Gram Scale FYI

[[ro...]]

This may be a silly question. but here it goes. Lets say I need a certain amount of Valium like .043 grams. Okay I can cut my Valium pill and then add it to the bowl andalso add some powder. But then I would have to immerse the bowl with the powder into my glass so I don't lose any of the Valium and then I would take the pill from the bowl and take it also. But I would like to have my dosages of Valium measured out for a week at a time rather than do this procedure of measuring out the exact powder and pill into a bowl every night. Does anyone have any suggestions on what i could put in the scale bowl that I can use to measure amounts of Valium for the entire week and then store and then I can use this packet each day. This way I can do all my measurements once a week for the whole week. Also the Valium powder sometimes sticks to the scale bowl so I may be losing some if I try to transfer it into some other container. I just want to make sure that the amount I weigh in the bowl will be the exact amount I ingest. So no residue powder is left. Maybe put a piece of aluminum foil in the bowl then pour the powder onto it. I was not sure howother members using scale do this. Do you measure each day and then empty the bowl in a glass of water and drink the powder water mix? Sorry if this was a stupid question. I just am so much into details and used to dealing with precision and accuracy where I used to work

[[Ho...]]

rob,

 

Every Sunday night I used a razor blade to cut the amount off my pill that I wasn't going to take. I'd throw out that bit of the pill. I did this 7 times and used a pill box 1 week pill box.

 

I'm not sure why you would need to put the pill or powder in water. Why not just keep it dry and take it. Also, it's not necessary to grind the pill. You only need to shave off the bit your reducing by.

[[ro...]]

Hope. I guess I need to get better at shaving off the right amount. I sometimes take off to much and then the pill ways less than it should. I can add powder from the shavings but then I must either swallow the powder and pill from the scale bowl or shave another pill to get the exact weight. I hate to waste any shavings and powder. I could always use the powder and shavings to get an appropriate dosage sometime. Also I don't know if my Doctor will drop me as a patient if I don't follow his advice on how much to cut during tapers. I have only seen him twice now and we have not really discussed tapering yet. He want to get me stable and as symptom free as he can before he starts a taper which may be on April 8th. Because I had such a horrible experience with the c/T withdrawl of Klonopin. I want to taper at a slow rate to let my normal brain's gaba receptors recover as I am tapering of the Valium. My hope is my symptoms will then be much less severe and manageable

[[Ho...]]

You could use something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Empty-Gelatin-Capsules-Size-1000/dp/B000ACUJRW

 

It would hold the powder etc and you just have to swallow it.

[[Go...]]

Does anyone here think this would work with other meds?  I am doing a liquid taper with K right now through my pharmacy and its working okay.  My concern is Seroquel.  I would like to try and use the gram scale method.

 

Any thoughts?

[[Ho...]]

I don't see why not. It's just reducing the medication using another method.

[[Go...]]

I think its a good method.  Im so glad that it worked for you Hope and that you are doing well.

 

GG

[[Ho...]]

All the methods have there merits. They all accomplish the same thing; a gradual  taper of medication. Some are just more convenient than others. It depends on lifestyle...etc..

[[Go...]]

Thank you

[[di...]]

This may be a silly question. but here it goes. Lets say I need a certain amount of Valium like .043 grams. Okay I can cut my Valium pill and then add it to the bowl andalso add some powder. But then I would have to immerse the bowl with the powder into my glass so I don't lose any of the Valium and then I would take the pill from the bowl and take it also. But I would like to have my dosages of Valium measured out for a week at a time rather than do this procedure of measuring out the exact powder and pill into a bowl every night. Does anyone have any suggestions on what i could put in the scale bowl that I can use to measure amounts of Valium for the entire week and then store and then I can use this packet each day. This way I can do all my measurements once a week for the whole week. Also the Valium powder sometimes sticks to the scale bowl so I may be losing some if I try to transfer it into some other container. I just want to make sure that the amount I weigh in the bowl will be the exact amount I ingest. So no residue powder is left. Maybe put a piece of aluminum foil in the bowl then pour the powder onto it. I was not sure howother members using scale do this. Do you measure each day and then empty the bowl in a glass of water and drink the powder water mix? Sorry if this was a stupid question. I just am so much into details and used to dealing with precision and accuracy where I used to work

 

Would cling film laid out work? I used this to crush my tablets  in yesterday, worked fine and the powder left on it was  miniscule.

[[ro...]]

dizzie2, What is cling film?

[[Ho...]]

dizzie2, What is cling film?

 

It's plastic wrap like "Saran Wrap".

[[Ma...]]

I may try this method.  I do agree with Kian, it seems more accurate than liquid titration.

 

Hope I really love the words at the bottom of your post

 

Yeah when I think of the water method, I just feel like Kian does, its seems too inaccurate for me.  And the issue of trusting a compounding pharmacy, is well, an issue for me.  Trust issue.

 

Thanks for the tip about the air can to clean a scale.  I will remember that when I get a scale. 

 

Hugs too all.  And I am getting much more hopeful when I read about the people who have tapered down and are doing well, like Hope, P2, Challis, etc.

 

Mairin

[[Ho...]]

 

Hope I really love the words at the bottom of your post

 

 

Thanks Mairin. I liked it too although I have no clue where I got it.

 

 

Hugs too all.  And I am getting much more hopeful when I read about the people who have tapered down and are doing well, like Hope, P2, Challis, etc.

 

I'm so glad Mairin. Tapering and jumping doesn't have to be a horror story. 

 

 

 

[[ro...]]

Has anyone used a scale for tapering capsules containing beads or powder. I have a Gemini scale that measures down to.001 gm. I have 400mg capsules of Neurontin. I also bought 500 emty gelatin capsules from Amazon. Each capsule weighs .091gms. What I want to do is open up the neurontin capsule and remove powder from it to the empty gelatin capsule. For example I weighed the 400mg Neurontin capsule and it weighs .624gms. So if I want to get a 200mg capsule I would pour or transfer .312mg of the neurontin into the empty capsule. So the original Neurontin would be 200mg and the gelatin capsule would be 200mg. By using math I should be able to get any dosage in mg I want by setting up a proportion 400/.624 = 270gm/x weight

So If I want 270gms  so .624*270 =400*Xweight  So 168.48=400* Xgms  So 168.48/400=.421 gms So .421 gms would give me a capsule of 270mg Neurontin and the gelatin capsule I poured the neurontin powder would be 400-270=130mg. I think I am doing this the right way but I just wanted an opinion if anyone had tried this or thinks there is a better way. All I have are 400mg and 300mg capsules of Neurontin. I have never done Titration or used anything other than a scale to taper

[[aw...]]

Here's some tips that might help with weighing.

 

If you're measuring a powder, as opposed to granules or small cut-up pieces, there can be effects from static electricity. These become much more significant as the weights get lower. You can try to not to generate any static e- by not rubbing any non-conductors. We used the "cling-be-gone" thingies you put in the dryer in my lab--no kidding! Gently rub the weighing surfaces; don't use the ones that have powder. The also make zero-stat ion guns.

 

Do not weigh at the low or high end of the scale's range. Put a dime under the plastic pan and tare it [zero it out], then weigh from there. Always close the cover before making a reading. Don't forget the annoying self turn-off feature.

 

Although the scale [i'm assuming a Gemini] reads to 1 mg [0.001 g], it will only register starting at 4 mg or so. Don't expect it to repeatably weigh 2 mg.

 

Troubleshooting: If you run on batteries, try getting an AC/DC converter. Move the scale to another room, put it on the heaviest piece of flat wood or stone [not metal] you can find. Get a level and level it out.

 

There's a whole protocol to do if you get an electronic item wet; I can't give it here, but pull the batteries or pack out and pull everytrhing apart and dry it off by hand while you're looking up what to do next on the web.

 

Don't give up until you've either talked with someone in tech support or verifed that they are useless. The right tek geek might solve your problem in 3 minutes...especially if you flatter them.

 

The IMO Freebie: Tablets are usually made in 1000 kilo batches in stainless steel extruders; in one process, the ingrediants are mixed as a liquid slurry, then squeezed into dies and allowed to dry. Because of the scale of manufacture, any discontinuity in the "soon to be pills" goop would be on a large enough scale that it wouldn't affect one aliquot [small portion] of medicine. Or so the theory goes. I believe that Big Pharma is required to analyze a sample of each lot as part of their QA/QC deal with the FDA. As "proprietary information", I'm not so sure that they have to make the results available to the public. Good ol' Catch 22.

 

Aweigh [oh, dear...a loose pun  ]

[[aw...]]

There's great deal on Gemini scales at Am-z-n right now. The good ol' model 20, accurate down to about 3 mg ('tho they claim 1) and usually about $50, is on sale for...well, let's just say it's a good price.

 

"I'm dreaming of a wide window...just like the ones I used to know...          

 

[glow=red,2,300]SZ rules![/glow]

 

aweigh

[[Pe...]]

Hi Kian, I hope that you're still around BB.. I wanted to ask you a question. To start off with I ordered the same scale that you used in your video. You were using 10 mg tablets. My question is: I'm going to using 1 mg tablets of Xanax, will that scale even weigh that small of an amount? Or did I just waste $21.00? I'm wanting to make cuts of 5% of 1 mg. How would I do the math for that? I have plenty of 1 mg tablets and .25 mg tablets on hand. It was suggested by another buddy on BB that I cut a .25 in half, then cut one of the halves in half again producing a .0625 cut. (Thanks again BB Buddy, you know who you are) But it seems like the cuts aren't going to be as accurate as using a scale to weigh everything out to exact amount.s Anything you could share with me on the scale, calculations etc.. would be greatly appreciated.

*Addendum - If I cant use the scale I'll give it to someone on BB who can use it and go with the buddy on BB who suggested the .25 cutting method and hope for the best..

                                Thanks , PepsiMoon

[[ro...]]

Pepsimoon, I was reading your post. The 1mg pill of Xanax does not actually weigh 1 mg. All of the benzos have fillers and binders in them. This makes every pill weigh more than the actual amount of miiligrams shown on the bottle for the pill.

For example I have a 5mg pill of Valium but when I weigh the pill it weighs .177grams. So 5mg of the pill is Valium and the rest is binders and fillers. So 50 %would be .5 X .177 = .0085 or 5% would be .05 X.177 =.009grams.

 

The lowest that scale goes down to is .001grams. So weigh your pill and multiply the weight by .05.  1mg Xanax pill weight  X.05 is 5%. If you do weigh your 1mg Xanax pill and multiply it by .05 and the number is .001grams or higher you can make 5% cuts.

 

Your Xanax pill will weigh more than 1 mg. Only 1mg of the Xanax pill is the active ingredient. If they had no binders and fillers in pills the pills would be very very small. If you weigh your 1mg Xanax pill and you wanted exactly .5mg . You would just multiply the weight of the Xanax pill by .5. So .5 is 50%  and .05 is 5% . Should be easy I don't know how much Xanax pills weigh compared to Valium pills but doing the calculations are the same. Weight of pill times percent. If weight is equal to or over the scale minimum resolution of .001grams. Then you can do it

 

Rob

[[Sl...]]

Wow.  Two new (to me) pieces of info here (been using the scale since May '13):  1.  Static!  I was not aware of why I

was often getting different readings on the same piece, taking it off then putting it back on.  Wow.  I'll find a way to

eliminate the static!  2.  Closing the cover!  Wow again!    I have NEVER closed that plastic see-through cover.

I thought it was just to protect the little weighing paddle. 

 

I do use the "tare" method, after doing the calibration thing with the supplied weights. 

 

Thank you so much!! 

 

- Slappy

[[aw...]]

Hi, Slappy:

 

Two ways of dealing with static: in labs, we used a zero-stat gun that you point at the object, press the triggger, there's a loud snap and the static is gone. $100 on A_zon. Poor man's version (I've used it): the anti-cling things for use in dryers. Wipe the pan and interior of the weiging area. Just don't get the powder from them in your scale.

 

If "the tare method" means adding weight before you zero, that's the way to go.

 

Aweigh 

[[Sl...]]

Thanks again, aweigh. 

 

I noticed that the tweezers that come with the scale have a "non-static" sticker on them, but

experimenting by moving the tweezers tip close then away from the weighing surface causes

the reading to change.  That's something I've dealt with off and on.  I think it may have to do

with static around the unit itself. 

 

I don't fret too much about all this, because in the long run I look at my measured doses now

and compare them to old doses and they're getting smaller and smaller.  If I mess up, due to

static or just being impatient during the cutting process, I try again and work with it a bit, but

if I'm off I know that in the long run I'm still going in the right direction. 

 

I will get those anti-static sheets, though. 

 

All the best,

 

- Slappy

[[bl...]]

What is this gram scale and what do you do with it?  Can it be used for xanax withdrawal and if so what is the benefit of using it.  Sorry I have read the posts but I am lost as usual.  Hope everyone is doing better today.

[[Ho...]]

It's a scale that can measure small amounts. It can be used much like water or milk titration. You would eigh your pill then calculate how much to shave off...then use a razor or something to shave off the necessary amount.

 

Here is a video that explains it.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=74216.0

[[bl...]]

Ooooh that is really neat, wish I could afford one and secondly have the energy to do that.  Very interesting indeed!!  Good luck to those of you doing that, I guess I am going to just do it and guess as best as I can UNLESS I hit that big lottery tommorrow night.    I wish I had the money to just go to  some island paradise and cold turkey in paradise away from stress and be surrounded by beauty it would make it so much easier than in this town I live in, lol.