The last little Bit

[[id...]]

im sure this information is spread out amongst different threads on this board, but i wanted to ask directly rather than searching.

when you start getting down to the last amount on your taper, does it get easier, harder, or stay about the same? or does it just depend on the individual? would like to hear some of your experiences.

for me, i guess im thinking once i get down to about .5 mg daily of alprazolam.

when i get down to this amount, do i make bigger cuts percentage-wise? i was looking at the "stepping off" chart under the "BenzoGuide" tab, and that's what it looks to to me. (bigger percentage cuts)

 

1/8  50.00%

1/4  50.00%

3/8  25.0/33.3%

1/2  33.33%

5/8  16.7/20.0%

3/4  25.00%

7/8  12.5/14.3%

1 

 

i guess the reason i want to know is this-i really love summer. at the rate im going i would be finishing around june or july. i really want to feel good for the summer so that i can enjoy biking, the lake where i live, grilling, etc.-things i love to do 

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

Although you are cutting by the same dose (0.25mg from example), this accounts for a larger-and-larger proportion or percentage of your daily dose as your dose diminshes. This rise is an inevitable consequence of tapering by a set amount that comes about from pill-splitting. For most people, so long as they are using the smallest dose available in their particular benzo, this is not a problem. At higher doses, we suggest that you stick to cuts no larger than about 10%. Generally, it is the size of your cut in relation to your total dose at the time that is the important figure. As your dose diminshes, it not possible to stick to the 10% guideline as the pills will not split small enough. However, so long as are using the smallest available pills in your benzo, the rise in the size of cuts (in percentage terms) is not a problem. At low doses, so long as you have followed a sensible taper plan, your own GABA system has largely taken over the already tapered benzo; the remaining dose counts for just a small amount of what's going on with your GABA system, so has less significance in the overall picture.

[[id...]]

At low doses, so long as you have followed a sensible taper plan, your own GABA system has largely taken over the already tapered benzo; the remaining dose counts for just a small amount of what's going on with your GABA system, so has less significance in the overall picture.

 

would you consider .5 mg daily a low enough dose such that my own GABa should be significantly improved? i probably plan to taper down by .0625 until i reach .5 mg, but wonder if i could jump up to .125 cuts once i reach .5 mg? that would make my remaining taper 3-4 weeks as opposed to 6-7 weeks.

[[Co...]]

Xanax is a potent benzo. It comes in 0.25mg tablets. I would take advantage of the small dose tablets (Clonazepam's smallest dose tablet is 0.5mg , although of similar potency). I would highly recommend that you taper down to quarter tablets (0.0625mg).

[[id...]]

so, you're saying to taper down by .0625 to the end then?

essentially, that would be doing what i am doing now until i am off. that would be easy enough.

[[si...]]

hi mike to answer your question - does it get easier or harder as you get lower.

 

the lower doses stopped working for me - but my mind was much clearer and my spirits were very high 2 or so weeks prior to my last dose.

 

i cut down to 1/4 part of a 1 mg ativan - jumped at that amount - that was high for some people but i was in constant withdrawal on 1/4 of 1 mg - so i felt like with high spirits i was ready to just get off.

 

cut down as low as you can - it is easier and gives your gaba receptors time to repair - when you are very very low.

 

[[id...]]

thank you.

having another sort of rough day.

hard to believe that cutting only 4% of my dose can make me feel bad when i was doing good for several days before.

[[si...]]

you will do good again - some cuts are easy - some are hard - just track the good days so you don't get lost in the bad days.

 

track good and bad days.

[[ja...]]

Do you want to start your own blog in member blogs?  It would be nice to stop and see you once in awhile...I don't see that you have started one.  Janus

[[id...]]

Do you want to start your own blog in member blogs?  It would be nice to stop and see you once in awhile...I don't see that you have started one.  Janus

 

Done 

[[ja...]]

Great..I'll visit  you there.  Janus

[[Co...]]

so, you're saying to taper down by .0625 to the end then?

essentially, that would be doing what i am doing now until i am off. that would be easy enough.

 

Hi,

 

All I'm saying is that when your cuts start creaping up from about 10% of your dose, it is time to switch to the 0.25mg tablets. At this stage you would probably benefit from cutting by 0.0625mg at a time (a quarter of a 0.25mg tablet).

 

At your present dose of 1.75mg, you probably should be cutting by no more than 0.125mg (a quarter of a 0.5mg tablet) at a time.