ASHTON TAPER / CUT & HOLD SUPPORT

Thanks bigmistake,You have the correct attitude.

 

Im so happy for you,Hope the mornings get easier.

 

Small

 

PS,Has everybody  else gone on holiday?

Looks like its just me at this party

 

Anyway another cut today down to 9 mill

Hi Small

I 'live' over at the jumping buddies thread. If you want to know what it's like to jump take a peek if you like. I am really glad I followed the Ashton way. I am glad I didn't drag out the end cos, although it's tough, I got tired of tapering(like who doesn't, right).

How are you feeling at 9?

Congrats on your jump, bigmistake! I hope things are going well for you.   

 

Single digits, Red ... YAY for you!!!!!   

 

Hi Sharon, Ingrid, bolders, nosery, and all else that I'm missing.  http://i1331.photobucket.com/albums/w591/koko375/wavinghi_zps762196f0.gif

 

I'm plugging along here but haven't been on BB for a long time. This summer has been kind of rough having to plan my taper around everything else that's going on but I've been managing. If all goes well I should be finished in a couple of months. It can't come soon enough for me, I tell ya. I'm getting up to 2-1/2 years doing this taper and it's really enough. I am so done with this! Gah! 

 

Anyway, I just wanted to pop in and tell you all that I hope you're doing good and are coping with this as well as can be expected. I'm really so proud of us all, if I do say so myself. 

 

hugs to everyone.............

 

 

k 

Hi Bigmistake,Feeling fine on 9 mill,Few ups and downs but that's how it is.

 

Hey Koko,Glad to see your about,Your nearly done with your long journey,Keep it up my friend.

 

Another cut yesterday, Now down to 8.5.

 

felt this one almost instantly, I wonder how much of this is psychosomatic???

Hi small

I don't come by here often. I am sure that when I cut some of it was in my head as I could talk myself into being scared or talk myself out of it if I used good strategies. I am 2 months off this Monday and I'm doing much better. The first weeks were rough but I survived. I am pretty anxious which is why I can't read much on benzo buddies anymore. I just want to encourage you to keep going. Tapering off this poison is worth it and really it is doable. I've gone to work almost every day and have kept up appearances in the outside world. If you wanna ask a question about anything I will help you if I can or visit on the jumping buddies thread. I only post there now.

Hope you are ok, wonder where everyone else went?

 

 

hi bigmistake do you feel any tinittus after 2 months? i was unsuccessfull quitting after 6 days because the tinittus terrified me . congradulations on being successfull quitting your diazapam

Hi Baby

I think I had more tinnitus when I first started cutting. I do have it but it's at a level I can ignore. My biggest problem was nausea and anxiety. Distract, distract, distract is my philosophy. I watched a lot of TV during and after my taper. Now 2 months off I am starting to feel almost normal. I hope you all get there too.

I guess I belong here too as recently I started this taper method and first I went drastically from 1 mg ativan to 0.75 mg ativan and felt pretty crappy, sleepless, ears ringing. I've been holding here for about two weeks and feeling more panic, fear, etc. than before. I guess that's normal (though my life is screwed up in other ways too, that make me fearful).

 

I started the ativan back in May and was up to 1-2 mg in June/July, about 1.25 in August. I'm starting to think that the 10% taper every ten days/two weeks might prolong things for me. Wondering if instead I could try about 17% taper which would mean my next cut would be 0.125 (I'm taking 0.125 now six times per day - one of these in the middle of the night). I just bought a scale. Cutting up crumbly little 0.5 mg pills.

 

I think I'm getting too obsessed with all this and don't know how to simplify. I see doctor next Monday to get a refill Rx and am tempted to ask him for a liquid prescription ... but he's not aware of Ashton and his idea of a "taper" is to get someone off 1 mg ativan in about 3 - 5 days. For me it will take longer.

 

Random worried thoughts about all this. I'm feeling occasionally suicidal, like there's no point. I know what to do about that and will stay in the game as long as I can.

 

 

Need reassurance really badly here- I have been cutting 0.5mg/week which seemed reasonable to me. When I cut from 10.5 to 10 last week things got rough and I haven't slept the last four nights- lots of intrusive thoughts. I want to know how long you think it will take to stabilize. I can go slower after this if I have to but I really don't want to updose. Help please. Give it another week?

Hi Just

I hesitate to give tapering advice. I dropped half my dose from 10 to 5 and didn't feel much. Then tried to drop 5 to 2 when the doors of hell opened. I then did 0.5 every fortnight and it was hard but still kept working.

I jumped 2 and a half months ago and am feeling great. Hope that gives you hope. Tapering was worse than jumping. You are doing a good thing, what you are doing is worth it.

I think you are saying relief could come by holding at this dose for a second week? I desperately hope so! Did you wait it out after your big drop or go back up? If you waited how long till you felt better?

Thank you! Anyone else have some hope for me?

Hi Just

Yes, the advice is to hold until you feel better. The holds are supposed to be every fortnight not every week. But if you are being slammed then you should just stay where you are. There is no rush and slow is better.

I combined my taper with therapy. Went to a counsellor and read lots of books on CBT to learn to deal with the intrusive thoughts. I got on a treadmill to walk off that horrible crawling anxiety feeling. Swam at the beach. I also worked even though I was a sick as a dog. Distraction, distraction, distraction. Watching tv shows all through the night when I couldn't sleep. You have to back this up with a plan to deal with the anxiety. Well I did cos that's my reason for taking them.

After the big drop I went back to 4.5. After that it was hard but it was doable. Dropping .5 every 2 weeks became my pace and I jumped at .5 because I felt OK. Perhaps mentally the start is the hardest.

I found tapering hard as thinking about numbers and when to drop and if just made me go crazy.

Anyone else tapering here? I am even forgetting what it was like.

Hi a friend told me about tis thread. I have been on the Valium thread but it seems as if most are going liquid titration and I can not relate to that at this point.

 

My signature says it all, I have been plugging along for so long I can't remember feeling well for an entire day.

My windows happen in the evening (praise GOD) but during the day pretty much CRAP O'clock all day long with mornings being brutal

 

just a week ago went from dosing 3xs a day to 2 xs a day and it made me feel a bit more alive in afternoon

 

I am seeing a therapist for 1st time tomorrow and am hoping tha this will give me more power to fight this. My anxiety is ever present, to some degree. I am sick of feeling sick and hope tha if I can converse with others that are doing the dry cut method I will be encouraged

 

I hold only 2 weeks and never any longer because this is taking forever as it is. I had cut on my own from 1.5mg of klonopin to .75mg when I found BB and learned of Ashton.

Made the decision to c/o to V but wish I had c/o to less. the conversion tables vary widely

 

anywho HI and hope to get to know ypou all

Hi laineyk.

 

This thread is a bit slow but people do pop in from time to time.

 

Don't give up on the cut and hold as im now down to 8,Its not all that bad at the moment.

 

Once you get used to the feeling shitty then its a lot easier.

 

I personally think your doing great from your sig

 

most people in this thread have a blog if the thread is slow you can always drop in blogs for support.

 

Small.

Hi and welcome lainyk-

 

You have static happening on your tv set lainy....you may want to switch the channel up!!!! 

 

I see you have done a cross over & gotten down to 9mg from 30mg equivalent of K. Real progress there. 

 

When I was tapering I visited blogs & joked around to help pass the time. Also helping others through this is also a good distraction. How much are you cutting every two weeks? What method are you using to make your reductions? Hey. if I can help you out just ask ok...

 

"CRAP O'clock"  ...For many of us symptoms present no matter how fast or slow we taper. Even large/small cuts, daily/weekly reductions does not seem to matter for those of us who are sensitive. Seems to make no difference for some of us. We tend to remain with symptoms. Our only choice is to just ACCEPT the symptoms for what they are, just part of this grueling process & a indicator that our brains are trying to heal & work with out the benzo poison down regulating our GABA receptors.or of course re-instate to a higher dose being mindful to increase our dose as needed... Some choose to push through the symptoms some re-instate as symptoms can become brutal & can make some of us totally non functional for long periods of time. So either way, it boils down to making a choice that works for you long term & STICKING with it.

 

Our Buddie "Parker" did a GREAT post on "what happens to our brains". Have you had a chance to rad this? If not, I will post a link to this. It explains just exactly WHAT IS HAPPENING to our brains & truly did give me understanding & the will to push through & get off of the awful drugs. Even tho I still get symptoms when I get EXTREMELY stressed out, for the most part, I am almost fully functional. Much much better than prior to withdrawal & taper. I can honestly say it was well worth the effort to push myself through this whole process.

 

Hang in there & ask for help if you need it we are here for you. 

 

Hey there small! See you are plugging away steady as a rock... GOOD for you...keep at it & you will be done in no time!!!! Did you see where that crazy koko is down to .5mg? She is a trooper & will be off poison very soon...

 

Peace out friends & smoooth tapering to you all!!!

I actually c/o to 15mg of Valium and I cut .5mg every 2 weeks thatnks for the encouragment

Hi laineyk, you are doing what I did. I cut every 2 weeks like clockwork. Stay the course laineyk you will get there. I will not criticize anyone on how they choose to taper, that is their choice. However I will say that consistent cuts and staying on track as best as you can IMO is key. Cut and hold has served me well.

 

I am a week over 7 months off and getting better everyday. So thankful I found BB's. I wish you well on your journey laineyk. I will be around if you need anything. God bless and keep you steady on the remainder of your journey.

 

Love Jackie

Hi buddies,

I too did not know about this thread .i mostly read the Diaz Val thread. I'm dry cut and hold too .

.25 now every two weeks..I'm 62 and have lots of home stress that revs up my sxs..so far, have not had much sleep, and I am depressed..cry a lot.

I hope to pop on here much. I see koko has done so well. I'm inspired..

So many of you.

Thank you

Rose

Hi ...Has anyone here been on their med 12 years or longer.. I am trying to keep the belief that even low dose, long time users get well after tapering.. Any replies appreciated..

 

Hugs. Rose..

Rose-I was high dose and total of well over twenty years.  I'm not healed yet but getting there.  I'm way better than when I was on the drugs or after jumping. Still daily battles but getting there. I've had a few windows where I felt almost normal too.

Hi Rose & Drew!

 

I was on benzo 20 years 20-30mg V. I to am SLOWLY getting better. I need to continuously remind myself how bad it was to realize the true progress I have made.

 

For some of us healing comes slowly. We must continue to be patient & accept this for what it is & continue on the very best we are able. What other choice do we have? Re-instate...   NO CHANCE...

 

Keep on tapering at a rate that works for you Rose gal.

 

Hang tough Drew!

 

We will all heal!

Hi Liljoe,

Buddies,

I still have not slept well.only a few hours at night..

Crying much, jittery..

I begin the day worried..no sleep.

Did this happen to you?

I've tried so much meds and relaxation, but I'm wide awake..

Very depressing..

 

Hugs. Rose

Rose, you have that luncheon today, its causing more stress. I understand