@Wombat Just dropping by to say thinking of you ,hope things are settling for you 🙏

Hi Cheeky and Beehive,

Thanks for checking in. I seem to have made it back to WDNormal.

Thank you for your encouragement. It took a couple of weeks, but I seem to have adjusted to the liquid version so far.

Now on to Step 3:

5mgai (0.077gpw) + 3mlai (6ml in syringe)

= 8mgai

I will start that tonight.

You can do it Wombat!!!

You’ve already answered my question. Sounds like you’re finding your groove 🤪

Thanks Catbird, definitely an incredibly slow process this.

But others have gone before us, so we know it can be done.

Wombat

11 hours ago, Wombat said:

I seem to have made it back to WDNormal.

I may not be a frequent poster, but I've been reading your updates regularly, Wombat.

I was confident WD normal would return soon enough. Time and holding your dose can do wonders.

11 hours ago, Wombat said:

You can do it Wombat!!!

You have a great attitude.

1 hour ago, AlmostOff said:

I was confident WD normal would return soon enough

Thank you for this. It makes me feel confident too.

1 hour ago, AlmostOff said:

You have a great attitude.

This made me smile. Today I can do this. On a wave day my attitude is not quite the same.

But we can do it. And we will make it.

Wombat

Sounds so uplifting well done you ,long may it continue 🙏

On 5/2/2026 at 8:26 AM, Wombat said:

Hi Cheeky and Beehive,

Thanks for checking in. I seem to have made it back to WDNormal.

Thank you for your encouragement. It took a couple of weeks, but I seem to have adjusted to the liquid version so far.

Now on to Step 3:

5mgai (0.077gpw) + 3mlai (6ml in syringe)

= 8mgai

I will start that tonight.

You can do it Wombat!!!

Yay you got this @Wombat

I'm still trying to find out what WNormsl is . I tend to have an up or a down 🤪

Thanks Cheeky and Beehive,

Another week has passed, this dose change didn't cause too many issues. I did have a mild anxiety attack on one day, but it passed within 24 hours, so it seems I am adjusting to the liquid. Yay.

I measured out my next step this morning, and it is getting really hard to weigh. If all goes well this week I may go all liquid next week.

This week is Step 4:

4mgai (0.062mgpw) + 4mlai (8ml in syringe)

= 8mgai

I will start this tonight.

21 hours ago, cheeky said:

I'm still trying to find out what WNormsl is . I tend to have an up or a down

WDNormal is tricky. You feel like you want it to be that you are good all the time. That is not how I am at all. My WDNormal means that I am having a functioning day - not necessarily a great day. I still have a little underlying anxiety, get overwhelmed in loud places, etc. When the inner tremors or anxiety become so overwhelming that I can't leave my bed I know that I am definitely not in my WDNormal state.

Hope you are still doing well, Cheeky.

Wombat

On 5/9/2026 at 9:17 AM, Wombat said:

Thanks Cheeky and Beehive,

Another week has passed, this dose change didn't cause too many issues. I did have a mild anxiety attack on one day, but it passed within 24 hours, so it seems I am adjusting to the liquid. Yay.

I measured out my next step this morning, and it is getting really hard to weigh. If all goes well this week I may go all liquid next week.

This week is Step 4:

4mgai (0.062mgpw) + 4mlai (8ml in syringe)

= 8mgai

I will start this tonight.

WDNormal is tricky. You feel like you want it to be that you are good all the time. That is not how I am at all. My WDNormal means that I am having a functioning day - not necessarily a great day. I still have a little underlying anxiety, get overwhelmed in loud places, etc. When the inner tremors or anxiety become so overwhelming that I can't leave my bed I know that I am definitely not in my WDNormal state.

Hope you are still doing well, Cheeky.

Wombat

@Wombat thanks for clarifying that that's interesting so basically not feeling 100% good but functioning. I never thought of it that way.. so does that mean we just keep on tapering when we're not feeling 100%? This is what I get confused about.

Yes. I know it is confusing. Brassmonkey wrote an excellent article on WDNormal at SA. I would link it, but I can't work out how to link things.

You have to also know if you are in tachyphylaxis. Brassmonkey wrote about that too. According to Brassmonkey I won't be feeling good for a long while (although I am better than I was when I was on 60mg).

I never ever feel 100%. (Maybe on very rare occassions). But I am very functional.

That's one of the reasons my drops are very tiny when I do them. If I feel a lot worse I know I have dropped too much too quickly.

So WDNormal is basically feeling the same (whatever the symptoms) with no swings either way.

If I drop and haven't noticed any difference to my base line, I will drop again after holding for a week. If I drop and I get worse or extra symptoms I will hold until I am back at my baseline. I will always have a long hold every now and then as well. Just to "let the paint dry" as Brassmonkey would say.

Also things that are happening in life can also cause me to hold if there is an extra stress of some sort.

It is tricky.

Hope this helps. Definitely read Brassmonkey's articles. They helped me understand it more.

Hope you're having a lovely mothers day today 💗

Wombat

Edited May 10May 10 by Wombat
Add sentence

3 hours ago, Wombat said:

Yes. I know it is confusing. Brassmonkey wrote an excellent article on WDNormal at SA. I would link it, but I can't work out how to link things.

You have to also know if you are in tachyphylaxis. Brassmonkey wrote about that too. According to Brassmonkey I won't be feeling good for a long while (although I am better than I was when I was on 60mg).

I never ever feel 100%. (Maybe on very rare occassions). But I am very functional.

That's one of the reasons my drops are very tiny when I do them. If I feel a lot worse I know I have dropped too much too quickly.

So WDNormal is basically feeling the same (whatever the symptoms) with no swings either way.

If I drop and haven't noticed any difference to my base line, I will drop again after holding for a week. If I drop and I get worse or extra symptoms I will hold until I am back at my baseline. I will always have a long hold every now and then as well. Just to "let the paint dry" as Brassmonkey would say.

Also things that are happening in life can also cause me to hold if there is an extra stress of some sort.

It is tricky.

Hope this helps. Definitely read Brassmonkey's articles. They helped me understand it more.

Hope you're having a lovely mothers day today 💗

Wombat

You explained it so well . Thanks

Happy Mother's Day to you too 🌸

Hey @Wombat

When you do your home-made suspension, are you going to do do yours to a one-to-one ratio mix for example 20 MG of tablet to 20 mils of water?

@cheeky @Wombat

Just so you both know @Vince uses 40 ml of water to a 10 mg pill. He keeps it is the fridge and uses it for a couple days. His manufacturer is Sandoz.

Thank you LostinCanada, I have been watching that conversation.

We don't have 10mg tablets in Australia unfortunately. Only 20mg. It's good to know it lasts a couple of days. I am going to try that down the track after I have stabilised on a full dose of liquid.

@cheeky

I have been doing a 1:2 ratio.

20mg tablet in 40ml water

I don't remember where I read that. Probably on SA in the tips for paroxetine.

It would be much easier 1:1.

When I get to drawing 16ml, I plan to draw twice. Stirring the liquid again is a good idea.

Wombat

40 minutes ago, LostinCanada said:

@cheeky @Wombat

Just so you both know @Vince uses 40 ml of water to a 10 mg pill. He keeps it is the fridge and uses it for a couple days. His manufacturer is Sandoz.

1 hour ago, Wombat said:

Thank you LostinCanada, I have been watching that conversation.

We don't have 10mg tablets in Australia unfortunately. Only 20mg. It's good to know it lasts a couple of days. I am going to try that down the track after I have stabilised on a full dose of liquid.

@cheeky

I have been doing a 1:2 ratio.

20mg tablet in 40ml water

I don't remember where I read that. Probably on SA in the tips for paroxetine.

It would be much easier 1:1.

When I get to drawing 16ml, I plan to draw twice. Stirring the liquid again is a good idea.

Wombat

@Wombat o can't see the difference if we do a 1-1 ratio it would be way easier

13 minutes ago, cheeky said:

@Wombat o can't see the difference if we do a 1-1 ratio it would be way easier

The difference is having enough water to allow the drug to become fully soluble. If you do not have enough liquid, the solution will be saturated and not fully dissolve.

1 hour ago, Wombat said:

20mg tablet in 40ml water

I don't remember where I read that. Probably on SA in the tips for paroxetine.

This is also recommended in The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines.

On 5/10/2026 at 10:45 AM, Wombat said:

Brassmonkey wrote an excellent article on WDNormal at SA. I would link it, but I can't work out how to link things.

Dear Wombat,

Is this the article you mean from Brassmonkey? You need to scroll down a bit:

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/27066-brassmonkeys-tips-and-tricks-for-tapering/

He wrote some very helpful articles.

How are you doing?

AlmostOff

1 hour ago, LostinCanada said:

The difference is having enough water to allow the drug to become fully soluble. If you do not have enough liquid, the solution will be saturated and not fully dissolve.

Okay I get it then

2 hours ago, AlmostOff said:

Is this the article you mean from Brassmonkey?

Yes, perfect. Thank you.

Every time I saw his name somewhere I would read whatever he said. He said some very wise things.

I am doing OK. Thanks for asking. Get a bit tired of the looping thoughts, ruminations and OCD, but I am getting there. Distracting as much as I can.

No inner tremors with this last step of transition to liquid, so that is a big plus. I will decide on Friday whether I go straight to all liquid or do another transition step.

@LostinCanada Thanks for explaining why we dilute a 1:2 ratio. I had no idea the reason, I just accepted that was what was to be done.

@cheeky I have never seen any medication so difficult to work out than these antidepressants/benzos etc. It astounds me that it has taken a couple of decades of forum non-medical people from all over the world, working together to work out how to get off these meds. With zero help from the medical community. Although that is beginning to change now. Absolutely crazy times!!!

Wombat

One of the reasons I chose a 1:4 (paroxetine in mgai to water in ml) ratio is for more accuracy with a 10ml syringe. Here's my math with a visual example.
Example A shows a 1:1 ratio, where a small deviation on the 10 ml syringe can equal up to 0.2 mg (paroxetine) difference.

Example B shows a 1:2 ratio, where a small deviation on the 10 ml syringe can equal up to 0.1 mg difference.

Example C shows a 1:4 ratio, where a small deviation on the 10 ml syringe can equal up to 0.05 mg difference.
I calculated a small deviation as 1/5th of 1 ml on the 10ml syringe.

Hi Vince, Thanks for dropping in and showing me that. My math is not great at the best of times, but at the moment the math part of my brain has stopped working. I'll take all the help I can get. 😊

Hope you are doing OK at the moment.

Wombat

4 hours ago, Wombat said:

Yes, perfect. Thank you.

Every time I saw his name somewhere I would read whatever he said. He said some very wise things.

I am doing OK. Thanks for asking. Get a bit tired of the looping thoughts, ruminations and OCD, but I am getting there. Distracting as much as I can.

No inner tremors with this last step of transition to liquid, so that is a big plus. I will decide on Friday whether I go straight to all liquid or do another transition step.

@LostinCanada Thanks for explaining why we dilute a 1:2 ratio. I had no idea the reason, I just accepted that was what was to be done.

@cheeky I have never seen any medication so difficult to work out than these antidepressants/benzos etc. It astounds me that it has taken a couple of decades of forum non-medical people from all over the world, working together to work out how to get off these meds. With zero help from the medical community. Although that is beginning to change now. Absolutely crazy times!!!

Wombat

@Wombat I know right .

4 hours ago, Wombat said:

Get a bit tired of the looping thoughts, ruminations

I do recall that. I found this article beneficial:

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/13492-dealing-with-emotional-spirals/#comment-257833

...maybe you've already read it. I read it many times.