Lqd Taper Plan - Pls Review & Comment! Builder? Bella? Other Kind Souls?

After much research, I have decided that my best hope of freeing myself from clonazepam is a daily liquid micro taper.

Per my signature, I am currently taking 0.375 mg of clonazepam at bedtime.  I am currently using 0.125 orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) from Teva/Barr.

My plan is to take two of the 0.125 mg ODTs as usual and use the third ODT to create a 0.01 mg/ml solution from which I will taper.

Like many members of this community, I suffer from cog fog and anxiety so would be ever so grateful if the titration gurus in this board would check my work before I proceed.

Below are the steps I plan to follow along with a few remaining questions I have. Am I on track?  Any and all comments, questions, concerns, advice will be deeply appreciated!

Gratefully yours, Libertas

(1) Create the 0.01 mg/ml solution.

Add one 0.125 mg ODT  to 0.5 ml of solvent (80 proof vodka).

Wait X minutes for the clonazepam to dissolve. 

Add 12 ml of water.

Agitate the solution (up/down, side/side but not circular which creates a vortex).

(2) Use an oral syringe to measure and drink 12.5 ml of the above solution for 10 nights (in addition to taking two of the ODTs as usual each night).

(3) If no symptoms emerge after Step 2 above, begin tapering the liquid portion of dose by 0.001 mg per night ....

.124 mg = 12.4 ml of solution

.123 mg = 12.3 ml of solution

.122 mg = 12.2 ml of solution

etc.

After 10 days, I would have reduced the 0.125 liquid portion of the dose to 0.115 mg.  My total daily dose (liquid plus two 0.125 mg ODTs) would be 0.365 mg (0.115 + 0.25). This would represent a 3.7% reduction over 10 days (0.365/0.375 = .97333, 110% - 97.3% = 3.7%)

(4) If no or only tolerable symptoms emerge after the 10 day DLMT trial, I would slowly and cautiously experiment with increasing the daily taper amount with the goal of finding the “right” amount for me while also monitoring for symptoms and keeping an eye on the total percentage cut.

Questions:

(1) I doubled the recommended amount of vodka (i.e. 0.5 ml vs 0.25 ml) b/c I want to be sure there is enough to completely cover/wet the ODT (which is “largish”). Is this ok?

(2) How long does it take for clonazepam to fully dissolve in alcohol? 5 minutes? 15? 30?

(3) Did I calculate the percent reduction over 10 days correctly?

Answer to question 2:

Remember, your ODT tablet only contains a tiny percentage of K, probably less than 1% is actually K.  The K will dissolve very quickly, but the tablet must begin to disintegrate/deconstruct before the can combine with solvent.

Once the tablet has substantially deconstructed, the K will be dissolve almost instantly.

And I.m not sure if your plan is to make an individual batch for each dose, or if you plan to make a bigger supply (10-14 days) and then take each dose from the supply.

Making a dose each day and discarding part is labor-intensive,  inefficient, and wasteful,  Making an extended batch is the best way to do it.  That's how you would handle a liquid med you might get at a pharmacy...just measure out the scheduled dose and take it.

After much research, I have decided that my best hope of freeing myself from clonazepam is a daily liquid micro taper.

 

Per my signature, I am currently taking 0.375 mg of clonazepam at bedtime.  I am currently using 0.125 orally disintegrating tablets (ODTs) from Teva/Barr.

 

My plan is to take two of the 0.125 mg ODTs as usual and use the third ODT to create a 0.01 mg/ml solution from which I will taper.

 

Like many members of this community, I suffer from cog fog and anxiety so would be ever so grateful if the titration gurus in this board would check my work before I proceed.

 

Below are the steps I plan to follow along with a few remaining questions I have. Am I on track?  Any and all comments, questions, concerns, advice will be deeply appreciated!

 

Gratefully yours, Libertas

 

(1) Create the 0.01 mg/ml solution.

 

Add one 0.125 mg ODT  to 0.5 ml of solvent (80 proof vodka).

Wait X minutes for the clonazepam to dissolve. 

Add 12 ml of water.

Agitate the solution (up/down, side/side but not circular which creates a vortex).

 

(2) Use an oral syringe to measure and drink 12.5 ml of the above solution for 10 nights (in addition to taking two of the ODTs as usual each night).

 

(3) If no symptoms emerge after Step 2 above, begin tapering the liquid portion of dose by 0.001 mg per night ....

 

.124 mg = 12.4 ml of solution

.123 mg = 12.3 ml of solution

.122 mg = 12.2 ml of solution

etc.

 

After 10 days, I would have reduced the 0.125 liquid portion of the dose to 0.115 mg.  My total daily dose (liquid plus two 0.125 mg ODTs) would be 0.365 mg (0.115 + 0.25). This would represent a 3.7% reduction over 10 days (0.365/0.375 = .97333, 110% - 97.3% = 3.7%)

 

(4) If no or only tolerable symptoms emerge after the 10 day DLMT trial, I would slowly and cautiously experiment with increasing the daily taper amount with the goal of finding the “right” amount for me while also monitoring for symptoms and keeping an eye on the total percentage cut.

 

Questions:

(1) I doubled the recommended amount of vodka (i.e. 0.5 ml vs 0.25 ml) b/c I want to be sure there is enough to completely cover/wet the ODT (which is “largish”). Is this ok?

(2) How long does it take for clonazepam to fully dissolve in alcohol? 5 minutes? 15? 30?

(3) Did I calculate the percent reduction over 10 days correctly?

Looks good!

Thank you so much, builder! 

The Teva clonazepam ODTs deconstruct very quickly (as in seconds).  So it’s good to know that the actual clonazepam will dissolve quickly as well. 

I wholeheartedly agree with you about making a larger batch of the solution. My physician and I are “pilot testing” the ODTs so I only have a limited number to work with at this point and have to use them judiciously.  After I confirm that DLMT with the ODTs will work for me, I’ll ask my physician for a new, expanded prescription.

In the interim, is my .125 mg ODT + .5 ml alcohol + 12 ml water formula ok to use?

PS I read in one of your posts that you are a proud Porsche owner.  My husband has a 1987 Carerra that he treats like a member of the family .

 

(3) Did I calculate the percent reduction over 10 days correctly?

 

Looks good!

Thank you so much, Bella!  Like many other buddies, my cognitive function has decreased while my anxiety has increased during benzo withdrawal.  I am beyond grateful that I can ask for and receive reassurance and support from experts such as yourself that I am “on the right track” with my plan.

PS Congratulations on your recent appointment to Senior Moderator - I’ve spent many hours on BB and stand in awe of your many contributions and kindnesses.

 

(3) Did I calculate the percent reduction over 10 days correctly?

 

Looks good!

 

Thank you so much, Bella!  Like many other buddies, my cognitive function has decreased while my anxiety has increased during benzo withdrawal.  I am beyond grateful that I can ask for and receive reassurance and support from experts such as yourself that I am “on the right track” with my plan.

 

PS Congratulations on your recent appointment to Senior Moderator - I’ve spent many hours on BB and stand in awe of your many contributions and kindnesses.

Awe ...thanks Libertas 

I am no expert...just another buddie who has gone through this ordeal and trying to help out where ever I can. Try not to let the benzo lies discourage you, you will do well with your taper