Scale Recommendations

[[Fi...]]

Greetings,

 

I need to try a micro taper using dry cutting.  Does anyone have recommendation for a scale they have used?

[[Br...]]

I've used this scale  .  It seems to be a favorite here on BB.  It's pretty easy to get the hang of using it.  It's been perfectly adequate for my tapers & I've been very happy with it.  We can help you with tips on using it.

[[Fi...]]

Hi thank you very much.  For some reason Amazon is telling me that particular scale can’t be shipped to my location

 

are there any other recommendations?

[[Br...]]

Sorry to hear it can't be shipped to your location.  Have you tried just using the name of the scale to search on Amazon?  Maybe there are other sellers.

If you can't find that one I would look for a jeweler's scale that measures in milligrams with increments to 0.001mg.

 

[[Fi...]]

.001mg is a microgram which would be 0.000001g.  The scales measure to 0.001g only on amazon.  The smallest measurements I have seen online are 0.0001g and 0.00001g which are laboratory grade, and they are very expensive.

Are you sure about the 0.001mg?

 

 

[[Fi...]]

Okay so I    am a complete silly goose for sure!  I    changed the address to my residential opposed to be PO Box and Amazon is able to ship the scale.

 

So...now I     just have to figure out how to continue to taper down...do I    grind the tablets because there is no way that the medication is distributed evenly through out the tablet...or so I    just wing it and file down the tablets...?

[[Fi...]]

Oh, but it is 0.001g, which is 1mg.  So, it is definitely not a microgram measurement.

[[Br...]]

2 hours ago, [[F...] said:

Oh, but it is 0.001g, which is 1mg.  So, it is definitely not a microgram measurement.

You're right!  I was wrong, sorry!  The scale you ordered is the right one.  Glad it's on its way to you.  

An important thing to bear in mind is that you will be making reductions in the weight of the pill.  A 1mg pill for example, will weigh more than 1mg because of filler and in some cases, a coating.  To determine the average weight of your pills you can. weigh 10 pills and divide the total weight by 10.  

What percentage reductions are you planning to make?  As you probably know, we typically suggest making cuts of no more than 5-10% every two weeks depending on your symptoms.  We encourage people to let their taper be guided by their symptoms.  For some of us 10% is too big in which case it's fine to make smaller cuts and/or hold longer between cuts.  The goal is to keep you symptoms to a minimum so you're able to function as well as possible.  

[[Fi...]]

Hi!  oh okay so im glad I    was thinking correctly!  I    ordered the scale but had a panic episode last week so I    have kind of just been in holding pattern with my quartered tablets that were split with a pill cutter...cringe!  I    weighed some of the quarters I    had this morning and holy cannoli...some were 0.7, some 0.5, some 0.43, no wonder why I    was so unstable.  Anyway, so I    did not average the weight of ten pills.  I    Just weighed one, and divided it by four.  I    was like okay, let me stabilize here for a week and see how I    feel.  The next week I    plan on dropping 3% only, 10% was way too much, even 5% was too much.  I    am at 10.5mg daily now, I    plan on dropping the morning dose because that's impacting me the most right now  all I    want to do is sleep after I    take it.   The plan is to drop 2-3% of the total dose in the AM and see how it goes.  I    remember the Ashton manual dropping off the morning initially if my memory serves me correctly, but will refer back to it before I    make my final decision.  So the drop in dose at 10% would be 1.05mg which is way too much, I    have tried 5% last time at 0.5mg drop and was in really bad shape, just now 2 months later starting to feel a little better.  So I    am going to try to drop 0.3mg next week and see how it goes.  I    will do the conversion to the weight of the tablet...I    have to just complain for a second on how absolutely ridiculous this is, one medication has put my life on hold for several years, ruined relationships, took my mental health, cognitive ability.  I    am looking forward to getting a new life back.  I    know it will happen, but I    still have some bitterness.  Please forgive me as I    am working through it.  This was a big step for me to actually get the scale, thank you for your help.

 

Best,

Fierce

[[ns...]]

4 hours ago, [[F...] said:

Hi!  oh okay so im glad I    was thinking correctly!  I    ordered the scale but had a panic episode last week so I    have kind of just been in holding pattern with my quartered tablets that were split with a pill cutter...cringe!  I    weighed some of the quarters I    had this morning and holy cannoli...some were 0.7, some 0.5, some 0.43, no wonder why I    was so unstable.  Anyway, so I    did not average the weight of ten pills.  I    Just weighed one, and divided it by four.  I    was like okay, let me stabilize here for a week and see how I    feel.  The next week I    plan on dropping 3% only, 10% was way too much, even 5% was too much.  I    am at 10.5mg daily now, I    plan on dropping the morning dose because that's impacting me the most right now  all I    want to do is sleep after I    take it.   The plan is to drop 2-3% of the total dose in the AM and see how it goes.  I    remember the Ashton manual dropping off the morning initially if my memory serves me correctly, but will refer back to it before I    make my final decision.  So the drop in dose at 10% would be 1.05mg which is way too much, I    have tried 5% last time at 0.5mg drop and was in really bad shape, just now 2 months later starting to feel a little better.  So I    am going to try to drop 0.3mg next week and see how it goes.  I    will do the conversion to the weight of the tablet...I    have to just complain for a second on how absolutely ridiculous this is, one medication has put my life on hold for several years, ruined relationships, took my mental health, cognitive ability.  I    am looking forward to getting a new life back.  I    know it will happen, but I    still have some bitterness.  Please forgive me as I    am working through it.  This was a big step for me to actually get the scale, thank you for your help.

Best,

Fierce

Hi fiercelady, this sounds like a repeat of my taper. I didn't have a scale, I was cutting lorazepam into quarters and then taking bits off. I found when I got the scale, all of my doses were different. This explains why I was so unstable.  

The scale has helped bit they are very sensitive so careful. Mine has a flaw, it's not level bit I've learned to deal with it. 

I shave and weigh out several doses per week, and then if I'm stable I go down 5%. I agree that we sometimes have to lower our percentage to best suit us. I don't really stablizer however, I slept thru my 5am dose and decided it was time to wait til the next dose Time. It was a disaster and I'm still paying for that one. I still cut, weigh and shave my doses, it's working out OK, but it's never perfect really. I'm tapering a med I've had a reaction to so I'm in a bit if a hurry. I've learned there is no rushing this.

I hope your taper goes well, we're all here if u need to talk or have questions 

Take care

Ns

 

[[Fi...]]

Thank you very much for offering support.  I am doing sort of okay, I’m not working and have been having a hard time for too long it seems.  I have not completely lost hope, so that’s good.  
 

I am definitely scared to drop but I just can’t live like this anymore.  I would be satisfied just to be comfortable at a lower dose and get back to work…time will tell I suppose.  For now, treading water.