Klonopin Ashton Taper with Diazepam - YES or NO

[[Buddie]]

Just wondering if anyone has done the Ashton Manual taper with Diazepam.
Are you just trading one demon for another or is it a good option for minimizing withdrawal symptoms.

I've been at .25 for over 2 moths. I dropped to .1875 (25% reduction) for 10 days and then dropped again to .125 for the past two days.

I'm thinking I may need to go back up to .1875 and try a different method.

We bought all the stuff (scale, capsules, etc) to do that .001 daily reduction method, but didn't know
if the Ashton Manual method was better.

Thank you for any  replies. I really appreciate it.

[[Buddie]]

If you are suffering from severe inter-dose withdrawal then I believe crossing over to Valium is a good idea because your motivation has to be strong to do this.  Valium can present some challenges, it can cause uncomfortable sedation and depression until you acclimate to it, some members never do and go back to their original drug.  If you think crossing over to Valium will minimize your symptoms you're misinformed, its still a benzo but what it will do is provide less inter-dose which means a smoother taper.

Are you writing down your symptoms and their severity to make your reduction decisions, following a set schedule isn't the best way to go about this, using your symptoms as a guide would be better so you don't have to up-dose if things get too rough.

[[Buddie]]

I am not tracking symptoms. I'm not well versed in what all is a withdrawal symptom and what isn't.

So when you are tracking symptoms, do you do a reduction when you don't feel any withdrawal symptoms or just when they are manageable?

[[Buddie]]

For instance. I just got diagnosed with Thrush in my mouth, which would explain the weird throat.
I've been having weight loss as well. Not sure if this is because of what the benzo has done to my stomach and GI tract.
I guess I have a candida overgrowth problem.

Thank you for your reply [...]

[[Buddie]]

I am not tracking symptoms. I'm not well versed in what all is a withdrawal symptom and what isn't.

So when you are tracking symptoms, do you do a reduction when you don't feel any withdrawal symptoms or just when they are manageable?

This is a good explanation of the importance of tracking your symptoms, they can provide a roadmap rather than relying on a set schedule which may or may not work for you.  https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org/taper/step-19-setting-taper-journal

Common practice here is to make another reduction when your symptoms are manageable or when you feel well enough to proceed.  We often refer to making another reduction when you feel stable but our definition of stable is being able to perform daily tasks, or perhaps your symptoms aren't changing, they've leveled off from the last reduction.   

[[Buddie]]

For instance. I just got diagnosed with Thrush in my mouth, which would explain the weird throat.
I've been having weight loss as well. Not sure if this is because of what the benzo has done to my stomach and GI tract.
I guess I have a candida overgrowth problem.

Thank you for your reply [...]

Thrush sounds miserable, what is the treatment for that?

Have you read chapter 3 of the Ashton manual, I found it oddly reassuring to know that what I was feeling was normal for this process.  Professor Ashton even attempts to explain why we feel these things although many of her explanations are assumptions because when it comes to the brain and benzo's, not enough is known.  Kind of like those commercials for drugs you hear on TV, this drug is thought to do this and that when they actually have no idea why or how they affect the brain. 

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm

[[Buddie]]

For thrush, there are two prescriptions that kill the bad bacteria. The one I'm on is nystatin.

Is weight loss while on klonopin (before tapering) common? I've lost 30 pounds in 11 months.

[[Buddie]]

I lost a lot of weight while I was recovering but not while I was on Klonopin.  Have your eating habits changed, is your pain preventing you from eating, is this the reason for your weight loss?  In looking at your signature you've tapered and reinstated, when did your stomach issues start?

[[Buddie]]

I lost weight in the beginning when I was on Xanax and then switching over to Klonopin last June/July. Eating habits haven't changed other than eating more clean. Cut out dairy and gluten and now I have to cut out sugar for a bit while the candida gets killed off.

I begin losing more weight in October when I got off klonopin for two months. I have to eat an extra amount of protein to maintain my current weight, The only pain I have right now is in my back. I don't think the pain is keeping me from eating.

I didn't know anything about tapering in October. I wish I could have just stayed off of it. I didn't know about benzobuddies then.

[[Buddie]]

I thought maybe the candida was causing you pain, I'm glad to know it's not.  It sounds like your eating habits have changed if you've been eating cleaner and avoiding dairy and gluten, hopefully you'll be able to maintain and not lose anymore.

If only we'd known how dangerous this drug is to some of us.