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Just an update, if anyone is interested....


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This topic is not about taper problems, just information.  Heaven knows we have enough people on tapers who are having lots of painful, frightening problems with them.  http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/scared/scared0010.gif  I promised Jana I'd post my progress here, since (at the time), I was the first one we knew of using a straight liquid Klonopin taper.  Since then, I think there are a few more.  But what the heck!  No one  :police: is making you read this!  ;D

 

Just a short history first for anyone who doesn't know it...  I wanted to get off Klonopin ("K") since December of 2006.  At the time, I was on 5mg (cut 1mg during the previous summer - my highest dose was 6mg).  I dry cut my 2mg K pills until I got down to 3.5mg.  Then I started feeling funny and one night, I had two very violent episodes of Period Limb Movement Syndrome ("PLMS" - which I started K for in 1999).  1/4 of the pill was .50mg (too high), so I tried to taper to .25mg and found I couldn't cut these pills in 1/8 of a pill without just shattering them all over the place (very frustrating  http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/mad/mad0214.gif )! 

 

So I started to search on the Internet and found a small forum, where Jana went occasionally to help out.  I met her and was impressed with her knowledge and asked for her help.  She told me there was a liquid Valium available that you could use if you used Dr. Ashton's table for K withdrawal.  I had used Valium long ago and had a bad reaction to it.  So she thought it over and suggested using a liquid K to taper off instead of Valium.  Jana is experienced at making tapers for others and was able to figure out mathematically, the ratio of K to Valium.  This resulted in a 1mg K in 20ml liquid suspension medication.  I (unlike many other unfortunate folks!) have a doctor who is open-minded and willing to listen to his patients.  :yippee:  I gave him a copy of some of Jana's posts about how she did the measurements, a copy of a spreadsheet I made to use as a tapering chart, and a letter of explanation containing the website address of Dr. Ashton's benzo information and tapering  charts.  He agreed to do it and called the prescription in to the only compounding pharmacist close around (40 miles).

 

As I said before, I was on 3.5mg when I started tapering.  With the liquid K, I now used 3mg in pills and 9.9ml in liquid (the equivalent of .5mg in pills).  I started out reducing my dosage by .1ml per night, every night.  I did this for 19 days, then started reducing my dosage by .2ml per night, every night.  I did this for 14 days, then started reducing my dosage by .3ml per night, every night.  This only lasted for 7 days, then I got withdrawal reactions:  swollen feet and legs, excruciating spasms in my right upper thigh, sweating, and shaky hands.  Jana had told me to very gradually lower my dose until we found the point where my body was not repairing at the same rate as I was reducing my dose.  (I read later that I tapered too fast - probably should have stayed at the the same dose for 4 weeks instead of 2.)  But Jana said, when I reached that point, we would know how high a taper I could handle without suffering withdrawal symptoms.  Anyway, I spent the next 5 days taking the same dosage and not tapering at all ("holding") but I was determined not to increase my dose of K.  Jana then recommended that I return to .2ml cuts, which I seemed to be able to handle.  So, I've been tapering my dose by .2ml every day for the last 7 days and have had no problems so far.  I am now at 3mg in pills and 1.6ml in liquid K.  So this is how my liquid Klonopin taper has gone. 

 

Jana, if you read this, I have a question.  I don't trust my old "Benzo Brain".  Let's see if I understand it right,  ??? 

 

After I finish the liquid K down to "0", do I cut down to 2.5mg in pills (I have a pill crusher - is there a way I could measure the powder?) and start the liquid K at 9.9ml again?  Then continue with the .2ml liquid cut every night (unless I start having problems?)?  I'm sure I will have problems at the lower doses-I've just heard so many people post about all kinds of problems at the lower doses.  It couldn't be as simple as tapering on down till I'm done - my luck is not that good!  :muscle:  I guess I will have to "run" to you when I hit a "stumbling block". 

 

It's JMHO, but it seems like it would be easier on your body to taper a tiny bit each day than to taper a lot, then wait for your body to recover before your next big taper.  It just makes sense.  What is wrong with all these doctors who taper benzo patients so fast or send them to Detox?  :tickedoff: That just makes the poor benzo victim come out of there all messed up!  http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/character/character0264.gif  Haven't they ever seen what happens to their patients after that and wondered if just maybe they were handling it wrong!  :idiot:  It's easy for docs to make taper judgments that don't even apply to benzos!  That's because I'll bet not many of them ever had to go through a "cold turkey" or super fast taper!  >:(  It should be required that doctors watch some of those "benzo cold turkey" videos on Youtubeit.com!  Those would open their eyes!  :o 

 

This is the end of my sermon!  :angel:  (Cough, cough! - I'm no angel!)

 

Sue ("Nevermore")  :crazy:

 

http://www.planetsmilies.com/smilies/fighting/fighting0040.gif

    "May the Force be with you - Beat Benzos!"

 

 

 

 

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