How to Dry Cut Taper from Klonopin (Clonazepam)

Hi Buddies,

This is my taper plan I came up with and used to Dry Cut Taper from Klonopin (clonazepam), in case it may be helpful.

How to Dry Cut Taper from Klonopin (clonazepam)

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=18473.msg1411910#msg1411910

And here are some examples of possible dose reductions and the combinations of chips, pieces and powder to get those dose reductions:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=18473.msg1607963#msg1607963

I hope this is helpful,

Summer

Hi Buddies,

This is my Dry- Cut taper plan along with the supplies I used, and an example of a dose reduction from 0.5mg, in case it may be helpful:

I am currently Benzo Free! I tapered from 5mg of Klonopin and here are a few things I have learned along the way:

I dry-cut directly from Klonopin.  I have learned some important things about this process for me:

1) I have found that I need to hold for no shorter than 2 weeks. That is because Klonopin has a half-life of 30 to 40 hours and the generic clonazepam has a half-life of 18 to 50 hours. It takes five half-lives to get a dose reduction out of our system.

2) I listen to my body and hold until it feels like it has adjusted to the new lower dose. I usually get a few lower symptom days before I do another dose reduction.

3) My average holds were 2 to 4 weeks

4) In order to keep the symptoms at a tolerable level, I keep my cuts around 10% or lower.

5) I have been able to keep my cuts below 10% by going to .03125mg when I hit .5mg of Klonopin.

6) When I got to .15625mg I slowed my taper to .015625mg dose reductions. (My dose reductions were above 10% after this point)

7) My last dose was .015625mg. Then I became Benzo Free!

In case you are interested in how I am able to dry cut the lower doses:

Cutting 0.25mg:

Here is how I am able to get the .25mg pieces. I break the .5mg tablet in half.  The brand Klonopin is scored and breaks in half easily.

Cutting 0.125mg

Take the .25mg and cut that in half. That is a .125mg piece.  I use an angle razor, like a box cutter. And cut on hard surface like glass or a mirror.

Cutting 0.0625mg

I have the 0.5mg Klonopin.

I break the 0.5mg tablet in half then, I cut 1/4th off of that. I use an angle razor like a box cutter. I have found that the razor is thinner and sharper than the pill splitters I have worked with. Yet, I have read that some have no problem using pill splitters.

I cut the 1/4th off of the tablet on a glass surface. I have found the glass surface to be hard enough to get a clean cut. I press down firm and fairly fast. The 1/4th breaks away (from the .25mg). Now I have 0.0625mg.

NOTE: If you are unable to get a chip that is .0625mg then you could crush it into powder. That would work as well. You would take a .25 mg piece and separate it into 4 piles.

NOTE: With the powder, here is how I take it. I lick my finger, press it on the powder, then I put the powder in my mouth. Then I drink some water after.

Cutting 0.03125mg (Powder)

The way I get the 0.03125mg is I crush a 0.25mg piece and separate the powder into 8 piles. I happen to have a window scraper; so that is what I use, or you could use a razor. I crush the 0.25mg on a dinner plate with the top part of a pill crusher. Then use the window scraper or razor to separate the pile into 8. Each pile is 0.03125mg.

NOTE:  (What I do is crush the portion of the tablet. Then I put it in one pile. I do my best, with the razor to separate the pile into two. Then I take the two piles and separate them into two. That makes four piles. Then I take those and separate them into two more piles. That makes eight.)

Cutting 0.0156mg (Powder)

The way I would get a 0.0156mg cut is by crushing 0.125mg piece (to get the 0.125mg, cut the 0.25mg in half). Then crush the 0.125mg on a dinner plate, into powder with the top of a pill crusher. I happen to have a window scraper so that is what I use or you could use a razor. Then separate the piles into 8. Each pile is 0.0156mg.

NOTE: With the powder, here is how I take it. I lick my finger, press it on the powder, then I put the powder in my mouth. Then I drink some water after.

Cutting 0.0078mg (Powder)

Crush a 0.625mg into powder and separate into 8 piles.

NOTE: With the powder, here is how I take it. I lick my finger, press it on the powder, then I put the powder in my mouth. Then I drink some water after.

Here is how I do the Percentages:

You get the % by taking the dose reduction and dividing it by the dose you are currently at. For example; a 0.03125mg dose reduction from 0.5mg is a 6.25% dose reduction.  0.03125 divided by 0.5 = 6.25% reduction.

OR I use this calculator:

Percent Calculator:

http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percentagechange.php

Here is an example, when at 0.5mg doing a 0.03125mg dose reduction:

0.25mg

0.125mg

0.0625mg (chip)

0 .03125mg (powder)

------------------

.46875mg Total

This is a 5.9% dose reduction.

Supplies I used for my Dry Cut Taper

•  A mirror or glass surface

•  Pill splitter

•  Pill Crusher

•  Straight edge razor

•  Angled razor or Box Cutter

•  Pill Organizers, enough for 2 weeks, I use the one with 4 compartments- Morn, Noon, Eve and Bed.

•  Large dinner plate, I used a flat (or as flat as possible) dinner plate. Not plastic. The surface needs to be hard and smooth.

•  A notebook to keep my taper schedule with dates, dose reduction and % of dose reduction, to keep track of where I am and when to make another dose reduction, or to consider another dose reduction.

•  Calculator- I sometimes use the link to the one posted in my Taper Plan too!

Percent Calculator:

http://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percentagechange.php

PILL ORGANIZERS:

I would get some pill organizers. You can get them at the drug store. I would get the ones that have 4 compartments. They come in one week's supply, one sleeve per day. I would get two weeks supply of these. I put together two weeks supply of my dose reductions together at one time. I take one sleeve out in the morning and put it on my table and take my daily doses from there. That way it is all organized and planned ahead.

It may be worth even getting more than that so that you can use one of the sleeves to collect all the different sizes of Klonopin. For instance; one container for the .25 mg, then one for the .125, then one for the .0625. Over time they will become useful and help reduce the time it takes to prepare for the next dose reduction.

I wish you only the best,

Summer

Hi Buddies,

Here are some examples of possible dose reductions and the combinations of chips, pieces and powder to get those dose reductions:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=18473.msg1607963#msg1607963

I hope this is helpful,

Summer

Hi Summermeadow!

This is a wonderful plan!!!, so well thought, so well explained!

Congratulations! You are now benzo free!

Thank you for taking out the time for doing a dry cut schedule and what is needed. I appreciate it. I've bookmarked it and printed it out (ink faded some spots - need to redo). I wanted to use the Ashton Manual Schedule but finding a doctor to taper me off to Valium doesn't look good. I did make my first cut today.

I wish you all the best (my signature is not in yet as I need to put my intro info in)