is reucing 3% every 14days too slow? (polytapering Klon and Seroquel)

so i take a total of 1mg clonazepam daily.

 

i'm in the crossover phase of adjusting to all liquid and i'll be ready to start the reductions a nother week or so  if all goes well. 

 

i had asked for a taper schedule before but builder said he thought my rate was too slow. i wanted to go real slow at first because i'm doing more than one taper and been polydrugged for over 21 years. also because i'm going very slow on my antipsychotic taper and still have sxs so wanted to add the clonazepam taper in at a slower rate...thinking that i can always increase the rate if/as my body acclimates to the new taper being added in.

 

so i used Jim Hawk's calculator here: http://benzo.alwaysdata.net/ 

and typed in my daily doses of .25 @ 8am, .25 @ 2pm and .5 @ 8pm and with a reduction of 3% every 14 days using 100ml liquid and 10mg/20 pills to make my 10 day supply.... with an attenuated ending :

it says it will take me 2 years and 11 days to finish the taper

(assuming no holds, which of course there will be lol)

 

i like the time frame, definitely doable,  and it is about a .25mg reduction every 4months.

is 4 months to reduce a .25mg too slow? (i realize this is subjective but i'm curious to anyone who has tapered off of clonazepam while tapering from an antipsychotic at the same time, do you think this would be pushing too hard at first? or just right? or???

 

however i'm not in a hurry to get this taper done,

so i typed in 2% every 14 days into the same calculator and it said 7 years to finish the taper (attenuated ending)!!!

but how can 1% make that much difference between 3%=2 years taper and 2%=7 years taper??

it seems like the results are not proportionate.

 

can someone explain this to me?

 

i don't mind taking a few years if neccessary to taper the benzo, but not SEVEN YEARS! of course it will all depend on my sxs. i'm letting my body guide me to the sweet spot for each drug's taper rate that works for me.

 

but seriously...7 years for 1mg seems a bit extreme, maybe my math is wrong or the calculator is wrong? or i just don't grasp this concept lol all of the above? 

Hey nomore, this is just my opinion formed from reading threads on bb, but in mo, tapering 2 things at once, isn't a good idea.  Your brain and central central nervous system never really get an opportunity to stabilize.

Also, if you start having withdrawal symptoms you, how to you know what's causing them.  Taper the drug that may still be helping you last, and the other one first.  Just a suggestion, good luck , Mary 💜

Hey nomore, this is just my opinion formed from reading threads on bb, but in mo, tapering 2 things at once, isn't a good idea.  Your brain and central central nervous system never really get an opportunity to stabilize.

Also, if you start having withdrawal symptoms you, how to you know what's causing them.  Taper the drug that may still be helping you last, and the other one first.  Just a suggestion, good luck , Mary 💜

hey  Mary

thank you for your feedback! it's nice to hear someone else considering my best interests!

if i did my tapers consecutively i would be tapering approximately the same number of decades that i was polydrugged, which for me is not an option at this time. of course you are right, for most people it's not ideal to taper more than one med at a time, and the reasons you gave is exactly why! i agree! however, i have been tapering off of my antipsychotic for 2 years, and going by my body's reactions during this period, i am not willing to extend my tapering timeline past about 5 more years.

i have 2 more drugs to taper, the clonazepam and neurontin. i have 61mg of seroquel, 1mg of clonazepam, and 900 mg of neurontin to taper. the path that i'm attempting now is a sort of overlapping of the 2 tapers, seroquel and clonazepam...but if/when sxs ramp up i will hold both at their rate of reduction at the time and then resume tapering after sxs stabilize. or perhaps i may hold one and taper the other, then take a break and switch positions, and continue as i go.  the last taper i would like to add in about january of next year, if everything is going ok with the 2 tapers of seroquel and clonazepam, but if not i will just wait til later to begin that taper. no rush. i'm going by my sxs. a "symptom-based taper" where i listen to my body and go slower or faster as my body tells me.

this method of polytapering is one that others~ (who have been polydrugged for multiple decades as i have and found that doing a traditional taper consecutively from each med would be unbearable and impractical) ~have completed with good success rates. that is why i 've decided to take this less beaten path. if it works, wonderful! if not, i'll re-assess and make changes as i go!

thx again

Hey nomore, this is just my opinion formed from reading threads on bb, but in mo, tapering 2 things at once, isn't a good idea.  Your brain and central central nervous system never really get an opportunity to stabilize.

Also, if you start having withdrawal symptoms you, how to you know what's causing them.  Taper the drug that may still be helping you last, and the other one first.  Just a suggestion, good luck , Mary 💜

 

hey  Mary

 

thank you for your feedback! it's nice to hear someone else considering my best interests!

 

if i did my tapers consecutively i would be tapering approximately the same number of decades that i was polydrugged, which for me is not an option at this time. of course you are right, for most people it's not ideal to taper more than one med at a time, and the reasons you gave is exactly why! i agree! however, i have been tapering off of my antipsychotic for 2 years, and going by my body's reactions during this period, i am not willing to extend my tapering timeline past about 5 more years.

 

i have 2 more drugs to taper, the clonazepam and neurontin. i have 61mg of seroquel, 1mg of clonazepam, and 900 mg of neurontin to taper. the path that i'm attempting now is a sort of overlapping of the 2 tapers, seroquel and clonazepam...but if/when sxs ramp up i will hold both at their rate of reduction at the time and then resume tapering after sxs stabilize. or perhaps i may hold one and taper the other, then take a break and switch positions, and continue as i go.  the last taper i would like to add in about january of next year, if everything is going ok with the 2 tapers of seroquel and clonazepam, but if not i will just wait til later to begin that taper. no rush. i'm going by my sxs. a "symptom-based taper" where i listen to my body and go slower or faster as my body tells me.

 

this method of polytapering is one that others~ (who have been polydrugged for multiple decades as i have and found that doing a traditional taper consecutively from each med would be unbearable and impractical) ~have completed with good success rates. that is why i 've decided to take this less beaten path. if it works, wonderful! if not, i'll re-assess and make changes as i go!

thx again

I wish you nothing but great results, you have gone a long way with more to go.  You definitely deserve some good luck!!  Love ya, Kathy 💕💕💕💕

I don't know if this is of any help but I also agree, if you can, taper only one drug at a time. It will give your brain more time to adjust/heal in between and if you get bad symptoms you know which drug it is from.

I tapered and withdrew of one drug at time: trazodone, wellbutrin, lexapro, lithium, lamictal. All those tapers were very successful. One at a time. It took 3 years.

My last taper was for clonazepam and it has been difficult. But at least I know that all my symptoms are related to the benzodiazepine. Its possible that all the cumulative tapers have amplified my benzo-withdrawal problems, for sure, but reading here on BB about BWD, I think it is just benzos.

I made up my own taper schedule and had no assistance besides a friendly psychiatrist. You are more informed and supported than I was. I think you should go with the longer schedule at first and see how you feel. If you were on these drugs for a long time, why not give your body time to get off them and adjust? I wish I had taken longer for my benzo taper.

You got this.

I don't know if this is of any help but I also agree, if you can, taper only one drug at a time. It will give your brain more time to adjust/heal in between and if you get bad symptoms you know which drug it is from.

 

I tapered and withdrew of one drug at time: trazodone, wellbutrin, lexapro, lithium, lamictal. All those tapers were very successful. One at a time. It took 3 years.

 

My last taper was for clonazepam and it has been difficult. But at least I know that all my symptoms are related to the benzodiazepine. Its possible that all the cumulative tapers have amplified my benzo-withdrawal problems, for sure, but reading here on BB about BWD, I think it is just benzos.

 

I made up my own taper schedule and had no assistance besides a friendly psychiatrist. You are more informed and supported than I was. I think you should go with the longer schedule at first and see how you feel. If you were on these drugs for a long time, why not give your body time to get off them and adjust? I wish I had taken longer for my benzo taper.

 

You got this.

Oops, sorry just read your reponse about why you need to do multiple tapers. I get it. Its a lot to do, but you can do it, and I wish so much luck and support as you go through this. 

I really wish you the best because i know what it is like to be polydrugged, too. This is a big challenge but it is worth the fight. It is worth it!

Hugs!

Hey nomore, this is just my opinion formed from reading threads on bb, but in mo, tapering 2 things at once, isn't a good idea.  Your brain and central central nervous system never really get an opportunity to stabilize.

Also, if you start having withdrawal symptoms you, how to you know what's causing them.  Taper the drug that may still be helping you last, and the other one first.  Just a suggestion, good luck , Mary 💜

 

hey  Mary

 

thank you for your feedback! it's nice to hear someone else considering my best interests!

 

if i did my tapers consecutively i would be tapering approximately the same number of decades that i was polydrugged, which for me is not an option at this time. of course you are right, for most people it's not ideal to taper more than one med at a time, and the reasons you gave is exactly why! i agree! however, i have been tapering off of my antipsychotic for 2 years, and going by my body's reactions during this period, i am not willing to extend my tapering timeline past about 5 more years.

 

i have 2 more drugs to taper, the clonazepam and neurontin. i have 61mg of seroquel, 1mg of clonazepam, and 900 mg of neurontin to taper. the path that i'm attempting now is a sort of overlapping of the 2 tapers, seroquel and clonazepam...but if/when sxs ramp up i will hold both at their rate of reduction at the time and then resume tapering after sxs stabilize. or perhaps i may hold one and taper the other, then take a break and switch positions, and continue as i go.  the last taper i would like to add in about january of next year, if everything is going ok with the 2 tapers of seroquel and clonazepam, but if not i will just wait til later to begin that taper. no rush. i'm going by my sxs. a "symptom-based taper" where i listen to my body and go slower or faster as my body tells me.

 

this method of polytapering is one that others~ (who have been polydrugged for multiple decades as i have and found that doing a traditional taper consecutively from each med would be unbearable and impractical) ~have completed with good success rates. that is why i 've decided to take this less beaten path. if it works, wonderful! if not, i'll re-assess and make changes as i go!

thx again

 

I wish you nothing but great results, you have gone a long way with more to go.  You definitely deserve some good luck!!  Love ya, Kathy 💕💕💕💕

this is for you "Mary Catherine Gallagher"!

https://imgur.com/WNMfTtP

I don't know if this is of any help but I also agree, if you can, taper only one drug at a time. It will give your brain more time to adjust/heal in between and if you get bad symptoms you know which drug it is from.

 

I tapered and withdrew of one drug at time: trazodone, wellbutrin, lexapro, lithium, lamictal. All those tapers were very successful. One at a time. It took 3 years.

 

My last taper was for clonazepam and it has been difficult. But at least I know that all my symptoms are related to the benzodiazepine. Its possible that all the cumulative tapers have amplified my benzo-withdrawal problems, for sure, but reading here on BB about BWD, I think it is just benzos.

 

I made up my own taper schedule and had no assistance besides a friendly psychiatrist. You are more informed and supported than I was. I think you should go with the longer schedule at first and see how you feel. If you were on these drugs for a long time, why not give your body time to get off them and adjust? I wish I had taken longer for my benzo taper.

 

You got this.

 

Oops, sorry just read your reponse about why you need to do multiple tapers. I get it. Its a lot to do, but you can do it, and I wish so much luck and support as you go through this. 

 

I really wish you the best because i know what it is like to be polydrugged, too. This is a big challenge but it is worth the fight. It is worth it!

Hugs!

this one's for you Tater Tot!

https://imgur.com/nyWqutE

Hey nomore, this is just my opinion formed from reading threads on bb, but in mo, tapering 2 things at once, isn't a good idea.  Your brain and central central nervous system never really get an opportunity to stabilize.

Also, if you start having withdrawal symptoms you, how to you know what's causing them.  Taper the drug that may still be helping you last, and the other one first.  Just a suggestion, good luck , Mary 💜

 

hey  Mary

 

thank you for your feedback! it's nice to hear someone else considering my best interests!

 

if i did my tapers consecutively i would be tapering approximately the same number of decades that i was polydrugged, which for me is not an option at this time. of course you are right, for most people it's not ideal to taper more than one med at a time, and the reasons you gave is exactly why! i agree! however, i have been tapering off of my antipsychotic for 2 years, and going by my body's reactions during this period, i am not willing to extend my tapering timeline past about 5 more years.

 

i have 2 more drugs to taper, the clonazepam and neurontin. i have 61mg of seroquel, 1mg of clonazepam, and 900 mg of neurontin to taper. the path that i'm attempting now is a sort of overlapping of the 2 tapers, seroquel and clonazepam...but if/when sxs ramp up i will hold both at their rate of reduction at the time and then resume tapering after sxs stabilize. or perhaps i may hold one and taper the other, then take a break and switch positions, and continue as i go.  the last taper i would like to add in about january of next year, if everything is going ok with the 2 tapers of seroquel and clonazepam, but if not i will just wait til later to begin that taper. no rush. i'm going by my sxs. a "symptom-based taper" where i listen to my body and go slower or faster as my body tells me.

 

this method of polytapering is one that others~ (who have been polydrugged for multiple decades as i have and found that doing a traditional taper consecutively from each med would be unbearable and impractical) ~have completed with good success rates. that is why i 've decided to take this less beaten path. if it works, wonderful! if not, i'll re-assess and make changes as i go!

thx again

 

I wish you nothing but great results, you have gone a long way with more to go.  You definitely deserve some good luck!!  Love ya, Kathy 💕💕💕💕

 

this is for you "Mary Catherine Gallagher"!

https://imgur.com/WNMfTtP

Yes, we are  :yippee:

That's totally me!!! I can smell them from a mile away!