The Long Hold Support Group

[[ho...]]

You are welcome Hope.  Good luck with the taper. 

 

Anne 

thank you!

[[ho...]]

Hope free girl...

Thought I'd chime in here. I agree with Anne.

I have never cleaned any syringe with any soap. I just rinsit out with water and push the plunger through with the water two or three times. I shake it out and then put it in an open jar in the cabinet.

 

Never washed a syringe before using it either.

 

I've never used a syringe more than about a week simply because the numbers wear off but I have never had a problem. But now with the tape, I hope to use the syringe many more times.

 

Heath

great thanks heath. Yes I've heard about the tape trick.

[[wa...]]

Benniejets: how long after would you wait to cut out of curiosity? I turn into a depressive crying mess during my cycle and am just learning what to do around my cycle time. Sometimes I feel better when I cut so I thought I would try. Will not updose but hold a couple more days. Live and learn. I also tend to spot around ovulation since I started tapering. This crap really messes with hormones. Thanks Benniejets.

 

It mostly depended on how difficult a time I had during my period. If it was very bad, maybe 4-5 days. If normal crappy cycle, maybe 2-3 days after. One month was relatively easy so I just kept up with my every other day micro cut of .003 mg. I held a day or more whenever things were intolerable.

 

If you can estimate how soon your cuts hit, assuming you are doing cut and hold, this will help guide the timing. This is to the best of our ability.

 

I too had one month of ovulatory spotting. Another month of a theee week cycle, and another that was five weeks long. Now I am off K and have solid 27-28 day cycles. Which is pretty amazing given that I am 55 and perimenopausal. I've had my hormones checked and know this.

 

I have researched Tart cherry juice and pine bark (pycnogenol) as two things that have some proven efficacy for cramping. Tart cherry juice does seem to help. Just thought I'd share that, FWIW.

 

Hope you feel better.

Bennie

 

Benniejets,

 

I am doing a LMT and would love to do daily but even the small amount I cut out hits me hard.  So right now I am going to cut about 3 days and hold 2 as my CNS is taxed.  Going by symptoms.  I did some bigger cuts a while back so it is really hard to tell when my cuts hit although I think they hit during this period this time.  I don't get terrible physical symptoms other than extreme fatigue but the depression and SI I get freaks me the hell out.  Feeling better now.  Thank goodness.  It was hell there for a bit.  Learning as I go. Thanks for all your feedback and support. 

 

Warrior 

[[wa...]]

I have this problem too in spades... I get severe dystonic reactions adrenaline surges seizure like episodes where i seize and thrash around...pure full blown on terror during my period....rage, crying....akasthesia rls x 1000  ... I am scared to death of them and feel like my body can't handle another month of going thru this again.... I cannot...

 

Most of my frantic crazy lunatic posts cries for help on bb are always during this time..it is horrific.... I had my hormones checked and he said it was normal.... I told him what was happening... No answer... He asked what the hospital said ( taken by ambulance for this already) I told him they said it was related to the drug... Again no answer from primary doc

 

What on earth brings this on? Please anyone that has an idea.... How do I makes this not happen? I dread the thought of going thru this yet another month...I can't do it..it makes me feel like you know what but its not how I really feel..

 

If I go to a hospital again  when this happens what will they do? I need a plan something to lessen this.... I just don't know what to do ...this is too much stress on the body ... No doctors helping I don't have the strength to keep running to find others...

 

Any ideas what's causing this? i know hormones but how.what? Never had before benzos.... Just bad pms.  Thank you!..

 

Pleasebehere,

 

It's the benzo.  It messes with our hormones.  There is a cascade of events that happen in our bodies and our hormones are affected.  Some of us are just more sensitive to this effect than others.  Plus we both have had a C/T.  I think it is the nature of the beast.  But I cannot let it deter me.  I have to keep going.  I know you have had a hard go of it and I empathize with you.  Long holds work for some but for me they do nothing but I feel worse as time goes on.  I tried.  K has never agreed with me.  So I press on but I do not let the withdrawal symptoms get out of hand as I taper.  I pause when I need to but not for too long.  I am LMT with my K in milk and for me it works in catching myself if I am cutting too fast.  I know it did not work out for you.  It sedates me more since I went to liquid which is very weird.  I hate this wired but tired feeling (taken from my friend Kay2020).  I hope this hold works out for you.  These pills are pure and utter poison, at least they always were for me.  When I first took Ativan, I thought it was just a harmless sleeping pill, which by the way did not do anything for me.  I had no flipping idea what it was doing to me.  Doctor never said a word.  I emailed her telling her I was having trouble sleeping and she sent a script for 10 pills with no warning all via email through my health website.  That was all it took.  I accidentally C/T. I did not know what was happening to me.  It wasn't until a couple months later when I started looking on line did I figure it out.  By then my life had been turned upside down and around and here I am on an even stronger benzo clawing my way out of hell.  Sad really.  Moving on.  No sense in dwelling in the past.  I can only move forward.  I send you strength and courage to continue fighting.  We need each other.  Take care.

 

Warrior

[[Pl...]]

Thank you warrior... Yes k never agreed with me either since day 1 ... Had same exact experience as you.... These pills are poison

 

I had the opposite effect with the liquid...... When I went back to pills I feel more sedated.... I can't stand it and don't know how to keep doing this....

[[ly...]]

 

 

Well, Heath's testing got the best of me and I did some measuring of my 3 different syringes (I have 10, 5 and 1ML ones).  Using my 5ml one I had 1ml more than when I used a combo of the 10ml and the 1ml.  I'm thinking that the 5ml is off and registers 1ml more than what I am actually taking. 

 

I have been using the 5ml to get a daily dose of 9ml  (5 in the am and 4 in the pm).  When I drew up the liquid in the 10ml and then in the 1ml I got a total of 8ml.  This would explain my having a little wd in the crossover b/c I may have dropped a ml - a 10% reduction in dose.

 

So here's my plan.  I will use the 10ml and the 1ml tomorrow for the first time.  I will dose 8mgs because that is what these 2 syringes said I was taking.  I will use these two syringes for the remainder of my taper.  If I'm wrong it will only be this once.  It doesn't matter exactly where I am at as long as I use the same syringes as I continue down.  I think this is builder's point when this issue comes up.

 

What do you warriors think?

[[Va...]]

 

 

Well, Heath's testing got the best of me and I did some measuring of my 3 different syringes (I have 10, 5 and 1ML ones).  Using my 5ml one I had 1ml more than when I used a combo of the 10ml and the 1ml.  I'm thinking that the 5ml is off and registers 1ml more than what I am actually taking. 

 

I have been using the 5ml to get a daily dose of 9ml  (5 in the am and 4 in the pm).  When I drew up the liquid in the 10ml and then in the 1ml I got a total of 8ml.  This would explain my having a little wd in the crossover b/c I may have dropped a ml - a 10% reduction in dose.

 

So here's my plan.  I will use the 10ml and the 1ml tomorrow for the first time.  I will dose 8mgs because that is what these 2 syringes said I was taking.  I will use these two syringes for the remainder of my taper.  If I'm wrong it will only be this once.  It doesn't matter exactly where I am at as long as I use the same syringes as I continue down.  I think this is builder's point when this issue comes up.

 

What do you warriors think?

:thumbsup:

[[be...]]

Hi Lynn, I just checked my 1ml and 5ml syringe's and used 1cc and 5cc of water and both off like a very tiny amt, not enough for me to worry, but I am sure I will worry again down the line about the amt of water left... , your plan sounds good. :smitten:

[[ho...]]

 

 

Well, Heath's testing got the best of me and I did some measuring of my 3 different syringes (I have 10, 5 and 1ML ones).  Using my 5ml one I had 1ml more than when I used a combo of the 10ml and the 1ml.  I'm thinking that the 5ml is off and registers 1ml more than what I am actually taking. 

 

I have been using the 5ml to get a daily dose of 9ml  (5 in the am and 4 in the pm).  When I drew up the liquid in the 10ml and then in the 1ml I got a total of 8ml.  This would explain my having a little wd in the crossover b/c I may have dropped a ml - a 10% reduction in dose.

 

So here's my plan.  I will use the 10ml and the 1ml tomorrow for the first time.  I will dose 8mgs because that is what these 2 syringes said I was taking.  I will use these two syringes for the remainder of my taper.  If I'm wrong it will only be this once.  It doesn't matter exactly where I am at as long as I use the same syringes as I continue down.  I think this is builder's point when this issue comes up.

 

What do you warriors think?

Lynn I've worried about this before of course. Are all your syringes the same brand? Yea I would think as long as you use the same two it would be fine as that would be the same everyday.

[[ly...]]

 

 

The 10's and 1's are the same brand.  The 5 is a CVS brand that the pharmacist gave me.  No need to worry - just use the same one(s) throughout. 

[[ly...]]

Hi Lynn, I just checked my 1ml and 5ml syringe's and used 1cc and 5cc of water and both off like a very tiny amt, not enough for me to worry, but I am sure I will worry again down the line about the amt of water left... , your plan sounds good. :smitten:

 

...now I'm going to have to check my beaker!  

[[bb...]]

Warrior I haven't had trouble in the past with periods, but I get weepier before mine now - especially in WD. It seems that all this trauma causes me to start earlier as well. I have not adjusted my taper to my periods at all. Sorry I didn't post back to you earlier.

[[...]]

Hi MiYu

 

So happy for you.  The windows will become more frequent!!  Wonderful news!!

 

I hope everyone else is doing well today.

 

Anne xoxox :smitten:

Thank you dear Anne  :smitten:

[[Be...]]

Benniejets: how long after would you wait to cut out of curiosity? I turn into a depressive crying mess during my cycle and am just learning what to do around my cycle time. Sometimes I feel better when I cut so I thought I would try. Will not updose but hold a couple more days. Live and learn. I also tend to spot around ovulation since I started tapering. This crap really messes with hormones. Thanks Benniejets.

 

It mostly depended on how difficult a time I had during my period. If it was very bad, maybe 4-5 days. If normal crappy cycle, maybe 2-3 days after. One month was relatively easy so I just kept up with my every other day micro cut of .003 mg. I held a day or more whenever things were intolerable.

 

If you can estimate how soon your cuts hit, assuming you are doing cut and hold, this will help guide the timing. This is to the best of our ability.

 

I too had one month of ovulatory spotting. Another month of a theee week cycle, and another that was five weeks long. Now I am off K and have solid 27-28 day cycles. Which is pretty amazing given that I am 55 and perimenopausal. I've had my hormones checked and know this.

 

I have researched Tart cherry juice and pine bark (pycnogenol) as two things that have some proven efficacy for cramping. Tart cherry juice does seem to help. Just thought I'd share that, FWIW.

 

Hope you feel better.

Bennie

 

Benniejets,

 

I am doing a LMT and would love to do daily but even the small amount I cut out hits me hard.  So right now I am going to cut about 3 days and hold 2 as my CNS is taxed.  Going by symptoms.  I did some bigger cuts a while back so it is really hard to tell when my cuts hit although I think they hit during this period this time.  I don't get terrible physical symptoms other than extreme fatigue but the depression and SI I get freaks me the hell out.  Feeling better now.  Thank goodness.  It was hell there for a bit.  Learning as I go. Thanks for all your feedback and support. 

 

Warrior

 

Sounds like a good plan. MT doesn't have to be every day cuts, just a rhythm a small ones.

[[...]]

Well at 7 months I feel like I am 80% there. This is the best I've felt. Still a ways to go but if I stay off other drugs like opiates and lyrica etc I feel like I can finish off this healing. Hope all is well.

 

That is really great news Shamo! Good for you for hanging there ...... 

[[...]]

VALLEY, LYNNE, ANN,

 

THANKS. I'll just keep the consistency correct and not worry about the difference in the syringe markings, just like you said.

 

I may just keep using the 10 ml syringe for now as long as I can still read the little lines. and not use the 1 ml syringe until I get way down really low.

 

Thanks again .... and thanks to the chickens. Even if they have nothing to do with this.

I just love their eggs.

 

Heath. 

 

If you cover the side of the syringe with markings with scotch tape, the markings will not wear off.  I have been using the same syringe now for months.

 

I too have been using the same syringe for months for my 1/4 mg part of my V dose, i use a 5 ml syringe. Every so often I rinse it out with vodka to kill any bacteria , then rinse with water and dry. Seems fine....

( of course if I were following in Valleys footsteps I would probably rinse and swallow , the vodka that is ) 

[[...]]

Baddove , I'm sorry you are having such a rough time.... I don't have enough experience to advise you, but I hope you manage to stabilize soon and feel better . Sending hugs and love

[[ly...]]

VALLEY, LYNNE, ANN,

 

THANKS. I'll just keep the consistency correct and not worry about the difference in the syringe markings, just like you said.

 

I may just keep using the 10 ml syringe for now as long as I can still read the little lines. and not use the 1 ml syringe until I get way down really low.

 

Thanks again .... and thanks to the chickens. Even if they have nothing to do with this.

I just love their eggs.

 

Heath. 

 

If you cover the side of the syringe with markings with scotch tape, the markings will not wear off.  I have been using the same syringe now for months.

 

I too have been using the same syringe for months for my 1/4 mg part of my V dose, i use a 5 ml syringe. Every so often I rinse it out with vodka to kill any bacteria , then rinse with water and dry. Seems fine....

( of course if I were following in Valleys footsteps I would probably rinse and swallow , the vodka that is ) 

 

:laugh:

[[be...]]

VALLEY, LYNNE, ANN,

 

THANKS. I'll just keep the consistency correct and not worry about the difference in the syringe markings, just like you said.

 

I may just keep using the 10 ml syringe for now as long as I can still read the little lines. and not use the 1 ml syringe until I get way down really low.

 

Thanks again .... and thanks to the chickens. Even if they have nothing to do with this.

I just love their eggs.

 

Heath. 

 

If you cover the side of the syringe with markings with scotch tape, the markings will not wear off.  I have been using the same syringe now for months.

 

I too have been using the same syringe for months for my 1/4 mg part of my V dose, i use a 5 ml syringe. Every so often I rinse it out with vodka to kill any bacteria , then rinse with water and dry. Seems fine....

( of course if I were following in Valleys footsteps I would probably rinse and swallow , the vodka that is ) 

Yes MiYu, our Valley has a "Vodkee thingy" going on .... :D

[[Va...]]

VALLEY, LYNNE, ANN,

 

THANKS. I'll just keep the consistency correct and not worry about the difference in the syringe markings, just like you said.

 

I may just keep using the 10 ml syringe for now as long as I can still read the little lines. and not use the 1 ml syringe until I get way down really low.

 

Thanks again .... and thanks to the chickens. Even if they have nothing to do with this.

I just love their eggs.

 

Heath. 

 

If you cover the side of the syringe with markings with scotch tape, the markings will not wear off.  I have been using the same syringe now for months.

 

I too have been using the same syringe for months for my 1/4 mg part of my V dose, i use a 5 ml syringe. Every so often I rinse it out with vodka to kill any bacteria , then rinse with water and dry. Seems fine....

( of course if I were following in Valleys footsteps I would probably rinse and swallow , the vodka that is ) 

Yes MiYu, our Valley has a "Vodkee thingy" going on .... :D

That's my secret to tapering. 

[[He...]]

Hello everyone,

Well, what I have learned from all this is.....As long as a person uses the same syringes consistently it really doesn't matter what the syringe is reading. One syringe might read 2.1 mg and another might read 2.3 mg even with the same amount of liquid.  The fact is that it's still the same amount in the syringe no matter what the measurement reads. You are still getting the same dose.

( A red blouse in two different boxes, is still the same red blouse. Get it?) ( sorry, I'm a kindergarten teacher  )

 

If you change the type of your syringes ONCE, just try to get as close to your previous dose. Maybe you will be off a bit but if you stay with the new measuring syringes that you just changed to, and keep that consistent, you will get back to a good steady taper once more.

 

The important thing is, don't switch to to different measuring syringe(s)until you are sure you want to

stay with it/them.  And then stay with it!

 

If you keep changing back and forth with your syringes,...that is what will get you into difficulty.

 

I hope that clears things up some more. I'm glad I brought this up because all of you have really helped me to understand.  But sorry that it has seemed to have worried some of us warriors.  Just trying to help.

 

Heath

 

[[He...]]

Hello again from the USA. I know many of you are deep in slumber across the ocean. Happy dreaming and have a good sleep.

Last night I had one of my crazy insomniac nights, I have had some pretty bad nights but not  like last night. I did not sleep at ALL last night, I finally fell asleep at 8:00 AM.

Slept for 5 hours so thank heaven for that. But was i a mess, until I realized I can't fight this, so I took out my macrame and finished another plant hanger.

 

Just saying, YES INDEED, DISTRACTION REAlly REALLY DOES HELP!

After that I was able to finally sleep.

 

Moral to this event.. Distract.  Distract.  Distract. Thanks to Begood and the rest of the buddies who taught me this a long time ago. I just need to remember!

Heath

[[be...]]

Heath no need to be sorry about worrying us Warriors, the thing is, that sometimes it is good to have some doubts, because then we try to find a solution and it is a win- win for all of us needing to check one more time. The problem would be if we just could not trust our thinking and get deeper in thinking that we are doing it wrong, but the nice thing we all assess and then go with the flow. And a side note; we found out about Valley and his stash of "Vodkee" in the Chicken Coup, always wondered why he would sit out there with all those chickens all over him, now I know and so does everyone on BB...... :laugh:

[[so...]]

I was wide awake last night too. Not one minute of sleep. Then dragged myself to work at 8am. Very nauseated today too.

 

Day 96 of the long hold. Still crappy most of the time. Disappointed, but will continue the hold.

 

Hope you guys are hanging in there.

[[be...]]

Hi Solitude, so sorry you are still not feeling well. Hopefully soon you will feel better. Best to you.