I took Ciprimil for a seven-month period in 2004. I was on 20mg a day for all but the last fortnight; I'd been promised I'd be weaned off them completely by the end of May so I could drink at my own wedding but time was getting short! I was given some 10mg's and told to alternate 20, 10 and then 10, 10 and then 10, 0 but after about four days of feeling like HELL (sweats, shivers, cramps, nausea and headaches) I realised there wasn't enough time to use up all the pills and decided that, if this was withdrawal I was NOT going to go through my wedding feeling like that so just wet cold turkey and within a couple more days the side effects were passed and I was able to enjoy my day. There was no repeat of the Panic Attacks but I have to say that I was careful to modify my life too - dropping down to a three day working week, with reduced duties to decrease the stress both of the workload and of the 100-mile a day commute.
This is terribly subjective though - it worked for me but then I just had a bog-standard, work-induced breakdown that manifested in panic attacks so it followed that reduced workload/hours would address that (which it did). I'd had a nice, four-month rest before returing to a three-day week and had no doubt at all that I was recovered by the time I came off.
Coming off 'cold turkey' from a 20, 10 alternate days wasn't too much of a drop but I really wouldn't have done it off a higher dose. These things are strong and need to be treated with respect. It's natural to feel side effects such as those I mentioned above but please, if you have any doubts or experience really bad ones I'd advise speaking to your doctor but on the bright side, they wouldn't be advising a reduction if they didn't see real progress with you so good luck and keep us posted.
H :-)
Reply With Quote
