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I am doing only dry cut with jeweler's scale -- t just under 38; just finished a dry cut taper of one third of a klonopin. That went okay but I am also on subutec.

 

I was supposed to taper one mg a month and thought tat at some point I would go to liquid for accuracy.  But my prescriber decided I would be tapering at a rate of 2.5 mg a month until I got to 20 and then maybe 1 a month.

 

I am also terrified.

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Miss piggy:

 

I just cut my pills with a razor blade. I had 2 mg pills, so I cut them in half then in half again to get a .5 mg dose. (I didn't worry about inaccurate cuts . . . eventually I took both halves of the cut pill). I followed Ashton's tapering schedule from down to about 3 mgs. It really was no sweat. When I got to 3 mgs I got sick from reducing too fast (her schedule was a little too fast for me at the lower doses) so I changed to DLMT. Also no sweat.

 

Take a look at her valium reduction schedule -- I gave you the link a few posts back. It worked very well for me.

 

Best,

 

Katz

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Thank you Katz.

Appreciate your advice and help. On the swap over to all diazepam now.  Had a few failed tapers from lorazapam earlier so wanting to be extra careful. Thanks again.

Take care x

Miss piggy:

 

I just cut my pills with a razor blade. I had 2 mg pills, so I cut them in half then in half again to get a .5 mg dose. (I didn't worry about inaccurate cuts . . . eventually I took both halves of the cut pill). I followed Ashton's tapering schedule from down to about 3 mgs. It really was no sweat. When I got to 3 mgs I got sick from reducing too fast (her schedule was a little too fast for me at the lower doses) so I changed to DLMT. Also no sweat.

 

Take a look at her valium reduction schedule -- I gave you the link a few posts back. It worked very well for me.

 

Best,

 

Katz

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Hey all, just dropping in to update. I’m tapering using manufacturer made liquid diazepam. I decrease by 0.01mg per day, and I’m currently at 1.67mg.

 

Most days are rough but just tolerable. I had a good window of 2-3 days recently where I was busy and had interest in hobbies. I worked on fun projects and didn’t think about symptoms or the weird head sensations most of the day. It felt amazing. I definitely overdid it on those days. 😊

 

For me the daily microtaper is working so much better than cut and hold did.

Some days truly are awful, but I have a lot of coping techniques that help. Meditation, yoga, warm baths, forced projects to keep my hands busy, etc. I have held once for a few days since starting the microtaper at the beginning of April at 2.3mg. I don’t know if it helped or not. Windows and waves just kind of do what they do at this point.

 

Hang in there, keep going!

Tree

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Hey all, just dropping in to update. I’m tapering using manufacturer made liquid diazepam. I decrease by 0.01mg per day, and I’m currently at 1.67mg.

 

Most days are rough but just tolerable. I had a good window of 2-3 days recently where I was busy and had interest in hobbies. I worked on fun projects and didn’t think about symptoms or the weird head sensations most of the day. It felt amazing. I definitely overdid it on those days. 😊

 

For me the daily microtaper is working so much better than cut and hold did.

Some days truly are awful, but I have a lot of coping techniques that help. Meditation, yoga, warm baths, forced projects to keep my hands busy, etc. I have held once for a few days since starting the microtaper at the beginning of April at 2.3mg. I don’t know if it helped or not. Windows and waves just kind of do what they do at this point.

 

Hang in there, keep going!

Tree

 

Hi Treelover, I'm so glad you enjoyed a window. I haven't had one for months so I'm planning to hold until things get better before resuming my taper. Glad the liquid diazepam is working so well.

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Slowly and surely.

I have worked out windows and waves seem to please themselves but stress is a big kick off or tiredness for me. It's so hard to explain to others.

Take big care of yourself tree.

You should be proud of yourself. It's not an easy route. I know that is waiting for me...

MP

Hey all, just dropping in to update. I’m tapering using manufacturer made liquid diazepam. I decrease by 0.01mg per day, and I’m currently at 1.67mg.

 

Most days are rough but just tolerable. I had a good window of 2-3 days recently where I was busy and had interest in hobbies. I worked on fun projects and didn’t think about symptoms or the weird head sensations most of the day. It felt amazing. I definitely overdid it on those days. 😊

 

For me the daily microtaper is working so much better than cut and hold did.

Some days truly are awful, but I have a lot of coping techniques that help. Meditation, yoga, warm baths, forced projects to keep my hands busy, etc. I have held once for a few days since starting the microtaper at the beginning of April at 2.3mg. I don’t know if it helped or not. Windows and waves just kind of do what they do at this point.

 

Hang in there, keep going!

Tree

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No words as know it is so hard but you are making progress. You take big care and keep going like mr snail x

Hey all, just dropping in to update. I’m tapering using manufacturer made liquid diazepam. I decrease by 0.01mg per day, and I’m currently at 1.67mg.

 

Most days are rough but just tolerable. I had a good window of 2-3 days recently where I was busy and had interest in hobbies. I worked on fun projects and didn’t think about symptoms or the weird head sensations most of the day. It felt amazing. I definitely overdid it on those days. 😊

 

For me the daily microtaper is working so much better than cut and hold did.

Some days truly are awful, but I have a lot of coping techniques that help. Meditation, yoga, warm baths, forced projects to keep my hands busy, etc. I have held once for a few days since starting the microtaper at the beginning of April at 2.3mg. I don’t know if it helped or not. Windows and waves just kind of do what they do at this point.

 

Hang in there, keep going!

Tree

 

Hi Treelover, I'm so glad you enjoyed a window. I haven't had one for months so I'm planning to hold until things get better before resuming my taper. Glad the liquid diazepam is working so well.

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Carol Jean

I think it is fine to say we are scared. I am too but we got to try our best and see where it takes us. I am a control freak and these benzos have taught me there is no one route through. We just do our best.

Take care of you.

MP

I am doing only dry cut with jeweler's scale -- t just under 38; just finished a dry cut taper of one third of a klonopin. That went okay but I am also on subutec.

 

I was supposed to taper one mg a month and thought tat at some point I would go to liquid for accuracy.  But my prescriber decided I would be tapering at a rate of 2.5 mg a month until I got to 20 and then maybe 1 a month.

 

I am also terrified.

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No words as know it is so hard but you are making progress. You take big care and keep going like mr snail x

Hey all, just dropping in to update. I’m tapering using manufacturer made liquid diazepam. I decrease by 0.01mg per day, and I’m currently at 1.67mg.

 

Most days are rough but just tolerable. I had a good window of 2-3 days recently where I was busy and had interest in hobbies. I worked on fun projects and didn’t think about symptoms or the weird head sensations most of the day. It felt amazing. I definitely overdid it on those days. 😊

 

For me the daily microtaper is working so much better than cut and hold did.

Some days truly are awful, but I have a lot of coping techniques that help. Meditation, yoga, warm baths, forced projects to keep my hands busy, etc. I have held once for a few days since starting the microtaper at the beginning of April at 2.3mg. I don’t know if it helped or not. Windows and waves just kind of do what they do at this point.

 

Hang in there, keep going!

Tree

 

Hi Treelover, I'm so glad you enjoyed a window. I haven't had one for months so I'm planning to hold until things get better before resuming my taper. Glad the liquid diazepam is working so well.

 

Thank you miss piggy. Wishing you all the best too 🍀

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No words as know it is so hard but you are making progress. You take big care and keep going like mr snail x

Hey all, just dropping in to update. I’m tapering using manufacturer made liquid diazepam. I decrease by 0.01mg per day, and I’m currently at 1.67mg.

 

Most days are rough but just tolerable. I had a good window of 2-3 days recently where I was busy and had interest in hobbies. I worked on fun projects and didn’t think about symptoms or the weird head sensations most of the day. It felt amazing. I definitely overdid it on those days. 😊

 

For me the daily microtaper is working so much better than cut and hold did.

Some days truly are awful, but I have a lot of coping techniques that help. Meditation, yoga, warm baths, forced projects to keep my hands busy, etc. I have held once for a few days since starting the microtaper at the beginning of April at 2.3mg. I don’t know if it helped or not. Windows and waves just kind of do what they do at this point.

 

Hang in there, keep going!

Tree

 

Hi Treelover, I'm so glad you enjoyed a window. I haven't had one for months so I'm planning to hold until things get better before resuming my taper. Glad the liquid diazepam is working so well.

 

Thank you miss piggy. Wishing you all the best too 🍀

 

Take big care. 🙂

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  • 2 weeks later...

Tapering advice please...

Just moved temezepam over into diazepam so all the benzos are in diazepam during the last two weeks.

I am on 16mg diazepam now. Feeling very tired though.

Very apprehensive about reducing.

Thought would start at 0.25mg cut and hold to start.

All thoughts, opinions and help appreciated.

MP

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MP that's . . . conservative. Have you consulted the Ashton Manual? It lays out a taper schedule for you. I followed it all the way down to 3 mgs when I changed to a DLMT. You could hold for awhile, then just slot yourself in at 16 mgs and follow her suggested reductions. They are a little bigger than yours but I found them okay at the higher doses (I was at 15 mgs). Just a thought. It's Schedule 2.

 

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

 

Having crossed to valium myself for my taper, I can tell you that the tiredness does leave you. It  took me a couple of weeks (2or3) to acclimate. Hang in there.

 

:smitten:

 

Katz

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Hi Katz

Thank you for responding. I know I am sounding like a baby but I have got myself so uptight.

I have already gone up and down on lorazapam and had one updose on the diazepam before I found BB.

I am really apprehensive about tapering due to s/x I have had previously.

Was your decrease from 15mg in general okay till you hit the smaller amounts?

Thank you for responding MP

 

MP that's . . . conservative. Have you consulted the Ashton Manual? It lays out a taper schedule for you. I followed it all the way down to 3 mgs when I changed to a DLMT. You could hold for awhile, then just slot yourself in at 16 mgs and follow her suggested reductions. They are a little bigger than yours but I found them okay at the higher doses (I was at 15 mgs). Just a thought. It's Schedule 2.

 

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

 

Having crossed to valium myself for my taper, I can tell you that the tiredness does leave you. It  took me a couple of weeks (2or3) to acclimate. Hang in there.

 

:smitten:

 

Katz

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My descent from 15 mgs following Ashton's schedule was pretty much okay. I had NO noticeable discomfort until about 5 mgs . . . but I ignored it and soldiered on down to 3 mgs not noticing that the %s were getting way too  big -- the reason why I was getting sick.

 

Looking back, I would have listened to my body, and when I felt a whisker of discomfort, I would have cut her reduction rate from 1 mg to .5 mgs. I also would have been relentless in calculating the % rate of each drop and tried to keep it in the 5-10% range. That having been said, I think Ashton is a great general guideline.

 

I think it's fine to start slow and you're not being a baby. It's way easier to increase your taper rate if you're feeling okay than try to do damage control when things go to s**t.

 

Oh, just another thought. Can you keep a journal? Daily? In which you record your reduction rate and how you feel? I think that's really important.

 

Best to you,

 

:smitten:

 

Katz

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MP - Responding here to your PM. ❤️ I did cut and hold via the Ashton manual during my first taper until I hit 8 mg, then I started powdering my pills with a mortar and pestle and measuring out my doses to put in gelatin capsules. It worked fine, but I tapered too fast during that taper and when I jumped it was too intense and I reinstated. I started off with the same powdered method on my second taper, but then I switched to homebrew liquid because it was easier to make tiny reductions. I switched to prescription liquid about 4 months in to my second taper. I’m now 19 days benzo free and it has been a lot smoother than my previous taper.
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Thank you Katz

I think I will wait another week to see if everything settles down before I start. Is that what you would do? X

My descent from 15 mgs following Ashton's schedule was pretty much okay. I had NO noticeable discomfort until about 5 mgs . . . but I ignored it and soldiered on down to 3 mgs not noticing that the %s were getting way too  big -- the reason why I was getting sick.

 

Looking back, I would have listened to my body, and when I felt a whisker of discomfort, I would have cut her reduction rate from 1 mg to .5 mgs. I also would have been relentless in calculating the % rate of each drop and tried to keep it in the 5-10% range. That having been said, I think Ashton is a great general guideline.

 

I think it's fine to start slow and you're not being a baby. It's way easier to increase your taper rate if you're feeling okay than try to do damage control when things go to s**t.

 

Oh, just another thought. Can you keep a journal? Daily? In which you record your reduction rate and how you feel? I think that's really important.

 

Best to you,

 

:smitten:

 

Katz

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Thank you kitsune556

I appreciate your response and your recommendations.i cannot believe how uptight I have got about it all x

MP - Responding here to your PM. ❤️ I did cut and hold via the Ashton manual during my first taper until I hit 8 mg, then I started powdering my pills with a mortar and pestle and measuring out my doses to put in gelatin capsules. It worked fine, but I tapered too fast during that taper and when I jumped it was too intense and I reinstated. I started off with the same powdered method on my second taper, but then I switched to homebrew liquid because it was easier to make tiny reductions. I switched to prescription liquid about 4 months in to my second taper. I’m now 19 days benzo free and it has been a lot smoother than my previous taper.

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MP- It’s normal for some of us. I was really scared at first when I switched from Klonopin to Valium. It takes some time to adjust to Valium, but you will! I think the most important thing is for you to listen to your body.
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MP to answer your question, yes, I would wait a bit. You're not being a weenie . . . just waiting until the time to taper is right. When you feel ready, you'll know!  :smitten:

 

Katz

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Thank you both. I feel really anxious and have lost my sleep I was having. Not sure if that is to do with loss of temezepan or just stress xx
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Has anyone gotten so dizzy and lost their balance when they got up for bed. I feel last night when I got up to be because my brain just couldn’t balance my body and I fell. I’m scars now that the Valium has built up after 8 weeks and Ashton’s equivalents may be too much. I want to push through this if it is common, but I am also considering decreasing the Valium but Ashton doesn’t say much about this. I went from

2mg (.5mg x 4/ day) to now  .25mg x 2xday and half a .25 mg x once a day, still coupled with 5mg Valium morning, midday, evening, then 10mg Valium by itself at night.  I take the .25 x with the v in morning and evening, the 1/2pill of .25 x midday. Still following Ashton to a tee and didn’t expect the total loss of balance. My head still

Feels foggy and spiny when I get up or lay back down for a second.  I’m scared I won’t know how much to cut the Valium back if I have to. I’ve started to Ashton about 2 months ago and am nearing the end of stage 6. I’m scared, of course.

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All I need to know is this muscle weakness, respiratory/chest tightness gets less and less the more I move down on this Valium...somebody tell me i'll be able to rehab my breathing pattern and chest/abdomen muscles. I just need to hear it's possible.
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All I need to know is this muscle weakness, respiratory/chest tightness gets less and less the more I move down on this Valium...somebody tell me i'll be able to rehab my breathing pattern and chest/abdomen muscles. I just need to hear it's possible.

I think if symptoms are that worse, you need to reduce the amount of mg per cut, and hold longer, in order to stabilize. But as you taper symptoms can become less too, it happened in my case, muscle strength in arms increased as I tapered. I chest tightness decreased a long time ago when I was tapering in the higher dosages.

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All I need to know is this muscle weakness, respiratory/chest tightness gets less and less the more I move down on this Valium...somebody tell me i'll be able to rehab my breathing pattern and chest/abdomen muscles. I just need to hear it's possible.

I think if symptoms are that worse, you need to reduce the amount of mg per cut, and hold longer, in order to stabilize. But as you taper symptoms can become less too, it happened in my case, muscle strength in arms increased as I tapered. I chest tightness decreased a long time ago when I was tapering in the higher dosages.

 

Omg ok thank you so much for replying! I'm definitely about to hold. I'm at 5.03mg and I dose 3xday, and each dose (1.66ml 1.66ml and 1.71ml) are not therapeutic anymore, do you think I can put this into 2 doses now? Maybe make each dose 2.5 and hold for a month or two?

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