Daily Micro-Tapering Support Group

[[Be...]]

SG57,

I am going downhill fast with my gut, nausea, diarrhea, back pain, head pressure and headache. Been holding since Oct 28 at .040 mg K. Should I just stay at this dose? Gut issues are ones I started out with pre-benzos and the only thing that helped were the benzos. But they ultimately made me sick. Thoughts on what to do, if anything? Thanks.

Bennie

[[de...]]

Good morning and could someone please do the math for me..

 

i am taking .89 .89 .88 .88 daily..average weight .170 of a 1mg tab of k..what would my mgs be..my doc asked me and i have no idea at this point..and i sure would like to be at 2mgs by Christmas and not sure how far off i am at that..I have been at this since a yr ago june and its getting old at .001 every other day alternating doses..

started at 4mgs..

 

thanks in advance

 

deep

[[...]]

SG57,

I am going downhill fast with my gut, nausea, diarrhea, back pain, head pressure and headache. Been holding since Oct 28 at .040 mg K. Should I just stay at this dose? Gut issues are ones I started out with pre-benzos and the only thing that helped were the benzos. But they ultimately made me sick. Thoughts on what to do, if anything? Thanks.

Bennie

 

You're so close to the end, Bennie.  Lousy to get hit at this point.  If these are withdrawal symptoms then I'd say it is better not to push through.

[[Be...]]

SG57,

I am going downhill fast with my gut, nausea, diarrhea, back pain, head pressure and headache. Been holding since Oct 28 at .040 mg K. Should I just stay at this dose? Gut issues are ones I started out with pre-benzos and the only thing that helped were the benzos. But they ultimately made me sick. Thoughts on what to do, if anything? Thanks.

Bennie

 

You're so close to the end, Bennie.  Lousy to get hit at this point.  If these are withdrawal symptoms then I'd say it is better not to push through.

 

Getting worse. Is up dosing sensible?

[[...]]

Good morning and could someone please do the math for me..

 

i am taking .89 .89 .88 .88 daily..average weight .170 of a 1mg tab of k..what would my mgs be..my doc asked me and i have no idea at this point..and i sure would like to be at 2mgs by Christmas and not sure how far off i am at that..I have been at this since a yr ago june and its getting old at .001 every other day alternating doses..

started at 4mgs..

 

thanks in advance

 

deep

 

Hi Deep, good to see you around.  Your total pill weight for the day is .354g and 1g is 5.88mg so your dose is 2.08mg...you're getting very close.

[[...]]

I am so so unstable. Could adding like 5mg of valium possbly get me out of tolerance withdrawal?  I tried to  cross over a while  back and substituted  10mg for .5mg and was great  for a week and  then it started building  up and made me so sick i felt like i was going to  di but i wonder if just 5 at night could build up enough to get me stable and then  continue  tapering  the ativan.....cuz im a psychotic  mess oh lord help me

 

Hip, I really feel for you, I read that a person can eventually get stuck in tolerance w/d from going up and down with their meds. No one can really give you medical advice regarding valium, just remember, it's not a quick fix because it takes a while to build in your bloodstream. I cannot imagine the hell you are experiencing. Just keep trying to taper down off the benzos, you WILL heal, but it will probally take a while. Rose

[[...]]

I hope I'm finally coming off this wave of 4 or 5 days. Sick of being sick and not being able to do much of anything except suffer through non-stop sweating, then chills, stomach and headache and just feeling bad. It really seems the lower I get in dose the more pronounced the waves and windows are. This last window lasted a couple of weeks. It felt SO good to feel normal for a while. Then Wham! Laid flat again. Down to 0.34mg/24hrs. Amazing the power of benzos to screw your CNS up so bad. It's discouraging to think of more months of this roller coaster, so I have to focus on one day at a time. Has anyone else noticed their W's and W's being more pronounced as they get lower? Sorry for whining, I know I am not alone at least.

 

[[...]]

SG57,

I am going downhill fast with my gut, nausea, diarrhea, back pain, head pressure and headache. Been holding since Oct 28 at .040 mg K. Should I just stay at this dose? Gut issues are ones I started out with pre-benzos and the only thing that helped were the benzos. But they ultimately made me sick. Thoughts on what to do, if anything? Thanks.

Bennie

 

You're so close to the end, Bennie.  Lousy to get hit at this point.  If these are withdrawal symptoms then I'd say it is better not to push through.

 

Getting worse. Is up dosing sensible?

 

Are they from withdrawal or are they underlying and being uncovered by lack of the drug?  I am always reluctant about updosing as it does not always work and a good long hold sometimes does the trick.  But there are times when it is worth the risk.

[[...]]

SG57,

I am going downhill fast with my gut, nausea, diarrhea, back pain, head pressure and headache. Been holding since Oct 28 at .040 mg K. Should I just stay at this dose? Gut issues are ones I started out with pre-benzos and the only thing that helped were the benzos. But they ultimately made me sick. Thoughts on what to do, if anything? Thanks.

Bennie

 

You're so close to the end, Bennie.  Lousy to get hit at this point.  If these are withdrawal symptoms then I'd say it is better not to push through.

 

Getting worse. Is up dosing sensible?

 

Bennie, you sound like me. I am down so low and the waves are more pronounced. I just had a diagnostic colonoscopy because of severe gut problems, attacks of cramping, diarrhea that turns to pure blood over several hours. I have add three of these attacks in six months each progressively worse than the last. What did they find? nothing. Damn benzos. Do you think updosing will help or do you think holding is better to see if you can stabilize? I just went through 4-5 days of what you described, but add a lot of sweating and chills to it. I hope you can stabilize soon and feel better. Rose

[[Be...]]

SG57,

I am going downhill fast with my gut, nausea, diarrhea, back pain, head pressure and headache. Been holding since Oct 28 at .040 mg K. Should I just stay at this dose? Gut issues are ones I started out with pre-benzos and the only thing that helped were the benzos. But they ultimately made me sick. Thoughts on what to do, if anything? Thanks.

Bennie

 

You're so close to the end, Bennie.  Lousy to get hit at this point.  If these are withdrawal symptoms then I'd say it is better not to push through.

 

Getting worse. Is up dosing sensible?

 

Are they from withdrawal or are they underlying and being uncovered by lack of the drug?  I am always reluctant about updosing as it does not always work and a good long hold sometimes does the trick.  But there are times when it is worth the risk.

GI stuff feels like its being uncovered, but then lots of people have GI toward end, that I've noticed. I have inner trembling in solar plexus, diarrhea, leaden stomach all of which are old issues. The body buzz, head pressure, some dizziness and lability feels like withdrawal. It's a mixed bag. My whole consciousness and being feels fragile. I cut through October pretty assertively and had increased gut issues as only sxs. I also did not make adjustment for DST, which might have added .001 g. I always hold during period due to progesterone dropping, which just ended. I wish I knew if going back up by .003 g and holding a long time would make difference. Or if I am prolonging unnecessarily. I fear bring a huge mess at zero, worse than the first 20% cut because early on, benzos covered my GI issues. So distressing!

[[...]]

Are they from withdrawal or are they underlying and being uncovered by lack of the drug?  I am always reluctant about updosing as it does not always work and a good long hold sometimes does the trick.  But there are times when it is worth the risk.

GI stuff feels like its being uncovered, but then lots of people have GI toward end, that I've noticed. I have inner trembling in solar plexus, diarrhea, leaden stomach all of which are old issues. The body buzz, head pressure, some dizziness and lability feels like withdrawal. It's a mixed bag. My whole consciousness and being feels fragile. I cut through October pretty assertively and had increased gut issues as only sxs. I also did not make adjustment for DST, which might have added .001 g. I always hold during period due to progesterone dropping, which just ended. I wish I knew if going back up by .003 g and holding a long time would make difference. Or if I am prolonging unnecessarily. I fear bring a huge mess at zero, worse than the first 20% cut because early on, benzos covered my GI issues. So distressing!

 

Well, things like body buzz, head pressure, and dizziness, especially when they come together sure seem likely to be withdrawal.  And if the gut stuff also increased at the same time after a period of aggressive cutting it sure looks like withdrawal.  The more recent the cutting the more likely the updose is to work, but just because you held a week does not mean it won't work.  What was the last dose you felt good at?

[[Be...]]

Are they from withdrawal or are they underlying and being uncovered by lack of the drug?  I am always reluctant about updosing as it does not always work and a good long hold sometimes does the trick.  But there are times when it is worth the risk.

GI stuff feels like its being uncovered, but then lots of people have GI toward end, that I've noticed. I have inner trembling in solar plexus, diarrhea, leaden stomach all of which are old issues. The body buzz, head pressure, some dizziness and lability feels like withdrawal. It's a mixed bag. My whole consciousness and being feels fragile. I cut through October pretty assertively and had increased gut issues as only sxs. I also did not make adjustment for DST, which might have added .001 g. I always hold during period due to progesterone dropping, which just ended. I wish I knew if going back up by .003 g and holding a long time would make difference. Or if I am prolonging unnecessarily. I fear bring a huge mess at zero, worse than the first 20% cut because early on, benzos covered my GI issues. So distressing!

 

Well, things like body buzz, head pressure, and dizziness, especially when they come together sure seem likely to be withdrawal.  And if the gut stuff also increased at the same time after a period of aggressive cutting it sure looks like withdrawal.  The more recent the cutting the more likely the updose is to work, but just because you held a week does not mean it won't work.  What was the last dose you felt good at?

 

I felt increasing gut issues until right before period, at .043 mg. I had two back to back 100% days. And then this. So,hard to believe.

[[de...]]

SG..thanks so much for the math..and is .08mg alot like could i just get rid of it and then move on what would the doses look like if i were to do that?..or would that be a big mistake? and how long will it take at the rate i am going to get there..

 

thanks again for your help

 

deep

[[...]]

GI stuff feels like its being uncovered, but then lots of people have GI toward end, that I've noticed. I have inner trembling in solar plexus, diarrhea, leaden stomach all of which are old issues. The body buzz, head pressure, some dizziness and lability feels like withdrawal. It's a mixed bag. My whole consciousness and being feels fragile. I cut through October pretty assertively and had increased gut issues as only sxs. I also did not make adjustment for DST, which might have added .001 g. I always hold during period due to progesterone dropping, which just ended. I wish I knew if going back up by .003 g and holding a long time would make difference. Or if I am prolonging unnecessarily. I fear bring a huge mess at zero, worse than the first 20% cut because early on, benzos covered my GI issues. So distressing!

 

Well, things like body buzz, head pressure, and dizziness, especially when they come together sure seem likely to be withdrawal.  And if the gut stuff also increased at the same time after a period of aggressive cutting it sure looks like withdrawal.  The more recent the cutting the more likely the updose is to work, but just because you held a week does not mean it won't work.  What was the last dose you felt good at?

 

I felt increasing gut issues until right before period, at .043 mg. I had two back to back 100% days. And then this. So,hard to believe.

 

Very encouraging that you have been able to feel 100% so recently.  Going back to .043mg or .044mg might be worth a try to get quick relief.  Only one or two cuts back.

[[...]]

SG..thanks so much for the math..and is .08mg alot like could i just get rid of it and then move on what would the doses look like if i were to do that?..or would that be a big mistake? and how long will it take at the rate i am going to get there..

 

thanks again for your help

 

deep

 

.08mg is about 14 cuts.  If you cut every other day that is 28 days so you're on schedule to be there by the end of the month.  I definitely would not just get rid of it and jump to there.  You need that month of adjustment time.

 

Also, I see you are still using 1mg pills.  Switching to .5mg would make your life easier.  It would double your cutting accuracy and you will need that more as you get into lower doses.

[[Be...]]

GI stuff feels like its being uncovered, but then lots of people have GI toward end, that I've noticed. I have inner trembling in solar plexus, diarrhea, leaden stomach all of which are old issues. The body buzz, head pressure, some dizziness and lability feels like withdrawal. It's a mixed bag. My whole consciousness and being feels fragile. I cut through October pretty assertively and had increased gut issues as only sxs. I also did not make adjustment for DST, which might have added .001 g. I always hold during period due to progesterone dropping, which just ended. I wish I knew if going back up by .003 g and holding a long time would make difference. Or if I am prolonging unnecessarily. I fear bring a huge mess at zero, worse than the first 20% cut because early on, benzos covered my GI issues. So distressing!

 

Well, things like body buzz, head pressure, and dizziness, especially when they come together sure seem likely to be withdrawal.  And if the gut stuff also increased at the same time after a period of aggressive cutting it sure looks like withdrawal.  The more recent the cutting the more likely the updose is to work, but just because you held a week does not mean it won't work.  What was the last dose you felt good at?

 

I felt increasing gut issues until right before period, at .043 mg. I had two back to back 100% days. And then this. So,hard to believe.

 

Very encouraging that you have been able to feel 100% so recently.  Going back to .043mg or .044mg might be worth a try to get quick relief.  Only one or two cuts back.

 

Thank you so much, SG. I can go back a few steps. I am so grateful for being able to get your input. I just cut some pills. Scale is getting wiggy on me so that's not helping. But hopefully .044 mg will. Is there a limit to how long I can hold?

[[ga...]]

 

Is there a limit to how long I can hold?

 

Just an FYI, I once held for a month.

 

[[...]]

Thank you so much, SG. I can go back a few steps. I am so grateful for being able to get your input. I just cut some pills. Scale is getting wiggy on me so that's not helping. But hopefully .044 mg will. Is there a limit to how long I can hold?

 

I don't believe in limiting holding.  It seems always helpful to me.

[[Be...]]

Thank you so much, SG. I can go back a few steps. I am so grateful for being able to get your input. I just cut some pills. Scale is getting wiggy on me so that's not helping. But hopefully .044 mg will. Is there a limit to how long I can hold?

 

I don't believe in limiting holding.  It seems always helpful to me.

 

Thanks.

 

I hope you feel 100% by the time your little blue star is on top of 3!

[[...]]

Thank you so much, SG. I can go back a few steps. I am so grateful for being able to get your input. I just cut some pills. Scale is getting wiggy on me so that's not helping. But hopefully .044 mg will. Is there a limit to how long I can hold?

 

I don't believe in limiting holding.  It seems always helpful to me.

 

Thanks.

 

I hope you feel 100% by the time your little blue star is on top of 3!

 

It took me a while, but now I get it.  Thanks.

[[de...]]

SG..thanks so much for the math..and is .08mg alot like could i just get rid of it and then move on what would the doses look like if i were to do that?..or would that be a big mistake? and how long will it take at the rate i am going to get there..

 

thanks again for your help

 

deep

 

.08mg is about 14 cuts.  If you cut every other day that is 28 days so you're on schedule to be there by the end of the month.  I definitely would not just get rid of it and jump to there.  You need that month of adjustment time.

 

Also, I see you are still using 1mg pills.  Switching to .5mg would make your life easier.  It would double your cutting accuracy and you will need that more as you get into lower doses.

 

 

yes i am using the 1mg pills and since i am not at 2 mgs total yet how would i go down to the .5mg since i would need more than 4 a day to cut to that amount? It was hard enough to get my doc to ok giving me 120 1mgs to cut 4 times a day cause i use a new pill each time..so wouldnt i need more pills to do that with ?

 

I guess i was thinking that wouldnt it be better to be using a 2mg tab cut in half that would make 1mg and then cutting that to what i need or is that to hard to do to make them even?

 

And I was planning on switching to .5mgs when i got to 2mgs and take them 4 times a day but the problem there is I wont have anything extra in the beginning to use to make the weight right since i would only have pieces from my 1mg and 2mg tabs..hope this made sense.

thanks again for all your help 

 

deep

[[...]]

.08mg is about 14 cuts.  If you cut every other day that is 28 days so you're on schedule to be there by the end of the month.  I definitely would not just get rid of it and jump to there.  You need that month of adjustment time.

 

Also, I see you are still using 1mg pills.  Switching to .5mg would make your life easier.  It would double your cutting accuracy and you will need that more as you get into lower doses.

 

 

yes i am using the 1mg pills and since i am not at 2 mgs total yet how would i go down to the .5mg since i would need more than 4 a day to cut to that amount? It was hard enough to get my doc to ok giving me 120 1mgs to cut 4 times a day cause i use a new pill each time..so wouldnt i need more pills to do that with ?

 

I guess i was thinking that wouldnt it be better to be using a 2mg tab cut in half that would make 1mg and then cutting that to what i need or is that to hard to do to make them even?

 

And I was planning on switching to .5mgs when i got to 2mgs and take them 4 times a day but the problem there is I wont have anything extra in the beginning to use to make the weight right since i would only have pieces from my 1mg and 2mg tabs..hope this made sense.

thanks again for all your help 

 

deep

 

I agree, wait until you reach 2mg before switching to .5mg.  It will be fine.  The .5mg pills will have a new weight that will equal 2mg and you just drop down from there.  Some of them might be too light at first, but you can just pick out heavier ones, and soon all of them will be heavy enough to get the right dose.  You'll be able to drop .001g every day with those pills for a while.

[[...]]

I hope I'm finally coming off this wave of 4 or 5 days. Sick of being sick and not being able to do much of anything except suffer through non-stop sweating, then chills, stomach and headache and just feeling bad. It really seems the lower I get in dose the more pronounced the waves and windows are. This last window lasted a couple of weeks. It felt SO good to feel normal for a while. Then Wham! Laid flat again. Down to 0.34mg/24hrs. Amazing the power of benzos to screw your CNS up so bad. It's discouraging to think of more months of this roller coaster, so I have to focus on one day at a time. Has anyone else noticed their W's and W's being more pronounced as they get lower? Sorry for whining, I know I am not alone at least.

 

 

It's hard to believe how sick even small amounts of benzos can make you feel while tapering, or maybe I should say lack of. Today is better, I am going so easy with micro tapering, wishful thinking tells me I shouldn't feel so sick. I am thinking that my GABAA production and receptors must be very minimal from using xanax for 14+ years. thanks you guys. Thank God for hope...

[[pr...]]

Has anyone else noticed their W's and W's being more pronounced as they get lower?

 

although i never was able to taper properly and i actually envy the people on this thread who are doing it the right way, i did find that those revolving waves and windows the lower i got.

 

also, what had helped me with gut issues (even though i know it's hard to find anything that helps when it's just benzo withdrawal) was acacia taken before every meal. helps calm the gut, helps with IBS and constipation. it's like a little benzo' for the gut. i use Heather's Tummy Formula -- that and a little tiny magneisum. and acacia is so mild that even the most fragile can take it without any problem.

 

also Hiphop, yeah like rdb said you won't be able to be out of tolerance unless you stop up doing and lower/rapid tapering. i spent 10 1/2 years in K tolerance. my only regret now is that i didn't know about this forum sooner, and i was always one to do a lot of research and i even did The Roadback supplements and taper -- and i did an Ashton taper not knowing it was Ashton Manual and even found that was too fast at times. Ashton needs to be updated.

[[...]]

Has anyone else noticed their W's and W's being more pronounced as they get lower?

 

although i never was able to taper properly and i actually envy the people on this thread who are doing it the right way, i did find that those revolving waves and windows the lower i got.

 

also, what had helped me with gut issues (even though i know it's hard to find anything that helps when it's just benzo withdrawal) was acacia taken before every meal. helps calm the gut, helps with IBS and constipation. it's like a little benzo' for the gut. i use Heather's Tummy Formula -- that and a little tiny magneisum. and acacia is so mild that even the most fragile can take it without any problem.

 

also Hiphop, yeah like rdb said you won't be able to be out of tolerance unless you stop up doing and lower/rapid tapering. i spent 10 1/2 years in K tolerance. my only regret now is that i didn't know about this forum sooner, and i was always one to do a lot of research and i even did The Roadback supplements and taper -- and i did an Ashton taper not knowing it was Ashton Manual and even found that was too fast at times. Ashton needs to be updated.

 

 

PrettyDaisies, Thank-you for responding and your input. I wonder how bad the Waves will get before they get better? Have a good evening PD