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Zlatinb: Tapering Abilify (Aripiprazole)

Featured Replies

Hello,

 

Here is my original introduction topic from SurvivingAntidepressants.  I will be posting future updates about my taper recovery here.

 

Stay strong!

zlatinb

I run a Discord server for tapering Abilify come chat! (Not affiliated with Antidepressant Recovery)

 

Medication and drug history:

  • 2001 - 2013 - various ADs, changed every few years

  • Early 2013 - psychotic episode following heavy abuse of Ketamine, Psilocybin and many others...

  • 2013 - Early 2015: Clozapine, various doses

  • Early 2015 - Mid 2015: Venlafaxine 150 mg + Olanzapine 20 mg

  • Mid 2015 - Sep 2022: Venlafaxine 225 mg + Aripiprazole 20 mg

  • Sep 2022 - 8 Jan 2024: nothing, but relapsed and had a psychotic episode

  • Aripiprazole/Abilify: 8 Jan 2024: 15 mg | 16 Apr 2024: 7.5 mg | 15 Aug 2024: 3.75 mg | 1 Dec 2024: 1.88 mg | 30 Jan 2025: 1.5 mg | 26 Mar 2025: 1.25 mg | 30 May 2025: 1.07 mg | 11 July 2025: 0.94 mg | 24 Aug 2025: 0.83 mg | 7 Oct 2025: 0.75 mg | 16 Nov 2025: 0.68 mg | 26 Dec 2025: 0.62 mg | 31 Jan 2026: 0.54 mg | 14 Mar 2026: 0.47mg | 18 Apr 2026: 0.38 mg | 30 May 2026: 0.31 mg | 11 Jul 2026: 0.25 mg | 15 Aug 2026: 0.19 mg | 19 Sep 2026: 0.15 mg | 17 Oct 2026: 0.11 mg

 

Supplements and biohacks: Fish oil and multivitamins, intermittent and extended fasting, ketogenic diet, deliberate cold exposure

Sobriety: cannabis: 26 Oct 2024, caffeine: 25 May 2025, nicotine: 6 June 2025, everything else: too long ago to remember

Welcome to the forum, zlatinb.

 

I am the Recovery Assistant Bot and I am here to post some information for you whilst we await replies from other members.

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications. If you are experiencing an adverse reaction to them, withdrawal difficulties or are injured by them, we are very sorry to hear this and will do what we can to help you.

 

While we are waiting for human members to reply, there are some things you can do that will help you get the most out of this forum whilst you await further support.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here:

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/misc.php?action=help

 

Please update your signature. This will allow members to see some basic information about your drug history and situation so that they may help you best. Information on how to do this is located in the guides linked above, but here is a direct link:

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/misc.php?action=help&hid=8

 

Once this is done, future posts made by you will have this signature turned on by default.

 

If you have migrated here from "SurvivingAntidepressants" feel free to post a link to your old thread in this one, or include it in your signature.

 

We hope that you will find this forum helpful.

Nothing I say is medical advice, it is simply my opinion. I am an anonymous person on an internet forum with no relevant qualifications other than being badly harmed by a drug. For all you know, I could be an idiot. You are making your own decisions and part of that is deciding how much to listen to my opinion, if at all.

 

Perhaps you should consider this post an artistic work of fiction written for entertainment purposes.


Story from SA: LukeUK: Remeron/Mirtazapine Severe Withdrawal - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

15mg Remeron/Mirtazapine November starting 2022 (severe physical side effects)

Attempted to taper off January 2023, ended up having a major breakdown and going up to 30mg, took weeks to stabilise

1 month taper  to 0mg

Last dose April 2023

Severe withdrawal syndrome with many physical symptoms

Summary: 5 months using Mirtazapine, including 1 month taper ending late April 2023.

Hey Zlatinb

 

Welcome to the forum! It’s great to have you here. 

 

Speak soon

 

Chippy

I’m not a medical professional and cannot offer medical advice. I only offer my thoughts as support. Please speak to your health practitioner about your care. This is a peer site where we support each other on our taper/recovery journeys. 

 

If you are from the UK please make sure you fill in a 'Yellow Card' report for the MHRA. It is you doing your bit to help make a difference.

Please take the time to do it today 🙂 https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk

For US members details here.

Thank you for joining.

 

Please keep us updated on your tapering process. Hopefully eventually you'll be able to write a success story here too.

Nothing I say is medical advice, it is simply my opinion. I am an anonymous person on an internet forum with no relevant qualifications other than being badly harmed by a drug. For all you know, I could be an idiot. You are making your own decisions and part of that is deciding how much to listen to my opinion, if at all.

 

Perhaps you should consider this post an artistic work of fiction written for entertainment purposes.


Story from SA: LukeUK: Remeron/Mirtazapine Severe Withdrawal - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

15mg Remeron/Mirtazapine November starting 2022 (severe physical side effects)

Attempted to taper off January 2023, ended up having a major breakdown and going up to 30mg, took weeks to stabilise

1 month taper  to 0mg

Last dose April 2023

Severe withdrawal syndrome with many physical symptoms

Summary: 5 months using Mirtazapine, including 1 month taper ending late April 2023.

  • 3 months later...
  • Author

I've decided to speed up my taper.  The original schedule was to reach zero in April 2027, but I'm going to pull it back to January 2027.

 

Start: 2026-04-11 dose 0.47
At 2026-04-18 dose 0.38 reduction 25.00%
At 2026-05-30 dose 0.31 reduction 20.00%
At 2026-07-11 dose 0.27 reduction 16.67%
At 2026-08-22 dose 0.21 reduction 28.57%
At 2026-10-03 dose 0.17 reduction 22.22%
At 2026-11-14 dose 0.12 reduction 36.36%
At 2026-12-26 dose 0.09 reduction 33.33%
day=295 (years 0.81) supply=379.69 dose 0.094

 

The target exit dose is just under 0.1 mg, which would be 1/150th of the starting dose (15 mg).

 

Other than that everything so far is going smoothly, except for two reductions ago - to 0.54mg - I went through 10 days of mild depression.  Since the start of the taper I've done 14 reductions, 12 of which have been perfectly smooth.

I run a Discord server for tapering Abilify come chat! (Not affiliated with Antidepressant Recovery)

 

Medication and drug history:

  • 2001 - 2013 - various ADs, changed every few years

  • Early 2013 - psychotic episode following heavy abuse of Ketamine, Psilocybin and many others...

  • 2013 - Early 2015: Clozapine, various doses

  • Early 2015 - Mid 2015: Venlafaxine 150 mg + Olanzapine 20 mg

  • Mid 2015 - Sep 2022: Venlafaxine 225 mg + Aripiprazole 20 mg

  • Sep 2022 - 8 Jan 2024: nothing, but relapsed and had a psychotic episode

  • Aripiprazole/Abilify: 8 Jan 2024: 15 mg | 16 Apr 2024: 7.5 mg | 15 Aug 2024: 3.75 mg | 1 Dec 2024: 1.88 mg | 30 Jan 2025: 1.5 mg | 26 Mar 2025: 1.25 mg | 30 May 2025: 1.07 mg | 11 July 2025: 0.94 mg | 24 Aug 2025: 0.83 mg | 7 Oct 2025: 0.75 mg | 16 Nov 2025: 0.68 mg | 26 Dec 2025: 0.62 mg | 31 Jan 2026: 0.54 mg | 14 Mar 2026: 0.47mg | 18 Apr 2026: 0.38 mg | 30 May 2026: 0.31 mg | 11 Jul 2026: 0.25 mg | 15 Aug 2026: 0.19 mg | 19 Sep 2026: 0.15 mg | 17 Oct 2026: 0.11 mg

 

Supplements and biohacks: Fish oil and multivitamins, intermittent and extended fasting, ketogenic diet, deliberate cold exposure

Sobriety: cannabis: 26 Oct 2024, caffeine: 25 May 2025, nicotine: 6 June 2025, everything else: too long ago to remember

Please be cautious, and don't be inflexible- if you start having difficulties I would slow down rather than rigidly sticking to a schedule.

 

Hopefully it doesn't come to that and it goes okay.

Nothing I say is medical advice, it is simply my opinion. I am an anonymous person on an internet forum with no relevant qualifications other than being badly harmed by a drug. For all you know, I could be an idiot. You are making your own decisions and part of that is deciding how much to listen to my opinion, if at all.

 

Perhaps you should consider this post an artistic work of fiction written for entertainment purposes.


Story from SA: LukeUK: Remeron/Mirtazapine Severe Withdrawal - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

15mg Remeron/Mirtazapine November starting 2022 (severe physical side effects)

Attempted to taper off January 2023, ended up having a major breakdown and going up to 30mg, took weeks to stabilise

1 month taper  to 0mg

Last dose April 2023

Severe withdrawal syndrome with many physical symptoms

Summary: 5 months using Mirtazapine, including 1 month taper ending late April 2023.

  • 1 month later...
  • Author

A quick update that is worth sharing with others who are tapering Abilify:

I've been experiencing strong surges of anger and rage in my last few dose reductions. It was easier for me to get from 15 mg to 0.5 mg than from 0.5 mg to 0.31 mg (where I'm now). So it is true that the lower doses are indeed the most difficult!

I run a Discord server for tapering Abilify come chat! (Not affiliated with Antidepressant Recovery)

 

Medication and drug history:

  • 2001 - 2013 - various ADs, changed every few years

  • Early 2013 - psychotic episode following heavy abuse of Ketamine, Psilocybin and many others...

  • 2013 - Early 2015: Clozapine, various doses

  • Early 2015 - Mid 2015: Venlafaxine 150 mg + Olanzapine 20 mg

  • Mid 2015 - Sep 2022: Venlafaxine 225 mg + Aripiprazole 20 mg

  • Sep 2022 - 8 Jan 2024: nothing, but relapsed and had a psychotic episode

  • Aripiprazole/Abilify: 8 Jan 2024: 15 mg | 16 Apr 2024: 7.5 mg | 15 Aug 2024: 3.75 mg | 1 Dec 2024: 1.88 mg | 30 Jan 2025: 1.5 mg | 26 Mar 2025: 1.25 mg | 30 May 2025: 1.07 mg | 11 July 2025: 0.94 mg | 24 Aug 2025: 0.83 mg | 7 Oct 2025: 0.75 mg | 16 Nov 2025: 0.68 mg | 26 Dec 2025: 0.62 mg | 31 Jan 2026: 0.54 mg | 14 Mar 2026: 0.47mg | 18 Apr 2026: 0.38 mg | 30 May 2026: 0.31 mg | 11 Jul 2026: 0.25 mg | 15 Aug 2026: 0.19 mg | 19 Sep 2026: 0.15 mg | 17 Oct 2026: 0.11 mg

 

Supplements and biohacks: Fish oil and multivitamins, intermittent and extended fasting, ketogenic diet, deliberate cold exposure

Sobriety: cannabis: 26 Oct 2024, caffeine: 25 May 2025, nicotine: 6 June 2025, everything else: too long ago to remember

Hi @zlatinb , and thanks for the update. I'm following your topic since I plan to make another attempt at tapering aripiprazole.

Sorry to hear about the anger surges. Do you notice any psychotic symptoms in addition to anger? (if you're comfortable sharing)

I read in your topic on SA forum that you had psychotic symptoms around February 2025 that subsided within a few days. Apparently, there were other such instances (you mentioned tracking your symptoms on a chart, but that image is no longer accessible). That gives me hope that even if I start getting some psychotic symptoms as I taper, they won't necessarily spiral out of control.

Since 2013: various drugs at different times, including some antidepressant(s), olanzapine, lithium, zopiclone*, valproate*, aripiprazole, lamotrigine, quetiapine, chlorprothixene*, pregabalin*, chlorpromazine* and zuclopenthixol*.

*These drugs I was given short-term (for a month or so) during hospitalisations, and most were stopped cold turkey.

As of Oct 2022: aripiprazole 5 mg, lamotrigine 50 mg. Was tapering both until in Sep 2023 I was on aripiprazole 0 mg and lamotrigine 25 mg. Hospitalised with psychosis.

Oct 2023: aripiprazole 15 mg, lamotrigine 75 mg. Was tapering both until in Mar 2024 I was on aripiprazole 0 mg and lamotrigine 50 mg. Again, hospitalised with psychosis.

Mar 2024: aripiprazole 30 mg, lamotrigine 150 mg, quetiapine 300 mg. Was tapering quetiapine until in Nov 2024 I was at 0 mg, and aripiprazole until in Jun 2025 I was at 3.75 mg (lamotrigine remained at 150 mg). Yet again, hospitalised with psychosis.

Apr 2026: aripiprazole 10 mg and lamotrigine 62.5 mg; May: ari 10 mg and lam 56.25 mg; Jun: ari 10 mg and lam 50 mg. Holding for now.

@zlatinb the dose cuts in your signature look larger than the 10% often recommended in support groups. This may be why you've had difficulty with them.

Nothing I say is medical advice, it is simply my opinion. I am an anonymous person on an internet forum with no relevant qualifications other than being badly harmed by a drug. For all you know, I could be an idiot. You are making your own decisions and part of that is deciding how much to listen to my opinion, if at all.

 

Perhaps you should consider this post an artistic work of fiction written for entertainment purposes.


Story from SA: LukeUK: Remeron/Mirtazapine Severe Withdrawal - Introductions and updates - Surviving Antidepressants

 

15mg Remeron/Mirtazapine November starting 2022 (severe physical side effects)

Attempted to taper off January 2023, ended up having a major breakdown and going up to 30mg, took weeks to stabilise

1 month taper  to 0mg

Last dose April 2023

Severe withdrawal syndrome with many physical symptoms

Summary: 5 months using Mirtazapine, including 1 month taper ending late April 2023.

  • Author

@SofterLine I only experienced the psychotic symptoms for a few days back in Feb 2025. That was shortly after a big cut from 1.88 mg to 1.50 mg combined with several days of intense math studies. Also, I had used cannabis a few months earlier (late Oct 2024) and THC leaves the body very slowly and I'm sure that hasn't helped! I have not experienced any other psychotic symptoms worth mentioning.

The more recent anger issues are strictly emotional, no psychotic symptoms at all. They appear like clockwork after each dose reduction, and fortunately go away within 7-10 days.

@Luke I tend to vary the speed based on my circumstances. During the summers my roommate is away so I risk bigger reductions because it's easier for me to handle the disruptions when I'm by myself.

I run a Discord server for tapering Abilify come chat! (Not affiliated with Antidepressant Recovery)

 

Medication and drug history:

  • 2001 - 2013 - various ADs, changed every few years

  • Early 2013 - psychotic episode following heavy abuse of Ketamine, Psilocybin and many others...

  • 2013 - Early 2015: Clozapine, various doses

  • Early 2015 - Mid 2015: Venlafaxine 150 mg + Olanzapine 20 mg

  • Mid 2015 - Sep 2022: Venlafaxine 225 mg + Aripiprazole 20 mg

  • Sep 2022 - 8 Jan 2024: nothing, but relapsed and had a psychotic episode

  • Aripiprazole/Abilify: 8 Jan 2024: 15 mg | 16 Apr 2024: 7.5 mg | 15 Aug 2024: 3.75 mg | 1 Dec 2024: 1.88 mg | 30 Jan 2025: 1.5 mg | 26 Mar 2025: 1.25 mg | 30 May 2025: 1.07 mg | 11 July 2025: 0.94 mg | 24 Aug 2025: 0.83 mg | 7 Oct 2025: 0.75 mg | 16 Nov 2025: 0.68 mg | 26 Dec 2025: 0.62 mg | 31 Jan 2026: 0.54 mg | 14 Mar 2026: 0.47mg | 18 Apr 2026: 0.38 mg | 30 May 2026: 0.31 mg | 11 Jul 2026: 0.25 mg | 15 Aug 2026: 0.19 mg | 19 Sep 2026: 0.15 mg | 17 Oct 2026: 0.11 mg

 

Supplements and biohacks: Fish oil and multivitamins, intermittent and extended fasting, ketogenic diet, deliberate cold exposure

Sobriety: cannabis: 26 Oct 2024, caffeine: 25 May 2025, nicotine: 6 June 2025, everything else: too long ago to remember

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