Desperate for Titration Plan Help from Odd Ativan Dosage (3 1/4 mg) of Ativan

[[ka...]]

I am so horrible with math and very very desperate from help. I've been prescribed Ativan since 2002. It was usually 2mg daily, but this summer my doctor bumped it to 4mg daily. He wants me back down to 2mg daily asap, and is starting to slowly reduce the number of pills monthly. I want to be a step ahead of the game. I am down to 3 and 1/4 mg daily.

My current daily dosage looks like:

One full 2mg pill, 1/2 of another, and then another 1/4

(Does that make sense? I am trying to find out how I can post a picture of what it looks like)..

 

 

From reading this site for so long now, I feel like titration is the best way to go but I am so horrible at math. I need it completely laid out for me. I have researched this site like crazy and I don't get how I would titrate this (and not use ANY alcohol).

 

Do I need to titrate the whole dosage or can I get away with just titrating each little pill-part?

 

If anyone could help me figure out,  I would be so so grateful. I just want off this terrible drug. I feel like I am losing my memories from being on this for 15 years. This is also my last year to figure out if I want to ever have a baby, and I could never do so if I were taking ativan daily. I am losing myself slowly and feel like if I don't actually do this, I will lose motivation completely, and then I'm stuck taking this terrible drug forever.  Please please help me?

 

Anyone know how I can post a picture?

 

[[sh...]]

From reading your description it sounds like you are at 3.5mg A.  If you have 2mg pills then each 1/4 of the pill represents .5mg.  I would recommend titrating .5mg at a time.  You could start by titrating 1/4 of your first dose of 2mg. 

 

So take 1/4 of your 2mg pill(.5mg) and dissolve with 2ml of alcohol.  Then add 28ml of water.  This will give you a 30ml solution.  Then start removing 1ml a day.  So it would look like this:

 

Day 1: 30ml

Day 2: 29ml

Day 3: 28ml

Etc...

 

This is a pretty aggressive rate but I think you will be ok at this higher dose just to get back to 2mg.  You can always slow down by only removing .5ml a day if need be.  Once you get back to 2mg I would recommend a slower more conservative taper from there.

 

Stay strong!

sharkey

[[ra...]]

In the US they make .5mg pills that you can cut into .25 mg, so you won't have to cut those 1 mg pills. I am on 1.75mg  RS 

[[ka...]]

Thanks guys.

 

Sharkey, I am on 3 1/4 mg daily. I just dry-cut yesterday to 3mg and feel miserable.

 

I think titrating the 1/4 is a good idea too, but is there a way to do it without alcohol?

[[bu...]]

Thanks guys.

 

Sharkey, I am on 3 1/4 mg daily. I just dry-cut yesterday to 3mg and feel miserable.

 

I think titrating the 1/4 is a good idea too, but is there a way to do it without alcohol?

 

You can use propylene glycol, with the same proportions as vodka/alcohol.  Its available from Amazon.

[[ka...]]

https://www.amazon.com/Bottle-Propylene-Glycol-Kosher-99-9/dp/B01FY4WF54/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1509204865&sr=8-5&keywords=propylene+glycol

 

Something like this?

 

I am experiencing a horrible horrible headache, chest tightness, and insomnia from going from 3 1/4 to 3mg in the last 24 hours. Seriously about to just take the 3 1/4 again and start over when I can titrate instead of dry cut.

 

Is it ok to go from 3 1/4 mg to 3mg or is that too fast? I don't want to give up before I've started but this feels horrid.

[[bu...]]

https://www.amazon.com/Bottle-Propylene-Glycol-Kosher-99-9/dp/B01FY4WF54/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1509204865&sr=8-5&keywords=propylene+glycol

 

Something like this?

 

 

 

Yup, that will be fine.

[[sh...]]

https://www.amazon.com/Bottle-Propylene-Glycol-Kosher-99-9/dp/B01FY4WF54/ref=sr_1_5_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1509204865&sr=8-5&keywords=propylene+glycol

 

Something like this?

 

I am experiencing a horrible horrible headache, chest tightness, and insomnia from going from 3 1/4 to 3mg in the last 24 hours. Seriously about to just take the 3 1/4 again and start over when I can titrate instead of dry cut.

 

Is it ok to go from 3 1/4 mg to 3mg or is that too fast? I don't want to give up before I've started but this feels horrid.

 

You will definitely feel a .25mg cut.  The time it takes to stabilize is a bit different for everyone.  Up to you if you want to hold out for the symptoms to subside or go back to 3.25 and do daily taper from there. 

 

Do you have 2 different pill sizes?  I read what you wrote about how you dose again and it still reads to me like you were taking 3.5mg.  But if you have 2mg pills and 1mg pills then you are right.  Just want to make sure I don’t tell you the wrong thing.

[[ka...]]

My taper became too severe and I had to re-stabilize.

 

I still feel like I don't understand the info enough. I'm sorry you guys. I have such brain fog. I really need to taper down to 3mg asap or I will be behind when my doctor goes to cut the dosage again this week.

 

I have 2mg Lorazepam tablets. I currently take 3 & 1/4mg for my total daily dosage. My once daily dosage looks like this:

 

1 full pill (2mg)

1/2 of a pill (1mg)

1/4 of a pill (1/4 mg)

= 3 1/4 mg altogether.

 

Sharkey, I believe you mentioned titrating the 1/4 first. I think I will just go ahead and do this with milk, since I am under time constraint. Should I just throw that little tiny piece of tablet into milk? Should I break it down to  two day dosage, like (1/8 one day and 1/8 the next? Dry cutting the full 1/4 felt miserable last weekend.

 

Again, I desperate to be successful at getting off this horrible drug. I feel like I lost 15 years of my life and I'm only in my 30's.

If this is at all confusing, please ask me anything. I am grateful for any help.

Thanks again

 

[[bu...]]

 

 

I have 2mg Lorazepam tablets. I currently take 3 & 1/4mg for my total daily dosage. My once daily dosage looks like this:

 

1 full pill (2mg)

1/2 of a pill (1mg)

1/4 of a pill (1/4 mg)

= 3 1/4 mg altogether.

 

 

  1/4 of a 2mg tablet  is 1/2 mg.

[[sh...]]

 

 

I have 2mg Lorazepam tablets. I currently take 3 & 1/4mg for my total daily dosage. My once daily dosage looks like this:

 

1 full pill (2mg)

1/2 of a pill (1mg)

1/4 of a pill (1/4 mg)

= 3 1/4 mg altogether.

 

 

  1/4 of a 2mg tablet  is 1/2 mg.

 

I knew I read that write.  She is on 3.5mg not 3.25mg

[[ka...]]

You guys are right. I am disappointed because now I realize I was taking even more ativan than I thought I was.

 

I am really that horrible with math. I even screwed up my new re-fill.

 

Anyone who can help me sort this, I would be truly truly grateful. I apologize for being such a pain.

 

After I begged him, my doctor gave me 1mg tabs since this would be easier to taper off off. Unfortunately, as mentioned, I screwed up the dosage and have now been taking 3 3/4 (3.75). I take the 1mg tabs and take three of those, then a half, then a half of the half (adding up to 3.75mg of ativan daily)

 

Someone mentioned titrating the tiniest bit first -the .25 part of the pill.

How would I do this? How many days should I stretch that .25 into and for how long?

 

Again, so so sorry for my confusion and thanks to anyone who is bearing with me through this

[[ka...]]

Also, I not able to use any alcohol with this taper. I am thinking either milk or the propylene glycol builder recommended.

[[ka...]]

Bump?

 

Can someone please help me with this updated info?

 

I am waiting to start the taper, and my doctor just doesn't know enough.

 

Trying so hard to get off this med. Any help greatly appreciated..

[[bu...]]

Dissolve 40mg in 80ml PG, and add 320ml water.  You now have 400ml of solution, each ml contains .1mg.

 

Starting from 3.75mg and cutting 10% every 2 weeks, this would be your daily schedule.

 

3.75mg X 10% = .375mg

.375mg/15 days=.025 mg.  This is your daily cut in mgs.

 

3.75mg    (37.5ml)

3.725mg    (37.25ml)

3.7mg      (37ml)

3.675mg    (36.75mk)

etc...

 

The first column is your daily dose in mgs, the second column is the amount of liquid you drink to get that dosage.  You just lower your dose by .025mg (.25ml) each day.  Simple subtraction.  You can even set up your calculator to do it for you.

 

You do NOT "take out and throw away" anything, you just drink the scheduled dose of liquid each day.

Your 400 ml batch of liquid will last approx 10-12 days.  Store at room temp in covered glass jar.

[[ka...]]

Good news! I am down to 3.25mg (3 1/4). I just did a very slow dry cut. I can't get below this though without experiencing extreme withdrawal so I am going to titration.

 

Builder, I thought we weren't supposed to use water?

[[ka...]]

I would like to titrate just the 1/4 (of the 1mg pill for now).

 

Can someone please tell me how to do this? I am so sorry, I am not understanding the mathematics of it. Can i just grind the 1/4  into two tiny cups of water -one for today and one for tomorrow? Would that work?

 

Please please help me. My doctor is going to insist on doing another cut tomorrow and I am already behind, because I can't figure this out. My doctor doesn't "get it" when I try to explain it to him, and my pharmacist insists I just dry cut (which was hell)

[[Be...]]

I would like to titrate just the 1/4 (of the 1mg pill for now).

 

Can someone please tell me how to do this? I am so sorry, I am not understanding the mathematics of it. Can i just grind the 1/4  into two tiny cups of water -one for today and one for tomorrow? Would that work?

Please please help me. My doctor is going to insist on doing another cut tomorrow and I am already behind, because I can't figure this out. My doctor doesn't "get it" when I try to explain it to him, and my pharmacist insists I just dry cut (which was hell)

 

Hi kaiyla-

You could try this, but it would be a 25% cut over 2 days & may make your symptoms escalate. Do you have a scale?

 

[[ka...]]

Bella, I love your profile pic. I love birds and have a green cheeked conure.

 

I don't think I was very clear, sorry. I was going to repeat the .25 cut for two weeks or until I become stable. Do you think this is still too fast? What would be an ideal number of days to spread the 1/4 (of 1mg over?) I will be using cups.

 

I see my doctor at 2 PCT today and just know he's going to try and push to taper more than this so I have to be clear on what I need to do so I can explain it to him.

[[Be...]]

Thx Kaiyla! Those  conures are so cute! That pic my Buff Orpington chickie lil' nugget.

 

Oh, ok...why are you cutting if you are not stable? Tell your doc that you are NOT PHYSICALLY READY to cut yet. Cutting to fast can escalate your symptoms.

 

I see where you posted you are now down from 3.5 mg to 1mg. ? You want to spread out your next .25 mg cut over two weeks? Is this what you are thinking your next cut should be? That would be a 25 % cut. Way too fast imo, especially if you are symptomatic.

[[ka...]]

Thank you for the quick response, Bella! So initially, I was at 3.5mg, but dry-cut to 3 and 1/4 mg. I need to continue taking the 3mg daily, but titrate off of the the 1/4. So I am just titrating the 1/4 but still taking the 3mg for now.. How many cups should I spread out the 1/4 into? Each cup will be taken with the daily 3mg.

 

I'm sorry, I hope that makes sense!

[[Be...]]

Ok...I understand you are. Now at 3.25 mg...got it..that cup method you are trying to do may cause problems. Try this. Take your 3mg. daily.  Then take the the .25 mg tablet & use an Emory board to sand off a tiny bit. 1swipe about 1 inch long the first day (the residue will remain on the Emory board so you can see for the next day) the next day do 2 swipes on the same spot so that you are sanding off the same amount. Then every day add a swipe.

Day 1 - 1 swipe

Day 2 - 2 swipes

Day 3 -  3 swipes

Then do this until the 1/4mg is gone.  So ideally you would want to take 25 days to reduce that 1/4 milligram. Then no cups & water to mess around with.

 

Try this out.

[[ka...]]

Wow, that is amazing. i have never heard of that before. I like it because I'll be able to see the residue and kind of "measure" that way. Thank you so much Bella.

[[Be...]]

[[th...]]

Just commenting that you can do a water titration without any alcohol. Just use a mason jar and water and dissolve the pill in the water. Use a pill crusher first to turn to powder then drop into mason jar with water and shake the hell out of it.I am doing that and it is working out fine.