Need help with titration

[[Su...]]

I've been on BB for a week. My xanax use was actually short term. The Rx was started 4 months ago at 1 mg 2x day as needed. I took it no more than once a day maybe 2-3 x a week, skipped a week and then had a new health issue (pancreas) that left me weak and sick and I just wanted to relax and nap and ended up taking the xanax .5 mg every day, a few days 1/2 pill twice in a day, for about 3 weeks. Having been on some high dose narcotics and lyrica for chronic pain that were brutal withdrawals I decided to stop the xanax 12 days ago. Every day I felt so much worse that on day 5 I looked up how many more "days" this burning skin, body aches and extreme anxiety would last. I was totally blindsided by the info.

 

I chose to dilute my 1 mg pill in vodka since the water/alcohol method was recommended in one place. Since I almost never took more than a total of 1 mg in a day I felt that was adequate. I melted the pill in 1 ml of vodka and then added water to total 21 mls, taking 7 mls 3x day for the last week. I don't do well with milk, digestive-wise, by the way. The pill instantly dissolves in the small amount of vodka.

 

I am doing well. The anxiety has greatly lessened. I now want to do a tiny daily taper and know I will have to increase the amount of liquid to get accurate cuts. I saw one place that .5% per day is a place to start. I have read the manual by the MD but since I was short term use I am hoping to not need to go to a longer half life med to do this. I just need help with the math.

 

Thanks so much for everyone who has been so kind!!!

[[Su...]]

I studied info supplied by builder in a reply to another buddy about ativan taper. I took his advice and this is what I have figured out.

 

I have 2 questions:

 

1. Is this a typical taper rate? I would like to go faster but want a smooth taper.

 

2. Do I not figure in the bulk of the pill itself when doing a total amount? When I melted a 1 mg xanax in 1 ml of vodka the total was then 1.2 ml. So 10 pills are going to add 2 additional mls of "bulk".

 

Without adding in the bulk of the pills I am seeing that if I do this:

 

10 mg xanax in 20 ml vodka and 80 ml water= 100 ml= .1 mg/ml

 

Today I would be taking a total of 10 mls for the day for my 1 mg, dividing that into 3 doses. I understand I can make that volume larger once I pull it out of the day's dosage mixture.

 

To taper:

6/19    9.93 ml total

6/20    9.86

6/21    9.79

6/22    9.72

6/23    9.65

6/24    9.58

6/25    9.51 

 

And forward, deducting an additional .07 ml/day? Which is .007 mg/day?

[[bu...]]

You math is correct, but if 1) your at 1mg and 2) cutting .007mgs (.07 mls) then that's almost 10%/14 days.

 

Some folks are OK at that rate, but most go slower.  At least for starters, why not try .004mg/day (.04ml) and see how it goes.  Thats about 6%/14 days.

[[Su...]]

Hi builder. I'm just seeing this info this AM after mixing my stuff and getting out as close to 9.93 mls from my 100 ml total. I made that into enough to total 20 mls for today and wanted to take 4 doses (fast half life of xanax) took my 1/4 dose and now I'm agreeing with you that oops.... I probably need to back up and rethink this decision. So, my very sluggish brain is telling me that with 1 mg xanax= 1 ml liquid, to change to the decrease in taper speed to .004 mg/ day I just need to add .03 ml to today's total dose. Could that be correct? That's a tiny amount for my 3 cc syringe to measure.

 

My taper would then look like this:

6/19  9.96 ml (rather than the 9.93 I fixed)

6/20  9.92

6/21  9.88

6/22  9.84

6/23  9.8

[[bu...]]

Hi builder. I'm just seeing this info this AM after mixing my stuff and getting out as close to 9.93 mls from my 100 ml total. I made that into enough to total 20 mls for today and wanted to take 4 doses (fast half life of xanax) took my 1/4 dose and now I'm agreeing with you that oops.... I probably need to back up and rethink this decision. So, my very sluggish brain is telling me that with 1 mg xanax= 1 ml liquid, to change to the decrease in taper speed to .004 mg/ day I just need to add .03 ml to today's total dose. Could that be correct? That's a tiny amount for my 3 cc syringe to measure.

 

My taper would then look like this:

6/19  9.96 ml (rather than the 9.93 I fixed)

6/20  9.92

6/21  9.88

6/22  9.84

6/23  9.8

 

Why do you need to "add" anything?  Just follow the (revised) schedule you have created.