Guest [ou...] Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 When planning my taper I found certain shortcomings in Ashton's schedules: 1. There is no schedule for low dose alprazolam. 2. The majority of her schedules which start at 30mg diazepam equivalent do not match up. To address these issues I devised a schedule of my own based on her 10% rule. Schedule. Withdrawal from alprazolam 2mg/day Morning Midday Afternoon Night Stage 00 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg Stage 01 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 02 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 03 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 04 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 05 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg 10mg Stage 06 (0.25+5)mg 10mg (0.25+5)mg 10mg Stage 07 (0.25+5)mg 10mg 10mg 10mg Stage 08 10mg 10mg 10mg 10mg Stage 09 10mg 6mg 10mg 10mg Stage 10 10mg 3mg 10mg 10mg Stage 11 10mg - 10mg 10mg Stage 12 10mg - 8mg 10mg Stage 13 10mg - 6mg 10mg Stage 14 8mg - 6mg 10mg Stage 15 10mg - 2mg 10mg Stage 16 10mg - - 10mg Stage 17 8mg - - 10mg Stage 18 6mg - - 10mg Stage 19 5mg - - 10mg Stage 20 4mg - - 10mg Stage 21 3mg - - 10mg Stage 22 2mg - - 10mg Stage 23 1mg - - 10mg Stage 24 - - - 10mg Notes: 1. Substitution stages could be taken at weekly intervals. 2. Later stages could be taken in 2 week intervals. 3. After Stage 24 continue reducing diazepam by 1mg. 4. Disregard the Midday column if starting from 1.5mg/day. 5. Start at Stage 11 or 16 if withdrawing from diazepam 30mg/day or 20mg/day respectively. 6. This schedule can be applied to clonazepam as it is equivalently potent. 7. This schedule can also be applied to lorazepam if alprazolam is multiplied by 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Ha...] Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Hi Outis, Firstly I hope I have posted in the right place I am seeking your opinion as I have read your posts and viewed your reduction schedules. I have also read Dr Ashton's manual and had been tearing my hair out trying to work out how to transpose her 6mg daily Xanax schedule down to my 1.5mg daily dose. Then I saw your schedules on BB which solved my dilemma. I chose this table (copied and pasted below) as I am on the same dose and regime. I am seeing my doctor in about 2 weeks and want to go to her with a clear tapering plan hoping she will support me crossing over to Diazepam and finally get off benzos altogether (although she is of the school of thought that I have a chemical imbalance, of which I wholeheartedly now disagree). I am wondering since sleep isn't an issue for me (at present) that I should exchange the Night dose (at stage 4 on this table) to Morning? Your help would really be appreciated Outis! Thanks again , Harmonee Schedule 5. Substitution tapering from alprazolam 1.5mg/day Morning Afternoon Night Stage 00 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg Stage 01 0.5mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 02 (0.25+5)mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 03 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 04 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg 10mg Stage 05 (0.25+5)mg 10mg 10mg Stage 06 10mg 10mg 10mg Stage 07 10mg 8mg 10mg Stage 08 10mg 6mg 10mg Stage 09 8mg 6mg 10mg Stage 10 10mg 2mg 10mg Stage 11 10mg - 10mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest [ou...] Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 First of all, this schedule is just a suggestion and as such you should adapt it to your needs in case you wish to follow it. Having said that, I gave it much thought when devising it, following Ashton's instructions and it has worked for me so far. I didn't have any sleep issues either but there's a reason why Ashton always starts the crossover from the night dose. Diazepam tends to be more hypnotic and the dosage needed to prevent withdrawal symptoms may make you sleepy. Taking most of your dosage at night enables you to sleep through the sedation until you adjust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Ha...] Posted February 21, 2018 Share Posted February 21, 2018 Thanks Outis! Now I have a concrete plan to go to my doctor with and to work with Very much appreciate your efforts, I'm sure many people here will be too! Harmonee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Ha...] Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 Stage 09 10mg 6mg 10mg 10mg Stage 10 10mg 3mg 10mg 10mg Stage 11 10mg - 10mg 10mg Stage 12 10mg - 8mg 10mg Stage 13 10mg - 6mg 10mg Stage 14 8mg - 6mg 10mg Stage 15 10mg - 2mg 10mg Stage 16 10mg - - 10mg Stage 17 8mg - - 10mg Stage 18 6mg - - 10mg Stage 19 5mg - - 10mg Stage 20 4mg - - 10mg Stage 21 3mg - - 10mg Stage 22 2mg - - 10mg Stage 23 1mg - - 10mg Stage 24 - - - 10mg[/font] Notes: Hi Ouis, Can you explain why at Stage 14 you reduce the morning dose to 8mg then up it again to 10mg at Stage 15 and also drop the afternoon dose from 6mg at Stage 14 to 2mg at Stage 15? Just wondering what your reasoning is behind this pattern? Thanks again! Harmonee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest [ou...] Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 The goal is to go from 10/10/10 to 10/-/10 An obvious way to do this is by constantly reducing the middle dose, but I felt that doing so would be a bit too much. Another way could be something like: 10/8/10 -> 8/8/10 -> 8/8/8 -> 10/2/10 This would be smoother at first but somewhat abrupt in the end. Therefore, I decided to go with a more balanced approach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[Ha...] Posted March 10, 2018 Share Posted March 10, 2018 When planning my taper I found certain shortcomings in Ashton's schedules: 1. There is no schedule for low dose alprazolam. 2. The majority of her schedules which start at 30mg diazepam equivalent do not match up. To address these issues I devised a schedule of my own based on her 10% rule. Schedule. Withdrawal from alprazolam 2mg/day Morning Midday Afternoon Night Stage 00 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg Stage 01 0.5mg 0.5mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 02 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 03 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg 0.5mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 04 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg Stage 05 (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg (0.25+5)mg 10mg Stage 06 (0.25+5)mg 10mg (0.25+5)mg 10mg Stage 07 (0.25+5)mg 10mg 10mg 10mg Stage 08 10mg 10mg 10mg 10mg Stage 09 10mg 6mg 10mg 10mg Stage 10 10mg 3mg 10mg 10mg Stage 11 10mg - 10mg 10mg Stage 12 10mg - 8mg 10mg Stage 13 10mg - 6mg 10mg Stage 14 8mg - 6mg 10mg Stage 15 10mg - 2mg 10mg Stage 16 10mg - - 10mg Stage 17 8mg - - 10mg Stage 18 6mg - - 10mg Yes that makes perfect sense reducing the afternoon dose. But therefore shouldn't Stage 14 be 10-6-10 then Stage 15 be 10-4-10 so it flows down each stage? I was just wondering why the interruption in the flow of the schedule? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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