Using CBD oil to help taper off anxiety & depression meds?

Hello @tundra. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thank you for starting this conversation. I see that you also posted in the group talking about using CBD oil for withdraw on effexor. Lots of helpful information in that thread! You may also find helpful information regarding CBD oil in this thread: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/cbd-oil-and-depression-anxiety/?pg=4#comment-99190

I would like to introduce you to @gman007, who also has been through the process of tapering off Benzo. However, I'm not sure if he used CBD oil to do so. Also, you could check with member,@ronlin1948, who used CBD to taper off of seroquel. Hopefully they will have some insight to share with you.

Thanks so much Jamie

Hi, @tundra -- wanted to add my welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I can imagine the tapering process from the Serepax (Oxazepam) is challenging.

Here are a few threads you may want to check out and participate in where members are talking about similar issues:

- https://mayocl.in/2qCA0yX -- this is about withdrawal from venlafaxine (Effexor), but you will note using CBD oil in that process comes up a number of times

- https://mayocl.in/2JXG2SM -- this is about risks of benzodiazapines

-https://mayocl.in/2vlInU8 -- this is about life after stopping benzos

I have used CBD tincture 20:1 for the past 4 months that has a very small amount of THC in it to assist in weaning my son with autism off his poly pharmacy that he has been on for many years. 1 dropperful contains 9.5mg CBD to.5mg THC I so far have successfully weaned my son off 2 prescriptions which dealt with his extreme anxiety- Clonazapam and Guanficine. His extreme anxiety often triggered serious behaviors in the past . Initially I weaned him off Guanficine while substituting the CBD oil. I then weaned him very slowly off clonazepam while giving him the cbd tincture generally 2-3 times/day. This is a trial and error method and there is no hard and fast methodology to guide a person in dosing. I am having his staff take behavioral data since we began the CBD and started taking him off the other prescription drugs. We are now very slowly weaning him off an atypical anti psychotic. His behaviors have decreased significantly. He is not as anxious or perseverative or irritable and I, his staff and him are so far very encouraged. The CBD oil seems to last about 4-6 hours. The medical marijuana dispensary people were very helpful but it is all anecdotal data at this point. You need to make sure you find a reputable company and dispensary There is some scientific evidence to show that CBD may be impacting GABA receptors or others but we need a lot of research. We need the FDA to change its policy of having medicinal marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug since this is preventing the research. I am not too worried about any potential side effects from the CBD but I am very careful about the amount of THC given, as that has been known to sometimes cause psychotic episodes if too much THC. . If anyone has information on weaning off atypical antipsychotic medication I would be most appreciative . Hopefully the CBD oil will make these other medications unnecessary since they seem to have many more long term side effects than the CBD.

Hi @stephanieann,

You might be interested in viewing these discussions on Connect, where members have shared their experiences on similar medication:
– Klonopin taper https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/klonopin-taper/
– Finding the Right Medication for Anxiety/OCD https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/finding-the-right-medication-for-anxietyocd/

I'm not very familiar with atypical antipsychotic medications; could you share some details, @stephanieann? What is the difference between atypical and typical antipsychotics?

Atypical anti psychotics are some of the newer medications being used with people with autism or schizophrenia e.g. Risperdol, Abilify, Invega According to the literature there is less chance of developing symptoms like Tardive dyskinesia (Parkinson like tremors) with atypical antipsychotics. Supposedly they are suppose to help with aggressive behaviors, severe anxiety bi polar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. . Older medications like Haldol are still in use but I think not as popular now. To my knowledge, we do not have good information on the long term side effects of being on atypical antipsychotics. I am hopeful that by using CBD oil , I will be able to taper or completely wean my son off of these very powerful drugs. But as I mentioned earlier it is very much a trial and error process of weaning him off of prescription drugs and substituting CBD oil in its place. Anyone doing this and could share their experience would be appreciated.

Hi Tundra. How does it go with tapering? Im on Serax too (a year now) about 20-25 mg per day. Started taper 3 weeks ago Didnt know about all withdrawal I seems to have.

What group are you posting the too on Mayo Connect. I am trying to use CBD as an adjunct to trazadone and Lyrica withdrawal as well as the nortriyptiline withdrawal I’m on and finally Valium withdrawal. I am eager to connect with a discussion group that addresses this. Thanks if you can help.

I have not seen any other posting on CBD impacts other than my post of Sept 3 and 4 on this discussion group. Wish there was, especially how CBD impacts anxiety irritibility, obsessive thoughts, sleep .

what dosage are you using ? I have heard 20:1 good for anxiety not that appropriate for difficulty falling asleep

Hello i was abruptly cold turk off zoloft for possible seritonin syndrome an used FECO and or RSO oil. It helped me alot