tell me about your experience with titration

I've been titrating for a little over 3 weeks now and I'm going at a snail's pace. I decided to take this route because dry cutting was knocking me on my rear end. So far it has been much easier on me than the dry cuts. I wasn't expecting it to be without some costs. This last taper was more difficult than I had experienced with the previous tapers. I'm curious to hear from others that have been down this road what has your experience been like. Did you find that there were times you needed to hold for awhile?

I am right in the middle of mine and I think I hold just to be on the safe side. I really think I could have went 1ml a day to 50% but I want to be safe. I might even fill the cylinder back up to 100 when I get to 50% I am not sure yet. Please go slow there is no hurry if you are doing ok with the tapering. Glad you chose this way. I have been waiting for people to respond to this post before I posted....well buddies ?

 

 

 

sundazed

Thanks Sundazed. Do you think there is such a thing as going too slow?

only if you are suffering and holding does nothing to ease the suffering.

 

just a opinion

Hi--

 

I just started mine a few days ago and so far so good.  I think the most important thing emotionally for me as far as going into the titration stage, was to have the sense that I could be flexible and change things as I go along.  It's really easy to start second guessing by asking questions like am I going too slow or fast.  I will just give it some time and adjust accordingly.  I'm definitely splitting the liquid into two daily doses.  I do know that I don't want to go through the drama of my sixth dry cut again, and I am confident I will be fine.  Fortunately, I recovered very nicely from that cut.

 

To answer your question specifically, tekksan, a buddy who made a youtube video, had some afterthoughts on the rate of titration.  He said if he had to do it over, he would do the first third (of 100ml) at 2ml per day, the second third at 1ml per day, and the final third at 1 ml every two days.  This becomes easier to judge in hindsight after it is over of course and is complicated by the good ol "everyone is different" mantra (which of course is true).

 

I'm actually having fun doing preparing the K brew, because I get to play chemist and that's what my dad did for a living.  I'm even using the same gear he used  .  I consider myself very very fortunate that I am not having more symptoms, considering I was such a bone head for using K for so many years.

 

Two variations on my own prep work.  1) I tried milk and I found that my name brand K was clumping.  I can't use generic, it gives me bad dreams.  I also didn't like the fact that I could not see the suspension.  Water works quite well for me.  Also, I like to add a few drops of my 100ml water to the K tablet in the mortar/pestle.  It seems the make the crushing process more managable with less loss of powder in the ceramic.

 

Anyway I'm rambling.  As they say, let your body tell you how to titrate.  I hope your titration goes well.  It's such an awesome alternative for those who need to cut down slower than a dry cut will allow.

 

best,

 

Draftsman

Nice and smooth my titration was....Just go really slow and steady......I finished me taper 2 days ago and have no symptoms yet so hopefully it will stay that way

I highly reccamend titration I dont know if I would have been able to get off the junk without doing it this way

I cut .25 mg per week as recommended by doctor from 1.5 mg. K to .75mg.  Starting the 3rd week I got floored ,  the symptoms were overpowering.

I  held at .75mg. for 3 weeks, then stupidly reinstated ,per shrinks suggestion, to 1mg.  I think I had just about suffered thru the 3 weeks and would have stabilized but as it was I ended up at 1mg. where I started a 10% per week titration

Big difference.  Still suffering the symptoms , but at a lower intensity.

Everyone is different, but I believe titration is the best way to prepare your brain for its trip off the junk

Speed is anyones guess, and usually most everyone finds the speed they can handle.  TC  went too quickly his first time around, then reinstated and went alot slower.  He is benzo free this week and I believe he would suggest the turtle reduction rate over his previous one.

Hope this helps you]

st

 

I have tried three different routes..

 

Dry cutting...oh my God..no way..kicked my butt..

 

Faster taper....not really bad..until the end...then crashed and burned..reinstated at half dose...

 

Turtle taper...very smooth....five days in the books.....benzo free....just a couple symptoms hanging around...nothing major going on.....

 

The turtle taper....allowed my body to heal itself alot on the way down...I did experience an extended period of rocky sleep...but I am now sleeping normally again....

 

Looking back...the only thing I would have done..is maybe go a bitter slower..  I think I may have followed the advice of 10 percent a month....that is recommended by a few benzo pioneers...but after having tried the dry cut and then a quick taper....I didn't think I would have the patience for that..it took me nearly 8 months to get off this junk...and I am happy to be done with it..

 

I had never taken anything like this before in my life..and my doctor decided to put me on it for sleep issues..along with Trazodone....I successfully have tapered both....and I am now 100 percent medication free....which is what I was 32 years prior to the introduction of Klonopin and where I plan to be for a long, long time..never again.....will I take any of these medications... As bad as this stuff is..I think I would just take my chances....using other methods...than take any benzo again..

 

I wish you well in the rest of your taper....it sounds like you have a really solid approach...

 

 

TC

 

Thanks TC, ST, LPTC, Draftsman, & Sundazed for sharing with me what your experience has been like. TC, I am a little daunted by the length of time it is going to take for me to get off of this stuff. But my 53 year old body tells me I need to go with the 10% a month schedule. I'm at .88 today and so far it's been much easier than dry cutting.

legos I figure its like this.  If you stay on the junk, you  could be on it for months or years more.  that being said, whats the difference if you sneak up on the drug by slowly reducing  the amount and try and make the exit  a more manageable experience.  If you didn't try 6 months from now you would still be at the dose your at today , or higher.  Slowly , taking a 6 month ( or more or less) time frame,  your done.

POINT  getting off is the most important  goal , not the length of time it takes. 

st

 

Hi Buddies

 

I kind of lean toward the suggestion by draftsman about going faster at the start of the taper and slowing as you go.

 

For Buddies on a high dose the length of time to taper slow looks impossible.

 

I do not know if I could have handled a 2 year taper to get slowly off my 6mgK.

 

Going fast (as in .5mgK/week for 5 weeks, .25mgK for 5 weeks) then slow (1%/day titration) then slower (.5%/day titration) helped me get to finish in a reasonable time.

 

By cutting hard and fast I forced my BRAIN (starving by starving it for K) to go into heal mode and fed it just enough (during 1% titration) to keep EXTREME WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS

down as my BRAIN healed.

 

Time will tell if I have a smooth landing, but going on day 8 post last BENZO all is OK, NO BIG SLAM and I continue to THUMB my NOSE at K!

 

Teakettle