Daily Micro-Tapering Support Group

[[de...]]

I'm very much interested in doing a micro taper but not sure how that would work with xanax.  I currently have .5 pills and take 1 mg a nite. I'm trying to cut the .5 pill in quarters to give me approx. 10% cut.  It's not working well - cuts unevenly, crumbles. etc.  Does liquid titration work with xanax?  Not sure how well the pill will dissolve.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.

[[...]]

It is a hard decisions as I wake with anxiety every morning and the agoraphobia has me a prisoner in my own home and so far holding has only reduced that but not gotten rid of it. The other symptoms do go away when I hold so that is good at least.

 

To me, this sounds like evidence that holding may work, you may just need more time.  It can take a long time to get rid of glutamate symptoms once you have them.

 

Thanks so much for you input SG. Your expereince and suggestions really make a difference to me.

 

My question is how long would I have to hold to stabilize. I held for four months and the symptoms were all over the place but the anxiety and agoraphobia really stayed pretty much the same. No relief from them. When I have tapered at c/c/h/h/h I seem to do ok and the sxs allow me to stay functional, well as functional as agoraphobia allows you to be.

 

I know with TW anxiety and agoraphobia won't go away and that is why I'm worried about holding. How do I know if they are glutamate symptoms or TW symptoms. I'm super frustrated right now and just want it to be over with  :'(  I don't know how you guys do this for years. I've only been suffering for about 11 months and sometimes when I go to bed I feel like I can't face the next day. By the way when I am at my baseline I do often have a relief from my anxiety symptoms in the evening. I used to make plans for the next day until I realized that the next day would always start back at the begining again. That's where the above statement comes in.

 

On a different note, I'm so glad you were able to pass at least part of your stone. I hope the rest of it is on it's way out and you don't have to go through any more procedures.

 

Thanks again for all your help especially considering all you have been going through.

 

Hugs and healing to you

 

 

[[ed...]]

SG,

 

I'm happy that discovered where the stone was hiding and even more happy that you already passed a piece of it.  Hoping and praying that the rest gets flushed out within the 2 weeks.

 

Best,

Ed

[[ga...]]

I'm very much interested in doing a micro taper but not sure how that would work with xanax.  I currently have .5 pills and take 1 mg a nite. I'm trying to cut the .5 pill in quarters to give me approx. 10% cut.  It's not working well - cuts unevenly, crumbles. etc.  Does liquid titration work with xanax?  Not sure how well the pill will dissolve.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.

 

Will your doctor prescribe the Xanax liquid? All you have to do is dilute it with water. Easiest thing in the world. If not, yes, you can dissolve it yourself and then dilute it. One of the titration gurus can tell you how.

 

BTW, a 10% cut all at once is not a micro taper. It's a cut-and-hold approach. You would want to ask about that on the Ashton cut-and-hold thread.

 

Gard

[[bu...]]

I'm very much interested in doing a micro taper but not sure how that would work with xanax.  I currently have .5 pills and take 1 mg a nite. I'm trying to cut the .5 pill in quarters to give me approx. 10% cut.  It's not working well - cuts unevenly, crumbles. etc. Does liquid titration work with xanax?  Not sure how well the pill will dissolve.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.

 

Xanax (alprozalam) is readily soluble in alcohol or propylene glycol.  There is an Rx liquid xanax (propylene glycol base)

[[de...]]

I'm very much interested in doing a micro taper but not sure how that would work with xanax.  I currently have .5 pills and take 1 mg a nite. I'm trying to cut the .5 pill in quarters to give me approx. 10% cut.  It's not working well - cuts unevenly, crumbles. etc.  Does liquid titration work with xanax?  Not sure how well the pill will dissolve.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you.

 

Will your doctor prescribe the Xanax liquid? All you have to do is dilute it with water. Easiest thing in the world. If not, yes, you can dissolve it yourself and then dilute it. One of the titration gurus can tell you how.

 

BTW, a 10% cut all at once is not a micro taper. It's a cut-and-hold approach. You would want to ask about that on the Ashton cut-and-hold thread.

 

Gard

 

Okay.  Thank you very much for the information. I hadn't heard of xanax liquid. I can ask about it next time I see the Dr.  I'll check some different threads regarding titration vs cut and hold.  I managed cut-and-hold from 2mg to 1 mg.  Dr. prescribed .50 to help me with cutting ( per my request)  but I'm having more difficulty.  Maybe a different manufacturer?  Who knows. Thank you again.

[[jr...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

[[...]]

Well, the stone is still there.  I feel you all have a vested interest in this saga at this point so I feel compelled to post.  I got the CT scan and it showed the stone had fractured into pieces and moved down into a tube above my bladder.  There had been no pain all this time, but it was stuck there.  So I started drinking a lot of water and peeing through a screen again.  I also took a drug to dilate the tube.

 

Well, this morning wouldn't you know I passed a piece of it...about 2mm.  I'm sure that's not the end of the story, but this is really good news as the urologist said that even though I am pain free it has to come out one way or another, eventually.  If I don't pass it I will have to get another lithotripsy or even a more invasive method.  I go back for another CT in two weeks, so I have that much time to pass whatever is still there.

 

Man, what a bummer, but at least the found it! I don't suppose they know how many of the darn things you still have in you? Meanwhile, water, water, water!

 

Gard

 

He said the CT showed it still looks pretty large...near the original size, but I passed a 2mm piece of it so I assume there are a few more good sized fragments.

 

Thanks to everyone for all your supportive posts!

[[de...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

[[...]]

To me, this sounds like evidence that holding may work, you may just need more time.  It can take a long time to get rid of glutamate symptoms once you have them.

Thanks so much for you input SG. Your expereince and suggestions really make a difference to me.

 

My question is how long would I have to hold to stabilize. I held for four months and the symptoms were all over the place but the anxiety and agoraphobia really stayed pretty much the same. No relief from them. When I have tapered at c/c/h/h/h I seem to do ok and the sxs allow me to stay functional, well as functional as agoraphobia allows you to be.

 

I know with TW anxiety and agoraphobia won't go away and that is why I'm worried about holding. How do I know if they are glutamate symptoms or TW symptoms. I'm super frustrated right now and just want it to be over with  :'(  I don't know how you guys do this for years. I've only been suffering for about 11 months and sometimes when I go to bed I feel like I can't face the next day. By the way when I am at my baseline I do often have a relief from my anxiety symptoms in the evening. I used to make plans for the next day until I realized that the next day would always start back at the begining again. That's where the above statement comes in.

 

On a different note, I'm so glad you were able to pass at least part of your stone. I hope the rest of it is on it's way out and you don't have to go through any more procedures.

 

Thanks again for all your help especially considering all you have been going through.

 

Hugs and healing to you

 

I have to agree with you that four months of holding is a lot of holding.  Perhaps it does argue for TW.  Then again, I have glutamate symptoms (symptoms from tapering too fast) and I know how stubborn and enduring they can be.  I have no trouble believing four months isn't enough.  I don't want to influence you too much one way or the other since I really don't know.  Mainly, I don't want you to default to TW without questioning it.

 

It is good to have the experience of the people on the long hold thread so we can see what 3 or 6 months or longer holds do.  I wish I knew if another few months would make a difference.  All I can suggest is to weigh the options.

[[Ma...]]

If the point of dlmt is to have minimal symptoms, does it just not work for some people. I was fine month 1.month 2 sick with nausea. I am lowering taper rate. What if that isn't the issue? Is daily reduction worse for some people vs cut and hold.  I expected some symptoms but last 2 days I'm worthless nauseous and exhausted. Cant do routine..  I'm going to lower rate for a month to see if i stabilize. I'm just wondering if this method is superior in reducing symptoms in the majority of cases. What do I do if lowering rate doesn't help?

[[jr...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

 

You could weigh your pills on a scale (available at Amazon for 20 bucks) and shave .001 from one pill a day until you are only taking .5mg. That is what I done in the beginning of my taper but I was never able to get by on just one dose per day. if your pill weighs .130g as mine did then it will take you 130 days to get rid of .5mg

[[de...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

 

You could weigh your pills on a scale (available at Amazon for 20 bucks) and shave .001 from one pill a day until you are only taking .5mg. That is what I done in the beginning of my taper but I was never able to get by on just one dose per day. if your pill weighs .130g as mine did then it will take you 130 days to get rid of .5mg

 

Sounds like a good idea.  Not sure how I would know what .001 looks like - do you make a guess?  it can't be any worse than what I'm doing now - watching bits and pieces flying across the room as I try and cut it.  The thought of being at .50 is so unbelievable to me.  I'd be happy with just .75.  Thank you for your suggestion.

[[ga...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

 

You could weigh your pills on a scale (available at Amazon for 20 bucks) and shave .001 from one pill a day until you are only taking .5mg. That is what I done in the beginning of my taper but I was never able to get by on just one dose per day. if your pill weighs .130g as mine did then it will take you 130 days to get rid of .5mg

 

Sounds like a good idea.  Not sure how I would know what .001 looks like - do you make a guess?  it can't be any worse than what I'm doing now - watching bits and pieces flying across the room as I try and cut it.  The thought of being at .50 is so unbelievable to me.  I'd be happy with just .75.  Thank you for your suggestion.

 

Xanax is typically dosed 3-4 times/day. I think you said you're dosing once? When I was cutting X, I had to go up to 6 times/day to avoid inter-dose w/d. It is a very short-acting drug. The lower I got, the worse the inter-dose w/d symptoms. I think there's a Xanax thread on this forum somewhere. They would be a big help to you.

 

The liquid form is called intensol. It was made by Roxanne, except I think they were bought by another company. You can dilute it with water to any strength you want and then measure with an oral syringe. The titration gurus figured it out for me and then it was a breeze. Dissolving it yourself and diluting it is also pretty easy if you find the cutting difficult. Some people dry cut but I hated it. It is just as you say. Crumbs and bits and took forever. I mixed up a week's worth of my diluted mixture at a time and it kept fine and was easy to measure with an oral syringe.

 

BTW, I am not saying to take more X. I am saying consider asking your doctor to write the script so you take the same amount but divided into 3-4 parts to keep your blood levels even. The taper might be less painful that way. I felt so much better when I did that.

 

Good luck.

 

Gard

[[bu...]]

 

 

 

 

Okay.  Thank you very much for the information. I hadn't heard of xanax liquid. I can ask about it next time I see the Dr.  I'll check some different threads regarding titration vs cut and hold.  I managed cut-and-hold from 2mg to 1 mg.  Dr. prescribed .50 to help me with cutting ( per my request)  but I'm having more difficulty.  Maybe a different manufacturer?  Who knows. Thank you again.

 

Actually, many docs are not aware of many of the liquid options.  I would suggest you talk to your pharmacist first and have him/her give you the specifics about liquid xanax, then take that info to your doc.

[[ga...]]

 

 

 

 

Okay.  Thank you very much for the information. I hadn't heard of xanax liquid. I can ask about it next time I see the Dr.  I'll check some different threads regarding titration vs cut and hold.  I managed cut-and-hold from 2mg to 1 mg.  Dr. prescribed .50 to help me with cutting ( per my request)  but I'm having more difficulty.  Maybe a different manufacturer?  Who knows. Thank you again.

 

Actually, many docs are not aware of many of the liquid options.  I would suggest you talk to your pharmacist first and have him/her give you the specifics about liquid xanax, then take that info to your doc.

 

:thumbsup:

[[de...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

 

You could weigh your pills on a scale (available at Amazon for 20 bucks) and shave .001 from one pill a day until you are only taking .5mg. That is what I done in the beginning of my taper but I was never able to get by on just one dose per day. if your pill weighs .130g as mine did then it will take you 130 days to get rid of .5mg

 

Sounds like a good idea.  Not sure how I would know what .001 looks like - do you make a guess?  it can't be any worse than what I'm doing now - watching bits and pieces flying across the room as I try and cut it.  The thought of being at .50 is so unbelievable to me.  I'd be happy with just .75.  Thank you for your suggestion.

 

Xanax is typically dosed 3-4 times/day. I think you said you're dosing once? When I was cutting X, I had to go up to 6 times/day to avoid inter-dose w/d. It is a very short-acting drug. The lower I got, the worse the inter-dose w/d symptoms. I think there's a Xanax thread on this forum somewhere. They would be a big help to you.

 

The liquid form is called intensol. It was made by Roxanne, except I think they were bought by another company. You can dilute it with water to any strength you want and then measure with an oral syringe. The titration gurus figured it out for me and then it was a breeze. Dissolving it yourself and diluting it is also pretty easy if you find the cutting difficult. Some people dry cut but I hated it. It is just as you say. Crumbs and bits and took forever. I mixed up a week's worth of my diluted mixture at a time and it kept fine and was easy to measure with an oral syringe.

 

BTW, I am not saying to take more X. I am saying consider asking your doctor to write the script so you take the same amount but divided into 3-4 parts to keep your blood levels even. The taper might be less painful that way. I felt so much better when I did that.

 

Good luck.

 

Gard

 

Thank you so much for all the information.  I've been pretty much on my own with  this from the beginning.  Just like you say, I have read how xanax is a short acting drug and wonder how it is affecting me during the day.  It was initially given to me over a decade ago - I don't even remember exactly how long ago.  It was for insomnia at the time & I was told to just take it for sleep.  I'm so sorry I ever started.  I had no idea how totally hooked I would become.  I used to forget to get a refill sometimes and have twitches and hallucinations just from being off of it one day.  As time went on, Dr.'s started not wanting me to continue taking it and I got scared about someone someday just not prescribing it anymore. That's when I started my own taper.  No Dr. has offered any titration or help to taper off but then again, I haven't asked.  I figured I could do it on my own but it is definitely getting harder as I reduce the amount. I'm grateful for this site.  I'll try and find some specific Xanax threads.  I will also consider dissolving and using a syringe.  Thank you again for the time you took to respond to me.

[[...]]

To me, this sounds like evidence that holding may work, you may just need more time.  It can take a long time to get rid of glutamate symptoms once you have them.

Thanks so much for you input SG. Your expereince and suggestions really make a difference to me.

 

My question is how long would I have to hold to stabilize. I held for four months and the symptoms were all over the place but the anxiety and agoraphobia really stayed pretty much the same. No relief from them. When I have tapered at c/c/h/h/h I seem to do ok and the sxs allow me to stay functional, well as functional as agoraphobia allows you to be.

 

I know with TW anxiety and agoraphobia won't go away and that is why I'm worried about holding. How do I know if they are glutamate symptoms or TW symptoms. I'm super frustrated right now and just want it to be over with  :'(  I don't know how you guys do this for years. I've only been suffering for about 11 months and sometimes when I go to bed I feel like I can't face the next day. By the way when I am at my baseline I do often have a relief from my anxiety symptoms in the evening. I used to make plans for the next day until I realized that the next day would always start back at the begining again. That's where the above statement comes in.

 

On a different note, I'm so glad you were able to pass at least part of your stone. I hope the rest of it is on it's way out and you don't have to go through any more procedures.

 

Thanks again for all your help especially considering all you have been going through.

 

Hugs and healing to you

 

I have to agree with you that four months of holding is a lot of holding.  Perhaps it does argue for TW.  Then again, I have glutamate symptoms (symptoms from tapering too fast) and I know how stubborn and enduring they can be.  I have no trouble believing four months isn't enough.  I don't want to influence you too much one way or the other since I really don't know.  Mainly, I don't want you to default to TW without questioning it.

 

It is good to have the experience of the people on the long hold thread so we can see what 3 or 6 months or longer holds do.  I wish I knew if another few months would make a difference.  All I can suggest is to weigh the options.

 

Hi SG, no worries about the influencing me one way or the other. All information is good to have right now. One more bit of information for you is that I had tapered 25% from 1mg in March and after two weeks I had stabilized. I didn't increase my dose until I CT'd my AD and then when it didn't really help I just stayed at that dose so I had been stable at that dose with no tapering since the middle of June. Since I was getting so much better I assumed when I started getting worse and different symptoms, like muscle weakness, that I was in TW. The reason that I started the taper was because of increasing and worsening symptoms.

 

Anyway I don't know if there is any sure way to tell if I'm in TW due to the CT from the AD. I always question and analyze things to death so I didn't come to the conclusion that I was in TW easily and I question it all the time. I did have someone say that maybe by tapering I'm uncovering some residual CT withdrawals and that over time that will go away and I will be able to taper more quickly. I'm hopeful that could happen.

 

I really appreciate all your thoughts on this as they help me, and my hubby, as we try to figure out what is the best thing to do. I don't know if I could handle holding for another few months as the symptoms just kept getting worse while I was holding.  It's hard to know which way to go though. So many unanswered questions.

 

Thanks again for all your time and input on this. I appreciate your thoughts and considerations. I hope you keep healing yourself. I can't imagine having to deal with kidney stones right now!! 

[[ga...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

 

You could weigh your pills on a scale (available at Amazon for 20 bucks) and shave .001 from one pill a day until you are only taking .5mg. That is what I done in the beginning of my taper but I was never able to get by on just one dose per day. if your pill weighs .130g as mine did then it will take you 130 days to get rid of .5mg

 

Sounds like a good idea.  Not sure how I would know what .001 looks like - do you make a guess?  it can't be any worse than what I'm doing now - watching bits and pieces flying across the room as I try and cut it.  The thought of being at .50 is so unbelievable to me.  I'd be happy with just .75.  Thank you for your suggestion.

 

Xanax is typically dosed 3-4 times/day. I think you said you're dosing once? When I was cutting X, I had to go up to 6 times/day to avoid inter-dose w/d. It is a very short-acting drug. The lower I got, the worse the inter-dose w/d symptoms. I think there's a Xanax thread on this forum somewhere. They would be a big help to you.

 

The liquid form is called intensol. It was made by Roxanne, except I think they were bought by another company. You can dilute it with water to any strength you want and then measure with an oral syringe. The titration gurus figured it out for me and then it was a breeze. Dissolving it yourself and diluting it is also pretty easy if you find the cutting difficult. Some people dry cut but I hated it. It is just as you say. Crumbs and bits and took forever. I mixed up a week's worth of my diluted mixture at a time and it kept fine and was easy to measure with an oral syringe.

 

BTW, I am not saying to take more X. I am saying consider asking your doctor to write the script so you take the same amount but divided into 3-4 parts to keep your blood levels even. The taper might be less painful that way. I felt so much better when I did that.

 

Good luck.

 

Gard

 

Thank you so much for all the information.  I've been pretty much on my own with  this from the beginning.  Just like you say, I have read how xanax is a short acting drug and wonder how it is affecting me during the day.  It was initially given to me over a decade ago - I don't even remember exactly how long ago.  It was for insomnia at the time & I was told to just take it for sleep.  I'm so sorry I ever started.  I had no idea how totally hooked I would become.  I used to forget to get a refill sometimes and have twitches and hallucinations just from being off of it one day.  As time went on, Dr.'s started not wanting me to continue taking it and I got scared about someone someday just not prescribing it anymore. That's when I started my own taper.  No Dr. has offered any titration or help to taper off but then again, I haven't asked.  I figured I could do it on my own but it is definitely getting harder as I reduce the amount. I'm grateful for this site.  I'll try and find some specific Xanax threads.  I will also consider dissolving and using a syringe.  Thank you again for the time you took to respond to me.

 

Doctors will probably try to tell you to reduce too quickly. Many of us are tapering slowly without telling our doctors for fear they will jerk us off of our scripts. Rapid tapers often end very badly. Read the stickies at the top of the forums (from the home page) to get good basic info. The liquid titration thread is also a good place to ask questions. I think most people do liquid titration and titrate at a rate of no more than 10% of their dose per month. Some cut the whole 10% and then wait out the symptoms for a month. On this thread, we make tiny cuts every day to equal a total of 10% (or less) per month. It's like the difference between taking many steps down a staircase one at a time vs. jumping the whole flight in one leap. You're going to land harder and hurt more with the giant leap.

 

What I have learned from reading people's stories: Never try to super-rapid taper yourself off a benzo (you could die) and never go to a rehab/detox place because they will jerk you off so fast you will wish you were dead and will have the worst of the withdrawal after they send you home. Slow and steady is the way to do this. Kind of try to feel out your doctor to see how he/she feels about your trying a very slow taper without actually saying you're going to do it. By slow I mean 10%/month maximum!

 

I was also given Xanax as a sleeping pill and quickly developed daytime symptoms because of its short half life. Xanax is very hard to get off of because of the short half life, but it can be done. My doctor's first step was to spread my doses out so I was not having inter-dose w/d. Once you feel stable, then you can start tapering. I personally think it's best to try to taper off the benzo you're on if at all possible, rather than switch to a slower benzo. Some need to do it and some don't. Read and read to learn about safe withdrawal, but remember that the horror stories are not the typical experience. People with the worst experiences tend to post the most. Those posts can freak you out. After you've gathered your info, stop reading so much and focus on threads that are positive and helpful.

 

You must be your best advocate and know that doctors mostly don't know about how to safely withdraw you from a benzo. You can do this! We're cheering for you!

 

Gard

[[Ul...]]

SG I can't find any info on foods to avoid while taking clonazepam. I googled extensively and found nothing  The only thing I've ever read is to avoid cruciferous vegetables while on a benzo but they didn't specify which benzo or which pathway it uses.

 

I'm also still really struggling with the idea that this is going to take 4 1/2 years for me to taper off of. Is there any chance I will be able to speed it up at some point?  :'(

 

I really doubt it will take you that long.  Most tapers are less than two years and very very few go beyond three from what I see.

 

Google 'cyp450 3a4 inducers and inhibitors' and see what comes up.  Focus on 3A4, not clonazepam.

 

Thanks for the google search parameters. I will look that up.

 

I've been reading the long hold thread, I think it was you who suggested that, and the extremely long taper thread. There are people on those who have been tapering for years. It is not common, as you say, but it does seem to happen.

 

My brain seems to be so sensitive right now and I've had a lot of stressors thrown on it recently that I'm going to hold for at least a month even though I've only started my taper. I will be interested to see if any of my symptoms improve or if they just continue in the same wave pattern that I've had for the past few months. It is a hard decisions as I wake with anxiety every morning and the agoraphobia has me a prisoner in my own home and so far holding has only reduced that but not gotten rid of it. The other symptoms do go away when I hold so that is good at least.

 

It was nice to read on the long hold thread that there is another person who can't seem to cut more than 2% a month or she gets hit really badly with withdrawals. Well not nice but a bit of a validation that I'm not the only one on this side of the bell curve.

 

I understand that most people taper off in two to three years. Do you think I will be able to go faster at some point or is my math off? I had some pretty bad cog fog when I calculated it and I haven't re-calculated it but I'm not even sure I did it right.

 

Thanks for all your help I really appreciate your time and experience with all of this. 

 

Hey tnt, I'd be happy if I could cut 2% in FOUR months!!! Try not to sweat it. I think the pace of the taper comes and goes. Sometimes we move "fast" and other times we don't. I've been on enough pharmaceuticals over the decades to sink Trump's ego!! That's a lot, but we just gotta do what's needed. You'll get there!!!

 

Jeff

[[Ul...]]

I can tell you how I did mine but I need to know how many times a day you are dosing.

 

I only take it at night.  I've gone down from 2 mg to 1 mg over 3 years but really want to speed it up a bit.  I now have .50 tablets.  I take one tablet and cut the other in half, then half one piece again.  It's really not a very accurate or easy way to do it.  I looked up the liquid xanax but from what I can tell 2mg = 1 ml and for my purposes, I would need less than half of that.  I don't think I could get a drop that small. So, I'm back to dissolving or cutting.  Thanks for any help you can give.

 

You could weigh your pills on a scale (available at Amazon for 20 bucks) and shave .001 from one pill a day until you are only taking .5mg. That is what I done in the beginning of my taper but I was never able to get by on just one dose per day. if your pill weighs .130g as mine did then it will take you 130 days to get rid of .5mg

 

Sounds like a good idea.  Not sure how I would know what .001 looks like - do you make a guess?  it can't be any worse than what I'm doing now - watching bits and pieces flying across the room as I try and cut it.  The thought of being at .50 is so unbelievable to me.  I'd be happy with just .75.  Thank you for your suggestion.

 

Xanax is typically dosed 3-4 times/day. I think you said you're dosing once? When I was cutting X, I had to go up to 6 times/day to avoid inter-dose w/d. It is a very short-acting drug. The lower I got, the worse the inter-dose w/d symptoms. I think there's a Xanax thread on this forum somewhere. They would be a big help to you.

 

The liquid form is called intensol. It was made by Roxanne, except I think they were bought by another company. You can dilute it with water to any strength you want and then measure with an oral syringe. The titration gurus figured it out for me and then it was a breeze. Dissolving it yourself and diluting it is also pretty easy if you find the cutting difficult. Some people dry cut but I hated it. It is just as you say. Crumbs and bits and took forever. I mixed up a week's worth of my diluted mixture at a time and it kept fine and was easy to measure with an oral syringe.

 

BTW, I am not saying to take more X. I am saying consider asking your doctor to write the script so you take the same amount but divided into 3-4 parts to keep your blood levels even. The taper might be less painful that way. I felt so much better when I did that.

 

Good luck.

 

Gard

 

Thank you so much for all the information.  I've been pretty much on my own with  this from the beginning.  Just like you say, I have read how xanax is a short acting drug and wonder how it is affecting me during the day.  It was initially given to me over a decade ago - I don't even remember exactly how long ago.  It was for insomnia at the time & I was told to just take it for sleep.  I'm so sorry I ever started.  I had no idea how totally hooked I would become.  I used to forget to get a refill sometimes and have twitches and hallucinations just from being off of it one day.  As time went on, Dr.'s started not wanting me to continue taking it and I got scared about someone someday just not prescribing it anymore. That's when I started my own taper.  No Dr. has offered any titration or help to taper off but then again, I haven't asked.  I figured I could do it on my own but it is definitely getting harder as I reduce the amount. I'm grateful for this site.  I'll try and find some specific Xanax threads.  I will also consider dissolving and using a syringe.  Thank you again for the time you took to respond to me.

 

Determined, I feel for ya. I can relate. I've been on K (and many, many others in addition) for well over two decades. Got off all except K on my own.  I was sorry I got on it too and, like you, I had no idea about the hell and addiction this would cause. I laugh a little because I remember learning what damage benzos cause and then started to "cut" on my own. I didn't have a clue!! I eyeballed the tablets, made a lot of messes, and about went nuts on more than a few occasions. Cutting the tablets blew me away. Thank the holy heavenly one above that I somehow found SG, Builder and Sharkey!! They saved my life and continue to do so. I did the transfer from tablet to liquid very slowly (dissolved K tabs in vodka then added water), and then eventually started to taper down. It's taken a lot of time just to get down from 6mg/day to where I am now, but thankfully most people don't take ridiculous amounts like that. I can only say what has helped me, and that's been the dissolving of the tab in liquid and then take it down slow. Had to hold a lot due to life challenges, but some decrease is better than none. And like you, I also ran into the problem of docs (I moved to new state) not wanting to write me scripts.

 

Stick with this group and you'll do fine. Sounds to me like you just need a little guidance in the right direction and then you'll be off to the races. Stay determined!!

 

Bless ya!

 

Jeff

[[Ul...]]

Well, the stone is still there.  I feel you all have a vested interest in this saga at this point so I feel compelled to post.  I got the CT scan and it showed the stone had fractured into pieces and moved down into a tube above my bladder.  There had been no pain all this time, but it was stuck there.  So I started drinking a lot of water and peeing through a screen again.  I also took a drug to dilate the tube.

 

Well, this morning wouldn't you know I passed a piece of it...about 2mm.  I'm sure that's not the end of the story, but this is really good news as the urologist said that even though I am pain free it has to come out one way or another, eventually.  If I don't pass it I will have to get another lithotripsy or even a more invasive method.  I go back for another CT in two weeks, so I have that much time to pass whatever is still there.

 

My gosh, SG!! No rest for the weary, huh?? They say, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger", so I'm guessing you'll be strong enough to make a prisoner of war camp seem like a vacation resort. I pray that you do like Jimmy Buffet says..."....but I pissed it away so fast..." (A Pirate Looks at Forty). Here's to you feeling better!!!

 

Jeff

[[de...]]

Thank you Jeff and everyone for your support.  As Sharkey advised,  I'm going to read as much as I need to about tapering and then decide how to go forward.  I think I'm more of a cut and hold person but not sure why and not sure I'll stick to that.  All I know is, I want to no longer be dependent on this drug.  I could probably live out the rest of my life with it, as long as someone would continue to prescribe it, BUT I simply don't want to live like this anymore.  I imagine that's what brings most people to this forum.  As I reach out now for help, I hope some day to be of help to others in the same way. Good fortune and health to us all.

[[jr...]]

Thank you Jeff and everyone for your support.  As Sharkey advised,  I'm going to read as much as I need to about tapering and then decide how to go forward.  I think I'm more of a cut and hold person but not sure why and not sure I'll stick to that.  All I know is, I want to no longer be dependent on this drug.  I could probably live out the rest of my life with it, as long as someone would continue to prescribe it, BUT I simply don't want to live like this anymore.  I imagine that's what brings most people to this forum.  As I reach out now for help, I hope some day to be of help to others in the same way. Good fortune and health to us all.

 

IMHO I think cut and hold is the worst way to get off. And I say that from experience. You can micro-taper dry down to about .004g before the scales become unusable. then a liquid taper is in order all the way to zero. doctors recommend cut and hold but they want things to go too fast. Take this as slow as possible. the urge to be off has put more people in the ditch than anything else.

[[de...]]

Thank you for all your advice.  I'll definitely consider everything.  I'm sure the slower I go the better for my body. No doubt about that.  I want this to work. I'm in the gathering information stage right now.  With the help of this forum, I'm confident I'lll find what will work.  At some point, I think I will have to go to a liquid form of some sort - just have to figure out what I can manage - along with what my body can tolerate.  Best to all.