Titration question?

[[An...]]

Just had a question that I am trying to figure out.  If someone was to titrate 1 mg of klonopin in 100 ml of milk removing 1 ml a day and finished in 100 days would that be a faster rate than someone titrating .5 mg of klonopin in 100 ml of milk removing 1 ml a day for 100 days.  This stumps me for some reason...lol 

[[of...]]

lol 

 

Well if you are on 1 mg of klonopin,  it's twice as fast .

 

So if you are on one mg, and you titrate, .5 in 100 days it will take you 200 days to get off 1mg as opposed to 100 days for 1 mg.

 

So on it's face, it's twice as fast.

 

 

 

[[An...]]

Haha that's what I thought. My math was bad before benzo brain.  Just curious how one would decide how long and what rate to titrate at  a given their dose. Anyone?

[[Be...]]

I tried the 1 ml per day method and found it to be a bit like dry cutting. For me, the symptoms crept up on me, then jumped on my shoulders and I had to carry them around for about 5 days. I then moved to the 10% method and things have been much smoother. It will take longer, but that's fine with me since this is much better for my sleep, ability to work and raise my children. Of course, this is my third time on benzos, so I might be a bit more sensitive to withdrawals than some others, not to mention normal variability.

 

Also, Billy F gave me some advice some time back which I think is pretty darned sound for a lot of folks: Titrate 1 pill at a time. I'm currently titrating from 0.5 mg x day. When I reach 0.25 mg equivalency, I will switch to that and then 0.125 mg.

[[pr...]]

I tried the 1 ml per day method and found it to be a bit like dry cutting. For me, the symptoms crept up on me, then jumped on my shoulders and I had to carry them around for about 5 days. I then moved to the 10% method and things have been much smoother. It will take longer, but that's fine with me since this is much better for my sleep, ability to work and raise my children. Of course, this is my third time on benzos, so I might be a bit more sensitive to withdrawals than some others, not to mention normal variability.

 

Also, Billy F gave me some advice some time back which I think is pretty darned sound for a lot of folks: Titrate 1 pill at a time. I'm currently titrating from 0.5 mg x day. When I reach 0.25 mg equivalency, I will switch to that and then 0.125 mg.

 

You can also cut 1 mL per day for like five days, take a break and let your healing catch up, and then cut a little more.  In other words, don't get stuck on trying to follow a calendar or a predetermined schedule. 

 

You'll do much better by paying attention to your body and your symptoms and learning how long it takes for cuts to really catch up with you (they usually do have a lag time, also a cumulative effect if you cut every day).

 

Best advice I ever got was to throw away the calendar and any expectations and just listen to my body and taper accordingly.

 

I also usually suggest that people start really slow and conservative.  Cut 1 mL a day for three or four days, then hold until you are feeling no withdrawal any more.  Notice how the symptoms build up and how they fade away.  Step it up and cut five days in a row and then do the same thing.  As you get a feel for how the cuts affect you, you can adjust your rate of taper until you find the optimum rate for you.

 

Most people do the opposite--cut way too much way too fast at first, hit the wall, crash and burn.  (I speak from my own sad experience!)  It can then take a long time to stabilize and some people push it so far they never manage to stabilize. 

 

Better to start slow and conservative, find out how your body is going to react, figure out your own body's responses to cuts, and then figure out for yourself how fast is about right for you.

 

 

[[Be...]]

Prhiannon,

 

Thanks. I always appreciate the wisdom and compassion in your posts. However, this time, I'm a bit confused. I recall a discussion you (at least I think it was you) had some time back regarding the 1 ml withdrawal method and I agreed with it then (and still do). The gist of your comment was that a 1 ml reduction at 1.0 mg in 100 ml was only 1%; however, when you are at 10 ml (90 ml decanted), that same 1 ml reduction is 10%. This factor would seem to make it difficult to get a feel for when you might expect any symptoms to spike, as well as their relative severity. I understand the whole monitoring thing, but things get ahead of me that way and I think the symptoms are worse than they would be with a controlled 10% cut. Heck, I'm kind of pushing it with 10%, some say they can't really tolerate that and go with 5%. In any case, like today, I alwasy seem to go through the first couple of post-taper days with some symptoms, but they don't seem to last as long and are not as severe.  I am, however, by no means glued to the calendar. If things don't seem to be going well, I will slow down. However, it has also prompted me to go forward when I probably wouldn't have otherwise and I was no worse for the wear. Since so many things can prompt a spike, I never know if it is the medicine or some other thing - like being in a crowd or certain food or an argument. In those cases, it's good to have some relative confidence that I have handled the percentage decrease in the past and will again this time. I understand and expect that will not always be the case, but, as a general rule, I feel comforted by operating by it.

 

As I said, this is not to argue with you about what you stated. I get it. I just don't think it is for me (having tried it). And to reiterate, you are one of my favorite posters here to whom I look toward for guidance and wisdom.