Daily Micro-Tapering Support Group

[[Sp...]]

I am in the process of designing a micro taper program for myself. I am taking 10mg of Valium per day. 2  5mg tablets. The liquid Valium sounds like a good way to do this. I found one compounding pharmacy that recommended that I take 1 tablet and the 5mg in liquid to start, tapering the liquid until I got down to the 5mg tablet. They then suggest converting to all liquid. What do you think about this plan? I want to get off of this drug in a big way but the thought of experiencing more anxiety as I taper is even making me more anxious. How do you cope with the rebound or do you taper slow enough that you do not feel much additional anxiety? I appreciate your help.

[[Sc...]]

I know I’ve been wanting to be so cautious & scared to start taper, but am ready now & convinced my extraordinary fatigue is due to high dose k pin & cant function like this way anymore. Bella made me nice dlmt charts but it seems I can’t go fast enough to relieve fatigue. Just started today though. Coffee doesn’t wake me up.

 

But do you remember in the beginning of your taper if we’re on a relatively high k pin dose(I’m on 3.5mg/day)ever making cuts larger than 10% of daily dose and avoiding withdrawal symptoms?

 

Anyone do this due to excessive sedation? Did the larger cuts remove the sedation without adding withdrawal?

Anyone please feel free to chime in. I’m sooooo tired I can’t deal. Trying to start new dlmt with compounded pharm liquid but I took it this am & just want to go back to sleep,(that’s been my norm for awhile though)can’t tell if maybe I’m even more tired on the liquid. Could it be stronger than pills? I also got a gurgle tummy post dose & feel sort of like i took a shot.

 

Thoughts on dry cutting .125mg from 6a. .5, 12pm .5, 6pm .5 leave bedtime dose @ 2mg

Or cutting .25 from first 2 doses of day leave all else alone or dlmt 3rd dose while doing this leaving bed dose, as tabs. These would put me above 10% reduction off total daily dose.

 

I don’t want to mess my taper up by cutting too much too soon, but can’t take the scary fatigue.

Any ideas welcome.

 

Anyone with excessive fatigue, on high dose feel better after, no withdrawal from fairly large cuts early in taper? Details?

 

What are thoughts on the following also:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=204137.msg2646166#msg2646166

 

Please help

 

Thank you

[[Be...]]

I know I’ve been wanting to be so cautious & scared to start taper, but am ready now & convinced my extraordinary fatigue is due to high dose k pin & cant function like this way anymore. Bella made me nice dlmt charts but it seems I can’t go fast enough to relieve fatigue. Just started today though. Coffee doesn’t wake me up.

 

But do you remember in the beginning of your taper if we’re on a relatively high k pin dose(I’m on 3.5mg/day)ever making cuts larger than 10% of daily dose and avoiding withdrawal symptoms?

 

Anyone do this due to excessive sedation? Did the larger cuts remove the sedation without adding withdrawal?

Anyone please feel free to chime in. I’m sooooo tired I can’t deal. Trying to start new dlmt with compounded pharm liquid but I took it this am & just want to go back to sleep,(that’s been my norm for awhile though)can’t tell if maybe I’m even more tired on the liquid. Could it be stronger than pills? I also got a gurgle tummy post dose & feel sort of like i took a shot.

 

Thoughts on dry cutting .125mg from 6a. .5, 12pm .5, 6pm .5 leave bedtime dose @ 2mg

Or cutting .25 from first 2 doses of day leave all else alone or dlmt 3rd dose while doing this leaving bed dose, as tabs. These would put me above 10% reduction off total daily dose.

I don’t want to mess my taper up by cutting too much too soon, but can’t take the scary fatigue.

Any ideas welcome.

 

Anyone with excessive fatigue, on high dose feel better after, no withdrawal from fairly large cuts early in taper? Details?

 

What are thoughts on the following also:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=204137.msg2646166#msg2646166

 

Please help

 

Thank you

 

Glad to hear you are ready to start Scaredie.

 

A good place to start would be to remove .25mg from one of the 2 day time doses (it is easier & more accurate to cut .5mg tablets is 1/2 than 1/4). This way you are staying within the recommended cut rate & simply "testing  the waters". See how you feel after 10 -14 days, then remove another .25mg from the other am dose & see how you feel. Cut & hold to start then maybe some of the excess fatigue will go away so you become more functional. After you get rid of fatigue you can switch over to dlmt.

[[Sc...]]

I know I’ve been wanting to be so cautious & scared to start taper, but am ready now & convinced my extraordinary fatigue is due to high dose k pin & cant function like this way anymore. Bella made me nice dlmt charts but it seems I can’t go fast enough to relieve fatigue. Just started today though. Coffee doesn’t wake me up.

 

But do you remember in the beginning of your taper if we’re on a relatively high k pin dose(I’m on 3.5mg/day)ever making cuts larger than 10% of daily dose and avoiding withdrawal symptoms?

 

Anyone do this due to excessive sedation? Did the larger cuts remove the sedation without adding withdrawal?

Anyone please feel free to chime in. I’m sooooo tired I can’t deal. Trying to start new dlmt with compounded pharm liquid but I took it this am & just want to go back to sleep,(that’s been my norm for awhile though)can’t tell if maybe I’m even more tired on the liquid. Could it be stronger than pills? I also got a gurgle tummy post dose & feel sort of like i took a shot.

 

Thoughts on dry cutting .125mg from 6a. .5, 12pm .5, 6pm .5 leave bedtime dose @ 2mg

Or cutting .25 from first 2 doses of day leave all else alone or dlmt 3rd dose while doing this leaving bed dose, as tabs. These would put me above 10% reduction off total daily dose.

I don’t want to mess my taper up by cutting too much too soon, but can’t take the scary fatigue.

Any ideas welcome.

 

Anyone with excessive fatigue, on high dose feel better after, no withdrawal from fairly large cuts early in taper? Details?

 

What are thoughts on the following also:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=204137.msg2646166#msg2646166

 

Please help

 

Thank you

 

Glad to hear you are ready to start Scaredie.

 

A good place to start would be to remove .25mg from one of the 2 day time doses (it is easier & more accurate to cut .5mg tablets is 1/2 than 1/4). This way you are staying within the recommended cut rate & simply "testing  the waters". See how you feel after 10 -14 days, then remove another .25mg from the other am dose & see how you feel. Cut & hold to start then maybe some of the excess fatigue will go away so you become more functional. After you get rid of fatigue you can switch over to dlmt.

You are the dearest! But I would feel aweful if I don’t do liquid, now, because you made me charts...

 

Yes, so right about trying to cut a quarter of a pill. I totally ruined a pill the other day trying that. Thanks for the advice.

 

Do I need to weigh these cuts you think?

Well, there’s no bear hug symbol, so...

[[ga...]]

I am in the process of designing a micro taper program for myself. I am taking 10mg of Valium per day. 2  5mg tablets. The liquid Valium sounds like a good way to do this. I found one compounding pharmacy that recommended that I take 1 tablet and the 5mg in liquid to start, tapering the liquid until I got down to the 5mg tablet. They then suggest converting to all liquid. What do you think about this plan? I want to get off of this drug in a big way but the thought of experiencing more anxiety as I taper is even making me more anxious. How do you cope with the rebound or do you taper slow enough that you do not feel much additional anxiety? I appreciate your help.

 

Lots of people do that sort of thing. I was taking 2 whole capsules of Librium plus one dissolved capsule of Librium for each of my doses when I started. Then I was down to one whole capsule and one dissolved capsule per dose. Now that I am down to one capsule per dose, I am on all liquid and no capsules. Less liquid to deal with has been a good thing for me.

[[An...]]

Hi Unicorn,

. 

How have you been feeling throughout your taper.  I just started mine after reinstating on 1.5mg Klonopin.  I'm so terrified to go further because I don't want to become incapicatated.  If you read my signature bar, it basically explains where I am at this far.

 

Any input you can provide would be helpful.

 

Hope you're having a good day.

 

Angel (Michelle)

[[no...]]

Well, I'm surprised. My local CVS has 1 mg real Teva in stock again. They said the Actavis, which Teva company when I called today said might be in CVS pharmacies by now, wasn't even in their database yet. And a local mom and pop that I had a prescription filled at (they had 20 real Teva last week and my pdoc kindly wrote me a prescription there as well as the other mom and pop), didn't have any Saturday when it was called in but talking to them today they were also able to get real Teva 1 mg for me, not Actavis.

 

I also called my compounding pharmacy and they have at least 50 1 mg Teva left for my compounded capsules and have put my name on it so that it won't be given out to anyone else... so liquid and compounded capsules here I come.

 

I made/took my first dose of liquid today - took my afternoon .125 as liquid, 0.01 mg/ml so 12.5 ml. Just wanted to see if there was any immediate problem. Not so far in 2.25 hours.

 

---

and looking on the Teva Generic website they show the 1mg as their real Teva and the 2mg as the Actavis. Don't list the 0.5mg tablet yet. I was told today after June 15th.

[[Un...]]

Hi Michelle,

 

It was going really well for 2.5 weeks then I hit a rough patch, so I slowed it down and holding for now.  After a c/t, in my experience, it was hard to stabilize.  Didn’t ever get back to a point where I’m very functional.  Since starting my taper, I have had some windows and days of being more functional.  However, this past week has been hard.  My main issues are mental, with fear and phobias (agoraphobia and monophobia).  Hopefully you’re more functional than I and don’t have these phobias and fear issues.

 

I’m able to sleep, since updosing so that’s a plus.  Also, my strength has come back to almost 50%.  My period finally started after four months of not having one.  A lot of acute w/d symptoms have alleviated.  During acute I was bedridden and very weak, had all the c/t hell symptoms except seizures.  I’m much better than that, now. 

 

I understand your fear of going down further because you don’t want to be incapacitated.  Are you able to function now?  If so, at what level?

 

Like many have told me, it’s really good to just try the taper and listen to your brain/body.  My incapacitation is coming from my level of anxiety and fear being heightened this past week.  Some days I’m more fatigued and feel depressed, while others are more on the other end of the spectrum feeling akathisia and intense anxiety, racing thoughts, etc. 

 

I’m still hopeful about the taper and am going to resume at a very slow amount, decreasing .001ml/day. 

 

There have been a lot of positives since starting my taper.  I’m in a low right now so it’s hard to really name them all. 

 

I’m so sorry you had to go through a detox.  It’s awful.  Words can’t describe. 

 

I noticed you were detoxed from 2.5 X and reinstated at 1.5 K.  How are you feeling since reinstating on that amount of K?

 

 

[[Sc...]]

I know I’ve been wanting to be so cautious & scared to start taper, but am ready now & convinced my extraordinary fatigue is due to high dose k pin & cant function like this way anymore. Bella made me nice dlmt charts but it seems I can’t go fast enough to relieve fatigue. Just started today though. Coffee doesn’t wake me up.

 

But do you remember in the beginning of your taper if we’re on a relatively high k pin dose(I’m on 3.5mg/day)ever making cuts larger than 10% of daily dose and avoiding withdrawal symptoms?

 

Anyone do this due to excessive sedation? Did the larger cuts remove the sedation without adding withdrawal?

Anyone please feel free to chime in. I’m sooooo tired I can’t deal. Trying to start new dlmt with compounded pharm liquid but I took it this am & just want to go back to sleep,(that’s been my norm for awhile though)can’t tell if maybe I’m even more tired on the liquid. Could it be stronger than pills? I also got a gurgle tummy post dose & feel sort of like i took a shot.

 

Thoughts on dry cutting .125mg from 6a. .5, 12pm .5, 6pm .5 leave bedtime dose @ 2mg

Or cutting .25 from first 2 doses of day leave all else alone or dlmt 3rd dose while doing this leaving bed dose, as tabs. These would put me above 10% reduction off total daily dose.

I don’t want to mess my taper up by cutting too much too soon, but can’t take the scary fatigue.

Any ideas welcome.

 

Anyone with excessive fatigue, on high dose feel better after, no withdrawal from fairly large cuts early in taper? Details?

 

What are thoughts on the following also:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=204137.msg2646166#msg2646166

 

Please help

 

Thank you

 

Glad to hear you are ready to start Scaredie.

 

A good place to start would be to remove .25mg from one of the 2 day time doses (it is easier & more accurate to cut .5mg tablets is 1/2 than 1/4). This way you are staying within the recommended cut rate & simply "testing  the waters". See how you feel after 10 -14 days, then remove another .25mg from the other am dose & see how you feel. Cut & hold to start then maybe some of the excess fatigue will go away so you become more functional. After you get rid of fatigue you can switch over to dlmt.

You are the dearest! But I would feel aweful if I don’t do liquid, now, because you made me charts...

 

Yes, so right about trying to cut a quarter of a pill. I totally ruined a pill the other day trying that. Thanks for the advice.

 

Do I need to weigh these cuts you think?

Well, there’s no bear hug symbol, so...

So Bella,

I’m no doubt confusing us both. Is this what your most recent and strongest suggestion is for me?

To try cutting & holding one .5 by .25mg instead of liquid to get rid of sedation for now then go back to liquid when sedation is better? What do you make of my nausea?

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=204137.msg2646393#msg2646393

Thank you AGAIN 

[[Un...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

[[Ma...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

 

 

No rocky start, I would decrease 4 or 5 days and hold a day, I know most people keep going but I had just such a bad time when I decided on liquid titrating, I decided to hold every 4 or 5 days just in case

[[Un...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

 

 

No rocky start, I would decrease 4 or 5 days and hold a day, I know most people keep going but I had just such a bad time when I decided on liquid titrating, I decided to hold every 4 or 5 days just in case

 

Thank you for sharing how you do it, Mary.  I was doing daily and the doses weren’t consistent because I was trying to reduce my updose amount .125mg in three months.  I’m holding for now but maybe going forward I’ll try what you did. 

 

How much did you decrease by each day?

[[Ma...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

 

 

No rocky start, I would decrease 4 or 5 days and hold a day, I know most people keep going but I had just such a bad time when I decided on liquid titrating, I decided to hold every 4 or 5 days just in case

 

Thank you for sharing how you do it, Mary.  I was doing daily and the doses weren’t consistent because I was trying to reduce my updose amount .125mg in three months.  I’m holding for now but maybe going forward I’ll try what you did. 

 

How much did you decrease by each day?

 

.0025

[[Sc...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

 

 

No rocky start, I would decrease 4 or 5 days and hold a day, I know most people keep going but I had just such a bad time when I decided on liquid titrating, I decided to hold every 4 or 5 days just in case

 

Thank you for sharing how you do it, Mary.  I was doing daily and the doses weren’t consistent because I was trying to reduce my updose amount .125mg in three months.  I’m holding for now but maybe going forward I’ll try what you did. 

 

How much did you decrease by each day?

Hope you feel better soon & get your answers. 

[[Un...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

 

 

No rocky start, I would decrease 4 or 5 days and hold a day, I know most people keep going but I had just such a bad time when I decided on liquid titrating, I decided to hold every 4 or 5 days just in case

 

Thank you for sharing how you do it, Mary.  I was doing daily and the doses weren’t consistent because I was trying to reduce my updose amount .125mg in three months.  I’m holding for now but maybe going forward I’ll try what you did. 

 

How much did you decrease by each day?

 

.0025

 

Thank you for sharing how you do it.  I’m going to do .001 once I resume, for a while and see how it goes.  I’d love to be able to tolerate .002.  Holding onto hope! 

[[jr...]]

Has anyone had a bit of a rocky start with DLMT, if so did it even out and your body adjust?

 

I’m 3 weeks in and already have to hold, even with going very slowly.  It was great until 2.5 week mark.

 

Thank you for any feedback.

 

Love,

 

Uni

 

Lots of people have a rocky start to dlmt. even though the meds are the same, some will feel as though they made a cut. To compensate for this, I done a slight update when I started mine. no problems for me.

[[Ma...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

[[Sc...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

Hi Mary,

You may know this already, but I think there’s a group called something like the easy withdrawal group or the no problems group. You may want to check there for more v taper positive experiences.

I have to go but let me know if you can’t find it & want too. Best wishes

[[jk...]]

Oh I hadn’t thought of Botox for the migraines.  Though I’m quite agoraphobic right now, but I’ll try that in the future.  Good idea to try the oral first.  Thank you for your feedback, peaceflower.  I have a prescription for Immitrex and won’t touch it.

 

I have migraines too Uni, but I can't take magnesium because I have a low heart rate.  If u do , start at low doses and just make sure you're ok with it.   I can't do epsom salt bath either and I could sure use one.

 

There are other non-drug approaches like biofeedback and other supplements. This review papers lists a bunch to review with your doctor: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-018-0623-6

 

CoQ10 and riboflavin are two other supplements that may help.

[[jr...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

I dry cut for about half my taper and switched to dlmt. It went well. I jumped in dec. 2016. felt pretty good until august 2017 and that is when depression beat me down. Still fighting it every day.

[[Ma...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

I dry cut for about half my taper and switched to dlmt. It went well. I jumped in dec. 2016. felt pretty good until august 2017 and that is when depression beat me down. Still fighting it every day.

 

I'm so sorry, I hope it eases soon.  Thanks for answering me 

[[Sc...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

I dry cut for about half my taper and switched to dlmt. It went well. I jumped in dec. 2016. felt pretty good until august 2017 and that is when depression beat me down. Still fighting it every day.

Jr.,

I’m sorry to hear about your depression. I have treatment resistant depression, so I understand the beast that it is. Mind me asking did you ever have depression before Xanax use?

Did a situation trigger your depression?

What do you think triggered it?

Sending healing thoughts. Feel better soon

[[jr...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

I dry cut for about half my taper and switched to dlmt. It went well. I jumped in dec. 2016. felt pretty good until august 2017 and that is when depression beat me down. Still fighting it every day.

Jr.,

I’m sorry to hear about your depression. I have treatment resistant depression, so I understand the beast that it is. Mind me asking did you ever have depression before Xanax use?

Did a situation trigger your depression?

What do you think triggered it?

Sending healing thoughts. Feel better soon

 

I was put on Xanax to quit smoking. and I never had depression in my life until dec 2014 when I lost both Parents.

[[Sc...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

I dry cut for about half my taper and switched to dlmt. It went well. I jumped in dec. 2016. felt pretty good until august 2017 and that is when depression beat me down. Still fighting it every day.

Jr.,

I’m sorry to hear about your depression. I have treatment resistant depression, so I understand the beast that it is. Mind me asking did you ever have depression before Xanax use?

Did a situation trigger your depression?

What do you think triggered it?

Sending healing thoughts. Feel better soon

 

I was put on Xanax to quit smoking. and I never had depression in my life until dec 2014 when I lost both Parents.

I’m so sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine. I thought you were implying that your current depression might be paws. I hope you feel better real soon.

[[...]]

JR, did u do a straight xanax dlmt?  If u switched to valium, could you tell me how you felt after the jump?

I dry cut for about half my taper and switched to dlmt. It went well. I jumped in dec. 2016. felt pretty good until august 2017 and that is when depression beat me down. Still fighting it every day.

jr50898,

 

I am sorry you are fighting depression every day.

 

I had depression - I think unrelated to benzo - due to a crisis with my son. 

 

I did fight it every day.  I found very cold showers would help.  I found exercise helped.  I found trying to only think about things happening around me in the current moment helped.  Try hard not to think of things in future or past.  Do not look inward - do not stay inside your head.  Look outward.

 

But what really helped is I was given Celexa.  Within a week, I was so much better.  Within 3 months, when I felt better about my son, I was able to start weaning off of it.  It was a much easier thing to taper off of (compared to benzo).  I did give me some motion sickness during the taper but it only lasted a few days and the rest of the symptoms were GONE in a couple of weeks.  It was so worth it.

 

It is like the Celexa knocked me back into sync.

 

I have not taking it for about 19 months now. 

 

Trust God will give you enough grace to make it through.  Then look for His help.  It comes in many ways.