Jim Hawk, I have a question about alcohol use in my titration solution

Hi Jim, it's me again, bluecar.  Sorry to bother you again. I have mostly been seeing posts by people who are using klonopin or xanax with alcohol and water to create their liquid titration solution. Since these benzos are taken at low mgs., not much alcohol is used in making the titration solution. I am using diazepam pills and titration solution in my microtaper. I use 30 mgs. of diazepam pills and 35 ml of 80 proof vodka and 115 ml of water to make my titration solution. You advised me to add an additional 5 ml of vodka because my doctor gave me 30mg of diazepam pills for 2mg of xanax. The equivalent dose of diazepam is 40mg. Also I'm using 80 proof vodka, not 90 proof. I take this solution 3 times a day. My doc told me to hold my current dose until early January. He doesn't know that I'm using this titration solution because he wouldn't approve. So I'm taking 10.12ml of this solution 3 times a day with 8 mg of diaz. pill. Will this fry my brain? This is alot more vodka than the xanax and klonopin people use in their titration solution. Also, when I start tapering again in January, I'm going much slower. So I'll be on the higher dose of vodka solution for longer. Has anyone else that you have helped used high dose diazepam and alcohol in the titration solution? I'm worried that this will give me PAWS after I'm off of the taper. I'm just worried. Thank you so much. You have been so patient with me and have rescued me from a really bad situation. I'm grateful to you.

Thanks, 

bluecar

So you're making 140 ml of solution, containing 35ml of 80 proof vodka.  Then each ml of that solution will contain .25ml of vodka.

If you take 30.32ml each day, that's 7.6ml of vodka.  Thats approx .25 ozs.

For comparison, a standard cocktail is 1.5 ozs, or approx 45ml

BTW, to insure full solubility, you really need 2mls of vodka for each mg of diazepam.

Hi bluecar

When I read about how you prepared your solution, 2 points require immediate attention:

1. 35 ml of Vodka (80 proof) will NOT BE SUFFICIENT to dissolve 30 mg of Diazepam.

2. When 115 ml of water is added you will obtain 150 ml of solution with benzo concentration 0.2 mg/ml.

When it comes to dissolve benzo with alcohol the rule of thumb is to use 2 ml of Vodka (80 proof) for 1 mg of benzo. As you are using 30 mg Diazepam the required volume of Vodka will be 60 ml. When you add 240 ml of water, you will obtain 300 ml of solution with benzo concentration 0.1 mg/ml.

While you can use 0.2 mg/ml solution to taper (point 2), you CANNOT use so little alcohol to dissolve benzo (point 1).

You advised me to add an additional 5 ml of vodka because my doctor gave me 30mg of diazepam pills for 2mg of xanax. The equivalent dose of diazepam is 40mg.

I'm lost for words as I just could not make any sense out of this! While errors could not be excluded, it would help clear my mind if you can let me see again that post of mine that induced you to this so blatant error .

I'm taking 6.25 mg. of diazepam pill and 10.12ml titration solution 3 times a day

10.12 ml with your current solution is about 2 mg (=10.12 ml x  0.2 mg/ml). That means each day you take 6.25 mg pill + 6 mg (3 x 2 mg) liquid for a total of 12.25 mg/day. What was the initial dose before starting to taper? How long ago? What was the intended reduction?

Will this fry my brain? This is alot more vodka than the xanax and klonopin people use in their titration solution.

It can fry your brain if you don't use the correct volume of alcohol to dissolve your benzo resulting in inappropriate solution. You are actually using too little alcohol and much less than what is recommended for Xanax and Klonopin.

Has anyone else that you have helped used high dose diazepam and alcohol in the titration solution?

The way to dissolve benzo for liquid taper has been widely used long long time before I joined BB. As I know hundreds if not thousands of people have healed by liquid tapering with alcohol-dissolved solution. The formula is written in nearly every post for liquid taper and I simply applied the same practice.

I'm worried that this will give me PAWS after I'm off of the taper.

If you taper slowly and gently, and carefully with doses, you will heal. It might take some time but like many buddies I happened to read, you will recover. Your state of mind plays an important role in the healing process. Fear and anxiety do not help.

Hope you find the right taper pace and peace of mind.

Hello Bluecar,

When you want to dissolve 30 mg diazepam in Vodka, you need 60 ml Vodka.

The alcohol content of 60 ml Vodka is the same as of 480 ml beer, which is more than 2 glasses of beer.

It is adviced not to combine benzo's and alcohol, so I would not combine your benzo's with more than 2 glasses of beer.

I would use a combination of tablets and a small amount of liquid.

Hi Jim,

I meant to say that I use 15mg of diazepam (3  5mg tablets) not 30mg  (sorry, my mistake), and I'll use 30ml of vodka and 120ml of water to make the solution. I'll  hold at 1 1/4 tablet and 10.12ml solution 3 times a day until January. I have read elsewhere not to combine alcohol and benzos so I didn't know if this was too much alcohol to take each day. Apparently it's not. I'll just leave it at that.

Thanks,

bluecar

Hi Jim,

 

I meant to say that I use 15mg of diazepam (3  5mg tablets) not 30mg  (sorry, my mistake), and I'll use 30ml of vodka and 120ml of water to make the solution. I'll  hold at 1 1/4 tablet and 10.12ml solution 3 times a day until January. I have read elsewhere not to combine alcohol and benzos so I didn't know if this was too much alcohol to take each day. Apparently it's not. I'll just leave it at that.

 

Thanks,

bluecar

Your solution is 20% vodka

10.12ml X 20% = 2.024ml vodka (.81ml actual alcohol)

That's .07 ozs vodka (.03 ozs actual alcohol)

No, its not too much.

Hi builder,

Thank you for your help.

bluecar