How often do you guys cut

[[An...]]

I would love to hear how much and how fast you are tapering 

[[En...]]

23 minutes ago, [[A...] said:

I would love to hear how much and how fast you are tapering 

I initially was on 2mg clonazepam. Starting in February I started cutting. I cut .25mg a time and had manageable symptoms. I am now att 0.25mg left to go. I cut 0.125mg from a 0.5mg tab. I have felt these last cuts more intensely than ever before. Today I have high anxiety. I will hold this cut until I feel better than cut another 0.125mg and hold that cut until I feel better then jump from 0.125mg. It is going to be a big challenge.

[[or...]]

17 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

I initially was on 2mg clonazepam. Starting in February I started cutting. I cut .25mg a time and had manageable symptoms. I am now att 0.25mg left to go. I cut 0.125mg from a 0.5mg tab. I have felt these last cuts more intensely than ever before. Today I have high anxiety. I will hold this cut until I feel better than cut another 0.125mg and hold that cut until I feel better then jump from 0.125mg. It is going to be a big challenge.

For me that would be too much, but I had to find out the hard way as you can read in my History if you'd like to:

https://benzobuddies.org/profile/243292-[or...]/?tab=field_core_pfield_34

I think what's happened to you Eng, is what I've heard from others that say "it catches up to a person".  In other words, you feel fine for awhile until it's like your body wakes up to the fact so much of the benzo is gone. So then, the body has to start taking back control, which is the sxs start coming on.  Symptoms to me mean the body is healing itself.  When a person gets a scab, it may itch or look bad, but it's a good thing as it's healing, OL

 

[[En...]]

2 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

For me that would be too much, but I had to find out the hard way as you can read in my History if you'd like to:

https://benzobuddies.org/profile/243292-[or...]/?tab=field_core_pfield_34

I think what's happened to you Eng, is what I've heard from others that say "it catches up to a person".  In other words, you feel fine for awhile until it's like your body wakes up to the fact so much of the benzo is gone. So then, the body has to start taking back control, which is the sxs start coming on.  Symptoms to me mean the body is healing itself.  When a person gets a scab, it may itch or look bad, but it's a good thing as it's healing, OL

Yes I was feeling good and cut maybe too fast. I was cutting every 10 days after feeling good. I had few symptoms. I have had a hard taper a couple of times but nothing like now. The anxiety is overwhelming. Not everyday. Yesterday I was better but today is horrible. I will start watching what I am eating as well that could be a contributing factor. I will hold at 0.25mg for now. I am not sure how long this will last. 

[[or...]]

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

Yes I was feeling good and cut maybe too fast. I was cutting every 10 days after feeling good. I had few symptoms. I have had a hard taper a couple of times but nothing like now. The anxiety is overwhelming. Not everyday. Yesterday I was better but today is horrible. I will start watching what I am eating as well that could be a contributing factor. I will hold at 0.25mg for now. I am not sure how long this will last. 

Holding seems to be my best friend during this journey   I also believe some sxs have ramped up on me, the lower I get, so things will just need to change a bit, like holding longer mainly, but I do have some room left to where I can taper a bit less as well too.  I think you have a good handle on this and will be fine, and yes I'm with you on what we eat/drink as well, and the dreaded "E" word, lol, exericise.  My fave is walking, easiest and most enjoyable Oregonlady

[[or...]]

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

I would love to hear how much and how fast you are tapering 

I've tapered differently since beginning just before I found BB and learned way more about slow tapers.  I do decide, go by, how I feel.  If I've tapered too much, bad wd sxs, I taper less, and then hold, I always hold now because I was taught that when I got to BB.  It's given me a lot of quality of life (less sxs) since I started just going by how I feel listening to my body in other words Oregonlady

PS Ashton said in one of her videos, and in the manual as well, it's best for the patient to chose their taper speed and how much

[[En...]]

12 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

Holding seems to be my best friend during this journey   I also believe some sxs have ramped up on me, the lower I get, so things will just need to change a bit, like holding longer mainly, but I do have some room left to where I can taper a bit less as well too.  I think you have a good handle on this and will be fine, and yes I'm with you on what we eat/drink as well, and the dreaded "E" word, lol, exericise.  My fave is walking, easiest and most enjoyable Oregonlady

I am trying not to updose as I heard it can cause kindling and make future tapers harder. I will ride this out for today and hope for a better day tomorrow. I do lots of walking but this past week I haven't. I had flu like symptoms all for a week and were revved up with exercise. All symptoms are better other than extreme anxiety.

[[or...]]

Just now, [[E...] said:

I am trying not to updose as I heard it can cause kindling and make future tapers harder. I will ride this out for today and hope for a better day tomorrow. I do lots of walking but this past week I haven't. I had flu like symptoms all for a week and were revved up with exercise. All symptoms are better other than extreme anxiety.

Lots of days I can only rest, especially if I've got a bug.  I've heard it better not to try to exercise, or do so much when we are ill.  Sometimes I have went ahead and held a dose longer, like you are saying, and the next taper I cut less.  This works good for me, oregonlady

[[En...]]

1 minute ago, [[o...] said:

Lots of days I can only rest, especially if I've got a bug.  I've heard it better not to try to exercise, or do so much when we are ill.  Sometimes I have went ahead and held a dose longer, like you are saying, and the next taper I cut less.  This works good for me, oregonlady

I have 0.25mg left to go. I am not sure if I should reduce 0.125mg at a time at this point if it will give me increased symptoms. It seems such a small amount. Maybe I just went too fast this time. I want my symptoms to be manageable. I feel like I am crawling out of my skin today. I hate this feeling 

[[or...]]

9 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

I have 0.25mg left to go. I am not sure if I should reduce 0.125mg at a time at this point if it will give me increased symptoms. It seems such a small amount. Maybe I just went too fast this time. I want my symptoms to be manageable. I feel like I am crawling out of my skin today. I hate this feeling 

No harm in trying less to start, but I wouldn't taper until I get through the worst of the sxs, that's just for me and my purpose being as much quality of life as I can have while tapering, but truly making progress, even if it's slow like the Tortoise

I tried an 11% and that was a pretty miserable taper, but folks here kept encouraging me to hold, and that window finally came so I felt good about going ahead and tapering, but, I did make my taper cut much less I wanted to just escape my body before, so I know what you are talking about, wanting to get out of my own skin!!

[[En...]]

13 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

No harm in trying less to start, but I wouldn't taper until I get through the worst of the sxs, that's just for me and my purpose being as much quality of life as I can have while tapering, but truly making progress, even if it's slow like the Tortoise

I tried an 11% and that was a pretty miserable taper, but folks here kept encouraging me to hold, and that window finally came so I felt good about going ahead and tapering, but, I did make my taper cut much less I wanted to just escape my body before, so I know what you are talking about, wanting to get out of my own skin!!

Do you use a scale and where did you get it?

[[or...]]

3 minutes ago, [[E...] said:

Do you use a scale and where did you get it?

I do, I got it on Amazon and I'll show you the link below my message.  It was a cheap one, but it works for me. I've been using it over a year now, so far so good OL

oops forgot link: TL Series

Edited May 24 by [or...]

[[En...]]

Just now, [[o...] said:

I do, I got it on Amazon and I'll show you the link below my message.  It was a cheap one, but it works for me. I've been using it over a year now, so far so good OL

Do you have a link? 

[[or...]]

1 minute ago, [[E...] said:

Do you have a link? 

Yes, so sorry, forgot it first time around.  That is identical to mine, although I bought better tweezers, and I trim with razor blade (single edged).

[[En...]]

4 minutes ago, [[o...] said:

Yes, so sorry, forgot it first time around.  That is identical to mine, although I bought better tweezers, and I trim with razor blade (single edged).

No link lol. I saw a video of a Dr who went through this and she bought a scale from Amazon and I saw it.

Smart Weigh GEM20 High Precision Digital Milligram Scale 20 x 0.001g Reloading, Jewelry and Gems Scale https://a.co/d/cWaTvbx

Is this the one you use?

[[or...]]

Just now, [[E...] said:

No link lol. I saw a video of a Dr who went through this and she bought a scale from Amazon and I saw it.

Smart Weigh GEM20 High Precision Digital Milligram Scale 20 x 0.001g Reloading, Jewelry and Gems Scale https://a.co/d/cWaTvbx

Is this the one you use?

No, I thought I got it editing with the link, failed again, here is the link to mine.   A lot of folks use the Gemini though

TL Series

[[je...]]

6 hours ago, [[A...] said:

I would love to hear how much and how fast you are tapering 

When I was tapering my usual rate was 7.5% every two weeks. I later changed it to 5% every two weeks. 

[[An...]]

Thank you for sharing this all guys, I personally feel like the Ashton manual is too fast. When I feel good after a cut I hold for about 2-3 weeks then I cut when I’m ready again. My cuts are quite big. I went from cutting 5mgs every 3 weeks to 1.25mgs diazapem, and holding till I feel ok to taper again. I felt like when I was going to fast and following Aston I was miserable I have 12.5mgs of diazepam to go and I think it will take 10 months to get off that 

[[je...]]

Many people find Ashton too fast. It’s not about the time it takes to get off but about managing your symptoms. It will take however long it takes. There’s no need to suffer through it if you can have a manageable taper.