Alternative to Meds Medical Tapering Approach

Founded by holistic health specialist Lyle Murphy, Alternative To Meds Center delivers individualized, evidence-based mental health and addiction treatment programs. In addition to wellness services and inpatient treatments, Alternative To Meds Center offers medical tapering based the healthiest practices for managing medication withdrawal.

Unlike rapid detox treatments, tapering reduces a client’s medical intake slowly, which allows the body to adapt. When done under the supervision of qualified experts, tapering can reduce or eliminate the effects of withdrawal, particularly for drugs like opiates with addictive properties. 

The center examines each client’s specific circumstances to determine the best course of action for medical reduction. The most effective tapering method differs based upon a medication’s half-life (the amount of time it takes for half a dose to metabolize in the body) or the intensity of a drug’s withdrawal symptoms. Dosages may be reduced or substituted with a similar drug with a longer half-life. Tapering is often combined with counseling and other alternative therapies.

Drug Tapering and Substitution

A state-licensed residential behavioral/mental health and addiction treatment center, the Alternative To Meds Center in Sedona, Arizona, offers holistic treatment plans designed to meet each patient’s goals and needs. Particularly focused on reducing dependence on prescription medications, the Alternative To Meds Center utilizes tapering techniques such as substitution.

Abrupt medication cessation and rapid detox methods may be dangerous, rarely work as promised, and often lead to relapses. Conversely, the gradual tapering off of a medication is a sustainable method that allows the body to adjust and optimizes the chances of long-term success.

However, some medications can present challenges to tapering. In these cases, substitution may be required. Substitution involves the replacement of a drug with a similar drug that has milder withdrawal characteristics. Once a patient is stable on the new medication, he or she can gradually taper the dosage with fewer negative side effects.

For more information about tapering techniques and drug substitution, visit www.alternativetomeds.com.

Antidepressant Withdrawal Common, According to UK Study

For more than a decade, the Alternative to Meds Center has helped clients to improve their mental well-being and decrease or eliminate their dependence on pharmaceuticals. The Alternative to Meds Center offers a specialized antidepressant withdrawal program, which offers a gradual tapering of medication.

A new report out of the UK has revealed that antidepressant withdrawal affects more than half of patients who stop taking such medications. The research team reviewed 14 prior studies that had presented data on withdrawal symptoms experienced by patients who had stopped taking antidepressants. 

The studies varied in their findings, with one study concluding that 27 percent of people reported withdrawal symptoms while another found that 86 percent did. The current research team calculated a weighted average of 56 percent.

Study participants reported a variety of symptoms, including nausea, dizziness, and mood swings. Severe psychiatric symptoms, such as suicidal ideation and hallucinations, were also reported.


Data revealed that these symptoms can be debilitating and last for weeks or months. As a result, the research team is urging physicians and standards of care developers to review the impact of prescribing these medications.

Category of Antidepressants Linked to Dementia

The Alternative to Meds Center has been providing holistic natural treatments for mental health conditions and substance abuse for more than a decade. The Alternative to Meds Center is committed to helping patients eliminate their dependence on antidepressants, which may have side effects or unwanted long-term consequences.

A particular type of antidepressant may increase a patient's risk of developing dementia, according to researchers from the University of East Anglia in the UK. The study evaluated the long-term use of anticholinergenic medications prescribed for depression, Parkinson's disease, and bladder conditions.

The research team examined the medical records of more than 324,000 patients, some 12.5 percent of whom had recent dementia diagnoses. They found that patients who had taken certain classes of anticholinergenics, which block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, increased a patient's risk of developing dementia by as much as 30 percent.

The researchers emphasized that the connection was still present for those patients who had taken the medication in question up to 20 years before the diagnosis. They urge doctors to avoid prescribing these medications, particularly when the patient is 65 years old or older.