Titration Fan

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Just wanted to post an update - I've been steady on my titration taper since March 18, and while I am of course not what the normal would would call well, it's all relative - I have a life back.  I don't sleep well, tired to some degree all the time, and not a whole lot of stamina, but minimal brain fog, able to plan and do things with some confidence that I won't be Dead Woman Walking when it comes around, even have gone out in the evening a few times with no ill effects that make me wish I hadn't gone, I can even eat....

 

I'm so glad I found this site and made the switch from cut and hold to titration.  I've a ways to go before I'm done, but so far, so very good!  Thanks, thanks, thanks -

 

Snow

[[el...]]

Yay Snow!! I"m very happy for you. It's so good to get positive feedback. Glad that you found BB too, and that it  helped you so much. 

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Thanks, Eljay!  Keep me in mind tomorrow - I see my psych doc for the first time in three months and will be sharing a few things with him.  He means well - and I think he'll listen.  I need him to know about what this past 3 months has been like, and hope he will really hear me.

 

Snow

[[el...]]

Thanks, Eljay!  Keep me in mind tomorrow

 

You got it Snow. 

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...stay tuned!

[[pa...]]

Hi Snow! It's great that titrating is treating you so well! I'm very happy to hear your able to get out and enjoy life.

 

Good luck at the P doc! I hope he understands and will listen!

 

Amanda 

[[Co...]]

Hi Show,

 

I'm glad to hear that tapering is going so much better for since you started titration. It is all about doing what works best for us.

 

Good luck with your meeting.

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Hey guys -

 

Saw my shrink today - he didn't really know anything about all this titration stuff, but asked me a lot of questions and listened and was very respectful and supportive.  I told him I was still sleeping poorly, but that the quality of my sleep was much better, REM sleep and deep sleep returning - he thought that was the L-Tryptophan, not the decreased benzo, but who knows, and what th the heck.  I didn't push it.  He even asked me to send him a link to the on-line Ashton stuff.  He was very interested in how I was measuring, what equipment I was using, and so on, and in the end said he admires what I am doing, sent me on my way until August unless I need him sooner.

 

Not bad!

 

Snow

 

 

[[pa...]]

  , I like the sound of your doctor! To support you and to learn more about it himself, that's really awesome. He may not completely understand but he's trying.

 

Keep going!

 

Amanda 

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Absolutely - soldiering on.

 

Snow

 

PS:  I love the name Amanda

[[Co...]]

There are many great doctors out there - we should try to remember this. Of course we receive many bad reports about doctors, and my experience has been very mixed. Some incompetent, and some are poor examples of humanity. However, I like my GP and even though my present neurologist is the one that prescribed me Clonazepam, he has learned from my experience and acknowledges that he only made things worse for me (he even said this in front of a medical student). Doctors cannot have all the answers and it is inevitable that they will sometimes make mistakes. The doctors I don't trust are the ones that are incapable of acknowledging the limits of their ability and knowledge. We also need to remember that they rely upon the pharmaceutical industry for much of their information, which, of course, have a vested interest in revealing only the good information and studies.

 

A good doctor is a pragmatic doctor. A good human being is one that knows when to shut up, even if they think/know that the person they are listening to is wrong. Some members report that even though it was their decision to quit benzos, their doctor will not allow them the time they feel they need to taper off gently. Some doctors (a relatively small number, I would say) seem to feel that they should be in control of all their patient's actions. No, their job is to supply professional advice, and prescribe meds and treatment where needed, but accept that the ultimate decision about what to do is for the patient themselves. Of course, they are not going to doing something they feel might harm their patient (and I would not argue otherwise), but if they were happy for their patient to take benzos, and at the same time do not have concerns over their patient quitting benzos, why do some of them go off the deep-end when their patient is tapering slower than they feel is necessary? This makes no sense unless we accept that these few doctors are control freaks.

 

Snow, it sounds that you have a good doctor - a good human being.

 

Edit: typos.

[[Pe...]]

Snow you do not know me but I've read your titration experience and your Dr. sounds human and I wish you all the best with him. Maybe you can teach a medical professional something I am trying but not getting too far yet. I have two manuals I am taking to my GP and neurologist and see if they will listen and maybe read the manual. I pray so.

I would like to look into titration too even though I am on Valium tapering I am wondering if the liquid form might digest better for me.

Well good luck and prayers for success

a friend

and buddy

Pennyblue

love your picture.

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Pennyblue, thank you for reading my titration posts.  I know I've found reading others has helped me, and I know however you decide to do your taper will be right for you. 

 

I have found the titration process easy once I got the hang of it, and, darn it, even kind of fun!  Imagine!  I call the basket I keep my supplies in my "Portable Compounding Pharmacy."  (my doc liked that one)  I am not using use milk, just plain water, and have mixed ahead up to 4 days.  There is always some leftover, so if I decide I need to change what I've already mixed I can do that easily. With water, you do have to shake it up before using and before you draw it up (I use syringes) as the particles settle out, but I've not had any trouble with this method.

 

I was a nurse before I retired, so have known a lot of doctors.  My take is that if they have a bias against something, and if they are resistant, you're probably better off not pushing it.  That's a gross overgeneralization, of course.  Mine is a good guy, no question AND I was careful how I approached him, sticking with my personal experience with w/d and how I was going about the taper - never mentioning Ashton or the internet or anything - until I could see he was on board and even intrigued.  But I already knew he would treat what I said about my own experience as a patient with respect, and that's not so with every doc.  Certainly wasn't with my previous family practice primary MD.

 

Hoping for a smooth taper for you, whatever method you use.  I am just so glad to have 6 weeks under my belt - I've got so much more confidence, and that alone reduces the stress a ton.  If you have any questions about my taper that might help you, please ask.

 

Soldiering onward....

 

Snow

 

PS:  thanks for the compliment on the picture - I love your's too!  I took mine this past winter - snow on the bare wisteria branches that are now sprouting green.

[[Pa...]]

Hi Snow,

 

How's the titration going?  I think it's great you're looking for the positive in this situation and having "fun".  Boy, I never could figure it out until someone posted that demonstation on the web by a member of the forum. 

 

Anyway, I think you're doing a terrific job of putting words together into sentences and paragraphs.  Don't worry, your writing skills are intact!

 

Pam

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Hi Snow,

 

How's the titration going?  I think it's great you're looking for the positive in this situation and having "fun".  Boy, I never could figure it out until someone posted that demonstation on the web by a member of the forum. 

 

Anyway, I think you're doing a terrific job of putting words together into sentences and paragraphs.  Don't worry, your writing skills are intact!

 

Pam

 

I was cheerful about it in that last post, wasn't I?  I forget, on a bad day, that there really was a good day.  Not sleeping these last couple nights. I'd been on a roll with good-enough sleep for a few weeks, so it's hard to be back to having to get out of bed at 2am and be thinking I'll be back to that place where you can't plan on anything being much more than just marching through the motions.

 

Trudge, trudge.

Snow

[[Pa...]]

You know, I look back on the months I was in pain and can't see a single day when I felt good.  But, I know I had a few moments of good things during that time.  They were tarnished because I still had the underlying symptoms, but I know I smiled a time or two. 

This process steals our hope and inserts fear and that's what we know.  That's what keeps us company at 2:00 am, not positive thoughts, just our fear.  I'm so sorry you're having tough times, I wish you could find something to hold on to to get you through this. 

You'll be good as new when it's over, it doesn't matter how old you are, your health won't suffer because of this.  Hard to believe when we're so racked with pain, but it's true.  I'm so much better now, not even a hint of the agony I was in for so long.

 

Pam

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  I do smile a time or two - maybe every day, even.  In between.

It's so good to hear from someone who's really come through it.  Thanks for hanging around even after you're well!

 

Snow