Chapter 11
Immediate Release Antidepressant Pre-Taper
Please Note: This pre-taper is for individuals taking an Immediate Release antidepressant.
Starting Your Pre-Taper
If you have not read the entirety Chapter Six “General Pre-Taper and Taper Instructions,” please
do so before continuing with this chapter. Reading and understanding the Chapter “General Pre-
Taper and Taper Instructions” is vital before starting the pre-taper.
You may already be in withdrawal before you found The Road Back Program. Please hang in
there; relief can come very quickly for you. Most people are never able to get off an
antidepressant due to the head symptoms that are common with reducing this type of medication.
Your pre-taper is a little different than for a time release antidepressant.
The American Medical Association now acknowledges at least 10% of the people that try to get
off an antidepressant will not be successful due to the withdrawal side effects. The 10% is
probably higher with a time-release antidepressant. We want you to know this so you know it is
not just you. Sorry to say, most physicians have never read the AMA report on antidepressant
withdrawal and they have not realized that 1 out of every 10 of their patients they have
prescribed an antidepressant to will have this withdrawal problem unless they begin doing
something differently.
Head side effects are the ones that stop most people from being able to get off an antidepressant.
An electrical brain zap, dizziness and other head symptoms are the problem. For The Road Back,
these debilitating head side effects are easy to stop and stop quickly. If you have not started to
taper the antidepressant yet, using this Antidepressant Pre-taper should stop the head symptoms
from even starting. If you have already started to taper the antidepressant and have these head
symptoms, the right type of omega 3 fish oil will get you back on your feet quickly.
The supplements that are required for the immediate release antidepressant withdrawal program
are the Neuro Day, JNK Formula, Omega 3 Supreme, and Neuro Night.
It would be good if you also take 200i.u. to 400i.u. of vitamin E each day. Omega 3 supplements
need a little extra vitamin E each day to help with absorption.
Make sure to keep your Daily Journal up-to-date and use graphs so you can visually see the
changes taking place with you.
What to do:
1.
Get with your prescribing physician and/or pharmacist and layout your drug taper
schedule.
1.
Plan out the second and third reduction of the medication as well at this point to ensure
you are ready with the correct dosages of the drug.
Once you have read all of the pre-taper section proceed to Chapter 15, “How to Taper
Antidepressants” and fully read it as well.
The Pre-Taper
For the next 7-days you will be doing your pre-taper. You do not reduce your antidepressant
during the pre-taper but, to state again, this is the time to also plan out the reduction phase of the
drug which starts after the seven days of the pre-taper are completed.
Goal of Antidepressant Pre-taper
If anxiety is present, have it eliminated
If fatigue is present, have it eliminated
If flu like symptom are present, have them eliminated
If depression is present, have it eliminated
Eliminate all other antidepressant side effects
Set up the body correctly to eliminate potential withdrawal symptoms.
The goal of the pre-taper may seem unobtainable to you at this moment, but after you experience
a day to two of taking the supplements used with this program, you should begin to experience
the changes we suggest will happen. It is not out of character for people to feel as though they
are no longer even on an antidepressant as all side effects vanish quickly.
Supplements You Will Take:
Neuro Day
JNK Formula
Omega 3 Supreme
Neuro Night
Anxiety or Insomnia
The Neuro Day, JNK Formula and the Omega 3 Supreme should handle these symptoms with
ease.
Fatigue
If you have fatigue, the JNK Formula and the Omega 3 Supreme should help but 3 nights of a
sound sleep will likely do wonders.
DAY ONE Action:
Rate your daytime anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and other side effects. Use the Daily Journal
and rate anxiety, sleep and any additional symptoms you may be experiencing from 1 to 10. Rate
with number 10 being the worst and number 1 being no side effect or symptom remaining.
Rate the previous night’s sleep first thing the next morning. Rate the daytime anxiety just before
bedtime of that day.
If you take the antidepressant first thing in the morning, take the medication as normal and 1
hour later take the morning supplements.
How to do the Pre-Taper: Supplements:
JNK – Take 1 capsule of the JNK Formula first thing in the morning but at least 1 hour apart
from medication. Take a second JNK Formula capsule 4 to 5 hours later in the day.
Omega 3 Supreme TG – Take 1 Omega 3 Supreme in the morning and 1 more at noon.
Neuro Day – Take 1 capsule 1 hour after taking the JNK Formula. Take a second capsule of the
Neuro Day 4 or 5 hours after the first capsule.
Anxiety or Insomnia
Anxiety:
Between the JNK Formula, Neuro Day and the Omega 3 Supreme, your daytime anxiety should
fade away quickly. The sequence of taking the JNK Formula first and the Neuro Day an hour
later can be changed as needed.
If you respond real well to the Neuro Day and really do not feel much change after taking the
JNK Formula in the morning, try taking the Neuro Day first, wait one hour and then take the
JNK Formula.
Insomnia – The Neuro Night should help with a sound sleep quickly.
Fatigue
Once again, the JNK Formula and the Omega 3 Supreme should help with the fatigue but most
likely the fatigue should lift after 3 solid nights of sleep.
How to Adjust the Supplements if Needed:
JNK – As stated earlier, the JNK Formula and the Neuro Day can be switched around. Start with
the JNK Formula first in the morning but if more relief comes from the Neuro Day, take it first.
Neuro Day– The Neuro Day formula addresses quite a broad scope of side effects caused by
antidepressants. From stress feelings, anxiety, agitation, and more, you should begin to have a
calm feeling within a day or two of starting this supplement.
Just remember; no more than 1 capsule at a time, no more than 2 capsules in a day and have at
least 3 hours apart with this supplement.
If anxiety tends to return or start at a certain time of the day, take the Neuro Day about 1 hour
before that normal time the anxiety starts.
Don’t leave the JNK Formula out of the daily routine though, even if you do not feel a massive
change after taking it. It is working and working in concert with the Neuro Day.
Omega 3 Supreme – All head symptoms, except headaches, when coming off an antidepressant
are handled by the Omega 3 Supreme. If you are feeling any symptoms in the head, increase the
Omega 3 Supreme to 2 softgels in the morning and 2 additional softgels at noon. If symptoms
persist after this increase, raise the amount of Omega 3 Supreme to 5 softgels in the morning and
5 at noon. A few people have needed to increase to 6 softgels in the morning and at noon to get
the head symptoms under control. Once the head symptoms are back under control reduce the
Omega 3 Supreme back down to the 3 softgels in the morning and the 3 softgels at noon. Check
with your doctor before increasing the Omega 3 fish oil if you are taking heart medication or
blood pressure medication.
Neuro Night – Adjust around the time you take this supplement as needed. Start with 15 minutes
before bedtime but move to an earlier time if you are not feeling sleepy at bedtime.
Finishing the Pre-Taper
Do the pre-taper for 7-full days. Do not cut the pre-taper short no matter how well you may feel
after a few days. Give your body a chance to balance, give yourself the chance to fully
experience relief before you tackle the reduction of the antidepressant.
If you wish to stay on the pre-taper for an extended time, that is fine to do, many have. You may
have experienced extreme trauma the last time you tried to get off the antidepressant and the
apprehension you may feel now is normal, not a mental disorder.
This is your time; do not let yourself get rushed by your physician or by the information in this
book. The drug manufacturer, the F.D.A., and even the American Medical Association state a
gradual reduction of the medication is required. We cannot stress enough, take your time. This is
when the tortoise beats the hare to the finish line.