Foquest Taper Guidlines?

[jojam]

I can't seem to find the recommended taper guideline anywhere, just references to taper under the supervision of a doctor.

I was on Concerta starting at 36mg and within 3 years I was up to 54mg+18mg. About a year ago I switched to Foquest 70mg.

Given my doctor initially prescribed the wrong dosages (as in they don't exist) for the taper, I figure he doesn't know what he is doing anyway.

But here is what I have been prescribed for a taper:

- 55mg for a week, then 45mg for a week, then check in with the doctor in 6 weeks and asses. I am currently halfway through the 45mg week.

I am just feeling so angry, depressed/andohenia, and loss of drive/focus that I need to know if this taper was too quick. And honestly the way the drugs are dosed, I don't think the step down increments could have been any different drug wise, but maybe I should have stayed at 55mg for a little longer.

On a side note I am weaning off for medical reasons mixed with personal feelings towards the drug that I picked up during my 4-5 years medicated for ADHD/ADD. I figure I spent 40 years of my life functioning without stimulants, why not now, but I am feeling the repercussions. Leading up to now I kept requesting more of the drug, but now that the limits have been pushed for so long, I honestly don't feel any better than I did before starting methylphenidate. I believe I have worse focus than before starting the stimulant, its like I became immune. 

[CrazyRedhead]

12 hours ago, jojam said:

But here is what I have been prescribed for a taper:

- 55mg for a week, then 45mg for a week, then check in with the doctor in 6 weeks and asses. I am currently halfway through the 45mg week.

I am just feeling so angry, depressed/andohenia, and loss of drive/focus that I need to know if this taper was too quick. And honestly the way the drugs are dosed, I don't think the step down increments could have been any different drug wise, but maybe I should have stayed at 55mg for a little longer.

On a side note I am weaning off for medical reasons mixed with personal feelings towards the drug that I picked up during my 4-5 years medicated for ADHD/ADD. I figure I spent 40 years of my life functioning without stimulants, why not now, but I am feeling the repercussions. Leading up to now I kept requesting more of the drug, but now that the limits have been pushed for so long, I honestly don't feel any better than I did before starting methylphenidate. I believe I have worse focus than before starting the stimulant, its like I became immune. 

You would be surprised how many docs get tapering wrong.....I'm certainly not a doc, but from my experience, and from what I've seen here, a lot of docs tend to taper patients too quickly, IMO.

The symptoms you are experiencing (anger, depression, anhedonia, and loss of focus) are symptoms of stimulant withdrawal........Perhaps you could talk with your doc about a slower taper?

If you have been taking the Foquest for a year, you might have developed tolerance to it.....Tolerance is when you have to take higher and higher doses of the medication to get the same effect.