As you all know I have had great luck with the verap.  Only shadows.  I have tried weaning myself off a couple of times.  Actually just tried in the past couple of days but the  shadows are back again.  I thought it might be ok as my cycle is usually over in June and well, it's June.  I was just curios what you all thought about the fact that I can't get off the med.  Will I need to take it forever?  Maybe trying to get off right now is impossible due to stress from the other health issue I'm having?

I know you all are going to ask why I want to go off of it if I am tolerating it well.  My reasons are 1, I still don't have a new neuro and the I am almost out of it (yes I know that I need to get on the ball and get a new one).  2, call me vain but I swear that the Verap is making me  fat..er.  I'm going to the beach in July!

As always, thanks for your input!

Jeannie

A general rule of thumb, I've heard, is to start slowly tapering off once you've gone 2 weeks pain free.

I have been totally p/f for more than two weeks at a time.  As soon as I start to taper off I get eye twitching and shadows.  I can't figure it out!

Jeannie

Can you deal with the shadows some other way? For many, like myself, ibuprofen will kill the shadows.

I think this is your body's way of telling you that the cycle's not quite over. But if you'd like to get off the verapamil, maybe there's another way to deal with the tail end of your cycle.

That's a thought.  I guess that I am just afraid that they will develop into more than just shadows with no Verapamil in my system at all.  I have never had a cycle last longer than June but, I have never had a cycle where I never actually got hit either.  It has been an unusual spring. (better than most but unusual)  You're probably right that it just isn't quite over yet.

Hi Jean,

I'm beginning my taper off of Verapamil too.  Take it slow.  40-80mg steps.  Take weeks to get off totally.  But taking it slowly should help.

-Dennis-

hey jean-  
i just finished completely tapering off my verap on sunday.  I tapered very slowly for about 3 weeks.  I was scared too of the shadows.  here is what i did.

i was taking 660 mg ( 240 in am, 240 at 5 and 180 at night) I stopped the 180 for a week- everything was great- no shadows.  then started working on getting down to just 240- so for 2 weeks took 240 in the middle of the day-  a couple of times i got some shadows that concerned me so two times i added back a 240.   Then last week went 240 every other day.  small shadows - never amounted to anything - and the shadows happenned around 4 or 5 in the afternoon ( not my normal hit time anyway)  

Then starting sunday - no verap.   No hits, no shadows.  I am very tired though- taking long naps.But memory is improving immensely-  And i have gained weight this cycle with the preds at the beginning and verap

I'd give it a shot-  the shadows are scary but if it results in something significant you'll know you aren't quite done-


Good luck and hang in there-

kelly