Ready to start my Clonazepam titration

Hi Colin and everyone,

 

I'm ready to begin my Clonazepam titration. I just ordered my graduated cylinder, syringe and mortar & pestle. I figure I can get a good dropper at the pharmacy once the rest of the stuff arrives.

 

It said the supplies could arrive as late as the 30th. So I guess I should set August 1 as my start date. New month...new lease on life (I hope)! 

 

Colin, here are the answers to your questions:

 

Start date: August 1

 

Dose: 0.5 mg of Clonazepam

 

Tablet dose: 0.5 mg tablet

 

Number of tablets: 1 tablet, taken before bed

 

Taper rate: I guess the 1% per day default would be ok. If this is a bad idea due to how long I've been on this stuff or for any other reason, please advise. Thanks.

 

Cylinder details: 100ml glass graduated cylinder, 1 ml increments (starting at 10 ml).

 

 

Colin, could you please provide me with a schedule based on this information?  Thanks so much!

 

 

Also, is it best to use whole milk or water, in your experience? The video tutorial says whole milk, so that's what I'm leaning towards.

 

Looking forward to getting this started.

looks good Sox!

 

Colin will have this ready for you in the next week. 

looks good Sox!

 

Colin will have this ready for you in the next week. 

 

Great! Thanks!

Hi Soxfan,

 

Since you are taking just one pill per day, your dose is relatively small, and your titration rate is straightforward, you don't need a formal schedule. All you need do is make up 100ml daily, and drink 1ml less of the 100ml each day. So, on day1 you would consume 99ml from the 100ml; on day2 two you would consume 98ml from the 100ml; 97ml on the third day; and so on.

If you need a formal schedule at some stage, let me know.

Hi again, Soxfan,

 

Having reviewed this, you might well find you can taper off faster than I indicated above. Generally speaking, those tapering off 1mg Clonazepam at 1% per day, and using one of our titration plans, are cutting their dose by 2ml from a single titrated 0.5mg pill (from their total daily dose of 1mg). It would seem sensible for you to also reduce your dose by 2ml per day. This means your taper will take 50 days to complete - this seems like a sensible schedule from a starting dose of 0.5mg Clonazepam. Of course, there are no certainties, so you should adjust your taper to suit. If it takes 50 days to complete, or 100, the main thing is get off in manner that feels reasonably comfortable to you.

 

Theresa, thanks for the heads-up.

Thanks Colin. I'll try the 50 days!

Thanks Colin. I'll try the 50 days!

 

I think this is a reasonable aim. Of course, if you find that this rate is too fast for you, you can always stabilise your dose for a few days and then continue at a slower taper rate. It is about proceeding at a rate that suits you.

I have a question. I already have symptoms of tolerance withdrawl. Will that get worse as I am tapering off? Should I expect the symptoms to subside once I am off? It seems like since I'm having symptoms while still no the drug (and have been having symptoms for a long time) that I'm going to have bad symptoms when I'm off.

Soxfan -

 

I can tell you how it was for me.  I was in tolerance withdrawal big time before I started tapering.  The first month of my taper I added a few new symptoms - like muscle spasms and excess sweating - but after about 6 weeks of tapering, I started feeling better.  During that time, I did take the advice here about acceptance and developed some coping strategies that made getting through the rough days much easier.  I still had bad periods but I also got some of the "windows" people talk about; sometimes just a few hours, then most of a day.  Went back and forth like that up until the last month when things got worse again for a while.  Sooo, you won't necessarily feel as bad as you do now while you are tapering.  I guess some healing starts going on while you are tapering although it seems to be in fits and starts sometimes. 

Tonight was supposed to be the first night of my titration taper. Instead, 3 wasted pills later, I gave up and took the whole pill so I can go to bed.

 

I am having some problems and I am very frustrated.

 

Every time I try to pour the milk/pill mixture out of the mortar & pestle apparatus back into the graduated cylinder, I spill some. No matter what. Even if I try to use a funnel. And then, some of the mix always gets stuck in the mortar & pestle. Or in the funnel. Or on the walls of the graduated cylinder. How then can I have accurate measurements for my taper? If I add water to wash all of the mix in, now I have over 100 ml.

 

I feel like an idiot. I've watched the videos and everything.

Tonight was supposed to be the first night of my titration taper. Instead, 3 wasted pills later, I gave up and took the whole pill so I can go to bed.

 

I am having some problems and I am very frustrated.

 

Every time I try to pour the milk/pill mixture out of the mortar & pestle apparatus back into the graduated cylinder, I spill some. No matter what. Even if I try to use a funnel. And then, some of the mix always gets stuck in the mortar & pestle. Or in the funnel. Or on the walls of the graduated cylinder. How then can I have accurate measurements for my taper? If I add water to wash all of the mix in, now I have over 100 ml.

 

I feel like an idiot. I've watched the videos and everything.

 

I didn't titrate so can only imagine the frustration.  I'm sure some of the members who did use that method will have some practical suggestions or some reassurance about the accuracy.  Go get a good night's sleep and get ready for a better day.

Sox -

 

Are you trying to dilute with water or milk?

 

Sox -

 

Are you trying to dilute with water or milk?

 

 

I'm using whole milk.

 

I was also inaccurate with my comment earlier. I'm pouring it from the mortar & pestle into the cup, and then into the cylinder. And I suck at it. Bigtime.

I am considering getting a glass measuring cup, with the easy-pour tip thing, and just crushing my pill inside that to save me a step. Do you guys think that will work? Or will the rough handle from my mortar and pestle wreck the glass and get glass into my liquid?

If I add water to wash all of the mix in, now I have over 100 ml.

 

You wouldn't want to add the whole 100ml until you've poured and washed all the mixture.

 

I did not use a mortar and pestle. I used the flat side of a butter knife and crushed the pill (hand cupped over in case of scatter) on a small mirror and poured that into my cylinder.

Just an FYI to the board, I successfully started my titration tonight. 98 ml of Clonazepam/whole milk solution, 49 days remaining (not counting possible periods of leveling out).

 

I wasn't exact about it, but I did my best. I figure being a ml off is better than not doing it at all.

You are right to add some perspective to this. A gradual and smooth reduction in dose is what is required. Pill-splitting is often enough, but titration is, in effect, very fine pill-splitting. When pill-splitting, there is always some variability (we cannot be exact), but a ml here or there from 50 ml is a tiny variation compared to pill-splitting. You are achieving a gradual reduction in dose - tiny day-to-day variations are insignificant. After all, each individual pill will have some variability in dose, so it is not possible to be totally exact with this anyway. These variabilities are not significant, but being aware of them might help us gain perspective about our taper regimen.

Day 3 is complete. I'm sure I haven't lost much from my dose yet, since I'm still at 96 ml, but I feel successful already.

Day 3 is complete. I'm sure I haven't lost much from my dose yet, since I'm still at 96 ml, but I feel successful already.

 

  Feels really good to get started, doesn't it?  Soon the mixing/pouring/removing will be routine and you can start thinking more about other things than titrating. 

Day 3 is complete. I'm sure I haven't lost much from my dose yet, since I'm still at 96 ml, but I feel successful already.

 

  Feels really good to get started, doesn't it?  Soon the mixing/pouring/removing will be routine and you can start thinking more about other things than titrating. 

 

Indeed. 

 

However, I do have a question. Has anyone ever gone through this and NOT had any withdrawal symptoms? I'm waiting for it to happen. It hasn't yet, and I'm hoping it doesn't at all!

Day 3 is complete. I'm sure I haven't lost much from my dose yet, since I'm still at 96 ml, but I feel successful already.

 

  Feels really good to get started, doesn't it?  Soon the mixing/pouring/removing will be routine and you can start thinking more about other things than titrating. 

 

Indeed. 

 

However, I do have a question. Has anyone ever gone through this and NOT had any withdrawal symptoms? I'm waiting for it to happen. It hasn't yet, and I'm hoping it doesn't at all!

 

The people that come here are usually already having problems getting off these meds and find us when searching for answers. Some people do not experience any problems getting off these pills so wouldn't be looking for help. Hope you're one of those lucky ones! 

Day 3 is complete. I'm sure I haven't lost much from my dose yet, since I'm still at 96 ml, but I feel successful already.

 

 Feels really good to get started, doesn't it?   Soon the mixing/pouring/removing will be routine and you can start thinking more about other things than titrating.  

 

Indeed.  

 

However, I do have a question. Has anyone ever gone through this and NOT had any withdrawal symptoms? I'm waiting for it to happen. It hasn't yet, and I'm hoping it doesn't at all!

 

The people that come here are usually already having problems getting off these meds and find us when searching for answers. Some people do not experience any problems getting off these pills so wouldn't be looking for help. Hope you're one of those lucky ones!  

 

I think I've already been experiencing tolerance withdrawal symptoms for some time, as well as major withdrawals back a couple years ago when I stupidly went from 1.0 mg down to 0.5 mg cold turkey. But I guess even if I do have symptoms from the titration, it can't be much worse or different than the tolerance withdrawal symptoms I already have.

soxfan, im beginning the exact same taper as you in a few days.  I also have had issues with tolerance withdrawal.  Let's keep in touch about our tapers as we're both basically doing i the same way off the same dose. 

soxfan, im beginning the exact same taper as you in a few days.  I also have had issues with tolerance withdrawal.  Let's keep in touch about our tapers as we're both basically doing i the same way off the same dose. 

Sounds good to me. And good luck to you!

Hi all,

 

I have a concern that I wonder if anyone else here has had. I mix my benzo powder and my whole milk, stir it up, and then syringe out the amount I won't be taking, leaving behind what I will be taking. However, I have to wonder whether I'm getting benzo powder into the syringe, or whether I'm just sucking up milk and leaving the benzo powder behind. It's hard to tell.

 

Anyone else ever have this issue?