Ready to Start Titration Taper

Hi

Well I have finally decided to take the plunge and get off this crap once and for all.  I want to do it slowly though, no rush as I want to be easy on myself, as I have been throughout this nightmare.  Probably slower than most here, but that's what has worked best for me.  I tend to let each cut settle for a few weeks before the next cut.

 

Details are:

 

Start Date:    10 Augst 2009

 

Dose at Start Time:    .25mg Clonazepam

 

Tablet Dose:  .5mg

 

No of Tablets:  .25mg divided into four equal doses throughout the day (want to keep to this as this is what my body is used to)

 

Taper Rate:  Very slow

 

Cylinder Details:  100ml with 1ml increments.

 

Look forward to your advice.

Lynn B

Hi

Well I have finally decided to take the plunge and get off this crap once and for all.  I want to do it slowly though, no rush as I want to be easy on myself, as I have been throughout this nightmare.  Probably slower than most here, but that's what has worked best for me.  I tend to let each cut settle for a few weeks before the next cut.

 

 

Good for you!!!  Taking that first step is sometimes the hardest, BUT the most important...along with sticking with it.

I applaude you for doing what you feel is best for YOU.  That is important.  Stay in control of what you can and your taper you can control.

 

 

Hi

Well I have finally decided to take the plunge and get off this crap once and for all.  I want to do it slowly though, no rush as I want to be easy on myself, as I have been throughout this nightmare.  Probably slower than most here, but that's what has worked best for me.  I tend to let each cut settle for a few weeks before the next cut.

 

Details are:

 

Start Date:    10 Augst 2009

 

Dose at Start Time:    .25mg Clonazepam

 

Tablet Dose:   .5mg

 

No of Tablets:   .25mg divided into four equal doses throughout the day (want to keep to this as this is what my body is used to)

Taper Rate:  Very slow

 

Cylinder Details:   100ml with 1ml increments.

 

Look forward to your advice.

Lynn B

 

I think you will like titration once you get going on it, Lynn.  I want to make sure I understand what you are currently taking.  You plan to stay at .25mg/day until you start titrating on August 10th, is that right?  And you are dividing your .5mg tablet into halves and then quarters so that you are taking 1/8th of pill every 6 hours, right?  I was never able to cut them that small so thought I'd better double-check.

 

Also, I know Colin needs a taper rate from you.  Your "very slow" could be someone else's "medium slow".  The starting point is usually 10% every 10 days but you can make it anything you want.  You can also speed up or slow down whenever you need to. 

Thanks CAL and Beeper.

Yes Beeper you are right I am taking four doses through the day - 1/8th of a tablet at each dose.  It is ridiculous really and I know the doses are probably never accurate, but it seems to be working at present.  This is one reason for moving to titration, I will have a more accurate dose.

Yes I would like to start on 10 August as I intend to crush the .5mg pill and mix it with whole milk for a week or so to get used to this method.

This will give me two days of medication which I can then divide in half for an accurate daily dosage (and then down to four as I do now with my cuts).  I assume it is okay to mix up two days worth.

Slow for me is very slow - I have been cutting by 1/8th of a tablet for the last eight months, having initially reduced by 1mg over a very short time as recommended by my GP!!!  (Have we heard that kind of advice before???)  So as far as I can remember I have reduced the other 1mg very slowly over the period since about December last year - so that is slow by the standards on this site.  But it has been tolerable and I have been able to work on controlling my original anxiety to some extent during that period.  So slow for me is probably the equivalent of 1/8th of a tablet each 3-4 weeks or thereabouts.

I am looking forward to titration as I have some fear as to actually completely eliminating one dose from my daily allowance - don't know which one to take out next.  Titration will hopefully take away this fear.

Thanks again.

Lynn B

PS  Is is okay to put a little flavour (ie vanilla extract)  into the milk as I hate drinking straight milk?  I will however do it if I have to.

PPS  God, I have just read this and I hope you can understand where I'm at without needing a Chemistry Degree!!

Thanks CAL and Beeper.

Yes Beeper you are right I am taking four doses through the day - 1/8th of a tablet at each dose.  It is ridiculous really and I know the doses are probably never accurate, but it seems to be working at present.  This is one reason for moving to titration, I will have a more accurate dose.

Yes I would like to start on 10 August as I intend to crush the .5mg pill and mix it with whole milk for a week or so to get used to this method.

This will give me two days of medication which I can then divide in half for an accurate daily dosage (and then down to four as I do now with my cuts).  I assume it is okay to mix up two days worth.

Slow for me is very slow - I have been cutting by 1/8th of a tablet for the last eight months, having initially reduced by 1mg over a very short time as recommended by my GP!!!  (Have we heard that kind of advice before???)  So as far as I can remember I have reduced the other 1mg very slowly over the period since about December last year - so that is slow by the standards on this site.  But it has been tolerable and I have been able to work on controlling my original anxiety to some extent during that period.  So slow for me is probably the equivalent of 1/8th of a tablet each 3-4 weeks or thereabouts.

 

Hopefully, Colin can figure out the math on this kind of super slow taper.  If not, I'm sure you'll hear from him.

 

  I am looking forward to titration as I have some fear as to actually completely eliminating one dose from my daily allowance - don't know which one to take out next.  Titration will hopefully take away this fear.

Thanks again.

Lynn B

PS  Is is okay to put a little flavour (ie vanilla extract)  into the milk as I hate drinking straight milk?  I will however do it if I have to.

PPS  God, I have just read this and I hope you can understand where I'm at without needing a Chemistry Degree!!

 

I think you will do great on titration, Lynn.  And sure you can put some flavor in the milk.  I can't drink "straight" milk, either. 

I have today started mixing my .5mg with 200ml of milk, dividing it back to 100ml for two days "dose" and then drinking 25ml four times a day to give the equivalent of my 1/8th tab four times daily.

I hope it is okay to keep it in the fridge overnight.  I guess I need to give it a mix each time, let it settle and then pour into my cylinder before drinking.  Thought I would get used to the whole crushing and mixing thing for a week to get me used to it and adapt to when I have to go out.  I guess using a flask is the best option for going out to keep it cool although we are just coming into spring down here so the weather is still not that hot.  As I hate drinking milk I think drinking warm milk would be disgusting!!!

Will keep at the same level for a while, but still awaiting a suggested slow taper.

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Lynn

Hi LB,

 

I will look properly at your method tomorrow, but just wanted to make a quick reply about keeping the liquid in the fridge - yes, it is fine for a couple of days or so, depending upon how fresh your milk was to begin with.

Hi LB,

 

Sorry, I didn't realise that your dose was this low. Honestly, you do not need a formal schedule. All you need do is crush one whole 0.5mg tablet into 100ml of milk, and then start your taper by drinking just 49ml from the 100ml (50ml would be exactly equivalent to 0.25mg Klonopin). Each day, make up a fresh batch using one whole 0.5mg pill with 100ml of milk, but drink 1ml less each day. So, day1, drink 49ml; day2, drink 48ml; day3, drink 47ml; and so on.

 

Fifty days to taper off 0.25g Klonopin is a slow taper.

 

Good luck, and let us know if you have any questions.

Thanks for that Colin.  At present just getting used to the new regime of crushing and mixing.  First day forgot to give the mixture a good stir b4 taking my morning dose and obviously didn't have enough benzo in the mix.  Had a bit of a rough morning - a learning experience.  Been more settled since then.

I have been crushing the .5mg pill and mixing it with 200ml of milk which gives me two days worth.  I then divide it into eight 25ml "drinks" over the two days.  Will look at changing to 100ml and going from there.  Will keep you posted.

Why change? Your system sounds sensible and it works for you!

OK, will have to keep track of my reductions though, it could get a bit confusing - especially with a benzo brain!!

Sounds like you're doing well!  I started my titration in July and it's going well too!

 

 

Jane 

 

 

LB,

 

Let me know if you need any help if you decide to make some changes.

Hi Everyone

Have just discovered something incredible.  The 100ml cylinder I have is giving me incorrect readings when I measure out my 25ml measurements!!!  I discovered this on Tuesday night when I found that instead of 25ml of milk remaining as my final dose for the day, I actually had nearly 40ml.  I thought maybe I had made a mistake with my measuring during the first two days with it being a new thing and all.  However last night (Thursday) I found the same thing and I had been very carefully checking my 25ml each time.

We long story short my husband and I did some measurements using our baking measures and it appears that the graduations up to 100ml are somehow incorrect.  We did it over and over again but came up with the same answer each time.  Turns out that in order to get my 25ml dosage I should actually measure out around 28/29ml.

I bought the cylinder from a science supply place on the internet, local to my country, so I will have some real questions to ask of them.  In the interim I have gone back to cutting as I have lost confidence in titration at the moment.

I suspect that it may be imported - it has the brand name LBY but no country of origin.

Interesting eh!  No wonder I have been a bit "out of sorts' over the last few days, just what I didn't need.

Thanks for your encouragement, but titration on hold until I can get this sorted out.

As long as you start with the same amount every day, removed the required amount daily using a separate syringe and dividing up the doses as close as possible, it would be fine.

Yes, that's what my husband says.  He is prepared to do the measurements, so will probably get back to titration.  Just knocked my confidence a bit.

 

Have had a crappy few days, the heart palps have returned.  I just want off this crap asap.  So titration is my only answer as I have a fear of making a cut to one of my four doses during the day, don't know which one to cut next.

Colin, you suggested mixing up only 100ml.  I was putting a .5mg tablet into 200ml and then dividing it into 25ml doses - eight over two days.  That was until I discovered that the cylinder was reading incorrectly.  My husband is happy to take over the mixing as he has worked it all out and I believe that it could take away the fear I have over reducing. 

My question is however if I carry on using the 200ml mix should I take out 2ml per day?

Just an update re titration.  I had a rough week last week, a lot of tension through my body and just felt titration wasn't doing it for me.  So Saturday went back to taking the pieces of tablet and will go back to dry cutting.  I feel comfortable with this method, I have decided, even though I do get some w/d s/x.  They are tolerable and I can manage them.

I have already cut out some of my 6pm dose, not quite all yet but only having a few crumbs and have stretched what was previously my 2pm dose to 3pm without difficulty so far.

I keep telling myself that I only have to make three more cuts after this and I am free - so that is keeping me going.  I can remember when I was on .75mg and the end seemed so far away.  It feels so much closer now and I cannot wait.

Thanks for your advice re titration Colin - just feel it isn't for me at this time.

Hey LB,

 

Sorry titration isn't working for you.  I dry cut clonazepam for my taper from 2mg starting, to .125mg when I jumped off.  If you need ideas regarding a schedule for dry cutting clonazepam, the link to mine is in my signature.  Since you started titrating, the only thing I'd change about the schedule I used, would be to hold your cuts longer than I did if you need to.  I probably went a little faster than normal.

 

I hope dry cutting works out well for you.  Like you said, you'll be free soon anyway! 

 

 

Phyllis   

 

 

Thanks Phyllis.  My cuts have always been anything up to six weeks apart - quite a long time compared with what some are able to achieve, but I have been gentle on myself as when I first started cutting on my GP's advice I was cutting .25mg at a time and that's when I went into a downward spiral.  I have learned from this experience and only make a cut when I feel "stable", so it is very much at my own pace, but I would like to be free of benzos before December.  Don't really want to put a time limit on it but have had enough of them controlling my life , it's about time I took back the control.