RxDown
Hyperbolic taper calculator
A hyperbolic taper reduces your medication by a constant proportion of your current dose (for example 10% per step) instead of a fixed amount — so the absolute cuts get smaller as your dose gets lower, matching how dose relates to receptor occupancy. This free calculator builds an example schedule you can discuss with your prescriber.
Your dose curve
| Step | Day | Dose | Cut from previous |
|---|
⚠️ This calculator is an educational illustration, not a prescription. Real-world tapers need to account for your medication's available formulations, your history, and your symptoms — slow down, hold, or reinstate as your prescriber advises. Do not change your dose without medical supervision.
How is this schedule calculated?
Each step multiplies the current dose by (1 − reduction%). This mirrors the proportional-reduction approach described by Horowitz & Taylor (Lancet Psychiatry, 2019) and the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines (2024): because receptor occupancy follows a hyperbolic curve, proportional cuts produce roughly even effects, while equal-milligram cuts become progressively harsher at low doses. Typical clinical practice ranges from 5–10% (cautious) to 25% (faster) per step, every 2–4 weeks, adjusted to symptoms.
Why do the steps get smaller and smaller?
Because each cut is a percentage of the current dose. Evidence suggests the brain responds to proportional, not absolute, changes: at low doses, each milligram occupies far more receptor capacity, so fixed-size cuts hit hardest exactly when you're most vulnerable.
What reduction rate should I choose?
That's a decision for you and your prescriber. The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines describe proportional reductions often in the 5–10% range per step for cautious tapers, with faster rates for people who tolerate reductions well. Symptoms — not the calendar — should set the pace.
How do I actually take a dose like 3.7 mg?
Small doses usually need liquid formulations, compounded preparations, or careful tablet dispersion in water. Your pharmacist is the right person to ask — and RxDown's liquid-dose units can track whatever form you use.