The Easier Taper Support Group

[[ga...]]

I think a huge part of this for me is a doctor who believes me and totally justifies how I feel. I feel like if more people had this support it would totally change the experience. I’m totally in control of my taper based on my symptoms and am able to see my doctor weekly to discuss how I am feeling. I wish everyone had this as it makes a fundamental difference.

 

You're so right, Salalberry. Probably the hardest thing for me is my flip-flopping doctor. I seem to manage the best the less I see him! Only have to see him every other month now. Yay.

[[So...]]

So glad you have a supportive doctor Salaberry - I do too which helps. He is behind me as I taper and letting me go at the speed I want to.

[[Gw...]]

I think a huge part of this for me is a doctor who believes me and totally justifies how I feel. I feel like if more people had this support it would totally change the experience. I’m totally in control of my taper based on my symptoms and am able to see my doctor weekly to discuss how I am feeling. I wish everyone had this as it makes a fundamental difference.

 

Yes! I am also fortunate to have a knowledgeable nurse practitioner guiding me through the process. She helped me find a taper speed that was slow enough to be safe and encouraged me to be flexible based on how well I was tolerating symptoms. She even predicted the complications of polydrugging and helped me manage multiple tapers when I was in the thick of acute. She wrote a discrete letter to my employer putting me on light duty, which was how I kept my job.  We haven't agreed on everything, but she has always respected my wishes and most importantly, she believes me about how difficult this whole thing is and how long it can take. She checked in with me regularly by phone during my taper when I couldn't afford the co-pay of that many office visits, and when I told her I had finally managed to jump she actually got choked up at the accomplishment!

 

I saw her again recently because I have been so depressed, and she believed me that it was probably still withdrawal and reassured me that it's normal and most likely temporary, then discussed options for what she sees as "textbook serotonin deficiency." It's too easy to believe it's all in my head (because I can't always trust my mind right now) and thus such a weight off my chest to have my experience validated.

 

Everyone going through this deserves proper professional support.

 

Gwinna

[[ga...]]

 

Everyone going through this deserves proper professional support.

 

Gwinna

 

You're so right, Gwinna, but sadly that seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

[[So...]]

Hi "easy" pals - love reading everyone's posts on this thread (my favorite one on the site).

 

Gwinna - glad you have a great nurse  - I couldn't imagine facing this with a difficult doctor.

 

I had an almost all-day window where I felt 85% better, even as I am on 3mg of Valium. Tomorrow I start my DLMT - making my own solution and cutting sloooooow to start (5%) - wish me luck!

 

Hope everyone is having a great Friday night - TV, then electronics off and an hour of a book (reading "The Girl in the Window" - pretty good (like Girl on a Train or Gone Girl - so many "girl" title books) - the main character is a pill popper, Ativan, which is a little surreal as to read about as I taper).

 

Sending everyone LOVE and HEALING!!!

 

Pete

[Guest [NM...]]

Hi "easy" pals - love reading everyone's posts on this thread (my favorite one on the site).

 

Gwinna - glad you have a great nurse  - I couldn't imagine facing this with a difficult doctor.

 

I had an almost all-day window where I felt 85% better, even as I am on 3mg of Valium. Tomorrow I start my DLMT - making my own solution and cutting sloooooow to start (5%) - wish me luck!

 

Hope everyone is having a great Friday night - TV, then electronics off and an hour of a book (reading "The Girl in the Window" - pretty good (like Girl on a Train or Gone Girl - so many "girl" title books) - the main character is a pill popper, Ativan, which is a little surreal as to read about as I taper).

 

Sending everyone LOVE and HEALING!!!

 

Pete

 

Best of luck (if you want to call it luck) on your LDMT. ❣️ I was considering this myself, but I’m not too sure about it.

[[be...]]

Hi "easy" pals - love reading everyone's posts on this thread (my favorite one on the site).

 

Gwinna - glad you have a great nurse  - I couldn't imagine facing this with a difficult doctor.

 

I had an almost all-day window where I felt 85% better, even as I am on 3mg of Valium. Tomorrow I start my DLMT - making my own solution and cutting sloooooow to start (5%) - wish me luck!

 

Hope everyone is having a great Friday night - TV, then electronics off and an hour of a book (reading "The Girl in the Window" - pretty good (like Girl on a Train or Gone Girl - so many "girl" title books) - the main character is a pill popper, Ativan, which is a little surreal as to read about as I taper).

 

Sending everyone LOVE and HEALING!!!

 

Pete

One of the best books..keeps you on your toes.  

[[So...]]

Hi "easy" pals - love reading everyone's posts on this thread (my favorite one on the site).

 

Gwinna - glad you have a great nurse  - I couldn't imagine facing this with a difficult doctor.

 

I had an almost all-day window where I felt 85% better, even as I am on 3mg of Valium. Tomorrow I start my DLMT - making my own solution and cutting sloooooow to start (5%) - wish me luck!

 

Hope everyone is having a great Friday night - TV, then electronics off and an hour of a book (reading "The Girl in the Window" - pretty good (like Girl on a Train or Gone Girl - so many "girl" title books) - the main character is a pill popper, Ativan, which is a little surreal as to read about as I taper).

 

Sending everyone LOVE and HEALING!!!

 

Pete

 

Best of luck (if you want to call it luck) on your LDMT. ❣️ I was considering this myself, but I’m not too sure about it.

 

NMSafe - I will let you know how the DLMT goes - I am very hopeful from everything I have read that it will be much smoother than cut and hold which is way too hard on me now that I am at 3mg of V a day. Check out the Titration board - lots of info on there to help you decide if it is right for you.

 

BeGood - it is a good book - did you see the scandal about the writer "AJ Finn" aka Dan Mallroy - there is a great New Yorker article about him - check it out. I am almost done with the book I think I know "who did it" too

[[So...]]

I’ve wanted to do a liquid titration off the last of my Klonopin, but I have a limited supply. My doctor who used to prescribe my Klonopin lost his license (traumatic ordeal for many of his patients) and after that, I began seeing a prescribing psychologist who ended up being completely unprofessional and downright MEAN. I quit seeing her and chose not to get another doctor. I’m down to approximately.320 mg of Klonopin and have maybe 85 1 mg tablets possibly more- I should count them. Reading the liquid titration boards makes my brain explode lol. I went through a really rough patch with depression and such since November and I’m getting reliving major ways for the past 10 days. I don’t know whether to continue inexact dry cutting (who knows how much active ingredient is in 1/5 of a tablet for instance) or to do liquid and just pray this goes well. Thanks for letting me vent here.

 

The Titration boards baffled me but a buddie named Builder really helped me with a plan. People also get a lot of help from Jim Hawk and Bella Amis - seek them out and ask questions. I do think a DLMT is the smoothest, least painful way to go, especially at the end - I wish I had started a DLMT from the beginning...but I did get from 10mg to 3mg so not complaining as I am here now and going down to 0 at a snail's pace...

[Guest [NM...]]

I’ve wanted to do a liquid titration off the last of my Klonopin, but I have a limited supply. My doctor who used to prescribe my Klonopin lost his license (traumatic ordeal for many of his patients) and after that, I began seeing a prescribing psychologist who ended up being completely unprofessional and downright MEAN. I quit seeing her and chose not to get another doctor. I’m down to approximately.320 mg of Klonopin and have maybe 85 1 mg tablets possibly more- I should count them. Reading the liquid titration boards makes my brain explode lol. I went through a really rough patch with depression and such since November and I’m getting reliving major ways for the past 10 days. I don’t know whether to continue inexact dry cutting (who knows how much active ingredient is in 1/5 of a tablet for instance) or to do liquid and just pray this goes well. Thanks for letting me vent here.

 

The Titration boards baffled me but a buddie named Builder really helped me with a plan. People also get a lot of help from Jim Hawk and Bella Amis - seek them out and ask questions. I do think a DLMT is the smoothest, least painful way to go, especially at the end - I wish I had started a DLMT from the beginning...but I did get from 10mg to 3mg so not complaining as I am here now and going down to 0 at a snail's pace...

. Hope, thank you for your reply! I’m still considering liquid titration from.25 mg down. I’m thinking I have enough pills to do a 10% cut every 10 days. I should ask my husband to help. I have such cognitive fog it’s ridiculous. I’m sure everyone here understands this cog fog lol 😬

[[So...]]

I’ve wanted to do a liquid titration off the last of my Klonopin, but I have a limited supply. My doctor who used to prescribe my Klonopin lost his license (traumatic ordeal for many of his patients) and after that, I began seeing a prescribing psychologist who ended up being completely unprofessional and downright MEAN. I quit seeing her and chose not to get another doctor. I’m down to approximately.320 mg of Klonopin and have maybe 85 1 mg tablets possibly more- I should count them. Reading the liquid titration boards makes my brain explode lol. I went through a really rough patch with depression and such since November and I’m getting reliving major ways for the past 10 days. I don’t know whether to continue inexact dry cutting (who knows how much active ingredient is in 1/5 of a tablet for instance) or to do liquid and just pray this goes well. Thanks for letting me vent here.

 

Definitely get your husband to help with the math - I was always awful with numbers and calculations. I would try the DLMT - most everyone who does it has a smoother ride down to stepping off. Let me know what you decide to do and look for Builder, Jim Hawk and Bella Amis for guidance...we are all going to heal before we know it!

 

The Titration boards baffled me but a buddie named Builder really helped me with a plan. People also get a lot of help from Jim Hawk and Bella Amis - seek them out and ask questions. I do think a DLMT is the smoothest, least painful way to go, especially at the end - I wish I had started a DLMT from the beginning...but I did get from 10mg to 3mg so not complaining as I am here now and going down to 0 at a snail's pace...

. Hope, thank you for your reply! I’m still considering liquid titration from.25 mg down. I’m thinking I have enough pills to do a 10% cut every 10 days. I should ask my husband to help. I have such cognitive fog it’s ridiculous. I’m sure everyone here understands this cog fog lol 😬

[Guest [NM...]]

I’ve wanted to do a liquid titration off the last of my Klonopin, but I have a limited supply. My doctor who used to prescribe my Klonopin lost his license (traumatic ordeal for many of his patients) and after that, I began seeing a prescribing psychologist who ended up being completely unprofessional and downright MEAN. I quit seeing her and chose not to get another doctor. I’m down to approximately.320 mg of Klonopin and have maybe 85 1 mg tablets possibly more- I should count them. Reading the liquid titration boards makes my brain explode lol. I went through a really rough patch with depression and such since November and I’m getting reliving major ways for the past 10 days. I don’t know whether to continue inexact dry cutting (who knows how much active ingredient is in 1/5 of a tablet for instance) or to do liquid and just pray this goes well. Thanks for letting me vent here.

 

Definitely get your husband to help with the math - I was always awful with numbers and calculations. I would try the DLMT - most everyone who does it has a smoother ride down to stepping off. Let me know what you decide to do and look for Builder, Jim Hawk and Bella Amis for guidance...we are all going to heal before we know it!

 

The Titration boards baffled me but a buddie named Builder really helped me with a plan. People also get a lot of help from Jim Hawk and Bella Amis - seek them out and ask questions. I do think a DLMT is the smoothest, least painful way to go, especially at the end - I wish I had started a DLMT from the beginning...but I did get from 10mg to 3mg so not complaining as I am here now and going down to 0 at a snail's pace...

. Hope, thank you for your reply! I’m still considering liquid titration from.25 mg down. I’m thinking I have enough pills to do a 10% cut every 10 days. I should ask my husband to help. I have such cognitive fog it’s ridiculous. I’m sure everyone here understands this cog fog lol 😬

♥️ I consider myself reasonably intelligent, but math and my brain? Lol Yeah. I might ask my husband to help. 😑

[[So...]]

ha - I can relate. Get your husband to do all the math - one less thing for you to worry about. I got a great plan from Builder and the math was something even I could manage - and I see a decimal point and want to scream with confusion!

[[Ca...]]

Hi Guys...

 

Great to see everyone doing pretty well... 

 

Just having a bit of quiet time myself atm.  No kids tonight.. -yay..

 

Keep up the good work...

 

 

[[ci...]]

I think a huge part of this for me is a doctor who believes me and totally justifies how I feel. I feel like if more people had this support it would totally change the experience. I’m totally in control of my taper based on my symptoms and am able to see my doctor weekly to discuss how I am feeling. I wish everyone had this as it makes a fundamental difference.

 

Yes! I am also fortunate to have a knowledgeable nurse practitioner guiding me through the process. She helped me find a taper speed that was slow enough to be safe and encouraged me to be flexible based on how well I was tolerating symptoms. She even predicted the complications of polydrugging and helped me manage multiple tapers when I was in the thick of acute. She wrote a discrete letter to my employer putting me on light duty, which was how I kept my job.  We haven't agreed on everything, but she has always respected my wishes and most importantly, she believes me about how difficult this whole thing is and how long it can take. She checked in with me regularly by phone during my taper when I couldn't afford the co-pay of that many office visits, and when I told her I had finally managed to jump she actually got choked up at the accomplishment!

 

I saw her again recently because I have been so depressed, and she believed me that it was probably still withdrawal and reassured me that it's normal and most likely temporary, then discussed options for what she sees as "textbook serotonin deficiency." It's too easy to believe it's all in my head (because I can't always trust my mind right now) and thus such a weight off my chest to have my experience validated.

 

Everyone going through this deserves proper professional support.

 

Gwinna

 

Gwinna,

Would you please elaborate on the options she gave for seretonin deficiency?

Thank you

[[Gw...]]

Gwinna,

Would you please elaborate on the options she gave for seretonin deficiency?

Thank you

 

We discussed a low dose SSRI, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medical marijuana. We didn't really discuss supplements; I wish I had remembered to ask. Anyway it's my hope that my brain will produce more serotonin with time as I continue to heal from long term benzo use and subsequent withdrawal, so I have declined the SSRI for now and use cannabis to manage mood in the meantime. I would return to cognitive behavioral therapy if I could afford it and had the energy to find the right therapist...that's maybe a goal for later. I do continue see improvement in the long term, so I am trying to be patient with myself. I'll likely re-evaluate if I'm not feeling much better once spring gets here. Hope this helps.

 

Gwinna

[[Ho...]]

Hey gang, just checking in for day 10.  The past two days have been pretty much symptom free, not as much sleep last night as I would have liked but pretty good otherwise.  Hoping things continue to improve....seems like everybody is doing well here. 

[[be...]]

Hi Guys...

 

Great to see everyone doing pretty well... 

 

Just having a bit of quiet time myself atm.  No kids tonight.. -yay..

 

Keep up the good work...

 

Hi Cant.

[[be...]]

Hey gang, just checking in for day 10.  The past two days have been pretty much symptom free, not as much sleep last night as I would have liked but pretty good otherwise.  Hoping things continue to improve....seems like everybody is doing well here. 

Sounds good, Stay  Strong. 💖Peace and Healing.

[[Ho...]]

Doing pretty well here Benzo wise on day 12, no symptoms from that....but I think I have come down with a nasty sinus thing that is going around.  . Headache, fever, cough, achy joints and a lot of post nasal drip.

[[ga...]]

Doing pretty well here Benzo wise on day 12, no symptoms from that....but I think I have come down with a nasty sinus thing that is going around.  . Headache, fever, cough, achy joints and a lot of post nasal drip.

 

http://img10.glitterfy.com/graphics/100/get_well_balloons.gif

 

Gardie

[[be...]]

Doing pretty well here Benzo wise on day 12, no symptoms from that....but I think I have come down with a nasty sinus thing that is going around.  . Headache, fever, cough, achy joints and a lot of post nasal drip.

Great about the 12 days off, sorry about sinus thing. I had that recently and was pretty sick, lots of chicken noodle soup..helps open up sinuses. Stay Strong.💖Peace and Healing.

[[Ho...]]

Thanks Gardie and BG.

[Guest [NM...]]

I’m so confused about a liquid titration. I have about 80 mg of Klonopin and no new prescription-I’m at .375 or a little less a day. If I began a liquid titration at 10% every 10 days & made that many days worth, I’d put 3.75 mg in the solution. At the end of the 10 days, I’d start with 10% less than 3.75 to make my 10 days worth? Math was never my strong suit, but with my poor brain tapering and lack of sleep, I’m truly lost. 😭

[[ga...]]

I’m so confused about a liquid titration. I have about 80 mg of Klonopin and no new prescription-I’m at .375 or a little less a day. If I began a liquid titration at 10% every 10 days & made that many days worth, I’d put 3.75 mg in the solution. At the end of the 10 days, I’d start with 10% less than 3.75 to make my 10 days worth? Math was never my strong suit, but with my poor brain tapering and lack of sleep, I’m truly lost. 😭

 

NM, You need to go to the Titration Board (really means liquid titration) and post this. That is where the titration gurus hang out. Someone will do the math for you.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=62.0

 

Gardie