Need advice on new strategy for tapering

[[ns...]]

I'm tapering lorazepam and unable to stabilize. I'm only down to 0.022 per dose.

I slept thru my 5am dose and waited 6 hrs to take the next to keep from over medicating. It has cost me dearly. 

These tiny little doses are so small, I don't understand how they have such an affect on me. It's been a long road starting from a reaction to this benzo and very difficult to taper due to reaction with every dose.

Suggestions please!

Question, how much is 5% off of 0.022mg? Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

When i take each dose i have horrible symptoms, If I miss this tiny little dose I go into horrible withdrawal symptoms and I can't seem to stabilize at this dose.

Please if u have any suggestions at this juncture I would appreciate any feedback as I am stuck and don't know how to proceed or move past this. 

Thanks

Ns

Correction

Edited March 1 by [ns...]
Correction

[[Li...]]

5 hours ago, [[n...] said:

Question, how much is 5% off of 0.022mg? Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

100% - 5% = 95%

95% X 0.022mg = 0.0209mg

[[ns...]]

25 minutes ago, [[L...] said:

100% - 5% = 95%

95% X 0.022mg = 0.0209mg

Ok, I don't understand. My doses weigh 0.022, what is 5% off of that? What will my dose be after 5% cut?

Thanks

[[ns...]]

5 minutes ago, [[n...] said:

Labertas,

 My doses weigh 0.022, what is 5% off of that? What will my dose be after 5% cut?

Thanks

 

[[Li...]]

@[ns...]  

You’ve told us your current dose weighs 0.022.  

Reducing your current dose by 5% means that the weight of your new dose will be 95% of the weight of the old dose.  (100% minus 5% equals 95%)

95% of 0.022 equals 0.0209.

So the weight of your new dose would be 0.0209. (In your previous post, you indicated milligrams but I’m now thinking you meant grams.)

Are you asking how many milligrams of drug this would be?  To determine that, we would need to know:

1. The dosage strength of the pill you are using (e.g. 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg)
2. The total weight of one pill (or the average weight of multiple pills) 

For example, a 0.5mg generic clonazepam tablet from Teva contains 0.5mg of the active ingredient (the clonazepam) but weighs around 170 milligrams (or 0.170 grams).  In addition to the active ingredient, tablets contain other ingredients (e.g. ingredients that affect the bioavailability and stability of the active ingredient as well as binders, fillers, coatings, etc.). 

 

Edited March 1 by [Li...]
Clarification

[[ns...]]

7 hours ago, [[L...] said:

@[ns...]  

You’ve told us your current dose weighs 0.022.  

Reducing your current dose by 5% means that the weight of your new dose will be 95% of the weight of the old dose.  (100% minus 5% equals 95%)

95% of 0.022 equals 0.0209.

So the weight of your new dose would be 0.0209. (In your previous post, you indicated milligrams but I’m now thinking you meant grams.)

Are you asking how many milligrams of drug this would be?  To determine that, we would need to know:

1. The dosage strength of the pill you are using (e.g. 0.5mg, 1mg, 2mg)
2. The total weight of one pill (or the average weight of multiple pills) 

For example, a 0.5mg generic clonazepam tablet from Teva contains 0.5mg of the active ingredient (the clonazepam) but weighs around 170 milligrams (or 0.170 grams).  In addition to the active ingredient, tablets contain other ingredients (e.g. ingredients that affect the bioavailability and stability of the active ingredient as well as binders, fillers, coatings, etc.). 

Labertas, hi. 

I take lorazapam, 1mg. I've tapered down to 0.22mg, I didn't mean grams but mg. .22mg, very tiny 4x per day. 

I shaved the little thing down to 22 from. 23 for example. Just trying to make sure that what I've shaved off is 5%. 

It doesn't seem to going very fast and each dose I take is causing me horrible symptoms just 5 -10 minutes after I take it.

It's actually looking like I should have jumped off early on as the reaction to the drug is so unbearable. 

Would it be advisable to change benzo this late in the taper.  Although I seemed to have had a reaction to valium and clonazepam around the same time as I did lorazapam, not sure if it would be a good idea. 

If I were to switch to valuim for example, what dose would I start at to be equal to my current dose of lorazepam. 22mg 4x per day.

I hope I'm understanding what the proper language is, gram vs mg .023, or .23 but it's mg this I know.

Thank you

Ns

[[Li...]]

@[ns...] Oh dear.  Now I’m confused.  You keep giving different numbers (0.22, 0.022, 22) in your posts.

Given that I don’t have personal experience with either pill shaving/weighing or crossing over to Valium, I think it’s best if we wait for someone who does to provide input. 

I’m so sorry you’re having a difficult time. 

 

[[ns...]]

1 hour ago, [[L...] said:

@[ns...] Oh dear.  Now I’m confused.  You keep giving different numbers (0.22, 0.022, 22) in your posts.

Given that I don’t have personal experience with either pill shaving/weighing or crossing over to Valium, I think it’s best if we wait for someone who does to provide input. 

I’m so sorry you’re having a difficult time. 

Hi Libertas, sorry to confuse you. I'm no good at math, obviously. 

I take lorazapam 1mg tabs. I've tapered down to 0.022mg 4x per day. Otherwise, I split the 1mg tab into 4 quarter's, and then shave each quarter 

down with a file to 0.022mg

That's what the scale says. 0.022. It's a gram scale 

10 pills weigh in at 1.208. 3 single pills each weigh 0.123 and 0.121, 0.122

My current dose reads 0.022 on the scale 4x per day.

I hope this helps u or others better understand what my current dose is.

I'm trying to make sure I'm taking a 5% cut when I taper down.

My last dose was 0.023 on the scale 4x per day

If someone can help me I'd appreciate it!

Thank u 😊 

 

[[El...]]

I thought I might help you, because I am tapering lorazepam as well.  But, I am confused about the numbers you have given.  You say you have a gram scale.  If so, when you weigh each dose and the scale reads 0.022, then you have weighed out 0.022 grams...not milligrams.  As @[Li...] indicates, the extra weight is fillers, binders, etc.  The 1 mg is the active ingredient in the pill...a very, very small amount compared to the entire weight of the pill.

If this is the case, and if you want to reduce 5%, again as @[Li...]indicated, you would use the following equation: 0.95 × 0.022 = 0.0209.  Since you scale has only 3 figures after the decimal place, you would need to round this up to 0.021 for purposes of weighing.  You total dose for the day would be 0.021 × 4 = 0.084 giving you not quite a 5% reduction.  Rather it would be 4.55% reduction.

Hope this helps.

[[ns...]]

14 hours ago, [[E...] said:

I thought I might help you, because I am tapering lorazepam as well.  But, I am confused about the numbers you have given.  You say you have a gram scale.  If so, when you weigh each dose and the scale reads 0.022, then you have weighed out 0.022 grams...not milligrams.  As @[Li...] indicates, the extra weight is fillers, binders, etc.  The 1 mg is the active ingredient in the pill...a very, very small amount compared to the entire weight of the pill.

If this is the case, and if you want to reduce 5%, again as @[Li...]indicated, you would use the following equation: 0.95 × 0.022 = 0.0209.  Since you scale has only 3 figures after the decimal place, you would need to round this up to 0.021 for purposes of weighing.  You total dose for the day would be 0.021 × 4 = 0.084 giving you not quite a 5% reduction.  Rather it would be 4.55% reduction.

Hope this helps.

EllieM, hi, I'm sorry I have a mg scale! This post must be really confusing! 

As i.mentioned though, 

My pills are 1mg tabs

Current dose 0.022 and as I read the responses, looks like I've only been doing about a 3% reduction. 

No wonder I'm not getting anywhere. 

So I think I've got it, sorry for the confusion bit even with that it looks like the answer is here. My dose should be 0.021, not quite 5%, so I'm grateful to u both, looks like I've got some shaving and weighing to do today! In for a ride for sure!

Thank u so much!

Ns

 

 

[[Li...]]

@[El...] Thank you for helping @[ns...] with the math!