I need a plan........

[[...]]

Hi, I need to start a titration taper.I am on 1 1/2 mg of Lorazapam a day.I take 1mg at bedtime and 1/2 mg during the day. The pills are 1mg .I have a 100ml bottle marked with  10 ml increments. I have a 10ml syringe marked with 1ml increments and a pill crusher to use also.I have been on this med for 10 years.I am currently feeling the need to up the meds but I refuse to ,I have to get off this awful ride. Thanks

[[el...]]

Hi Mik,

 

I think the bottle will be ok, though it may need more than 10 increments. Colin will let you know.

 

Also, we still need  the taper rate and what date you would like to start your taper.

 

The most common starting taper rate is 1%. This will add up to 10% every ten days, but you will be reducing by 1% a day. It can easily be slowed down or sped up if need be. 

[[...]]

I have failed over and over again trying to just cut the pills by 10%. So whatever titration rate you advise I will try.I would like to start tonight or in the morning. Thanks

 

{I have been taking 1mg at bedtime and 1/2 mg during the day for years.}

[[el...]]

I have failed over and over again trying to just cut the pills by 10%. So whatever titration rate you advise I will try.I would like to start tonight or in the morning. Thanks

 

{I have been taking 1mg at bedtime and 1/2 mg during the day for years.}

 

Hi Mik,

 

I"m sorry, it's going to have to wait until tomorrow. Colin is in the UK where it's nighttime, and won't be back online for about another 12 hours.

I will send him a pm to make sure he catches this thread the morning.

 

Making 10% cuts every 10days is much harsher than making 1% cuts everyday. But maybe you can start with a 0.5% rate. You can always pick up the pace in a couple weeks if all is going well.

 

[[...]]

After the liquid and pills is mixed how much of it do I take at a time and how often?

[[Th...]]

After the liquid and pills is mixed how much of it do I take at a time and how often?

 

When Colin makes your schedule up, it will tell you how much to remove each day which would leave how much to drink. As far as when, it would be the same as you currently are. 

[[...]]

would it be ok to use apple juice instead of milk?

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

You can use apple juice if you prefer, but if you are not using milk, you may as well use water. The reason for using milk is that it is a better medium for suspending the powdered benzo, as the benzo particles appear to have an affinity for milk, binding with the globules of fat in homogenised milk. This helps ensure a more even distribution of benzo within the volume of liquid.

 

If using water, you need to keep the liquid agitated when making any changes/deductions to the liquid. You need to keep the benzo evenly distributed.

 

Would you like a titration plan based upon 1ml increments (since you have the syringe), or would prefer one based upon 5ml increments? Frankly, with 1ml Lorazepam tablets, eyeballing 5ml increments with your 100ml (and 10ml marked increments) should be fine. 100ml cylinders with 1ml increments is nearly always overkill, but covers all the bases, which is why it is recommended. I think your cylinder should be fine.

 

Unless I'm mistaken, no titration rate has been definitely decided upon, so I'll plump for 1% per day. Let us know if you need this adjusting later. Give me about 30 minutes.

[[Co...]]

Hi Mik,

 

Here's your schedule: http://www.benzobuddies.org/spreadsheets/tt-mik-2009-04-07.html. It starts today!

 

Make up 100ml of liquid each day, but drink just the amount indicated by the schedule. So, today, you would make up 100ml of liquid, but drink just 45ml (divide the 45ml over day as you require). In addition to this liquid, you will take one 1mg pill (again, divide the 1mg pill over the day as you require). You will have made your first small cut! You can, of course, keep the remaining 55ml for tomorrow's dose, but don't keep liquid for too long. As your dose drops, you will find that the 100ml could last for many days, but I would not use it for more than 2 or 3 days, especially if you are using milk.

 

Add the following code to you signature (through your profile):

 

[url=http://www.benzobuddies.org/spreadsheets/tt-mik-2009-04-07.html][u]My Titration Schedule[/u][/url].

 

Let us know if you have any questions.

 

Good luck.

[[...]]

Hi, Thanks for helping me. I am a bit confused with the schedule.I currently taking 1mg at bedtime and 1/2 mg during the day. I am to fill the 100ml container with only 1mg of Lorazapam and then only consume 1/2 the liquid?

Wouldnt I be going from 1 1/2 mg a day to 1/2 mg all at once?

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

If you look at the schedule, it lists the amount of liquid you should consume from the 100ml (45ml on the first day), and it also lists the number of pills you take in addition to the liquid (the second column).

 

The liquid is made up using one whole pill. We don't use split pills for the titrated liquid, as it is less accurate. Because you are starting from a dose of 1.5 tablets per day, an equivalent dose would be one whole tablet plus 50ml from 100ml of liquid (made up using a second whole tablet). 45ml (instead of 50ml) represents your first small cut from 1.5 tablets per day.

 

Because you are taking most of your dose at bedtime, in your shoes, I'd probably split my whole pill so that I take half a pill during the day, and the other half at night plus the 45ml of liquid. Though you can and should split up the whole pill and liquid over the day in whatever way you feel best suits you. Most people try to keep doses over the day as even as possible, but this does not suit everyone.

 

So, you start off today with 1 pill plus 45ml of liquid (from 100ml); on the 11th you would reduce your dose to 1 pill and plus 40ml of liquid (from 100ml); and so on. On the 13th May, you would lower your dose to just a single pill over the day; and the 19th May, you are taking just 95ml of liquid (from 100ml) and no additional pills.

[[...]]

confused about schedule..............

[[...]]

thank you so much i really need this to work

[[Th...]]

confused about schedule..............

 

What are you confused about? Could you be a little more specific? Colin may not be back on line until sometime tomorrow but maybe someone else can help you understand it.

[[ha...]]

Mik, Good for you for your persistence in trying to understand the titration method.  I have never had to use the titration system, but it does sound confusing to me.  I think it is a math thing with me because the folks here know what they are talking about and explain it well I'm sure. 

 

I'm sorry you decided not to stay in chat today.  I understand how difficult this all is.  Stay with it. You can do this!  I hear how determined you are, albeit frustrated at the moment.  Please don't give up!

[[sk...]]

Hey Mik,

 

I know how hard it is to understand the schedule's due to the math also. Being brainbenzo'd is no help to say the least, it takes all of any skills we may have and turns them into psycho mumble jumble. At least that's how it is for me, don't feel bad as there are many of us that just don't get it for awhile until someone can explain it in simple terms for someone such as me, the simple minded person.

 

Hang in there as Hawk said, you'll get it soon with some help from someone that can explain it a little easier.

[[Co...]]

confused about schedule..............

 

Hi Mik,

 

I'm not sure what it is that you need to know.

 

The schedule lists the dates of when your dose changes. So, from the 7th, you take one pill AND 45ml from 100ml liquid (this liquid is made using one whole pill). Then, on the 11th, you DAILY dose changes to one pill AND 40ml from 100ml.

[[...]]

Thanks Colin,I did figure out the schedule. I started the titration last night but only slept about 4 hrs.I woke with withdrawal symptoms....headache,shaking,anxiety,tingling, aches......this is what happened back when I tried to cut my pills to taper also.Last night I drank the 45ml and took 1/2mg and saved the other half for during the day.

Currently I am shaking, headache,tingling......dont know if I can go to work.........sorry to complain and ask so many questions I just dont know how to proceed and feel like I am doomed to live on this drug. Thanks for your time

[[...]]

thank you everyone for replying and trying to help me

[[Co...]]

Mik,

 

This cut is just 3.3% of your dose. It is very unlikely that this single small cut is behind how you feel today. It might be more the expectation of feeling this way (because of your past experiences), or just one of those things (a coincidence). Try sticking with this dose and see how things progress.

 

Although the schedule is for another cuts on the 11th, if you are not ready, hold off making the new cut. We can always adjust your schedule if it is too fast for you.

 

Another thing we might do, if you like, is draw up a schedule based upon a 100ml cylinder with 1ml increments, but frankly, this is almost certainly overkill, and will probably make no difference. Your overall taper rate might be an issue, but it is not possible to determin this aftyer one small cut. As I said, give it a few days to see how you progress.

[[...]]

I have felt like I have built up tolerance to my 1 1/2 mg a day for the last month for some reason and contemplated uping my dose but refused to let myself do that...........maybe this is involved.Would it be advisable to take my entire daily titration  dose at bedtime to try and sleep? Is a sleep aid like melanin ok? Thanks again.

[[Co...]]

I don't know what you mean by 'entire titrated dose'. I thought you were already taking the entire 45ml at bedtime - no?

 

I thought you took half of 1ml pill with the 45ml, and another half of a 1ml pill during the day.

[[...]]

I meant to say, yes I took the 45ml and 1/2 mg at bedtime and saved the other 1/2mg for during the day.Would it be ok to just take it all at bedtime?

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

The vast majority of our members seem to benefit from spreading their dose evenly over the day. Some, however, do prefer to take all their dose just once a day. There is nothing wrong with this if you do not suffer from interdose withdrawal effects. However, switching to your suggested new regimen will result in a new higher peak for your blood levels, and although this might well help with sleep (at least in the short term), it might serve to increase your dependency, as your body will become accustomed to a higher peak level. You also risk experiencing inter-dose withdrawal effects if you start taking your benzos once a day. You might be fine, or even feel better, but you might feel worse too. There is no way for me or anyone else to know.

 

However, if you do decide to go down this route, I instead suggest that you take the whole 1mg pill at night, and your titrated dose during the day. This will be a small change, and as you gradually reduce your titrated daytime dose, you can track how you will react. If you go down this route, and experience problems (with inter-dose withdrawal effects, for example), let us know for suggestions on how to proceed. You will, of course, end up having to reduce your nighttime dose at some stage anyway!

 

Since you have already experienced problems quitting, tapering off will almost certainly involve some discomfort. All I can say is that proceeding sensibly, making smaller rather than larger cuts, will almost certainly result in an easier ride.

 

Good luck.

[[...]]

I have started titration but already severe withdrawal affects have started. Sleeping is impossible and horrible,anxiety,ringing in the ears etc....Would it be wise to up my dose of lorazapam to at least be able to sleep as I start titration? I had been taking 1mg at bed time and 1/2mg during the day and still had sleep problems before titration.I have gotten to the point where I cant even work or be with my family...........alone is best.

 

Is melatonin ok to aid sleep?  Thanks