Tapering off Ativan Support Thread

tech, definitely!

i'm glad you're giving liquid taper a try. i think it's much easier than cutting the exact amount off the scale.

 

things you will need:

few 10ml syringes

https://www.amazon.com/10ml-Syringe-Only-Luer-Lock/dp/B01LXLK21L/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=10ml+syringe+care+touch+10&qid=1554824286&s=gateway&sr=8-5

8 oz mason jars

https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Collection-Elite-Half-Mouth/dp/B013L5N8U4/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=8oz+mason+jars&qid=1554824373&s=gateway&sr=8-2

 

if youre at .25mg ativan (0.037mg by weight according to you), the easiest way is to dissolve TWO 0.5mg tablet into 2ml of volka, then dilute it by adding 98ml of water (messured with syring).  this will give you the 0.01mg/ml solution.

 

for example, you can split the dose into 0.08, 0.08 and 0.09mg.  all you do is to draw from the prepared solution 8ml in the morning, 8ml in the afternoon, and 9mg at night. That will be the 0.25mg of ativan daily.

 

when you're ready to do reduction, just reduce evenly across the three dosage at the rate comfortable to you.

 

remember to refrigerate the remaining and it will last you 4 days, before mixing the next batch! and always stir it up nicely before drawing!

 

wish you the best

wait tech!

i'm a bit confused about your statement! do you mean the total weight of each 0.5mg ativan is 0.061g?

if that's the case, the amount of ativan you're taking at weight 0.037g is not 0.25mg ativan. 

 

0.037/0.061*0.5=.303mg ativan.

 

pls confirm statement!

I know thank you I know how to do the math now . Thank you for seeing that . Siera7 helped me .

Anyone have any trouble going from dry cutting to liquid ?

Symptoms ?

Anyone have any trouble going from dry cutting to liquid ?

Symptoms ?

 

I had no trouble at all going from dry cutting to liquid.  Although I still had symptoms, they smoothed out.  Liquid is much more precise. 

 

Once you get the hang of it, you may also want to do daily microtapering instead of cutting every 9 days and holding.  FisherK actually did a comparison of cutting and holding vs. daily microtapering (DLMT) he can tell you about.  The net of it is he found DLMT much more tolerable.

 

Hope that helps, Lisa!

 

xo,

sierra 

 

 

I feel like I am on an ultra slow withdrawal from 4 mg but I guess I have only been on withdrawal for 7 days. First day at work was fine. Actually exhilarating going to a new place after almost 5 years at another job. This is a big job so I need to be on my A game. So maybe ultra slow is the way to go. Powerball

 

I'm so happy your new job is going well, powerball! 

 

In tapering from benzos, the ultimate goal is to minimize sxs going at a pace that closely matches your body's ability to heal on the way down to zero.  This is most especially important if you need to function well for work and be on your A game.

 

You got this, powerball!

 

xo,

sierra 

Hi Tech21,

 

I hear your frustration, don't give up!

 

Before switching to DLMT (Daily Liquid Micro Tapering), I had to really spend a lot of time studying it before I became confident to start doing it.  For me it was important to understand the big picture first.  Once I understood, I really think it is the most accurate, smoothest and most adjustable method of tapering especially when working with small amounts like in your case.

 

I know how hard it can be at first to understand the math and the supplies needed to do DLMT.  I had to study the information I could find on these forums, refreshen my math skills and ask my friends who are patient and good with math to help me check it over.  I wanted to be sure I was doing it correctly. 

 

One of the confusing things for me at first was understanding the conversion from solid to liquid measurements, ie weight by milligrams (solid pills) converted to a liquid solution in milliliters. 

 

It seems many people on BenzoBuddies get help from a member named "Builder," who often responds and helps people on the titration boards.  He has done the math so many times that for him it is very simple.  I think his approach is a good one once you understand how he does the calculations.

 

For me, I gained a lot of understanding from another member, Jim Hawk, who designed a computer program where you plug in your information and he gives you an individualized computer generated reduction plan.  His "ReadMe First" instructions really helped me understand the process of DLMT (Daily Liquid Micro Tapering).  Because I wanted to be 100% sure I was doing it correctly, I still double checked the numbers very carefully before proceeding.

 

Here's a link to his program:  http://benzo.alwaysdata.net

 

He is from Switzerland and his English is very good.  In a couple of places, I had to really think about exactly what he meant since English is his 2nd language.

 

Anyway, for me I had to spend a long time studying the process, but once I understood, I have found it very helpful for accurately cutting small amounts and making my own individualized plan.  I do have to keep redoing the calculations as I learn how my body is responding.  Currently it is taking me about one month to reduce by 5%, a very slow rate.  I am trying to go slow enough to minimize my symptoms.

 

I hope this might be encouraging for switching to DLMT.  I know there are different ways of doing the calculations but they all result in the same thing- being able to make slow accurate reductions.  I hope you are able to get the help and support you need to get the supplies you need, accurately make a liquid Ativan solution and take the amount you need each day to keep reducing at your own pace. 

 

Congratulations on your progress so far!

 

Luey

@[Si...]

 

You are both so close to the end of your tapers- its impressive!  I hope you are feeling well and really appreciate all the support you are giving the rest of us who are just getting started or in the middle of the process.

 

@Powerball,

 

I have really come to understand that a slow as needed taper to minimize symptoms is the best.  Good you already have that idea starting out!  I will confess I was in a hurry and it seems to have caught up with me.  But now, I'm slowing down to try to stay as well as possible.  Keep listening to your own body so you can do the rate that works best for you!

 

Blessings everyone!

Thank you Luey . I am trying to understand I think it’s becoming clearer

Anyone have any trouble going from dry cutting to liquid ?

Symptoms ?

 

the main advantage of liquid is it's much more accurate than weighing each cuts.  i transition from dry to liquid with no issue at all. 

the thing that makes the most difference for me is changing from cut and hold to daily taper.  much much smoother and i am experiencing much less sxs!

I thought I would give an update on my Ativan taper. I have made the decision to not begin my 1.0 g Xanax taper until I get down to 3.0 mg of Ativan. The first week of my job, a very big job, went really well. I could not expect more out of my self. I have been having an iced green tea in the morning which gives me a very soft boost. A cup of coffee is too much and too harsh. I began this taper starting with 4 mg of Ativan which I take solely for sleep so I really cannot switch to Valium to have a smoother all day taper. Around noon I begin to fade some from the short half life of the Ativan tapering out of my system and that is when I have a small cup of coffee and the caffeine gets me through the rest of the day. Around 5 pm I slump a little too but I can live with that. My job is over and I do not want to have too much caffeine in my system to interfere with my sleep. Week 1 of my job - an 8 hour M-F day with a 1 hr commute each day means I have 10 hour days. That is a lot of strain on my body which has not worked a 9-5 in decades. The nature of my jobs has usually been at my own schedule. So I began with a .oo6 cut to start my taper which was a 4.2% taper based on the weight of that specific pill. In the next 12 days I have only reduced another 3%. I know that sounds pathetically slow and my husband really thinks so. I purposefully think I have to go slow so my body can heal to transition to sleeping unmedicated which still scares me even after recently completing a 6 week CBT-I program. I was on ambien for 8 years and it worked perfectly until one dose of Wellbutrin simply halted it from working any more. I really was devastated. I have been meticulous about weighing each pill and making the correct daily cut based on that specific weight. The math is not that really difficult but I may be cutting less if the pill the next day weighs more, but the technical cut of 0.001 is accurate. Tonight I am going to try something different and cut 0.002 for two days and then 0.001 for one day and then alternate. I did a 0.002 cut once during this 10 days and I could not sleep very well. Maybe that was a fluke. This new trial system should up my pace just a little since after 12 days I only have 7.5% of a 2 mg pill cut. If anyone thinks this pace is overly meticulous I am open to suggestions.  Powerball

Hi Powerball,

 

Thanks for checking in on the Ativan Support Thread.  I was thinking about doing the same and wondering how everyone else is doing.  I'm certainly not an expert but it sounds like you are listening to your body and doing what feels best for you.  Congratulations on doing well at your new job!  I can understand why you want to go slow so you can function well.  It seems like we all have to taper at a rate that feels right for us.

 

Keep up the good work,

 

Luey

Hi Tapering off Ativan Support Buddies,

 

I thought I would also give an update.  I have now been holding at 3mg. for one month after dropping from 6mg. to 3mg in three months.  This was my first weekend of not feeling nauseous, sick and wiped out in the past four weekends.  I think I will hold for another week, it feels so good.

 

What I did start doing last week was to gradually make a switch in my night and day time doses.  I was taking 1.75 at night and 1.25 split between two doses during the day.  I successfully moved 1/8 of my night dose to the day time without a problem.

 

This coming week I am going to try to move another 1/8 from my night dose to day and try taking three equally spaced doses during the day for a total of four daily doses.  I would then be taking 1.50 at night which usually lasts between 8 to 10 hours and then divide my daytime doses into .50, .50 and .50.  I hope I can sleep and feel well throughout the day, but if not I will go back to the ratio of the past week. Some afternoons I have been feeling a bit of anxiety, maybe because of eight to nine hours between my last daytime dose and my night time dose. I want to see if this might help.

 

In any case, if all goes well, in another week I would like to gradually start tapering again using DLMT.

 

I hope some of you will also post your progress and experiences so we can share our successes and challenges here.

 

Feeling hopeful...

 

Best wishes to all,

 

Luey

luey and powerball, you guys are doing so well!  seems like you have your taper plan under controlled.  we are all here for support.

 

both me and sierra are at jump dose. it's nervous time for us. 

 

i'm at 0.015mg tonight.  at dose this low, i'm starting to experience many withdrawals sxs.  i had a easy time when my dose went under 0.5, a very smooth ride with long windows that lasted all the way down to around 0.1.  i think somewhere around 0.05 is when sxs became more pronounced for me.  that's probably my none-therapeutic dosage.  whether to jump or not has been on my mind for the past few days, and i still have not made up my mind.  i will provide update as i'm further along.

 

best wishes to us all!

Hi all ,

I still have not made the switch to liquid . I am currently holding at 0.036 by weight of Ativan . I will hold 5 more days then cut to 0.035 weight . Still nervous about switching don’t want to go backwards . Love to all

 

switching to liquid was surprisingly easy for me. but you do what is comfortable and working for YOU!

best luck everyone!

Great to hear from you all!

 

Luey, powerball & tech21 - Gaining confidence designing, implementing and adjusting your very own custom taper, one that works best for you, is ultimately important.  Sounds like you all are doing great on this front! 

 

Be careful not to overcomplicate things.  Know that there is no perfect taper.  Do your very best managing the sxs thrown your way, through exercise, eating healthy, relaxation techniques, avoiding alcohol, avoiding stress, etc.  When all else fails, practice acceptance and reach out to your buddies on BB.  Although what we're going through sucks, it will not be in vain.  All these skills & habits we're forced to learn and adopt now will make us even better people when this is all over. 

 

As for FisherK & I, I believe we've entered the acute phase and that's why sxs have increased.  I believe they've also increased because this change invokes anxiety.  Our continued dosing helps provide that psychological crutch, but it's not registering with our bodies.  Rather, our bodies think we've jumped.  Now dosing below .05mg, the benzo isn't having a therapeutic effect on us anymore.

 

The psychology of jumping IS a big deal.  We need to mentally be prepared for, just as one needs to prepare for commencing tapering.  Just think about it - you're taking off those training wheels and had better have coping skills in place to keep you from falling.  But, if you do fall down, that's ok.  You have to be ok with some knee scrapes - brush them off and get back on your bike and RIDE!  Freedom is scary and exhilarating - requires a lot of self-reliance & growth.  Buddhists say the only way out is through.  So, we are going to take a big breath and  meet the challenge. 

 

Both of us have tapered smartly and have been healing along the way, so I know we will be fine. 

 

I shared this same description in another thread, so wanted to share it with this group. 

 

Wishing the best to everyone!

 

xo,

sierra 

Wishing fisher and Sierra the best ! Thank you for all your helpful words .

Dear Fisher and Sierra,

 

Sorry you are both feeling symptoms as your doses have lowered below .05 of a mg. and you are so close to taking your last dose.  It must be challenging to decide whether or not to jump when you are feeling symptoms, even if you think you are now below a therapeutic dose.

 

I see for some people, more healing is still needed even after walking off the last dose.  I wish for each of you the easiest transition possible and acceptance, faith and kindness to yourselves along the way.

 

Please keep us posted as you navigate this last part of your tapering, your experience now and in the days/weeks following. 

 

I think the connection you have made with each other is an example of one of the best parts of BBs.  I really appreciate the support you offer others who are far behind you in tapering.  Just as you are here to support us, we are here to support you.

 

Wishing you freedom from symptoms, wellness and peace (of mind).

 

Thanks for leading the way.

 

Luey

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Checking in with this group most nights is so helpful me. I have a great psychiatrist and he has been very flexible with me for over 2 years, but he doesn't know a damn thing about tapering. For instance a while back he just cut me from 4.0mg to 3.5 overnight and I was overwhelmed with symptoms. Getting to 3.5g on my taper will indicate to him my careful attention to reduction. Thanks guys and gals.

Powerball

Hi Ativan Friends!

 

I want to share with this group, I took my last dose of .025mg Ativan on Sunday.  So far, no substantial changes in sxs.  I slept 5.5 hours Sunday night and 6 hours last night.  I'm feeling a bit anxious with some heart palps, but those could be influenced by the jump itself and may not be related to the physiology of withdrawal.  Who really knows.

 

I'm planning on going to yoga today and out to dinner with friends tonight.  It's important we keep challenging ourselves through all this.  We really are stronger and more resilient than we think.  Believe that.  Don't believe the scaredy-cat benzo brain! 

 

As promised, I'll keep posting my progress on our thread.

 

Wishing all of you peaceful healing!

 

xo,

sierra 

hi ativan buddies!

i also want to share that i have jumped on 4/15 at the dose of 0.008mg! it's exciting time for me and sierra.  so far things are all pretty manageable.

i will continue check in here and provide my update as well.  if you guys have any quesiton or need any support/advice, please let us know.

 

Yay! Congrats guys. Y'all give me hope that I can get off ativan too.

Good work Fisher and Sierra!

 

I hope you feel better and better each day!!  Please keep us posted if you can, although I can understand you might want to move on with your life.

 

I do have a question for you Fisher and I will write it in another post below this one. 

 

Here I want to say congratulations on your successful tapers!!  It gives hope!

 

Lucy

Again big congratulations to Fisher and Sierra for stepping off to 0 Benzos.  I am wishing you ease and wellness in moving forward post tapering.  Yay!!  Good for you both!!!

 

I do have a question for Fisher:  In reading your signature, it looks like you took two doses each day and tapered the daytime first.  Did this give you any problems?

 

The reason I am asking is that in the past two weeks I have been trying to move .25 from my night time dose to my day time dose(s) and spread my daytime doses to three doses.

 

This week for the first time, I started to have problems sleeping.  I'm wondering if I should just go back to the dose that I was sleeping at, and either save that part for last or slowly start tapering off all doses simultaneously?

 

This week I am trying to go to 1.5 at night and then .5, .5, .5  spending out the four doses by six hours each.  I understand the rationale for taking four doses and trying to decrease equally across doses.  But it seemed I was finally becoming stable at 1&5/8 at night and 1&3/8 during the day.

 

Does it seem worth it to get through this time of trying to switch my doses around which at least in the moment is making it harder mainly because of sleep?

 

I know we are all different and all you can tell me is your own experience.

 

Again, thanks and congratulations!

 

Lucy