Need help planning Klonopin taper

Hi

I will really appreciate some help in planning my Klonopin taper.

I have been on 2mg K for 2.5 years. After a script mix up I reduced to 0.5mg not realizing what the consequences would be. I setlled on 1mg and was told by my dr to cut another 0.5mg. Of course that was another disaster. I reinstated to 1mg and feel I've stabilized.

I take 1mg at night.

Would a gradual taper work better or is my dose too high?

Can someone please help me with the maths to get started?

I plan to use Bob07 method of dry tapering for the lower doses.

I don't know if Bob is around to give advice?

Thanks very much!

I will be happy to help you.

Let's collect some more data first.

I read your signature.

What was the reason you got on benzos?

What are your current symptoms?

What is the strength of your benzo per tablet?  Just read it off the pill bottle.

Since you're on 1 mg I can recommend that we start you with simple pill splitting.  When you get down below 0.25 mg or if you become super sensitive we will need to get you a scale to make weight measurements.

So if you agree to just use pill splitting until you get much lower in dose the first thing I'm going to test you with is how good you can split your pills.

It's easy to cut a pill in half and you can usually then cut it into a quarter but do you think you can reasonably split again to get it into 1/8 size using a razor blade or a file?  I was able to do this reasonably enough with Klonopin during my early taper days when I was on a higher dose.

If you can get it down to 1/8 pieces you can then do a very efficient method of tapering.  You do not have to be exact because benzos stay in the blood a long time.  Give it a try and tell me how you feel about getting 1/8 pieces even if it means throwing away some broken bits at times.

Again do not worry about being exactly 1/8 of a piece.

Thanks so much Bob!

I was prescribed K for bruxism which caused severe pain in the jaw muscles. 2 years prior I was on antidepressants for depression and anxiety (being transparent). However that was not the reason why I was seeking help and I was completely off my ads and feeling good except for the excruciating pain. It was a pain specialist that prescribed K.

I'm having some brain fog, headaches,  tiredness and some insomnia (difficult to tell because I'm battling a sinus infection)..

The bottle says each 0.5 tablet contains 0.5mg of clonazepam.

I can try the pill splitting.  I was wondering if I could  try gradual tapering at this stage for the simple reason not to discharge of the pills as I have a limited supply. I already have all the supplies in your videos!    If however you think it's better to just cut at this stage then I'll go with it.

Thanks for taking the time.

PS I'm trying to find a dr that will prescribe me K for a slow taper

Jelly,

I am so sorry you are going through this.  It is a high price to pay for a bruxism treatment.  Thank you for being transparent.  Details help everyone.  People reading your posts might relate better if they learn they have the same history.

Sinus infections are a bummer.  I used to get two or three a year.  I have been free of them for 10 years.  The only change I made was to regularly irrigate using this "Simply Saline".  You can find it on Amazon or at Walmart.  If you end up getting antibiotics for the infection, be aware that benzo withdrawal symptoms can flare up on some antibiotics.

I am sorry, I need to make sure about something.  You wrote "each 0.5 tablet contains 0.5mg".  I think you meant to write "each tablet contains 0.5mg".  Correct?

I understand you might prefer to taper slower than 1/8 pill splitting.  Yes, we can do that too.  I can do the math for you and you can decide.  I suggested the 1/8 pill split method because it makes your life easier and on larger doses, it works very well.

But if you want to be more gradual, then we will need to use the scale.

Step 1 is for you to weigh 10 of your pills at the same time and tell me that number.  I will divide the number by 10 and use it as your "average pill weight".  Once we know the average pill weight of each 0.5mg pill, I can suggest some gradual taper schedules.

I am heading off to bed now but will watch for your reply.

Bob

Hi Bob

Yes, I meant each tablet contains .5mg of clonazepam.

Also, I don't think I'm communicating clearly. I don't want to be on a slower taper and I don't think I meant gradual taper. I want to go down .125 (1/8 right?) every two weeks. And I want to crush the pills in order not to throw away any parts of the pills, thereby using less pills. For example if I cut .125 x14 =1.75mg. That is almost equivalent to 4 x 0.5mg tablets I'm discarding. If I use your crush method to make up .825 every day then I'm using less tablets rights? So I think what I should have said was a linear? taper using your crush method. (Apologies I'm still learning the lingo). Hope I'm making sense now?

Once again thank you so much for your time, effort and advice.

I can help you with the crush method but first let me try to convince you that, with the 1/8 method, you do not waste anything.

It would go something like this:

First Taper Reduction:  Take a whole pill plus 7/8 of another pill.  Save the 1/8 bit for later

Repeat for two weeks.  At the end of two weeks, you will have saved 14 pieces, each 1/8 size. 

Second Taper Reduction:  Take a whole pill plus 6/8 of another pill.  Save the two 1/8 bits for later.

Repeat for two weeks.  You will have a stash of more 1/8 bits.

At anytime, you can consume your saved bits of 1/8 pieces.  Add up the 1/8 bit to make a dose.  Does that make sense? 

This is quicker and easier than crushing, but less exact because the bits due crumble and it is hard to be exact 1/8.

So if you want to crush into a powder, then give me the weight of 10 pills and I will do some math for you.

Bob

Thanks so much for clarifying Bob!

I thought there would be too much inconsistencies with the 1/8 pills to keep it.

I'll definitely try it first.

Thank you!!!

Yes, there will be inconsistencies.  The bits will crumble.  But it is so much more convenient than making a powder and works well when you are on high doses (when on high doses, you can afford some variability day to day).

A good way to deal with the crumbles is to create a month supply all at the same time by putting the bits into empty gel capsules.  They come in different sizes.  Here is a nice size https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I6Q18B0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You can crumble up the bits and use your eye to see a table full of 1/8 size bits.

Then scoop them up into a gel capsule.  For example, put in a whole pill and then 7/8 of another pill.

By doing it all at once, you can eyeball the sizes (or use your scale if needed).

IN SHORT:

For sure, when you get below 0.25mg, we might need to do crushed powder.  But at higher doses, it is faster and cleaner to do the 1/8 method.

So it is up to you.  If you want to do the 1/8 reduction method or if you want to crush powder right away.

I will help you either way.

Bob