New here

[[pr...]]

Hi,

I have been taking benzos for 5 years and I just learned that they are a downer and contributing to me having to go through depression.I really need to get off them but I tried this winter with no success and I don't really know how to go about getting to a non-benzo's life.I am scared and need support.I haven't started to do anything yet to wean off but it will have to be done soon.

Pretzel

[Guest [...]]

Welcome Pretzel,

Benzos depressed me too. You found out about that effect faster than I did. Because we feel do feel so down, it's normal to think that we can't live without the benzos. We don't remember that we felt much better before benzos started dragging us down. This is because the benzo did this over a period of time.  It effect didn't hit overnight so it was harder to notice.

 

Now you've made the decision to feel better. We need to know some details. What is the benzo? How much do you use daily? What is your dosing schedule? Do you ever feel the need to take your next dose before it's scheduled? Do you have symptoms when you don't take it on time? Do you use any other drugs of any kind?

 

You made a good decision. Benzos aren't recommended for more than two  to six weeks of continued use.

Jana

 

 

[[Co...]]

Hi Pretzel,

 

One we become dependant upon benzos, there are two things needed to quit: information; and support. I hope BenzoBuddies can supply both. We find that just about everyone can quit with these two things in place. The important requirement is the desire to quit, and you appear to possess that.

 

As Jana wrote, we need to know more about you and your benzo regimen before we can make comment about how we might be able to help.

 

Take care.

[[pr...]]

I am taking Clonezapam 0.37 twice a day.In the morning when I wake up and 7 hours later.Since today I started taking my nightly dose only as .25 instead of .37.I know it doesn't sound like a big deal because i  am not on a big dosage but I think my body is sensitive.It is sensitive to anything I put in so I guess it's also sensitive to what I am trying to get rid of.At one point though I was taking 4 mg everyday so I manage to get on this low of a dose but the rest is really hard.I start feeling sick about a half hour after I forget to take my dose.That is the only meds I am taking at this point.I don't know what else to say....

Thanks Pretzel

[Guest [...]]

Hi Pretzel,

A cut of 0.12mg Clonazepam isn't small. I'd expect you to feel it and  strongly. How are you measuring your cuts? Just some adjustments may be all that you need to feel much better and still taper.

 

Using no other drugs and not being on a huge amount of Clonazepam are in your favor. You may get this back on track with just a  couple of changes.

Jana

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

Yeah, it's not the absolute amount we cut by, but how big a percentage the cut the amounts to that's important. You have made a cut of a sixth of your dose. We generally recommend that you keep cuts to no more than a tenth. Of course, this becomes next to impossible by splitting these tiny pills when we reach relatively small doses, but if these cuts are hitting you too hard, you could try titrating your pills. This will allow you to make cuts as small as you'd like.

[[pr...]]

What does titrating your pills mean?And how can I go less than .12?

[[Co...]]

Pretzel,

 

Try this post: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/planning-your-taper/help-help-help!!!/msg52972/#msg52972

 

There are many posts about this - we do need to deveop some more documentation though. We can help you put this together for you. It has helped a lot of people when cutting at lower doses. You could also try this page (we will add more detail soon): http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide/methods towards the bottom of the page. It is worth reading all the page though.

[Guest [...]]

Gee Pretzel,

How did you make that 0.12mg cut? Do you use Clonazepam wafers?

You can either get a compounded liquid or make your own. A liquid enables you to make some really tiny cuts.

 

Sue, Nevermore is using a compounded Clonazepam  liquid of 1 to 20, one is the benzo. Since you are on a much smaller dose than Sue, your liquid should be more like 1.0mg Clonazepam to 40.0ml liquid. This is so that you can get the cut amount in a tenth of a ml.

 

For this, you need a measuring syringe and a measuring cup with mls marked on one side. A pharmacist will have the syringe.

 

I see that the "Titrating With Milk" thread isn't offered on the Titration board. I must write the general method there.

 

For now, get the syringe and measuring cup if you don't already have one. Find some small glass bottles to put doses into.

 

What is your Clonazepam tablet size? Just tell me, and I'll write directions for this using your particular tablet.

 

Don't worry. This isn't the complicated procedure that titration is so often described.

 

How often do you take your benzo? Does that cover your symptoms well enough?

Jana

[[Co...]]

Jana, I'm not certain, but I imagine it's a quarter of 0.5mg tablet. I attempted this myself with Clonazepam, and found pretty unsatisfactory - although the tablets are quarter scored, they are tiny!

[Guest [...]]

Colin,

Nevermore told me the same thing. She had ended up with just powder before

Jana

[[Co...]]

It may be possible to grind up a whole 0.5mg pill into a very fine powder, cut it with something like lactose, mix thoroughly, and divide the pile into four - each will account for a quarter of a tablet.

[[pr...]]

ok i am very mixed up with all these new words and i also feel kinda lost on this board and all of this seems overwhelming to me.But i really got to do this sooner or later sooner would be better i guess...I take the .5 mg and and divide it.

[Guest [...]]

HI Pretzel,

I'm sorry about confusing you.  That nervous feeling indicates that you are a fast metabolizer. If so, you'd benefit from divided doses. If you have decided to taper from 0.5mg Clonazepam, you can make a liquid with homogenized milk and then start by cutting 0.0025mg per day.

 

If you tell me what size tablets you have, I'll suggest a liquid amount to mix with it so that this can be measured on a syringe. You can make a supply and keep in in the refrigerator along with the cup and syringe. Then you measure out only what you need for the day and divide that into about four doses. That's all that there is to doing it.

Jana

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No I buy .5 mg tablets but the dosage i take is.37 twice a day