Ashton confuses me. I'm doing her schedule in the manual for tapering from xanax. It's been eight months and it has not been easy, but that's not my point. It has you dose 4 x a day and then eliminate on dose at a time as you taper down.
I crossed over from 2mg xanax. which is 40mg diazepam.
She never explains those sample schedules in depth. I am wondering if cutting across all doses until I finish would be okay. I guess I'm nervous about taking a dose away and breaking the rhythm as far as my CNS is now used to 4x/day. Then I hear people who does V only 2x per day. Has anyone ever followed her 4x/day schedule and then gone to 2x/day while schedule still has you actively taking V 4x/day? I'm so sorry if this post is confusing.
I know those slow taper schedules are only samples and to be adjusted to suit the patient.
for example, I'm currently dosing 4x/day as follows" 2.5mg, 2.5mg, 2.5mg and 10mg. I was thinking for my next cut doing 2mg, 2mg, 2mg and staying at the 10 at night instead of what the schedule says which is cutting 2.5 from the 10mg bedtime dose?
Would I be screwing myself in anyway by doing this? (I know you can't say if it will be yes or no, but I guess I want other's opinion and insight on my thinking).
I am currently at 17.5mg V and have had to hold most cuts until recently for more than 14 days, since her cuts on that schedule seem too big for me. I've been on benzos for about 26 years and other psych meds including ativan 2mg for days in tandem with the xanax for years, but I CT the ativan years ago. But always stayed on the xanax. The V is the only med I am currently taking.
I've spent the last 3.5 years getting off gabapentin, adderall, lamictal, medical marijuana, geodon. I know Ashton recommends getting off the benzo first before other meds, but the other meds were making me sick and I thought staying on the benzo until the end would help with the anxiety and side effects from tapering the others. That was until I saw the benzo was also making me sick!
My doc was tapering me off all the meds at my request and at my own pace. I did it slowly.
