Question...stoopid way to titrate or not?

This may sound naive but I was thinking, couldnt I use a "normal" measuring cup, fill it up 100ml, dissolve the benzo in there and take out each amount every day or two depending on my taper rate?

Would that work at all? I'm just saying because I think it would be easier to stirr in a bigger cup than in the long Cylinder?  

Would that work or would I mess up the doses?

So I just tried this out and I think it worked. I dissolved the Benzo directly IN the cup, thus leaving out the (for me) messy part of crushing the tablet.

I swished it around real good and just took 1ml out with a 10ml syringe. I would then drink the rest.

Talking a 0.5mg tablet of Klonopin here.

1/2 cup equals 118ml, so i think I could fill the cup to 1/2 then take out 1ml before I dissolve the Benzo.

Could this be "titration for idiots" or is this just plain silly???

 

Could this be "titration for idiots" or is this just plain silly???

 

Yes! "Idiots Guide to Titration"!   Actually, it is just a simplified version that works well with an uncomplicated taper.

Yes, this will absolutely work. Also, i always felt it would simplify things to just dissolve the whole pill rather than to crush it and add it.

 

 

1/2 cup equals 118ml, so i think I could fill the cup to 1/2 then take out 1ml before I dissolve the Benzo.

 

 

 

Not sure about this part. Do you mean remove the 1ml after you dissolve the benzo and before you drink it??

Oh no, I meant to get to the 100ml accurately, since 1/2 a cup isnt exactly 100ml but a little bit more.

However if I just measure to the 1/2 cup increment (that means fill up the cup with water til exactly 1/2 cup, I will get slightly more than 100ml, SO would that make my taper longer?

Lil bit confused over this....I wanna go for "turtle titration", since I'm really sensitive and so forth... 

I am well aware you remove the 1ml AFTER the benzo is mixed in with the liquid, yes?

SO if no one tells me that is a completely ridiculous idea, I suppose I shall do it this way...with a plain ole measurement cup  lol

Also to simplify things even more I thought to take my full dose at once in the evening, rather than my .250mg K in the morning and .250mg in the evening.

Did anyone do this or should I spread things out more evenly during the day as I think Colin suggested...?

Sorry for so many questions but...I just have so many!

amber,

I believe it is totally important to have titration equipment with the correct markings on it.

Otherwise, it's more like dry cutting and you are kind of just guessing.

If you must use a cup measure, at least get a cup that shows a 100ml mark.

Most clear pyrex kitchen cups do show ml, and usually 100ml is one of the marks on it.

(Make sure not to confuse this with ounce markings.)

Note: I think the point of using a cylinder, is that it will be more accurate over time since it is not very wide. 

A cup measure is much wider (3-4"), and therefore it will be more difficult to get the liquid measured

as accurately time after time.

As far as dosing, to me, it depends on how your body reacts to your meds, and what your w/d symptoms are.

You want to make it as tolerable as possible.  Any changes in your dosage should be based on the life of the drug in your system,

and what makes you feel the best.  Did your Pdoc have any advice?

I was taking my doses (Diazepam) 2-3 times a day for anxiety issues, but I felt medicated and headachey, and so I have gone back to

once a day at bedtime.  If I don't go to sleep quickly, at times it will make my heart race or pound (goodbye sleep!), so I still don't have a perfect solution yet.  Also, once I had started the multiple daily doses, it took some transition time for me to get back to the once a day mode.

I am just trying to deal with the daytime anxiety as best I can.  Some days are worse than others.

Since you have only been on this med a short time, comparatively, I am hoping (and I believe) that you will be off quickly, but don't rush it.

-Your Buddie,

  David

Hi,

I see what you are saying. You are filling it halfway and then removing enough make 100mls. That would be about 20mls. 1 cup is 240mls.

It's always best to spread it out a bit. Since klonopin has a half life of 18 to 50 hours, it can begin to wear off before 24 hours, for some.. But if you're comfortable at once a day, that's fine. It's probably lasting long enough for you.

Make sure it's very well dissolved and agitated, then drink it immediately.  

Hi Amber,

To reassure you, titration (the formalised way we do it) is overkill for most people. Unless your experience is to the contrary, your plan sounds fine to me too. Frankly, if you were so sensitive to cuts that you required a more formal titration plan, you probably would have required titration plan well before getting down to 0.5mg.

oh i was only up to 1mg a day for one week in sept i think...god i feel i lost so many months... poof  :'( :'( :'(

since then on 0.5mg and having problems with cuts from the 0.5mg

Amber, I don't know if you actually have a 100ml grad cylinder, but if you do you could measure out 100 ml in your grad cylinder , pour into cup for mixing, then pour mixture from cup back into cylinder to get your daily measurement.  This is how I did it ,since I didn't like mixing in the cylinder either.  Just another thought. 

st.

Amber, I don't know if you actually have a 100ml grad cylinder, but if you do you could measure out 100 ml in your grad cylinder , pour into cup for mixing, then pour mixture from cup back into cylinder to get your daily measurement.   This is how I did it ,since I didn't like mixing in the cylinder either.  Just another thought. 

st.

That sounds good...I'll see if I could do this. Do not have a cylinder just yet