Klonopin taper?

[[ju...]]

I actually had to go to a science store to get mine.  It was expensive but I don't think it needs to me.  I also bought a mortar & pestle for crushing up the tab and all three items were $56.00.

 

I never did use a syringe.  It creeped me out.  I just poured out or sucked out with a straw.

 

You can also check Ebay.  You should have lots of time if you haven't begun your taper yet (sorry I didn't check before I posted this).

 

juleswife

[[TP...]]

Got my 10 ml syringe from a vet.  :2funny: Seriously. And they gave it to me for free.

[[...]]

Just got back form doctor and he gave me .5 mg klons, and listened attentively as I explained to him why all the bizarre and mysterious symptoms he has been treating me for this last year have taken place...benzo tolerance, and withdrawal. Then I presented him with some info from the "world's greatest autority on it"... the Ashton Manual and he actually thanked me. He said he would help me in any way he could. What a turnabout, and what a relief for me. He said go as far as you can with the klonopin and then he would actually switch me over to valium. I even mentioned benzobuddies, and he screamed out "BenzoBuddies". I explained to him about the board, but he just keep chuckling. He doesn't know that this board is the best in the world, and is made up of people with the kindest hearts on the planet.

 

But I don't care. Now at least I have a shot. So Colin, work it up for me, please. What do I do with a start of 1mg per night, and have .5mg klons? Want taper to be as slow as possible.

 

I also have those supplements in the mail from the Road Back program that should arrive this week.

 

I found a baby syringe that is two tablespoons and has ml's marked off on it too. As for the gradualed cylinder, I have to find that somehow. If I really need them. I think Colin wrote me way back that I could do it just by cutting.

 

Here I am all excited about starting probably the most difficult task of my life...with  more pain and fright than when I got drafted during Vietnam..

 

Will now just wait for the spreadsheet. What do you do, Colin, send it by email?

 

INS

[[TP...]]

Just got back form doctor and he gave me .5 mg klons, and listened attentively as I explained to him why all the bizarre and mysterious symptoms he has been treating me for this last year have taken place...benzo tolerance, and withdrawal. Then I presented him with some info from the "world's greatest autority on it"... the Ashton Manual and he actually thanked me. He said he would help me in any way he could. What a turnabout, and what a relief for me. He said go as far as you can with the klonopin and then he would actually switch me over to valium.

 

Great news INB. I am delighted for you. Excellent!

 

Tony

[[...]]

Thanks Tony...you are a mensch.

 

 

Still waiting patiently.

 

INB

[[Co...]]

Hi INB,

 

I will be back later and will reply to your post.

[[ju...]]

INS:

 

I am thrilled for you.  And for your presentation to your physician regarding the Ashton Manual.

 

Whichever way you plan to go just listen to the MODS and all of us and we will support you all the way.

 

I checked on Ebay.  There's lots of cylinders on there.  Not sure what country your in, postage is expensive.

But keep checking around locally as well.

 

Best to you,

JW

[[Ta...]]

INB,

 

I got my cylinder via internet (about $9.00 for it). You can google 'graduated cylinder' and will be able to get to few sites. If you can't find anything I will email you the link. (I have 3 extra plastic ones - error order, but I kept them, and one extra glass one!!!  ).

 

Colin usually needs to know how much you want to cut over what period of time (e.g. 8% over 14 days). You need to decide the taper rate. Keep in mind that you can always change that, go faster, go slower, depending on how you feel.

 

Colin will also need to know the size of your cylinder (100 ml? 250 ml?) and how small divisions are on it (mine is 100 ml with 1 ml divisions). Another thing: the size of the pill you want to titrate: .5 mg?

 

I know you can do this!! As I told you before, I've been on klono for many years and had all those tests you mentioned, plus more, and am often under lots of stress. But I am going slowly down, using titration method and I do recommend it to anyone for whom splitting the pills is not an option (too big reductions).

 

Let us know about the above.

 

Good luck INB! You will be fine! 

 

 

 

 

 

[[Co...]]

Hi INB,

 

As Tanya wrote, I will need those details.

 

'As slow as possible' - well, you can stretch out a taper over a lifetime if you wish, but I don't recommend it! Most people around here taper at about 10% every week or two. What has been your experience of cuts up until now?

[[...]]

My experience is that I have a hard time even with the slightest cut...now that I am at 1 mg at night.

 

I can't do the titration method yet since I don't have the equipment. So whatever is a slow taper using the tablets (.5mg) is what I need. Somebody mentioned 10% over 14 days.  If that is possible with tablets, it seems good enough for me, but, if not, whatever is considered a relatively slow taper over a two week period is fine.

 

So, in short, Colin, whatever is considered a reasonalbly slow taper using .5mg tablets is fine with me. I'm just so happy to have someone guide me....and support me.

 

Thanks Mate,

 

INB

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

It appears that you take 1mg (two 0.5mg tablets) per day. The problem is that Klonopin is a very potent benzo, and the tablets are very small. If you wish to make small reductions to your dose, you will need the cylinder and titrate. From what you have said, about finding cuts very difficult, in your shoes I would hold off until I had obtained a cylinder. I recommend a 100ml cylinder marked with 1ml increments.

[[TP...]]

Wouldn't hurt for you to stabilize for a while anyway INB. The better you feel when you start the taper, the better the taper will go. 

 

T

[[...]]

Hi, Buddies,

 

Have ordered graduated cylinder...100ml

 

Looked at titrated taper instructions section of board and was wondering one thing. If you are taking 2 .5mg tablets at day (both together at night) why do you crush only one tablet, do the mixing with the milk and water, and then do it again for the second table. Couldn't a person just powerize them both at same time and just mix them once? Is there any benefit to  dividing the doses up into two parts, one in morning and one at night or will this start withdrawal?

 

FYI...yes, Buddies, you can get a combination pill cutter, crusher, and drink cup all built into one little gizmo at any drugstore. I also noticed there a syringe made for babies that is marked off in teaspoons and ml. By the way 5 ml equals 1 teaspoon.  This syringe is made for parents to use with liquid medicine for their babies.

 

So I will wait to get the graduated cylinder and buy the pillcrusher gizmo and baby syringe. Then wiil get back for schedule. Even with the .5mg (I always had 2.mg tablets), I can see why it would be hard to go down at the slow rate I apparently need. 

 

Hope everyone well. Made it through another day.

 

Will start blog when this operation finally gets off the ground.

 

BTY, went to another benzo help board, and contacted them through mail. Got an email back, and it said they know of a councelor who will guide me through a taper...but there will be a small charge. Hope they get diarrhea on the way to the bank. Can you imagine trying to make money by charging people who are in this nightmare of a malady. There must be some kind of sin that covers this.

 

INB

[[...]]

Oh, a benzo moment...I forget to give address where to get graduated cylinder. It's http://www.hobbytron.com/

 

INS

[[TP...]]

Actually I can't imagine any counselor working for free. Many do take insurance though. Mine expects me to pay the copay but it's worth every penny, even though I can't afford it. She's got me through some horrendous times ... but she's been through it herself and understands it like no other "psychologist" can. I have a small list of shrinks and counselors in the web page on my signature line if anyone wants to check it.  :thumbsup:

 

Tony

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

By reducing just one of the pills, it means that you can make smaller reductions. Maybe this is overkill much of the time, but it is better to have more fine graduations to the dose than needed, rather than not enough. A 1ml reduction from 100ml made with one tablet from a dose of two tablets, means that you achieve a one-twohundredth reduction in dose. It also means that you might choose to take the liquid and the rest of your pills at different times of the day (useful if you need to take some of your dose at work, for example). We have one formula to fit all circumstances, as this is easier to manage. However, if you would like all your dose in the liquid, all you need do is make up the liquid with one pill, dispose of the volume that is not needed for you day's dose, and then add the second crushed pill to remaining liquid. You know have your total day's dose in one volume of liquid.

 

I would recommend a bigger syringe: 10ml is probably the optimal size. This is used to help you adjust the volume of liquid in the cylinder, as it can be difficult to obtain the correct quantity for you dose by simply pouring the liquid from the cylinder.

 

I am all in favour of counsellors in general, but has this counsellor been through benzo withdrawal? What accreditation do they possess (registered a professional body, or qualified just through a correspondence course, etc.). Also, I am VERY skeptical of the whole notion of 'virtual counselling'. The whole point is to have real contact with a real person who is suitably qualified and understanding of your situation.

[[...]]

Thanks, much clearer. But...tell me if I can do this: (I am at 1.mg per day now, and have .5mg tablets) crush one .5 m in 100 ml solution. Get rid of 1 ml of this liquid, and drink this. Now I have the other .5 still in tablet form. Would'nt it be okay to jsut take that one in tablet form after drinking the solution? Why do I need to crush the second one during this time when I am tabering from 1 mg. Seems that I could just take it along with the solution in the manner just described.

 

Please expound and advise. Thanks

 

INB

 

 

[[ju...]]

HI INB

 

I did exactly this.  gradually moved my one dose to the morning, and then titrated it.

Took the 2nd dose via mouth directly at bedtime.

It worked for me.

 

I think the deal is that you can more evenly spread throughout the day several doses if you titrate your first tab first via water/milk, and then add the 2nd tab.

 

I really did find that moving my doses around helped a great deal since I was taking both tabs at night.

 

best to you and welcome to BB

juleswife

[[...]]

Thanks, Juleswife. So you titrated one tablet and then took the rest in pill form? I must be having a benzo moment, because I am still not clear about that. You said "I did that exactly". Did you mean take the second .5 in tablet form...or make the solution in 100ml cylinder, then take out 1 ml, then crush the second pill and mix it in with the solution and drink it during day and at bedtime.

 

I am having doubts about my ability to reason here. What should be so simple is not.

 

Oh, the "counselor" is said to have been through benzo withdrawal. She would counsel me by phone. How she would charge me I don't know.

 

But who needs her, when I have this board?

 

 

[[Ta...]]

INB,

 

I am doing the same as JW did - just titrate 1 tablet and take other(s) in pill form.

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

Yes, you can do it either way. Add the additional tablets to the liquid (once you have removed the unwanted portion), or take the solid pills separately - the choice is yours.

 

This 'counsellor' - how are they qualified to use the title 'counsellor'?

[[TP...]]

Hi,

 

Yes, you can do it either way. Add the additional tablets to the liquid (once you have removed the unwanted portion), or take the solid pills separately - the choice is yours.

 

This 'counsellor' - how are they qualified to use the title 'counsellor'?

 

She's my "Consiglieri".  :2funny:

 

T

[[ju...]]

I meant I water titrated the first tab in the morning , and took the other one at night just in pill form.

 

We all have benzo moments      sometimes entire days.

 

juleswife

[[...]]

Thanks, Buddies, I finally got it.

 

Imagine being so dense as not to understand this thing about the second tablet. Shows you how bad your mind can be affected.

 

So now I know what to do when cylinder comes. This method allows for tiny taper amounts. I think I can handle this. I am in no rush. I don't care if it takes 6 or 8 months. Just want ot avoid these bizarre symptoms.

 

Yesterday, when I explained all this benzo withdrawal stuff to my doctor, and then let him read an unlined case study that paralleled my bizarre symptoms, he actully seemed to gain the old repect he always had for me. I had lost this when none of the tests he ran me showed any existing malady, and none of his medicnes worked. He actaully looked very thankful for giving him a bound copy of the Ashton Manual. Told him to read it in bathroom.

 

One good thing out of all this was that they found a benign polyp in my colon...yes, he had both ends of me examined for the somach cramps, and this polyp was removed. He said it could have turned to cancer within 5 years.

 

I know this is off topic, but I hope all my benzobuddies have this test done.

 

Your truly,

 

INB

[[TP...]]

Just got back form doctor and he gave me .5 mg klons, and listened attentively as I explained to him why all the bizarre and mysterious symptoms he has been treating me for this last year have taken place...benzo tolerance, and withdrawal. Then I presented him with some info from the "world's greatest autority on it"... the Ashton Manual and he actually thanked me. He said he would help me in any way he could. What a turnabout, and what a relief for me. He said go as far as you can with the klonopin and then he would actually switch me over to valium. I even mentioned benzobuddies, and he screamed out "BenzoBuddies". I explained to him about the board, but he just keep chuckling. He doesn't know that this board is the best in the world, and is made up of people with the kindest hearts on the planet.

 

But I don't care. Now at least I have a shot. So Colin, work it up for me, please. What do I do with a start of 1mg per night, and have .5mg klons? Want taper to be as slow as possible.

 

I also have those supplements in the mail from the Road Back program that should arrive this week.

 

I found a baby syringe that is two tablespoons and has ml's marked off on it too. As for the gradualed cylinder, I have to find that somehow. If I really need them. I think Colin wrote me way back that I could do it just by cutting.

 

Here I am all excited about starting probably the most difficult task of my life...with  more pain and fright than when I got drafted during Vietnam..

 

Will now just wait for the spreadsheet. What do you do, Colin, send it by email?

 

INS

 

Hey INB ... Do you think your doctor would be interested in being added to a list of benzo wise doctors? I'm compiling this list for people who need them and who are difficulty finding them. If you're interested you can see the list at: http://www.freedominmessiah.com/benzowise_doctors.shtml. I'd need name, address and phone number.

 

Thanks

 

Tony