Seeking Liquid tapering schedule assistance - ATIVAN

[[Buddie]]

Hello!
I am so confused by the daily micro-dosing calculators that I have seen.

Is there someone out there who can assist me in having an idea of what a very slow and steady taper schedule would look like for me? I’m going to be starting from .25 mg of Ativan taken 3 times per day.

I have recently been dry cutting my Ativan and I’ve had to re-up my dose as I was going WAY too quickly and suffering horrendous symptoms - debilitating anxiety, nausea and racing thoughts being a few of them which isn’t helping in trying to make heads or tales of the calculators ( such as Jim Hawk’s liquid taper)

I have access to a compounding pharmacy so once
stable, I’d like to try this again and take as long as necessary in order to try and at least be functional throughout the process.

Thanks to anyone in advance who may be able to offer assistance! 

[[Buddie]]

"... starting from .25 mg of Ativan taken 3 times per day. " 

I guess that means a total dose of .75mg/day?

If you get a compounded liquid, specify .1mg per ml.  Or you can easily dissolve your tablets to create a .1mg-1ml solution.

A conservative taper would be 5%/14 days.  That's about .003mg/day reduction


Assuming a .1mg=1ml solution, your schedule would be:

.75mg                        7.5ml
.747mg                      7.47ml
.744mg                      7.44ml
.741mg                      7.41ml
etc....

[[Buddie]]

Thank you [...]!
Yes, I’d be starting at .75 mg Ativan per day.
I’m still perplexed by the schedule...it would be 7.5ml and then holds at 7.47 ml? And that number is divided by my 3 doses so each dose goes down a bit or am I not understanding that correctly?

[[Buddie]]

Thank you [...]!
Yes, I’d be starting at .75 mg Ativan per day.
I’m still perplexed by the schedule...it would be 7.5ml and then holds at 7.47 ml? And that number is divided by my 3 doses so each dose goes down a bit or am I not understanding that correctly?

1)  .003mg/day reduction equates to 5.6%/14 days.  This is a conservative starting taper rate that seems to be safe for most folks.

2)  Put the full day's dose (per the schedule) in a standard measuring cup.  Top it up to 1 full cup with water.  Drink 1/3 cup for each dose.  Your 3 doses will all decrease proportionately.

[[Buddie]]

Hi [...] - I'd love your input...as I mentioned in previous post I started a dry taper a few weeks back and went way too quickly....dropping 1/4 of a .5 Ativan every week! In any event,I thought that since I had only started the Ativan at the end of March, that my system wouldn't be as affected. Also, as I was coming down I felt pretty good until last week when the bottom fell out and major anxiety, nausea twitching, etc, etc went through the roof. I bumped back up a little bit taking 1/2 of .5 three times per day, but am still VERY uncomfortable...would you suggest holding here and seeing if things stabilize, or am I ok to go back up to .5 mg 3 x per day, get some relief and then start micro liquid tapering properly?

[[Buddie]]

...would you suggest holding here and seeing if things stabilize, or am I ok to go back up to .5 mg 3 x per day, get some relief and then start micro liquid tapering properly?

I would hold for a week and see if things improve.  If not, then go back up and start again a a lower rate.

[[Buddie]]

Thank you for your advice! I'll try to stick it out - so hard when I know instant relief is at hand, but that said, I don't want to go back up if there's a chance that things will mellow out soon. So very grateful to have found this community. 

[[Buddie]]

Hello - [...], I have another question for you if you are available....as I come up to the end of a week, it looks like I'm going to have to reverse taper some more as the withdrawal symptoms are unrelenting and intense. Right now I'm at .25mg of Ativan taken 3 times per day...in your opinion would you suggest bumping up all doses equally? Like should I try 3/4 of a .5 mg pill 3 times per day and see if that does the trick before doubling up to .5 right away?

[[Buddie]]

Hello - [...], I have another question for you if you are available....as I come up to the end of a week, it looks like I'm going to have to reverse taper some more as the withdrawal symptoms are unrelenting and intense. Right now I'm at .25mg of Ativan taken 3 times per day...in your opinion would you suggest bumping up all doses equally? Like should I try 3/4 of a .5 mg pill 3 times per day and see if that does the trick before doubling up to .5 right away?

My advice is always go back to last dose where you were OK.

[[Buddie]]

Yah...that's the tricky part - because i didn't know what I was doing, I was reducing so quickly - hard to know where it was that I felt ok! I may have to just keep slowly adding back in and see where that point is - may be close to where I started given how quickly I was jumping down. :-(