Micro tapering with Jewelers scales

Hello all - I am so happy with this method of tapering and have lots of time to dry run it I thought it was time I share it with everybody.

THIS IS ONLY THE METHOD I USE AND HAVE FOUND IT VERY GOOD FOR ME. WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT AND MY WAY IS NOT NECESSARILY THE RIGHT WAY. I DO FEEL, HOWEVER, THAT IN CONSULTATION WITH BUDDIES USING SIMILAR METHODS IT WARRANTS A GOOD LOOK.

I use a Jewelers scale and 2mg Valium tablets.

 

I took the 2mg tablet of Valium and weighed a bunch to get an average weight per tablet. My 2mg tablet weighs .160 grams or .016mg. I then picked a taper rate I felt was a good conservative place to start.  The way I can to this is I felt if I dropped 2mg in 120 days that would be a good start and help me build some confidence. So, .160 grams divided by 120 days = .0013 grams per day. I then put all this into an excel spreadsheet and the daily taper numbers calculate themselves...easy peezy!. For example - Day 1,  .160-.0013=.1587 rounded up to .159, Day 2, .159-.0013=.1577 rounded to .158g and so on all the way down to 0 in 120 days =2mg. I went at this rate past my "lag time" (lag time is the time it takes for a bigger cut to hit you) which for me is between 3 and 4 weeks. (most people I have talked to are 0-2 weeks) Once I passed my "lag time" and still felt tolerable symptoms I knew I could speed up a bit so I went to .0015g, plugged the new number into my spreadsheet and poof everything is calculated for you. I went past my lag time again with tolerable symptoms so I recently increased to .0017g. When I get to a point where I get an upswing in symptoms that are not easily tolerated I may hold or decrease my rate a bit. This is called finding your "optimum daily taper rate". Please keep a close eye on your symptoms and adjust quickly as you move down to keep symptoms tolerable. The "optimum daily taper rate" may decrease as you go down. FOR ME all signs and my science say it will. For symptoms I use the 70/30 theory, 70 being good and 30 being tolerable. I have set up a chart of symptoms that I fill out at my worst time each day and my wife looks at it before we talk about it so she can get a handle on how things are in real time.

AGAIN THIS IS MY METHOD ONLY AND IS NOT GUARANTEED TO BE FOR EVERYBODY

etown

P.S. ALL QUESTIONS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THIS THREAD AND NOT THE PM SYSTEM

 

ok etown,

 

I am going to start micro tapering in about a week. I also have a Gemini scale. Same one as you. I am at .65 mg valium right now. I have been at that dose since Dec. 2. As you know, I have had a tough time below 1 mg. I could use some advice regarding how much of a decrease at this level and with my history is a good taper? I would like to do a daily taper and see how I handle it. A 5% decrease still leaves me reeling and sick but I do not have a clue how much I should taper each day. I read your post and like it all. Can you weigh in on what might work for me?? Any and all advice is so welcome. I hope you are doing well with your last cut.

 

CC

Hi etown,

I would like to start a micro taper using Ativan .. I am dry cutting now, using the gemini scale ..But I think that maybe the benzo is not distributed evenly, because I suffer with constant WD symptoms ..

But do not know how to work the numbers .. For instance, what do you think starting with dropping .002 daily? Also, where do I find this excel spreadsheet that you are talking about ? And how do I put the numbers in?

Wishing you blessings etown .. I appreciate you very much ..

Love, Anu

 

Hi Anu - I have no experience with Ativan. I don't think the scale method will work very good for Ativan because the pills are too small to get accurate reading unless your scale measures to 4 decimal points or micrograms. That's why I always suggest crossing over to Valium. I do know that .002mg/day of Valium is .02mg of Valium / day. I my opinion that is too fast for you. .001mg Ativan / day is .010mg Valium and is a good taper rate for you again IMO. Remind me why your Doctor won't switch you to Valium. I think it could make a big difference for you.

etown

sorry it took a while for me to answer I have had a bad bout of stomach flu today

Hi etown,

I am so sorry that you are feeling sick ..

I hope it will go away, and that you will be feeling better soon ..

Maybe trying some ginger tea may help your stomach ..

etown, I think that is a great suggestion, considering the fact that my brain reacts to any little change .. .001 mgs will be a good start .. Thank you ..

My doctor wants me to taper the Ativan to 1 mg, before she will prescribe V ..

Thank you again etown ..

Wishing you blessings of wellness, and healing.

Love, Anu

Is there a video on YouTube to watch on how to do this, do you know?  I have been looking...

                    Lynnie

I don't know lynn but can help if I can

etown

Don't know if u can. I am the kind of person that learns by seeing and doing.  Don't know if I would be able to understand.      Lynnie

Here is a video one of our members made. Hope it helps.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=74216.0

Thanks. 

This is the second time I read someone say their diazepam 2mg tablets. Mine weigh 0.178 grams.

Is this due to scale inaccuracy, different weights of tablets in general or the very humid weather of where I live...thoughts?

The 2 mg tablets differs from the actual weight of the tablets. The tablet contains 2 mgs of the actual medication but it also has fillers etc. The actual weight of the pill will be different than the content of the medication in the pill. Hope that makes sense.

 

Btw, each pill can vary in weight as well. When I was using a scale I weighed each pill before cutting my 6% from it.

So, since most people take multiple doses a day, how do you know which one to cut from? And what if u cut too much?      Lynnie

So, since most people take multiple doses a day, how do you know which one to cut from? And what if u cut too much?      Lynnie

 

Hi Lynn,

 

I used to alternate which dose I cut from.

 

I did cut too much from time to time. Sometimes I would have to scrap that pill and start again, other times I could add on a little bit if I had any. I used to keep the bits that I cut off in a separate container for that reason.

Thanks hope...I cut from the same dose

Etown

Reading my comment again I realised there's one bit missing so it's not saying what I wanted it to say...I wonder how did that happen to me 

 

Anyway, I was asking about the differences on weight between tablets so...

 

This is the second time I read someone say their diazepam 2mg tablets weigh 0.160 grams. Mine weigh 0.178 grams.

Is this due to scale inaccuracy, different weights of tablets in general or the very humid weather of where I live...thoughts?

 

 

Thanks Hope very helpful. Does this help Lynnie?

etown

Reading my comment again I realised there's one bit missing so it's not saying what I wanted it to say...I wonder how did that happen to me 

 

Anyway, I was asking about the differences on weight between tablets so...

 

This is the second time I read someone say their diazepam 2mg tablets weigh 0.160 grams. Mine weigh 0.178 grams.

Is this due to scale inaccuracy, different weights of tablets in general or the very humid weather of where I live...thoughts?

 

 

 

Different brands of pills may weigh differently. However, even pills from the same prescription can weigh differently from one pill to another. This is why I weighed each pill and cut my 6% based on individual weights.

GM - I got an average weight of .160g but brands can be variable as Hope says. Humidity can make you tabs gain weight. Had that with another BB who started at .160 and ended up in the .170's after a few weeks to a month and lived in a hot humid area. I taper by weight so I just weight each pill to the weight I need for the day.

etown

Yeah, I've just noticed that as well, tablets from the same blister weigh different. I would have thought this was very precise.

I was not weighing the whole tablet but only the chopped off pieces to get to my dose.

Another lesson learned on the road of benzo tapering. God! there are so many twists and turns.

E,  So what is the formula for making a cut? EX. I have 2 mg tablets that I will be using. I want make my first cut. How do you know how much of a cut to take and what it should look like on the scale?  I understand you weight your tablet..but from there I get lost. The guy on the video just said if your using 2mg tablets to just use a pill cutter and cut them..not.  Can you give me an example of how this works? I would much rather take tablets until Lt might be needed towards the end.

Lynnie!

Weigh a few pills to see what the average weight is. Mine weighs .160grams. Take the 2mg pill and divide by number of days you want to taper 2 mg. For me it is 120 days so my daily rate is 2 divided by 120=.0013grams per day or .013mg. So after 4 months I am down 2 mg. If you want to do it in 100 days, 90 days or 80 days just 2 divided by number of days to lose 2 mg and you get your grams and mg per day. I just weigh it and file off the desired amount and bingo. You get the amount you need to file off by subtracting your daily rate from .160. If you look at my original post you will see this. If you weigh some pills and give me the average weight and the number of days you want to lose 2mg I can help you work out what to take away every day. Do you know excel. I made a spreadsheet to follow and if you change the numbers to slow down or speed up the whole page changes for you to follow.

It is the easiest.

forget the video it is not how I do it

etown

ok. I am kinda getting this a little more. I will have to look at it more closely so I can really understand it. I don't know how to do excel at all. This really does help!

Thanks,

Lynnie 

Try to understand and I will do it for you if need be

etown

Thank you!  If I go this route, I will most certainly ask for help! You have been a blessing!

Lynnie