I need some help with dropping (MG/ML) Liquid Paxil. *Urgent*

[hex]

Hi folks,

I've been on Liquid Paxil for about 2 months now and I must say I feel great. I originally started Paxil more than a year ago. Doc put me on it for anxiety purposes at 20mg a day. After being weeks on 20mg I decided to taper down, and I've been tapering it to this day, and I just finished 8mg = 4ml of liquid Paxil. I started Liquid Paxil at 9mg which is what 4.5ml. Then from 9mg I went to 8mg which is 4ml and I've been on 8mg since Feb 2nd. Yesterday it was full 4 weeks. I usually wait btw 4 weeks before cutting down the dose. Today, Monday first week of a new week I was forced to take 8mg/4ml again because I wasn't sure what to do. I read people say as you continue to drop down you should also decrease less. Normally I went from 10mg to 9mg and was fine, then from 9mg I went to 8mg and I was fine. Now, I'm wondering if I should go to 7mg or 7.5mg ?? As I'm dropping down to 7,6,5mg I think I should also slowly drop the dosage. So what would you do ? 7mg or 7.5mg ? 7mg is 3.5ml but how do you measure 7.5mg on the syringe. That is 3ml and how many of those small lines btw. the ML. is it 3 full lines...leaving only one line btw you and the ML. ?

At the end, I must admit this. I've developed a habit for a few weeks now, I've been smoking some good mary jane... I did so much research and didn't find anything that explains anti-depressants and marijuana don't mix well together. Is smoking ok while on Paxil ?

[JessG]

Are you doing 10% or 5% drops? If you wanna do a 10% drop, then you would want to drop to 7.2mg(3.6ml.) If you want to do 5% drops than that would be 7.6mg(3.8ml) I'm not sure what kind of syringe you're using so I don't know how many lines are in between whole numbers.
In regards to the marijuana question, I was a heavy smoker the entire time I've been on Paxil and didn't really have problems. Recently though as I've begun to taper I found it made me more anxious than I'd like so I quit over a week ago(the longest I've ever gone without smoking) and have been fine. If you find it helps you than why not, but if you find it makes you anxious than you might wanna quit or tone it down a bit

[carolyn]

+1 on Jess's recommendation of 7.2mg/3.6ml. The 10% taper really works well.

To figure out which line on the syringe to use, I use this post that NewbGuy made in the Liquid Paxil Dose Tapering Measurements sticky:

5mL - 10 mg
Line 1 - 9.6 mg
Line 2 - 9.2 mg
Line 3 - 8.8 mg
Line 4 - 8.4 mg

4mL - 8 mg
Line 1 - 7.6 mg
Line 2 - 7.2 mg
Line 3 - 6.8 mg
Line 4 - 6.4 mg

3mL - 6 mg
Line 1 - 5.6 mg
Line 2 - 5.2 mg
Line 3 - 4.8 mg
Line 4 - 4.4 mg

2mL - 4 mg
Line 1 - 3.6 mg
Line 2 - 3.2 mg
Line 3 - 2.8 mg
Line 4 - 2.4 mg

1mL - 2 mg
Line 1 - 1.6 mg
Line 2 - 1.2 mg
Line 3 - .8 mg
Line 4 - .4 mg

This assumes that your syringe has 4 lines in between ML markings, but all of mine do, so that seems pretty standard.

[Meri_Ashke]

Carolyn, I also think that depends on the direction the numbers on the syringe are facing. On mine, for example, the 2.8 is at the second line between the 1 and 2ml, and the 2.4 is the first line. If that makes sense. I'm confusing myself here.

[scotslass]

Hex,as you get to smaller dose you can get a 1ml syringe(I have a 10ml and a 1ml as I am dropping less than 10% and find using both much easier)For example when I drop to 13mg I will fill my 10ml syringe to the '6ml' mark and fill my 1ml syringe to the '.5' mark this will give me 13mgs.It sounds complicated but is easy once you get the hang of it!

[carolyn]

Originally Posted by Meri_Ashke

Carolyn, I also think that depends on the direction the numbers on the syringe are facing. On mine, for example, the 2.8 is at the second line between the 1 and 2ml, and the 2.4 is the first line. If that makes sense. I'm confusing myself here.

Right, the "first line" is always the line closest to the preceding ml mark.

So for example:

5mL - 10 mg
Line 1 - 9.6 mg
Line 2 - 9.2 mg
Line 3 - 8.8 mg
Line 4 - 8.4 mg

4mL - 8 mg

Line 1 is always the line closest to the 5 mL mark (or the fourth away from the 4 mL mark).

Line 2 is always the 2nd line from the 5 mL mark (or the third away from the 4 mL mark).

Line 3 is always the 3rd line from the 5 mL mark (or the second away from the 4 mL mark).

Line 4 is always the 4th line from the 5 mL mark (or the first away from the 4 mL mark).

And then there's the 4 mL mark.

[hex]

Ok. I have shorter, 5mL syringe. I guess I never did 10% drops. I guess my first question wasn't clear with some of you.

Before, I was dropping milligram every 4 weeks. So from 10mg (oral), I went to 9mg liquid and did this for about 4 weeks..then started 8mg and finished 4th week yesterday...and today I was supposed to start a new week with lower mg but wasn't sure what to do and ended up doing 8mg/4ml. So this brings me here. Should I drop to 7mg or 7.5mg. 7mg is 3.5ml while 7.5mg is 3.75ml. I'd like to do 3.75ml so how do I draw and how much. 3ml then 3 extra lines ? I know 3ml and 2 extra lines is what 3.5ml ?

I'm starting to think. The more you go down MG wise, the less % you should drop. So being at 8mg I think going to 7.5mg would be good. I would only drop what half a mg...which is not so bad..

[Betsy]

I think that between the 10 and 5 mg doses, the near 10% suggestion can still apply. Let's say you dropped 1 mg. between 15 and 9 mgs dose. That was only a true 10% when you went from 10 mgs to 9 mgs. If I could use the liquid, I would have just dropped .5 mgs between the 9 and 5 mg. mark. Which is still less than a true 10%.

You are right, the taper amount gets smaller as the dose amount goes down. Below 5 mgs. you gotta go even more careful, watching how your body responds to it all.

About the MJ, I have never used it, I have enough brain difficulties on my own, I would avoid, like a plague, adding anything else into the mix that I already seem to have only a bit of control over. You never know what you are going to get.....is it really worth that risk?

Good luck to you.
Betsy

[carolyn]

Originally Posted by hex

I'd like to do 3.75ml so how do I draw and how much. 3ml then 3 extra lines ? I know 3ml and 2 extra lines is what 3.5ml ?

Right, 3ml plus 3 lines is the same as 4ml minus 2 lines.

The line closest to the 4ml mark on the syringe will be 3.8ml; the 2nd line out from the 4ml mark will be 3.6ml. The 3rd on out is 3.4ml.

I'd just go with the 3.8ml at that first line from 4ml (or four lines from 3ml) on the syringe.

I attached a photo of a 5ml syringe with the right line for 3.8ml marked (pardon my inability to draw a straight line ).