Am I tapering too slowly !

[[jo...]]

STarted on clonazepam oct 15th 0.25mg once per day for sleep. I started tapering around Nove 1st 2014. Im down to a sliver beneath 0.125mg. Its now Jan 6 2015. For the time I took this drug should I have tapered quicker as some benzo buddies suggested ?  Dont know if this drug is making me feel worse because I am dragging out the time Im on it ? One way or the other Im going forward slow or fast just open for a few suggestions .

[[Be...]]

Hi johnnyapple,

 

The question of too fast or too slow depends on two things, in my opinion: 1. the percentage cut and the time held, 2. relative to tolerable symptoms. Your body/mind has it's own speed limit, so to speak, as to how fast you can taper. There's no way to know for sure what that is other than to take a test drive, which you've done by shaving off. Even if you don't know what that percentage is, the question is, is it working for you? It's best to honor how you feel. That is again, in my opinion, regardless of amount of starting dose. The total amount of time on the drug, including taper is what you're body is used to. You can't trick it to feel differently. But you will have symptoms. Are they truly tolerable? Decide what is and isn't for you.

 

Symptom-based tapering is how I proceed. I would slow it down if I couldn't function, until I felt stable enough to proceed. You might try cutting every 7 - 14 days, see if that allows you to wean off with less problem. Adjust as you go. I liken tapering too fast to running a marathon and standing at the finish line only to be run over by everyone behind you, representing symptoms that slowly catch up. Sorry, I can't help the analogies; I think figuratively.

 

It may bring comfort to realize that practicing acceptance will settle your mind more as you go through withdrawal, which will not go on infinitely. Symptoms wax and wane, from all that I have experienced and also read here on BB. Honestly, it takes as long as it takes. The brain must heal. At any age, it's not particularly easy.

 

Do hang in there.

Bennie

 

 

[[Je...]]

STarted on clonazepam oct 15th 0.25mg once per day for sleep. I started tapering around Nove 1st 2014. Im down to a sliver beneath 0.125mg. Its now Jan 6 2015. For the time I took this drug should I have tapered quicker as some benzo buddies suggested ?  Dont know if this drug is making me feel worse because I am dragging out the time Im on it ? One way or the other Im going forward slow or fast just open for a few suggestions .

 

 

Looking at the schedule in your signature lines it appears you've been going way too fast.  Cutting every few days?  Unless I'm not understanding

what you've written there. 

 

Benzo taperers need to begin with a stabilized dose.  That dose what makes you feel ok symptom-wise.  Or at least not suffering. 

 

Then, once stabilized, cut 5% to 10% of the remaining weight.  It takes most of us about 10 days to two weeks to wait for the

effects of the cut to wash out, then we cut again. 

 

I see you've posted over a hundred times.  I have not seen your other posts.  Just this one. 

 

Are you taking any other drugs?  Any recreational stuff?  Alcohol?  Etc?  That stuff wrecks the taper plan terribly for most of us.

 

*Jeepy*

[[jo...]]

Jeepy I am 61 and outside of antibiotics I have never taken any drug in my life, I dont even like aspirin.  this is My first experience and it sucks because I was not told the truth about benzos when it was prescribed to me . I was also lied to about the dose and lenght of time and how I could just stop taking it.

 

Benniejets I did not really start having a problem until a few days ago when the irritability started getting bad the heightend sensations throughout My nervous system. Ever pinch a nerve or felt a little sciatica  or banged Your elbow a hard surface. 

 

Thanks for the messages Your support is appreciated. Im not a shrink in any way shape or form however as I said I was a paramedic for 30 years and also dabbled in the nursing field however Im NO expert drug tapering or withdrawal. Everyone has a different opinion on the internet so I went with the mind set that play it as Your body feels ! 

 

I know no one can give a 100% accurate answer its all speculation however I sure would like to know if I hold at this does will the symptoms calm down or get worse ?  I would rather die than up dose - for the so called short time I have been on this rat poison " ya Im angry for myself and everyone else " I went through too much to go backwards  unless I absolutely have to and then I have to start over again !    Frankly I dont know what to do however if symptoms MAY back off a tad I can hold at this dose.  We all have to eventually decide however Im open to suggestions as to what I should do.  thanks for all the support.

[[Je...]]

I think you've got the right approach to this now, johnnyapple.  Especially the notion of hanging on to the dose you're at until

you feel better.  That is the essence of tapering, by the way. 

 

I can tell you're strong.  You'll weather the crap for a while and then you'll be done with it.  After that you'll weather some

withdrawal (maybe) and you'll be one of the hundreds of success stories in here (there is a section of BB with that title,

by the way). 

 

*Jeepy*

[[jo...]]

Jeepy when the day comes that Im totally off this drug and feel OK I will celebrate not with booze as I dont drink however being the old fart that I am probably milk and cookies , they are safer than benzos although probably addicting !

[[dr...]]

Hi All

  Jeepy: This must have come up before but if you only cut 5-10 % each time then you will never get to the end. Its zenos paradox. Have you got to the end or know what you are going to do yet? I am cutting Librium 5 mg at a time because thats the smallest capsule they have. I'm at 35 mg now so each cut will be large, and at a rising percentage all the way to 100.

All my best

DD

[[Je...]]

Hi All

  Jeepy: This must have come up before but if you only cut 5-10 % each time then you will never get to the end. Its zenos paradox. Have you got to the end or know what you are going to do yet? I am cutting Librium 5 mg at a time because thats the smallest capsule they have. I'm at 35 mg now so each cut will be large, and at a rising percentage all the way to 100.

All my best

DD

 

The percentage of the remainder brings us down to a tolerable "jump" point, over time.  Depends on each person, but that last "cut" is 100% and is

usually around 1 milligram for Valium taperers and .1 milligram for Klonopin/Clonazepam. 

 

Notice I say "usually."    Go by your symptoms and your commitment to NEVER take a benzo again once you jump.  For me that means keeping

the 7% or so going until I'm down to about the .1 milligram (in a few months  ).

 

*Jeepy*

[[dr...]]

Jeepy,

  How are you handling the slicing/math of getting down to such small doses? Have you found an easy way?

DD

[[Je...]]

Jeepy,

  How are you handling the slicing/math of getting down to such small doses? Have you found an easy way?

DD

 

It is quite easy with a Horizon 50A Gem scale and a sharp single edge razor blade and a stainless steel fingernail file. 

 

The math is a piece of cake.  I began with finding out the true weight of my particular generic .5 milligram Clonazepam tablets (.168 milligrams).

I then just did it in percentages of that weight (checking new batches of the stuff to be sure the pill weight was about the same). 

 

I go as accurately as I can, as I make a few days batch to take at a certain cut weight.  But I do not bother myself too much over varying

weights of each cut piece (placing the piece on the scale over and over again.. it'll drive you crazy and is not needed).  I just do it at the same

speed for each one, and leave the piece on for the same length of time (about ten seconds).  That's it.