Split dose? Advice needed

I'm tapering temazepam (restoril), now under 5 mg coming from 30 mg. As a sleep aid, its hypnotic effect has lessened considerably. Would it be wise to now split my dose over 2 or 3 moments? How do others tapering a relatively short acting sleep medication fare?

I'm tapering temazepam (restoril), now under 5 mg coming from 30 mg. As a sleep aid, its hypnotic effect has lessened considerably. Would it be wise to now split my dose over 2 or 3 moments? How do others tapering a relatively short acting sleep medication fare?

 

Hi Briba,

 

So you're telling us it doesn't do much for you in the way of helping you sleep anymore?  I'm unsure what you mean in the bold above.

 

Are you experiencing inter-dose withdrawal?

 

Pamster

I'm tapering temazepam (restoril), now under 5 mg coming from 30 mg. As a sleep aid, its hypnotic effect has lessened considerably. Would it be wise to now split my dose over 2 or 3 moments? How do others tapering a relatively short acting sleep medication fare?

 

@ Briba

 

Great job getting to 5mg!  I was on alprazolam which is a shorter acting benzo.  Once I went to DLMT, I started to evenly dose 4 times a day.  I jumped 3 months ago at .17mg (probably not a great idea) but wanted to get off!  I was/still am on another benzo clonazepam which I’m tapering off now.  Very difficult.  Today I changed my dosing schedule from 3 times a day to 4 times a day.  It’s supposed to be a “longer acting” benzo but I never found that to be true.

 

I’m pretty sure the hypnotic effect won’t return if you split the dose.  Are you symptomatic?  If not and if it were me, I would just keep tapering and not change the dosing schedule.

 

You’re almost there!! Good luck.

 

SG

💜

Hello, Briba.

 

Based on what I’ve read here and elsewhere, experiencing a lessening of the hypnotic effect of your benzodiazepine is to be expected given that you are reducing your dose (i.e. what you are experiencing is an expected withdrawal symptom).

 

Pamster has asked an important question: Are you experiencing interdose withdrawal?

 

Or, is there another reason you are considering splitting your doses?

 

You might find the following of interest.  It’s a quote from the Benzodiazepine Toolkit (2018) by Reconnexion, an Australian-based counseling and support service for people dependent on benzodiazepines. 

 

4.1.2 – BENZODIAZEPINES TAKEN AT NIGHT ONLY FOR SLEEPING

 

If the client takes the pills only at night, advise them to continue doing this rather than to distribute the dose evenly throughout the day. The client has already tolerated daytime withdrawal.

 

The possible sedating effects during the day make staying on the night time dose the preferred option. (p. 35)

 

You will, of course, want to verify this for yourself (I’ve included the link below).  You also will want to decide whether or not you think Reconnexion is a credible source (my take is that it is but that’s just my opinion).

 

The Benzodiazepine Toolkit By Reconnexion* (2018)

https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5aced27ea8e8388044acab17/5ca5aa7876bfccbcc79cba1d_Benzo%20Toolkit%20Booklet%20web4.pdf

 

Libertas-  Thanks for the link and information. Always good to have multiple tools in the toolbox.

Libertas-  Thanks for the link and information. Always good to have multiple tools in the toolbox.

 

Thanks from me too Libertas, I'm following you around copying and pasting into my cheat sheet. 

Thanks for all the input. @Pamster @Libertas Yes, the reason for considering splitting is to minimize interdose withdrawal. Problem is, it's hard to tell the difference from 'normal' withdrawal!