I was on a 50mg dose for about 8 months and have been tapering since December. I'm particularly sensitive to withdrawals on this med, so after a couple of failed attempts to drop by 25mg, I had my doctor call my pharmacist. The pharmacist compounded the powder into a liquid suspension so I could very carefully lower my dose.

At first we started with a 10% decrease every two weeks. I managed two steps down when I had a vacation from work. But I finally settled in at dropping 5mg every 4 weeks or so (unless I get sick, have a deadline, or a lot of travel). The worse side effects (fatigue, irritability, and increased pain) peak 2 days after the decrease and last for a few more.

While this pace is slower than I wanted, it allows me to keep working full time, and give me enough space between weeks of feeling like crap (from the decrease) that I don't get beat down by it.

I've seen other recommendations to try and compound it into a suspension yourself. I tried that and the dose was pretty irregular. Find a local compounding pharmacy and have your doctor write a prescription for the taper (ignoring what pill sizes are available from the manufacturer). The pharmacist will find a solution for you.

Cheers,
Chris