Medication Discontinuation

Onsite SSRI, SNRI, Benzo & Z-Drug Tapers

Drug-specific onsite taper guides bridged with sub-psychoactive iboga total alkaloid (TA) under continuous cardiac telemetry. Hyperbolic dose reductions, ACLS-equipped facility, and structured integration. To our knowledge, MindScape is currently the only ibogaine facility in North America delivering this protocol.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Arellano, M.D.

Clinical Director, MindScape Retreat · Board-certified physician specializing in ibogaine-assisted detoxification with over 1,000 patients treated.

Last reviewed: May 2026 · See full medical team

Quick Answer

What is the MindScape onsite taper protocol?

MindScape's onsite taper protocol discontinues SSRIs, SNRIs, benzodiazepines, and short-acting opioid agonists onsite under continuous cardiac telemetry by bridging patients with sub-psychoactive doses (typically 50–150 mg BID) of full-spectrum iboga total alkaloid (TA) — covering all 12+ indole alkaloids — rather than benzodiazepine cover or unsupervised home washouts. Internal admissions-to-flood-dose tracking shows 98% of enrolled patients complete the taper and reach the planned ibogaine HCl flood dose — a taper-completion metric only, not a long-term remission rate. See the methodology page for denominators and hedges.

Reviewed by Dr. Arellano, M.D. — May 2026

SSRIs

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Hyperbolic taper with iboga TA bridge across the steepest receptor-occupancy drops.

Zoloft

Sertraline · 10–21 days onsite, drug-dependent and dose-dependent

Onsite sertraline (Zoloft) taper bridged with sub-psychoactive iboga total alkaloid under continuous cardiac telemetry.

Lexapro

Escitalopram · 10–18 days onsite

Onsite escitalopram (Lexapro) taper bridged with sub-psychoactive iboga total alkaloid — eliminates brain zaps, dizziness, and emotional rebound.

Prozac

Fluoxetine · 14–21 days onsite (driven by metabolite clearance, not parent drug)

Onsite fluoxetine (Prozac) taper using its long-half-life metabolite as a built-in bridge, augmented by full-spectrum iboga TA.

Paxil

Paroxetine · 14–28 days onsite (longest of the SSRI class)

Onsite paroxetine (Paxil) taper — the SSRI most associated with severe discontinuation syndrome — bridged with full-spectrum iboga TA.

SNRIs

Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. Both serotonergic and noradrenergic withdrawal — broader TA receptor coverage.

Effexor

Venlafaxine · 14–28 days onsite

Onsite venlafaxine (Effexor) taper — the SNRI with the most severe withdrawal — bridged with full-spectrum iboga TA.

Cymbalta

Duloxetine · 14–24 days onsite

Onsite duloxetine (Cymbalta) taper bridged with iboga TA — capsule-bead micro-tapering under continuous telemetry.

Benzodiazepines

GABA-A modulators with seizure risk on abrupt cessation. Cross-titration to long-half-life benzodiazepine, then Ashton-method hyperbolic taper with TA bridge.

Xanax

Alprazolam · 21–60 days onsite (longest of any class — driven by seizure-safety floor)

Onsite alprazolam (Xanax) taper — the most withdrawal-severe benzodiazepine — under continuous cardiac telemetry with iboga TA bridging.

Klonopin

Clonazepam · 21–45 days onsite

Onsite clonazepam (Klonopin) taper — long half-life makes it the preferred cross-titration target — bridged with full-spectrum iboga TA.

Ativan

Lorazepam · 21–45 days onsite

Onsite lorazepam (Ativan) taper — cross-titration to diazepam first, then hyperbolic Ashton-method taper with iboga TA bridge.

Z-Drugs (Sleep Medications)

GABA-A α1-subunit-selective hypnotics. Cross-titration to diazepam followed by hyperbolic taper with TA bridge and sleep-architecture restoration.

Ambien

Zolpidem · 14–30 days onsite

Onsite zolpidem (Ambien) taper — Z-drug GABA-A subunit-selective dependence — bridged with full-spectrum iboga TA.

Important Hedge

These pages are educational, not personal medical advice.

Drug-specific taper guides describe the MindScape onsite protocol in general terms. Day-counts and dose ranges are illustrative — every onsite taper is individualized after baseline cardiac, hepatic, electrolyte, and pharmacogenomic workup. Do not modify or discontinue prescribed medications without supervised medical support. Abrupt cessation of benzodiazepines or short-acting opioids can be dangerous.

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