Last Updated on October 28, 2022 by
Alternative to Meds Editorial Team
Medically Reviewed by Dr Michael Loes MD
Table of Contents:
Persons electing Loxapine withdrawal should be afforded expert care and compassion throughout the process. Coming off antipsychotic medication is unfamiliar territory for much of the rehab world. Aim to find help that is coming from knowledge and familiarity for your best and safest outcome.1,19
We have assisted many clients in completely discontinuing antipsychotics. However, we understand that not all persons will be able to completely discontinue loxapine therapy. Nonetheless, reduction down to the smallest dosage to control symptoms, while maintaining an improved overall quality of life is very much a worthy goal to strive for.
Do Your Symptoms Require Loxapine?
Alternative to Meds Center offers a wide range of antipsychotic withdrawal and holistic mental health services. Please take a moment to review an independent report documenting our treatment success over the last 2 decades. Our approach to loxapine withdrawal is based on the fundamentals of safety and comfort. We have found that in many cases, symptoms can be addressed using holistic, nontoxic protocols. We also investigate root causes for original symptoms and search for medical and other factors that may have been missed, or that may have changed since a person’s original diagnosis.
In 1975 Loxitane© (loxapine succinate) capsule formulation came out, offering a new choice in first-generation antipsychotic medications. While its molecular structure is nearly identical to clozapine, a second-generation or “atypical” medication, loxapine was found less associated with heart injuries than other antipsychotics, and less likely to cause the drooling effect that can make antipsychotic therapy undesirable. Neither loxapine nor clozapine are considered 1st-line treatments but are turned to when other treatments were found unsatisfactory. Loxapine has been described as having some “second-generation” characteristics, though it is classed as a “first-generation” or “typical” antipsychotic. 1,7,23
Depending on the drug, different receptors may be affected. In the case of loxapine, dopamine and possibly others are disabled, or changed, resulting in calming sedation, and quieting unwanted symptoms such as hallucinations, and agitation. By contrast, a torrent of chemicals is unleashed when an antipsychotic drug is withdrawn too abruptly. The faster the withdrawal, the worse the gush. You want to go slow and avoid such an overwhelming catastrophe.
Hyperkinesia, abnormal movement disorders
In loxapine withdrawal there can be significant shifts in neurochemistry, involving dopamine, prolactin, and other hormones that can wildly fluctuate. These dysregulations can be assisted by several strategies, some examples of which are outlined below.
Pay attention to diet:
