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Hardest/Easiest Part of Taper?


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Assuming there is a gradual taper..

 

Is the beginning of the taper most difficult? Or once you are completely done?

 

It's been 2 weeks for me. 3mg of Xanax nightly down to 2.5mg nightly, but I have been up since 4am... My dreams are weird, I had music stuck in my head all night (this happened once in a while even before tapering), and throughout the night, I kept hearing sounds (I live alone) and thought someone was inside. And then I finally did wake up when I heard a door knock. I waited in bed for a few minutes, and didn't hear anything.

 

I'm going through hell, and I don't know how I can continue. I want to hit PAUSE with my life. I didn't like things BEFORE the taper, so now all I do is anticipate dread.

 

Has there been anyone who went through this without much trouble? If so, what did you do?

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I started tapering at 2mg and found the high end easier for me. I cut by smaller amounts, .25mg at most. If your first cut was .5mg. That may explain feeling so rough.
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I started tapering at 2mg and found the high end easier for me. I cut by smaller amounts, .25mg at most. If your first cut was .5mg. That may explain feeling so rough.

I did the .25 as well... 3mg for 10 days, 2.75 for 11 (forgot), and for the last 2 days, 2.5mg.... I think I might have some pills left after my taper is done, and part of me wonders if I should extend it to 2 weeks? I basically have to cut a pill in half, and then cut it in half again to get the desired .25mg, but I'm sure its not exact. Last night, it was in pieces and powder (which I licked up - nasty!)

 

When you say high end, do you mean the beginning? I can't imagine things getting worse.

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cold turkey, rapid taper, cut and hold gradual taper,  can be way too fast for most people. and then there is daily micro Taper which is what chose to do.  I’m six months into it, and I’m making progress.  It’s been pretty rough, but I was in tolerance and had many symptoms for years prior to starting the taper.  I do have some hours and days where I feel better, more comfortable, and grateful for that.  Some of the symptoms have gotten better as I’ve got a long including sleep. Because it’s a shorter acting half-life I split up my dose  evenly 3X’s throughout the day to help with interdose withdrawal. My medication is Temazepam for sleep 15mg capsule,  Took is prescribed for 9+ years 

 

Have you researched other methods for tapering?

How long were you on before? 

 

This is easy to practice during the day, and works for me for sleeping 95% of the time.  Stops the fear and negative thoughts.  And I can drift off to sleep. If I wake again I repeat the breathing as many times as it takes  Ideas: a small fan or a noise machine or soft gentle music playing in the background.  Good sleep hygiene, warm shower or a bath before bed, comedy, music, dance, positive TV shows, protein snack before bed to help with blood sugar, drink less liquid a few hours before bed so I don’t get up and P as much. A heating pad and socks on my feet if I get cold, Anything else that brings comfort and safety feelings can help.

 

Breathing techniques, Dr andrew Weil

 

4-7-8 breathing to calm nervous system 

https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/breathing-exercises-4-7-8-breath/

 

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The beginning of the taper is the easiest.  On Ativan, at the beginning of the taper I could cut 1/4 mg a week and the last half of the taper I cut 0.002 mg a day, and at the very end I cut 0.001 mg a day. You might consider getting a gram scale, crushing the pill and reducing by a miniscule amount every day. Much easier on the body. Or do a liquid microtaper.  Here are two links of how to liquid microtaper and how to dry microtaper

 

http://benzo.alwaysdata.net/titration/titrationHelp.htm?help=Readme+First

 

http://untrusted.markkit.net/untrusted/benzo.alwaysdata.net_direct_directHelp.htm_help_Readme_First.html?s=uase02k83s5c6gh0e3113cj3f4#

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I guess I "relapsed". I took 2.5 yesterday.I went back to 3mg tonight like I used to before I began tapering 15 days ago because I was having fears of self-harm,  and I feel worse than yesterday, which makes no sense, and is really messing with my mind. I didn't wanna go another night being afraid of any tiny noise, and could have swore I heard a knock at my door. So if I'm this paranoid, and going through hell in my half-sleep (awake, but asleep, can hear things, but my body isnt moving) I  figure its best for my safety.

 

Maybe its deviation that causes the havoc? My heart is beating real fast, but I was stressed before.

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Hit PAUSE, IHateBusiness.  :)

 

I have experienced all that you describe including fear of self harm.  I kept reminding myself that it was the drug talking, not me.  Me, lover of life.  :-\

 

These thoughts and fears have now dissipated, only very occasional 'reminders'.  It is definitely improving, but believe me when I say I remember the fear so very clearly.  I still have 'stuff', but not as before. 

 

You are just starting out, learning how to do this thing, just like us all.  We experiment, we listen to our body/mind and we act accordingly.  Reinstating was not the 'wrong' thing to do in my view.  Find your feet and develop for yourself a slow taper plan.  When you reach the end you will know that the dread was not as you had imagined, and that you WERE able to endure. 

 

We are on such 'high alert' every tiny sound is enough to freak us out.  Even imagined "knocks on the door" are, in my humble opinion, anticipation of something awful about to occur.  Our flight response ricocheting off everything around us.  It gets better, and have 'heard' those noises too.  Every time I would use the stove I would think it was going to explode, catch on fire, electrocute me.  It gets better.

 

I found the bottom end more difficult, but with learning and experimentation found I could cope.  No longer terrified by all of the horror stories I had read.  I started to steer my own ship, and took control best I could. 

 

It worked, wonky and haphazardly, but it worked, and am now 8 months off, TODAY.. Yay, me!  Yay, you!  You are learning, and you will get there.  Fear of the unknown is worse than the reality. 

 

Chill, step back, hit PAUSE, and do it your way.  Do it slow, do it small, but do it.  So long as you are coming down that's all that matters.  And along this path you will have learned more, and will have greater control and understanding of this process. 

 

You will eventually be free of the dread. 

 

Dee

:smitten:

 

 

 

 

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The high end is much easier. I went from 4mg down to 2mg fairly easily. I made a 25% cut on the 2mg tablet and holy shit....I held for a few weeks and then began cutting crumbs off. I went back to the prescriber (doctor is not a name I like to use) for a 0.5mg tab. I used the liquid titration method form there to the end...

 

Much easier. I have several posts on how to do this, at least the way I did...

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Here is how I did the titration but you will need some tools.

 

1. pill crusher (any drugstore)

2. a glass measured beaker (20ml  from Amazon)

3. needless syringe (20ml from Amazon)

4. small container with sealed lid (Tupperware)

 

How to:

a. crush pill finely

b. dumb into Tupperware container

c. measure 20mL of milk (I used whole milk as suggested to me)

d. pour milk into Tupperware, secure with lid, shake well

 

This part may seem confusing but it is easy, really. (this is my example, you can sub a xx ml measure/syringe for my 20ml)

 

1: I had a 20ml mixture of 0.5mg clonazepam/milk or 0.5/20 = 0.025 mg/ml. Just divide the pill size by the milliliters of milk.

2: Decide how fast you want to taper. In this example I did 1 ml every 5 days. You don't get that drop every 2 weeks. its a steady taper.

3: I would drop 1ml every 5 days for (5 * 0.025 =0.125 mg) Use syringe to pull out 20ml of mixture. (you have your full dose in milk now)

4: Push 1ml out of syringe into trash (never down the sink). You have 19ml left in syringe. This is your dose to take, squirt into mouth.

5: clean up

 

It is very easy really, once you do it a couple of times its very easy. You will adjust based on your circumstances.

 

You could use 20ml beaker and syringe for 2mg of clonazepam, three times a day

 

- crush 2mg of pills

- measure milk in 20ml beaker

- mix in container, shake well

- your now have 2mg/20ml OR 0.1mg/ 1 mL

- fill syringe to full 20mg

- squirt out 1ml into trash leaving you with 19mL (you just tapered by 0.1mg)

- next day do 18 mL, etc. Write down you steps as you may forget

- empty the remaining 19ml into mouth with the syringe

 

sounds more difficult than it is but you will get the hang of it......I am sure you will have other methods but this worked great for me, my jump was totally uneventful. And after about a 6 weeks I was feeling better and now I am out 5 1/2 months and pretty good. I am figuring out what causes me not to sleep. If I sleep I am great the next day. It was beers and sodas for me.

 

A slow taper is best...but there are other considerations as well

 

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I am at the end of my taper and I’m feeling better all the time. I have about 2 more weeks to go. I’m not really measuring exactly each day, just estimating by taking the tiny pieces I have left from dry cutting. My taper is probably the longest ever! Six years now. As hard as it may be to believe, I have only up dosed one or two times, and only with .25 mgs. I have held on the same dose for months at a time due to different life events. I believe the last six years have taught me so many life lessons that I needed to experience to become the person I want to be. They were lessons I so needed to overcome many fears and anxieties I have lived with my entire life. I have experienced every withdrawal symptom that most of you have. Each one was a lesson in courage and faith. Don’t misunderstand, I had many days when I thought I would not make it. I’m just now beginning to see that I can do this and that I’m going to be ok. I wouldn’t trade this horrific experience for anything! Wishing everyone a successful recovery! WE CAN DO THIS! Keep the faith! :smitten:
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(doctor is not a name I like to use)

Yeah, I should use the term "businessPEOPLE" from now on.

 

I feel better after taking 3mg last night, despite feeling weird at first, probably the nerves of knowing I'm going to run out much quickly. Life already sucked before any idea of taper, so there's no benefit of going through any more hardships.

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