Daily Taper Support Group

I have been given permission to start a support group for those doing a Daily Taper. There is a thread for Slow Tapering (and it is a great one for information), but there are those doing a different method and still going slow.

 

So, this is to support those who have started, are about to start and already have a plan in place, and for those that have finished a Daily Taper.

 

Many people who are doing a Daily Taper run up against things that they need help with, this is this place to share and find answers.

 

Or, those who are just looking for that little bit of extra support needed during their Daily Taper.

 

And, for those seeing great success in their Daily Taper, and would like to share it with others.

 

It would also be great for those who have finished their Daily Taper to share your experience. Some don't realize that they have more options available to them.

 

So many on here have given me such wonderful help and advice on the advantages of a Daily Taper. Thank you so very much for that!!

 

If you need help or advice on how to start a taper, please continue to post those questions in the Taper Plans area.

 

 

Denise 

I will be starting my taper around Jan 2nd, if not before, by putting 1 mg of Ativan in 50 ml of Ora Plus. I will then use a 1 ml syringe to draw up 1/10 as my cut. This would equal .002 mg per day.

 

I will then add the other 1 mg of Ativan to the mix, add enough water to make 100 ml solution, and then divide this solution into four equal doses to be drank at my four dosing times per day.

 

Yeah, a little weird, but I am hoping it works out for me.

 

I am curious if I could add a drink mix flavoring to the Ora Plus. And, if baby food jars will work. Also, if it needs to be refrigerated. So, those are my next questions I need to find answers for.

 

I think that I read that Ora Plus breaks down in the light. So, I may cover the glass baby food jar with something.

 

So, how's that for starters? 

 

Of course, this may change a little before I actually start, but is my plan for now.

 

Denise 

 

Sounds like a fabulish plan! 

 

Jars work: baby jars included. When I start being only on liquid though I'm going to go to my compound pharmacist and see if I can buy some child proof no spill liquid bottles for the job. You dont want to be out with all your important meds leaking in your bag. If you don't think you can get to a compound pharmacy or your pharmacy doesn't have any you could: get some small cough medicine bottles and use it or ditch it and wash; or google for a bottle like that.

 

So pleased for you you have a plan that makes sense to you 

XXXX 

Thanks, Smiff!!

 

I am happy to finally have a plan that I understand. I kind of took the advice of a few different people and combined them into this.

 

Yeah, I need to find some glass medicine bottles to carry with me. Or, just never leave the house. 

 

I don't live anywhere near a compounding pharmacy. There are 6 pharmacies in the small town I live in, and none of them are compounding pharmacies. 

 

Hey, how is your daily taper going? Symptoms still under control? I read that the Bioprene was helping with keeping the valium lasting longer in your system. Is that right?

 

Denise 

Yes daily taper is good. no symptoms for a while. bioperine has definitely made a difference. not necessarily a good thing cause it is probably just giving me a bigger hit off stuff I'm trying to get off. Before you taper it might be worth giving it a go with ativan cause of that darned small half life though xxx

Just chiming in so this thread will appear on my "replies" list.

Good idea. So, just the Bioprene, without the Curcumine, will help. I may wait on the Curcumine for now.

 

So glad a daily taper is working out so well for you. I am excited, and nervous, to get it started. But, I think it is a very good way to taper with having minimal symptoms. 

 

Denise 

Just chiming in so this thread will appear on my "replies" list.

 

Happy to have you!! You will be so beneficial to this thread!! 

 

Denise 

Great idea for a thread. DAILY TAPERS RULE!!!

 

I could never have gotten my dose down to the level it is now without learning how to do a daily taper.

 

For those who are interested, I have a link to the method I use in my signature below. I'm in the process of updating and moving it to a different section, but I will update the link when that is completed.

Welcome Diaz-Pam!!

 

Glad you found us. I know that you will be a truly wonderful part of this thread. You and your experience and knowledge. 

 

Plus, your truly helpful and guiding spirit will be a plus!! 

 

Denise 

Aww - shucks.  Thanks Denise. 

Okay, could someone please check my math on this. Cutting .002 mg per day, from 2 mg of Ativan, it is going to take me 33 months???

 

Is this right?

 

Denise 

Hi Denise,

Maybe...but probably not.  2mg/.002mg/day = 1000 days = 33months, BUT...

 

That is just your starting cut.  It is likely you will be able to reduce faster, perhaps much faster.  It all depends on your healing rate.

 

I've seen 2mg done in a year.  I'm betting on 1-2 years though. 

My Dr will never go for that!! I had to see him today, and even though he is letting me do it my way, he will never let me take that long to come off.

 

I have only been on it for a month. He would like me off of it in less than a year. Actually, he would like me off in six months.

 

Wow!! A year, or more, for one months use!!

 

I guess I better get started now!!

 

Denise 

I am on th same dose ativan but been on it a year, and been on this dose since about April. I know it will take at minimum one year but probably longer if I ever get off completely. I only got "addicted" due to what I'm sure is severe adrenal fatigue from other med withdrawals, so my body has been in fight or flight mode for a year and a half now at least...ativan has ruined my body surely, but withdrawal will put more stress on an already severely stressed system...wish I knew the right thing to do. I would be happy just to get down to 0.5mg but I know that's not going to help...sigh...

 

Here is to getting some support and assistance...

Hi KS

 

You should be ok. We will give you every bit of knowledge and support hopefully to help you get to ok. Of course not everyone gets out of this ok but many can and have. You are doing the right thing to start with: knowledge is power with this tapering game.

 

Denise/Sophie's nana has what looks like a good daily microtapering ativan plan. It is a liquid one which may be easier for the tiny amounts of ativan cuts 3 xs daily. You can be really super teeny tiny in your drops with liquid and very precise. Have a look at the first page of this for how she is doing it

 

Good luck and Peace

Smiff

I just have a problem with the whole liquid tapering thing, I can't understand it and I know I would get very anxious trying to do that, plus I'm very paranoid that the solution would not be completely homogenous so the dose would not be correct. I already have many OCD tendencies so that is one more thing to be obsessive about, so I will have to dry taper using a file and a scale when it arrives.

 

I still haven't stabilized on the small taper I've made already. I don't know how I will be able to so this. No matter how small my decrease is I get unbelievable backlash.

Its funny isn't it cause I always felt I'd be all OCD about crumbling tablets and the lack of precision of dry cutting so I went to liquid.

hmm maybe switching to a long acting less hard hitting benzo like valium will help?

It could make things worse of course. But if you are already having so much trouble it might be worth a shot. Talk to Bart. He moved from ativan to valium

Good luck in any case

I might have to but then I'm afraid I will go through ativan withdrawal switching to Valium. I am in a horrible state right now. My body is not taking any sort of decrease in my dose, at all. I don't know what to do.

My Dr will never go for that!! I had to see him today, and even though he is letting me do it my way, he will never let me take that long to come off.

 

I have only been on it for a month. He would like me off of it in less than a year. Actually, he would like me off in six months.

 

Wow!! A year, or more, for one months use!!

 

I guess I better get started now!!

 

Denise 

Denise, I believe that the length of time that you are considering that you've been on Ativan isn't the way I would look at my situation.  You were on another benzo for 11 months and then you cold turkeyed and were benzo free for a few months.  Now you've reinstated for a month on Ativan.  Ativan is just a replacement benzo for your other benzo, (Klonopin, I believe, can't see your sig from this screen).  So in all practicality you've been taking a benzo for 12 non-consecutive months.  This is totally different than 1 month of a benzo and a slow taper is probably in order for you to feel comfortable during the process.  I sure hope your doctor comes around to an understanding with you.

Thanks, Juliea!!

 

My Dr is not very understanding. So, I am going to try to go as slow as I can to start, and see how I feel about picking up the pace a little. I will just have to see how it goes.

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

Denise 

I might have to but then I'm afraid I will go through ativan withdrawal switching to Valium. I am in a horrible state right now. My body is not taking any sort of decrease in my dose, at all. I don't know what to do.

 

Hmm maybe hold for a good long while till you feel fine. Then start decreasing. Clearly your body/brain/CNS is already in more withdrawal then it likes so it is getting finickity about any more decrease. Maybe try to get it into a place of less withdrawal from a  long hold or updose. I guess if you keep cutting right now it will stay being unhappily withdrawing. Hopefully if you get to a place where it isn't so stressed/withdrawal-conscious it wont notice those cuts.

Moving from Ativan to Valium is tricky and it may make things worse its true. But it does I think contain a slight updose in Valium to handle the move so your body/brain might get to a place it likes better and from there can handle cuts better.

You could ask on the Valium support thread in Support Groups section about switching from Ativan. Ativan crossover will be in Ashton Manual too.

In any case goodluck

Smiff

Well, I will be making my first cut solution today. Verrrry nervous about this. I just hope that I don't dump half of it in the floor, because of my hands shaking so bad. 

 

And so, my journey begins.

 

Denise 

Just made my first batch. Wow, what a mess!! I don't like that I can't see the pill parts in the Ora Plus solution when I am stirring it. It is hard to know if it evenly distributed.

 

I may have to find a better solution.

 

Maybe just the Vodka I break the pills up in, and add just water??

 

Denise 

I think you gotta leave it in ora plus for like 20 mins till it dissolves

Did you do that?