecules present.

At the 2016 IMMH conference, Dr. Marty Hinz, MD, shared that studies show the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's) depletes the total releasable storage levels of serotonin in the platelets by 80% after 3 weeks of use. The platelets contain 90% of releasable serotonin stores. He wrote, "reuptake inhibitors deplete the monoamines serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine in all subjects not ingesting adequate amounts of balanced nutrients; when depletion is significant enough, the point is reached where the effects of the drug and/or the placebo effect are no longer observed." 1

After using an SSRI for many years, it is necessary to restore serotonin storage levels before tapering it. The conventional approach that avoids serotonin building supplements along with the use of SSRI's (due to a fear of serotonin syndrome) undermines the patient's ability to come off these medications during the tapering process. Such an approach creates dependency on these SSRI's.

When I help patients lower their SSRI's, I usually prepare them by building serotonin with a supplement (like SeroPlus by Pure Encapsulations). Initially, I will start with one capsule at bedtime. After four days, I can usually go up to two capsules at bedtime. And after two more weeks, I can usually start lowering the SSRI by about 10% every 10 to 14 days. Symptoms of higher levels of serotonin are vivid dreams, more active (gurgling) bowels, distractibility, and sometimes a flattening of mood. A compounding pharmacy or liquid form of the medication can simplify the tapering process.

During withdrawal, I always try to support the patient's health through nutritional supplements and natural interventions that lower infectious sources and decrease oxidative stress. Generally, I try to strengthen the patient's condition in eight different nutritional areas: vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, GI function, anti-oxidants, and anti-inflammatories.

Some nutritional companies talk about "protracted withdrawal" as if it's an unavoidable part of medication withdrawal. That is not the case. Often a protracted withdrawal is due to a partial focus on medication withdrawal without enough emphasis on healing the underlying causes of mental illness. The two must go together in order for the patient to have a successful withdrawal. With enough support, and if the medication is withdrawn at the right pace, protracted withdrawal can be avoided entirely.

Another thing I learned over the years is that these principles apply to all medications, not just to psychotropic medications. Whether it's coming off an anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), anti-histamine, or thyroid medication, if a patient has been taking it for months or years, preparation/healing will be necessary prior to lowering the medication.

I hope that sharing my empirical experiences will help you with a safer withdrawal process.

1. See this article for more information: Monoamine depletion by reuptake inhibitors (Marty Hinz, MD, 2011)

An Overview of Antipsychotic Withdrawal:

Plotting A Functional Path To Freedom

Do you want to successfully withdraw from antipsychotics?

Everyone, who has ever been prescribed an antipsychotic, has yearned for the day when they would no longer need it.  Unfortunately, many who attempt to slowly lower their antipsychotic medication on their own, experience debilitating anxiety, insomnia, lack of appetite, and psychosis.  Stopping the medication often leads in 1-3 months to a recurrence of the illness and renewed reliance on an antipsychotic to recover from relapse.  Basically, once you take this class of medication, it is extremely difficult to figure out a way to get off of it.

This article is a clinical review of antipsychotic withdrawal, summarizing 15 years of clinical experience with antipsychotic withdrawal in an easily understandable format.  The goal of this article is to provide a brief glimpse into this complex process, and to guide patients and their families toward a more informed approach to antipsychotic withdrawal.

Though psychosis is one of the hardest conditions to heal, and antipsychotics one of the hardest medications to taper, much can be healed and accomplished by just mastering the basics: healthy eating habits (low histamine diet), exercise (moderate), and meditation (daily.  See how to do Energy Breaths under the Media section of my website). 

David Perlmutter, MD, a holistic neurologist, pointed to two pieces of the puzzle for healing, when he said that the two main underlying causes for neurological disorders were oxidative stress and inflammation.  His insight is just as applicable to psychiatric disorders.  Another puzzle piece is hidden in the psychopharmacological profile of each medication, easily found in Wikipedia, which lists the medications’ effects on each receptor class and subclass. 

After 15 years of working with those who sought help for medication withdrawal, I have worked hard to put the puzzle pieces together, step by step, to solve the challenges involved in anticonvulsant and antipsychotic tapers.  For patients to be successful, they would need to heal 1) the underlying causes of the illness, and 2) navigate the specific withdrawal challenges of each medication.  

To help patients with medication withdrawal, I have learned the value of integrating two additional fields of healing: functional/orthomolecular medicine and energy medicine.  Each of these fields has a healing as well as a diagnostic component. 

In functional medicine, the tools that heal come in the form of whole and fractionated supplements, glandulars, diet, and detoxification.  Its diagnostic component is functional lab tests. 

The tools of energy medicine include meditation, thought field therapy (EFT and TAT), essential oils, bach flower essences, homeopathy, and psychotherapy.  (A specific meditation for minimizing medication withdrawal problems was created to help with medication taper.  See the Products section for purchasing this meditation track.)  Muscle testing is Energy Medicine's diagnostic component.  The diagnostic instrument being the clinician's skill set in gathering information through energy fields.  

From my psychiatry medical training, I have learned the importance of analyzing the receptor and neurotransmitter profile of each medication (they are summarized in Wikipedia, under the psychopharmacology section), and match them with a natural nutritional or herbal support that mitigates the effects of the medication taper. 

Finally, if needed, I have a group of clinical colleagues that can I refer patients to, who could provide expertise in psychotherapy, homeopathy, chiropractic medicine, naturopathic medicine, biological dentistry, neurofeedback, nutritional guidance, acupuncture, cranial sacral therapy, and other helpful clinical interventions.

With this combination of knowledge and resources, patients have an improved chance of successfully withdrawing from their medications.

Regarding the neurobiology of antipsychotic withdrawal (a variety of classes of receptors being blocked), I generally do the following to help with the tapering process:

1. Overactive Dopamine receptors: GABA support with liposomal GABA, GABA capsules, GABA rice, Taurine, CBD oil.

2. Underactive Dopamine receptors: Mucuna Pruriens, Dopamine homeopathic drops, L-tryosine

3. Low Serotonin receptors/levels: L-tryptophan, 5 HTP, and its cofactors to help with creating serotonin (Prolent or SeroPlus) if needed.

4. Overactive Muscarinic receptors: Inositol.

5. Overactive Sodium Ion Channels (e.g. during Lamictal withdrawal): Potassium Chloride 99 mg per day.

6. Overactive Histamine receptors/high histamine levels: Histazyme (by Dr. Amy Myers, MD), DAO Histaminase by Allergy Research, natural antihistamines like Allqlear by Integrative Therapeutics, Histaplex A-B by Biotics Research, or Opsin II by DesBio.  Avoid xenobiotics for antihistamine support, such as Benadryl, because the body will react with an inflammatory response to a xenobiotic.

7. Low GABA receptors/levels: more GABA nutritional support (liposomal GABA, or GABA oral capsules), additional taurine, calming herbals or essential oils, and calming meditations.

8. Overactive Beta adrenergic receptors: herbals such as Carditone for BP management, Stress E-Z by Herbs Forever.

9. Overactive Alpha adrenergic receptors: Magnolia Bark Extract or Magnolia Stress Aid (Energy Tools), decreasing stress with meditation or EFT technique.

Additional products that help with antipsychotic withdrawal, which I have used are: CBD (cannabinoids) oil from hemp oil, Skull cap extract, passion flower extract, and valerian.  These calming herbals support sleep, appetite, and mood stability.  With CBD, or hemp oil, I am leaning towards those that carry a broad array of active cannabinoids rather than the more refined and processed products.  Too much CBD oil, however, may increase anxiety, because not only does CBD decrease glutamate levels, but it also decreases GABA, and GABA is important for calming the nervous system.

With regard to glandular support, I usually pay attention to supporting the liver with liver extract, and the pineal gland, with pineal glandular support.  For some patients, glandular support for the kidneys is critical.  I am careful with adrenal and thyroid support, since these glandulars can cause increased anxiety for patients, though they can help with energy and stress resilience when the right products are chosen.

With nutritional support, I provide highly absorbable supplements to help the patient exceed their daily nutritional needs.  If the patient meet their daily nutritional needs, their nutritional health stays the same the next day.  If they exceed their nutritional needs, they will have the extra nutritional support they need to move the body towards healing. 

The eight areas of nutritional support are: vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, G.I. support, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and detoxification.

Looking at the whole picture, it is important for the patient to lower their stress in five different areas of functioning: spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and social.  Lowering stress in one area will help to lower stress for the patient as a whole. 

Everything is interconnected

For all patients in my practice, a mix of energy and functional supports is integrated into a "regimen," which is updated weekly to match the patient's healing needs over time.

Many initial supplement regimens aim at healing underlying causes for oxidative stress and inflammation.  Some supplements may also aim at lowering possible viral causes for inflammation.  Lymph drainage (by Deseret Biologicals), glutathione, and liver extract, among other supplements, are often used to strengthen the patient's ability to detoxify.  Antioxidant support is given through Goji powder, Acai powder, Moringa powder, or essential oils.  The purpose of the early regimens is to build a strong foundation for recovery and resilience to stress. 

A few weeks into the withdrawal process, additional supplements for withdrawal may be necessary, such as: Inositol, magnolia, Prolent, Taurine, Potassium Chloride, Li-Zyme Forte, liposomal GABA, Opsin II/Allqlear/Histazyme, or CBD oil, to help to lower medications safely (depending on the receptor profile of the medication).  Often, after being on these additional natural supports for a week or more, patients will feel "overmedicated" and can lower their medications gradually (10% or less), without problems with anorexia or insomnia.

Sleep is one of the most sensitive indicators of the patient’s state of health.  If a patient's sleep becomes disrupted during the withdrawal process, it indicates that something is off balance and need to be addressed immediately.  Either go to a higher dosage of medication until sleep is restored, or integrate a natural support to relieve the imbalance and restore healthy sleep.

Working with withdrawal over the years has taught me that every one of the classes of receptors affected by a medication needs to be in a state of balance, if a patient is to successfully withdraw.  For example, Abilify strongly affects five types of receptors and 17 subclasses of receptors that had been studied.  All of these receptors need to remain in a state of balance, during the withdrawal process, for withdrawal to flow smoothly.

Another important aspect of medication withdrawal sheds light on the difference in difficulty between the beginning vs. the end of medication withdrawal.  Almost always, it is more difficult for patients to withdraw at the end than at the beginning of the withdrawal process. 

The exciting key to unraveling this mystery, is understanding that the benefits from medications are dose dependent, while hypersensitivity to the medication is not dose dependent.  Hypersensitivity to medications increases over time, and a small amount of medication can create a immune cascade reaction, similar to a vaccine, pollen, or other antigen/foreign substance.  At the tail end of medication withdrawal, the dose dependent benefits from the medication are at their lowest, and the hypersensitivity reaction to the medication is at its highest. 

Histamine goes up due to the hypersensitivity reaction.  Histamine is a neuromodulator of the adrenals.  The adrenals release adrenalin in response to increasing histamine.  The patient then moves into the “fight or flight” mode, with adrenalin causing increasing anxiety and insomnia.

The longer a patient takes a medication, the stronger the immune reaction to that product.  Since inflammation is one of the key underlying causes for both neurological and psychiatric problems, it is understandable why, over time, medications can evolve from a helpful, to an ineffective or even harmful intervention. 

The most vulnerable period of time during withdrawal is the first 6 months after stopping a medication.  During that time, environmental and personal/relationship stressors can more easily create a relapse without the buffering and numbing effects of the medications.  It is a transitional phase when the body is getting acclimated to longer periods of time without the medication. My hope is that, over time, more will be learned about the intricacies of the medication withdrawal process.    

Alice W. Lee, MD

Additional note: since this article was published, I have added support to help diminish stress from EMF stressors coming from electronic equipment.  I hope that interventions that decrease harmful EMFs will ease stress for the sickest patients who are often the most sensitive to disturbances in light, sound, and vibrational frequencies.  

The Simple ABC’s of Antidepressant Withdrawal

Antidepressant withdrawal is both complicated and simple. It was complicated when I first started in holistic psychiatry and didn’t know some of the nuances of antidepressant withdrawal, but now that I have gathered enough information to know the most important aspects of antidepressant withdrawal, it has become more straightforward. Well, as straightforward as a complicated process can be, that is. My learning curve, however, was a gradual one, and it stretched over many years. This article is not a comprehensive review of everything about antidepressant withdrawal. The purpose of this article is to alert individuals to key aspects of antidepressant withdrawal that everyone should know, before starting out on their journey. If you don’t, then withdrawal symptoms may become an ongoing source of suffering that can exact a large toll over many years. A successful withdrawal, defined by me, is one in which a person will be able to get off an antidepressant smoothly and stay off, even when under stress.

A. Content & Process

Antidepressant withdrawal can be divided into two aspects: content and process. The content of withdrawal includes what kinds of supplements, diet, or techniques are necessary to support or incorporate during withdrawal. The process, however, which has to do with the how, when, and what, is often poorly understood. In my practice, the process is facilitated by information and feedback learned through the field of energy medicine. In addition, it is supported by having years of clinical experience, working with complex patients and learning from them.

Lacking an overarching method for guiding the process of antidepressant withdrawal is often the main reason why people’s attempts at antidepressant withdrawal fail. Because of this, I would recommend antidepressant withdrawal only with the aid of someone who has had success in helping others through withdrawal. I have had patients who came to me after being taken off antidepressants, by those who lack experience with antidepressant withdrawal.  They were told to lower the medication dosages “slowly.” Without true healing, such an approach often lead to a relapse, within a few months of stopping the medication.

Having said that, however, it is important to withdraw slowly (occasionally, energy healing allows a more rapid reduction). Compounding pharmacies are often necessary to help create liquid suspensions of medications that allow for gradual dosage reductions that are much smaller than available dosage forms. Typically, the time for lowering the medication is when the “functional dosage”—the way the medication dosage supports mental function– is being experienced as being slightly higher than needed. This mental state is usually accompanied by early and mild side effects from the medication, i.e. increased vivid dreams, increased gastric activity, or apathy. Lowering the medication at such a point will lead to a normalization of function, rather than a state of deficiency. The faster the healing process, the faster the pace of antidepressant withdrawal that may be required.

B. Underlying Illness & Medication Dependency

Even the most successful medication withdrawal, however, will only treat half the problem: medication dependency. Quite often, the forgotten half of withdrawal is the underlying illness. Only treatment that simultaneously heals both the underlying illness that led to depression and anxiety, as well as medication dependency, will lead to stable mental health after cessation of medications. Therefore, even with successful medication withdrawal, one may be left with the initial condition that led to medication use, plus the intervening years of progressive worsening of unhealed underlying causes. In short, just tweaking a few neurotransmitters will not accomplish the job.

When addressing psychological traumas and negative mental habits that led to the initial symptoms of depression and anxiety, it is imperative that patients heal their psychological issues at the subconscious level. To do so, they first need to gain insight into what those issues were, and then apply energy medicine techniques to help heal those problems. Emotional Freedom Technique, (EFT www.EFTuniverse.com), and other acupressure techniques are a quick and effective way to heal traumas.

To heal the underlying physiological imbalances that had led to the initial symptoms, a general blend of supportive nutritional supplements are critical. The diet may need to be cleared of foods that cause hypersensitivity reactions. General nutritional areas that often need to be supported through orthomolecular means are: vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, amino acids, antioxidants, gastrointestinal support, and detoxification. The higher the absorbability of the supplement, the less one will need to get the job done. So, absorption is the key to choosing high quality nutritional supplements, rather than dosage. If underlying infections such as Epstein Barr Virus, Staph or Strep, H. Pylori, viral hepatitis, Lyme or its co-infections are undermining one’s health, they need to be treated.

C. Antidepressant Psychopharmacology & Biochemical Support

To address medication dependency, the first thing to do is: know your medication. It is important to know how the medication helps and how it hurts the person, when trying to withdraw from it. Open up a PDR or look online to really know the medication’s psychopharmacology and its unique functions in the body. Two important areas to know for navigating withdrawal are: 1) which receptors are blocked or activated by this medication? And 2) which nutrients are affected by this medication?  When withdrawing from a medication, everything that the medication suppresses will become elevated, and everything that it elevates will become depressed—unless you do something to ameliorate that condition beforehand.

To prevent the imbalance that will ensue upon lowering an antidepressant medication, one must anticipate what will happen during the taper process. There are different types of antidepressants. The most commonly used ones are SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) such as Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Paxil, and Lexapro and SNRIs (Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors) such as Effexor and Cymbalta. Tricyclics are seldom used nowadays. For those that elevate specific neurotransmitters, it is helpful to use supplements that facilitate the production of these neurotransmitters, before attempting to lower them. If the medication is first lowered and the person has low levels of the corresponding neurotransmitters, adding supplements after a taper has already taken place may not allow for normal levels to be restored quickly enough, and withdrawal will ensue upon lowering the medication. There are companies devoted to the nutritional support of creating neurotransmitters such as Sanesco and Neuroscience.  They have combined amino acids with other co-factors in a simple capsule to help patients build neurotransmitters naturally, which allows withdrawal to occur with much greater ease.

Beyond neurotransmitter support, there is a need for immune and hormone system support. For, antidepressants have an effect on hormones and the immune system. All medications are like two sided coins. They have a beneficial side and a toxic side. Antidepressant medications are beneficial, because they have, among their many side effects, some side effects that help lessen depression and anxiety. They are toxic, because they have been patented by a pharmaceutical company, which means they are unique molecules that are no longer a food item that the body will recognize. If the body does not recognize it as food, it is a foreign object, a xenobiotic and perceived by the body as foreign, treated as a toxin, and therefore, must be eliminated—both through detoxification pathways and through inflammatory pathways. (This is why, if a person’s body is already overwhelmed by too many foreign products, i.e. heavy metals, herbicides, or pesticides, the toxic aspect of medications will be poorly managed, and more side effects will ensue upon taking the medication. If a person has a healthy detoxification system, then the toxic aspects of a medication can be handled easily and effortlessly.

As medication levels get lower, its beneficial and helpful side effects diminish in a linear fashion, based on the dosage, but its allergenic effects–stress for the body–does not diminish proportionally. Compare this to what we know about vaccines. Vaccines contain small amounts of stimulus, antigens, but they can produce a powerful immune cascade. In a similar way, even a small amount of medication can cause a strong immune response—not the kind that causes hives, but like the kind that occurs with a kidney transplant. As withdrawal progresses, the imbalance between benefits and the inflammatory reaction will make the withdrawal gradually more difficult, unless you anticipate it and treat it. I have found Opsin II (Professional and Complementary Health Formulas) to be helpful in reducing the histamine response generated by medications, allowing for an easier withdrawal process.

With regard to hormonal support, I differ from other orthomolecular physicians in that I often use pineal gland support. My clinical experience has shown that pineal gland (Deseret Biologicals) eases withdrawal significantly. Patients tend to have better sleep, appetite, and lower stress levels when given this hormonal support.

Conclusion

At this point, you may have read more than you ever wished to know about antidepressant withdrawal, or you may feel like this article is more like an appetizer than the main course you had hoped it would be. You may also have the distinct impression that it may not be safe for you to attempt to do this on your own. However, by reading this article, you have the advantage of knowing more than I ever did, when I began my journey as a holistic psychiatrist. Through ten years of psychiatric training, the only useful piece of advice I remember receiving from my psychiatry mentors about medication withdrawal was to “do it slowly.” Three words on a topic that meant everything to my patients. Unfortunately, these three words may still encompass what many traditional psychiatrists know about antidepressant withdrawal, since their goal has not been to take patients off medication, but to put them on one. May these clinical pearls help you towards achieving a safe journey through your withdrawal process. 

Alice W. Lee, MD, ABIHM

Ten Practical Considerations During Psychotropic Medication Withdrawal

While there are different approaches to psychotropic medication withdrawal and much left to be discovered, it is helpful to provide an overview and some key considerations that are central to a smooth medication withdrawal process, from beginning to end.  The following points may be taken as clinical notes on this broad and complicated topic, from a holistic psychiatrist, who has helped patients withdraw from psychotropic medications since 2003.  It is not meant to replace competent medical supervision and care, but to heighten awareness of key issues associated with withdrawal.  During psychotropic medication withdrawal, some practical considerations include:

1. Duration of the withdrawal process:  The withdrawal process does not end when the patient has stopped taking the psychotropic medication.  Rather, adaptation to a medication-free condition continues long after the last pill has been taken.  At a minimum, the need for vigilance for possible relapse should continue for three to six months after stopping a medication.  During this time, the patient would benefit from continued healing through proper nutritional support, therapy, and stress reduction strategies.  Many factors play a role in the ease of withdrawal.  Some factors that may shorten or ease the withdrawal process (beside proper medical care) include: a) mild symptoms when ill, b) short duration of using the medication, c) healthy history, d) a whole foods diet, e) low stress levels, f) positive and open attitude, g) strong social supports, and h) exercising regularly.       

2. Areas that need to be healed and supported during medication withdrawal: a) withdrawal symptoms due to a lower medication dosage, b) underlying health problems, which led to a need for medication, c) traumatic experiences that undermine stress resilience, and d) deterioration of health in the intervening period since initiating medication.  How a patient presents (symptoms and complaints) does not determine how difficult the withdrawal will be.  A patient, who seeks treatment after taking a medication for just a few weeks, experiencing many side effects after exposure to the medication, may be able to withdraw from the medication very easily, especially if the underlying problem has all but healed.  

Medications have varying abilities to harm the body, some being harsher than others.  As patients use these medications over time, this damage is likely to accrue over time.  This damage is in addition to the emotional and psychological tolerance and dependence on psychotropic medications.  Being aware that the amount of time a patient has been on medications will allow for a more accurate estimate of how difficult the withdrawal process will be.  

Abruptly discontinuing medication can also be harmful to the body.  Withdrawal side effects, from an inappropriately rapid taper, signal that the body is struggling biochemically and physiologically.  The longer this continues without proper intervention, the more stress and harm the body endures.  Waiting for withdrawal symptoms to stop on their own, may result in prolonged damage to the body that can make future medication withdrawals more difficult, if not impossible.    

3. Factors that determine the rate of withdrawal:  The advice I was given, as a psychiatric resident, is to withdraw “slowly.”  However, a slow withdrawal is often relative to: a) how the patient is supported through orthomolecular and energy medicine, b) the person’s state of health and diet, c) the toxicity and addictive nature of the medication, d) psychosocial stressors during withdrawal, e) duration of medication exposure, and f) how many receptors are being affected simultaneously by the medication.  Patients will be able to withdraw more easily if they receive appropriate support and healing before, during, and after stopping their medication.  

I have found that it is important to provide support and healing before attempting to lower a medication, wait for mild signs of the medication being too strong, and then lowering dosages just enough to return the patient back to a state of balance once again.  Signs of overmedication or the medication being “too strong” may include feeling tired, sleeping longer at night, or feeling apathetic/flat.  When these symptoms appear, it is not a signal to add another medication, but to reduce the dosage of the medication that is creating excessive side effects.  I avoid lowering medications when the patient is feeling balanced on the medications, because it will initiate withdrawal symptoms and stress the patient, if I do so.    

Also, my clinical experience has been that medications, which simultaneously affect multiple receptors, will be more difficult to withdraw than medications that affect only one receptor.  My assumption is that one taper of a multi-receptor medication would be the equivalent of lowering multiple single-receptor medications simultaneously.  It would be more demanding on the body and more difficult to support both nutritionally and enzymatically.

4. What is “protracted withdrawal”?  The term “protracted withdrawal” has been used to indicate that a medication is to blame for prolonged or recurring withdrawal symptoms, regardless of how adequately supported a patient has been.  I believe, however, that prolonged withdrawal symptoms occur when the patient’s withdrawal/healing process has been incomplete.  In other words, perhaps the healing has been incomplete due to some deficiency in nutritional support, detoxification, or amelioration of underlying causes (infection, social stressors, genetic mutations, or leaky gut etc.).  

Taking a psychotropic medication is like covering one’s eyes when one is afraid of the dark.  It gives one a sense of safety, while still remaining in the dark.  A successful withdrawal is like an enlightening process that lessens the need to cover one’s eyes.  If the room remains dark and creepy, removing one’s hands only leads to prolonged fear and discomfort.  An incomplete withdrawal is like uncovering one’s eyes, before light has been fully restored.  If a patient is adequately supported during their withdrawal, the patient will be able to move into the light of consistent health, without experiencing protracted withdrawal.    

5. Limitations to supplementation.  Although nutritional supplements are crucial for a successful withdrawal, there are limits to what they can do.  Over the years, I have come to rely on many other forms of support for my patients.  I have also come to appreciate the ability to collaborate with other holistic and integrative health practitioners, rather than trying to do everything on my own.  

A supplement cannot change the curvature of a patient’s spine, replace a wholesome diet, or stop disruptive social stressors.  It cannot replace proper sleep and exercise.  Sometimes, despite the patient’s need for nutritional support, the most important thing may be to listen compassionately and silently.  It would be premature to plant palm trees, if the island is drifting towards the Antarctic.  When approaching medication withdrawal, it is helpful to be open to other tools that have the ability to heal root causes.

6. The proper order for the withdrawal process:  In the rush to get off medications, patients may start their taper first and seek for medical expertise after withdrawal symptoms emerge.  This puts the cart before the horse and creates unnecessary difficulties during the withdrawal process.  To make the withdrawal process less painful, it is best to heal the body, increase stress resilience, and lessen stressors before one attempts to lower a medication.  Then, as the body gets stronger and more fully functional, the medications will naturally feel too strong for the patient’s physiological needs.  When that happens, ease down on the medication to a point of balance and comfort.  Wait for further healing to occur, before the dosage is reduced, due to the medication being too strong again. 

For patients who stop a medication abruptly, the effect of lowering a medication may follow this formula:

(original illness + underlying, undetected, untreated, and evolving illness + deterioration of underlying health due to aging + level of dependency of medication’s function) x years of medication use = degree of suffering.

This can lead to a surprising degree of discomfort.  Often, the best remedy for premature withdrawal is to get back on a medication dosage that would rebalance the patient’s biological system (rather than change to another medication), initiate proper supports, and then reduce the medication at the proper point in the patient’s healing process.  

7. The role of mind-body/energy medicine:  While supplements provide the body crucial components for healing, energy medicine can provide the blueprint for the healing process.  Both are equally important for recovery.  Even before I start to lower a patient’s medication, I will ask my patients to listen to the “Minimizing Withdrawal Problems” track on my Infinite Intention CD (see the products section to download this useful track).  They listen to the track once per week, using guided visualization, to support focused intention and the relaxation response, and to facilitate greater ease with withdrawal.  When patients do this regularly, they have a smoother, easier withdrawal process.  I believe this meditation track supports the body’s ability to quickly reduce the number of unblocked receptors, during withdrawal, by supporting the consciousness of the body’s response system.       

8. The role of detoxification: Some patients have such a high toxic load that nutritional supplementation will not be able to create significant improvement in enzymatic functioning.  Many supplements significantly support detoxification, such as methyl donors found in B vitamins, liposomal glutathione, or liver extract.  However, in special situations--for example, in individuals who have a large number of genetic mutations that interfere with detoxification, or who have high levels of mercury or lead--adding nutritional supplements may only help modestly.  In such a situation, it may be best to initiate treatment by detoxifying through homeopathic methods, eliminating food sensitivities, decreasing dysbiosis/leaky gut, or reducing viral or bacterial load.  Heavy metal chelation may be a crucial piece of recovery.  It is, however, necessary to remove any remaining metal fillings in one’s mouth before the chelation process. 

9. How to support recovery through nutrition: At a minimum, general dietary and nutritional supplement support should adequately cover the following areas: vitamins, minerals (macro and micro), essential fatty acids, amino acids, G. I. support, anti-inflammatories, antioxidants, and detoxification.  In order to heal, an individual would need to meet their total nutritional needs for the day plus have extra.  The extra nutrients are then used to move health to a higher level.  Once these basic areas are covered, additional supplements that mimic the beneficial effects of the medication to be withdrawn should be selected and used.  For example, Sanesco makes a product called “Prolent,” which provides a combination of supplements that support serotonin production.  I use it to help my patients gradually lower their need for an SSRI such as Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, and Lexapro.  I also suggest the use of germinated brown rice, called GABA rice, to help with creating calmness during withdrawal from tranquilizing or anxiolytic medications. 

Supplements need to be carefully selected for absorbability and comprehensive coverage of physiological needs.  With higher absorbability, the amount of nutritional supplementation lessens.  Supplements that are highly absorbable often come as liquids or powders.  Whole food supplements may seem to lack the amount of nutrients found in fractionated supplements, but because of their high rate of absorbability, their effect may be many times more potent.  Sometimes, glandular supplements or protomorphogens may be helpful in supporting the liver, pineal gland, thyroid, or adrenals.  An anti-inflammatory diet is important to the recovery process.  This often means that the patient will need to reduce their consumption of wheat, dairy, and white, refined sugar.

10. Beyond biology.  Repairing the body is like repairing a radio.  Just because the radio is repaired, doesn’t mean that it will choose to play beautiful music.  We are more than our biology.  Healing our neurotransmitters and hormones, thyroid and adrenals are a wonderful way to proceed, but they only allow the person to be happy.  They do not make a person happy.  We may wish to find happiness from within a bottle, when happiness cannot be “found,” because it exists as a side effect of living life masterfully.  Healing the whole person will often require healing from past traumas that block one’s ability to embrace love and happiness.  Real growth takes place as we take tentative steps toward greater wisdom, love, forgiveness, and compassion.  Before creating a state of well-being, there is a learned aspect of being that has to be reassessed and realigned.  The road to health and well-being is paved with life’s lessons.  Some of those lessons lead to self-mastery, some to spiritual strength, and some to forgiveness.  In the end, healing leads to recognizing the journey as the blessing it has always been.

Ten Clinical Tips on Antipsychotic Withdrawal

When an individual becomes psychotic, typically an antipsychotic medication is used to ameliorate symptoms. However, there are many side effects associated with the use of antipsychotics, and often no clear method for coming off the medication once symptoms are under control. In addition, withdrawal from an antipsychotic medication, after taking it for several years, may often result in withdrawal symptoms that mimic the original psychotic illness, sometimes several months later.

Is it possible to withdraw from antipsychotic medications safely and successfully, without the recurrence of psychotic symptoms? I believe it is possible, though not easy. Knowing how to lessen the stress of tapering will improve your ability to experience a smooth, safe, and successful outcome.

Over the years, in the process of learning about medication withdrawal in general and antipsychotic withdrawal in particular, I have found that, in addition to supporting the body with proper nutritional support through diet and supplements, there are aspects of the withdrawal process that are valuable to know beforehand, for a smooth and safe withdrawal process. They are as follows:

1. Carefully follow sleep patterns: Do not reduce antipsychotic medications until sleep has increased through nutritional and energy medicine support to at least 9 hours per day. Lowering antipsychotic medication when sleeping 8 hours or less would lead to insomnia--one of the early symptoms of stress during withdrawal. I have found that ultra CBD, a hemp oil extract, can be helpful to patients for supporting sleep and appetite, when needed.

2. Use liquid antipsychotics if available: It is easier to taper down in small amounts when using liquid antipsychotics. Of course, this principle applies to antidepressants or anxiolytics as well. If liquid antipsychotics are not available, they can be specially compounded through certain compounding pharmacies, especially through pharmacies that also sell nutritional supplements.

3. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory support: typically I use a combination of whole food powders such as acai, goji, and maqui powder to lower oxidative stress. I also highly recommend an anti-inflammatory diet and restricting wheat, dairy, and white, refined sugar. Among the anti-inflammatory supplements I use are Restore (a supplement for the gastrointestinal system), probiotics, vitamin C, and omega-3 fatty acids.

4. Strengthen the GABA neurotransmitter system: The GABA system provides the physical message of tranquility. By increasing the neurotransmitter that is central to creating calmness and peace, people are able to rely less on the effects of an antipsychotic. I often recommend GABA rice (about half a cup twice daily) or liposomal GABA. Zojirushi makes GABA rice cookers and can make GABA rice from organic, brown rice. Organic, germinated brown rice cooked in a regular rice cooker will also make GABA rice.

5. A "step-down process of withdrawal":Although there are many factors that can make antipsychotic withdrawal difficult, different antipsychotic medications have different levels of difficulty during withdrawal, based on their psychopharmacology alone. Consider Zyprexa, it affects approximately 17 different subtypes of receptors, while Haldol affects two dopamine receptor subtypes. In between, we have Abilify, which affects 10 different receptor subtypes, while Seroquel affects seven different receptor subtypes. When these medications are lowered, the body has to adapt to the number of receptors that become unblocked. It follows that it is easier for the body to adapt to changes, when there are fewer changes to adapt to. When lowering an antipsychotic medication that affects many different neurotransmitter subtypes, such as Zyprexa, it may be helpful to use a "step-down process," tapering down the antipsychotic through the use of another antipsychotic that affects fewer receptor sites. For example, when tapering down on Zyprexa, gradually increase the dosage of Seroquel. Once the individual is only on Seroquel and has safely and completely weaned off of Zyprexa, then gradually taper the dosage of Seroquel while gradually increasing the use of liquid Haldol. Once the individual has transitioned to Haldol and has completely been weaned off Seroquel, then very gradually lower Haldol. All the while, the individual should be using supplements and energy medicine to facilitate the recovery process. Tapering off Haldol, the last step of the "step-down process" may be easier to achieve successfully than coming directly off of Zyprexa.

6. Treatment of contributing causes: Infection, toxicity (heavy metals, pesticides, and herbicides), genetic mutations, and traumas all contribute to oxidative stress and inflammation, which affect mental health. Treatment of these underlying causes will be critical to a successful withdrawal.

7. Minimize social stressors: Abrupt changes and demands, losses and traumas can undermine the ability to come off an antipsychotic medication. It is important to consider the social context and to support a calm, predictable, and yet, rewarding set of circumstances for optimal healing to occur. Psychotherapy is often a critical and central part of the healing process, by strengthening insight, forgiveness, presence, and healthy coping strategies.

8. Guided Visualization/Meditation: I recommend to my patients the use of an audio track called "Minimizing Withdrawal Problems" to listen to once per week. It uses meditation and intention to support the body's ability to adapt to dosing changes. This track is available on my website to download from the digital products section.

9. Collaboration with other integrative health practitioners: It is helpful to create a treatment team of integrative practitioners who can work together to help the patient heal. Each can bring to the process a special set of skills that can support the patient during this difficult process.

10. Give it time: the journey is just as important as the end goal of being off a medication. It is often better to give oneself more time to heal, on a medication, than to force the process and experience physical discomfort from withdrawing too quickly. Medications are helpful in many ways and should not be viewed as an enemy in this process. Improvements in health will naturally result in a need to rebalance the dosage of medications to a lower amount.