what is a good scale to use to taper? How do you figure out the tapering steps?

Guys, I 'm trying to find out what is a good scale to use for my clonazapam tapering dry cut?  Also, how would i figure out what 6-8% cut every 2 weeks is, in order to carefully taper as i have been drycutting with correct meds from pharmacy. NOW under 1 mg I have to somehow figure out cuts myself, as there are not pills that will be accurate enough.

 

Thanks in advance for your help

Lisa

Cut based on the last dose and not the starting dose.  So for a 6% cut.....(last dose)-(last dose x 0.06) EX 0.953mg - (0.953 x 0.06) = 0.896  I purchased two scales https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Weigh-GEM20-Precision-Milligram/dp/B00ESHDGOI/ref=sr_1_8?crid=7OFM67I7F38&keywords=digital+jewelry+scale.001g&qid=1636661366&sprefix=digital+jewel%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-8  and  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZQZ962K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1  They frustrate me from time to time but eventually the weights will be pretty close to each other +/- 0.003 and I usually just split the difference.  Right now I'm using a dry cut/liquid combo.  Going strictly dry cut is absolutely fine, but you'll have a plethora of shavings and little bits and pieces at weights you can't trust on cheap scales.  At some point, and in the interest of an absolute accuracy at lower doses that hasn't concerned me at the higher doses, I'll go totally liquid until I jump.  Probably around 0.4mg.  Very best of luck to you.

Hello, nurselisa1124.  I wrote the instructions below for another member on how to use simple online tools to perform and check calculations.  Perhaps they will be useful to you as well. (Needless to say, you would adjust the numbers to fit your particular circumstance.)

 

Manufacturers of analytical balances (“scales”) other members have reported using include Entris, US Solid, and Hanchen.

 

How to Calculate a 10% Reduction in Current Dose

 

1. Subtract the percent reduction you want to make from 100%.

 

100% minus 10% = 90%  (Your new dose will be 90% of your current dose.)

 

2. Enter your question in the Google search box:

 

For example ...

 

What is 90% of 3?  (After you enter your question, the online calculator will appear.)

 

Answer: 2.7 (Look in the calculator display box for the answer.)

 

How to Determine the Percent Reduction from Current Dose to New Dose

 

Use this calculator:

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percent-change-calculator.php

 

For example, to determine the percent reduction from 4mg to 3mg, enter 4 in the top box and 3 in the bottom box.

 

Answer: 25%

 

thank you for the information. The 2 compounding pharmacies in Rhode island do not do liquid tapers with clonazapam. So i will be dry cutting. which of the 2 scales you recommended did you find works best?  I know how to do the reductions from last dose..i've cut 8% every 2 weeks since July..and it's gone well.

 

I just know the pills i need are not available to cut below 1 mg..so i need to learn to use a scale...how do you figure out cutting 6-8% on the scale...?  that's my question. I usuallly hold for 10 days or so, and have done well...just need to know which scale is best and HOW do i use the scale to cut down 6-8%

 

thank you for your help

Lisa

Libertas,

 

Yes, thank goodness i can easily figure out the math for cutting by percentage..but how do you use the scale to cut say 8%?

For example i know cutting from 1 mg to .92 on clonazapam is the 8% cut i want for 10 -14 days, but HOW do i use the scale to tell me where .92 is?

 

Lisa

Nurselisa1124 you will need to correlate dosage in milligrams to pill weight in grams. Libertas can provide more info to help.

 

You will need to know pill dosage in milligrams, i.e. 1 pill is 1mg dosage

You will need to know the pill weight in grams, i.e. 1 pill weighs 0.17 grams

 

====================================================

 

For example. If one of your pills is 1 mg and that pill weights .17 g.

 

So a 8% reduction of 1 mg is 0.92 mg.

So a 8% reduction of 0.17 g (weight of one 1 mg pill) is 0.1564 grams

 

There buddies who are much more capable than me to give you approaches and plans but this will give you the gist.

 

Best of Luck!

 

Seeking

Interesting. It seems by my symptoms and taper progress that I soon will need to buy a scale too and go with on this road.

Kind of a bummer I hoped i could get off by continueing doing the same cuts and holds of 0.0625 mg lorazepam.

This will add time... like another what? year or half a year to the taper process.

 

Im having a tuff time dealing with that mentally seeing the road I already suffered to get to this point.

I had adjusted mentally serval times as I went along and should appraoch this as sober and with a simple mind.

I guess because of the scales and added time its extra boundary to cross.

But really the heart symptoms leave me no choice but to keep going in cuts of roughly 8% from the last dosage.

The pill pieces just get so small im not sure how far this appraoch will get me.

Not seeing the end by the approach method is I guess what gets to me.

 

Does anyone have some support for me here?

I am becming uncertain and desperate.

Did anyone ever die from cardiac arrest or heart attack while tapering?

 

 

Hi nurselisa.  Sirdeepfry gave you the simplest way to figure it out.  The formula for what the weight of your pill should be based on the dose you desire is...(desired dose in mg) x (weight of fully intact pill/dosage in mg of fully intact pill.  So, as Sirdeepfry posted, using a desired dosage of 0.92 mg, it would go (0.92mg) x (0.170g/1mg)=0.156 desired weight.  The formula comes in handy when you change to a different pill dosage.  NOTE: MY 1 MG CLONAZEPAM PILLS WEIGHT 0.170g each and that's why I used 0.170 in the example.  Yours may or may not be different and that's something you must determine.  Of the two, I think the Gem20 would be fine, but it is a little finicky and will often display a value when nothing is on the scale.  The longer it is turned on, the more it settles down and stays on zero when the scale is empty.  All the best

Ohyeah Im glad she posted that. Ill be saving her note for sure.

 

Meanwhile I've bought this scale.

https://www.amazon.nl/Hotloop-Digitale-weegschaal-kalibratiegewicht-zakformaat/dp/B073XGLWXG/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_nl_NL=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=smart+weight+gem20&qid=1636724420&sr=8-1

Wanted to get the GEM20 but I live in the Netherlands so this one seem to resemble it with some good reviews.

 

Hello, nurselisa1124.  I wrote the instructions below for another member on how to use simple online tools to perform and check calculations.  Perhaps they will be useful to you as well. (Needless to say, you would adjust the numbers to fit your particular circumstance.)

 

Manufacturers of analytical balances (“scales”) other members have reported using include Entris, US Solid, and Hanchen.

 

How to Calculate a 10% Reduction in Current Dose

 

1. Subtract the percent reduction you want to make from 100%.

 

100% minus 10% = 90%  (Your new dose will be 90% of your current dose.)

 

2. Enter your question in the Google search box:

 

For example ...

 

What is 90% of 3?  (After you enter your question, the online calculator will appear.)

 

Answer: 2.7 (Look in the calculator display box for the answer.)

 

How to Determine the Percent Reduction from Current Dose to New Dose

 

Use this calculator:

https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/algebra/percent-change-calculator.php

 

For example, to determine the percent reduction from 4mg to 3mg, enter 4 in the top box and 3 in the bottom box.

 

Answer: 25%

 

Bumping because I need to find this post later again and it might also help others doing the math for the dry cut via microscale.