I'M READY to start my titration

[[ba...]]

Hi Colin, I know this is last minute but I'm going to start tomorrow.  I'll be ok for a few days without your schedule I think.

 

I have 1mg Klonopin  my next refill will be for .5mgs

Dose is 1 mg at night only,

100 ml cylinder

Start date: May 9th, 2009

 

Here's the plan in my head for the next 100 days.  Tomorrow I am going to split my 1mg tab.  I will take .5mg at 9pm and the liquid.  I will titrate the other .5 in 100 ml cylinder with 100 ml fluid. I will draw off 1ml on the 9th, 2ml on the 10th and an additional 1ml for a total of 100 days unless I have a problem and I will hold. (got this from someone elses schedule).

 

Will look forward to your completed schedule.  Jan

 

 

[[el...]]

Hi Jan!

We need just a bit more info. Could you just quote or copy this with your answers next to the questions?  It's much easier to follow. Colin will have this for you tomorrow. 

 

 

 

Start date: when you would like your titration to start.

 

Dose: the dose you anticipate you be taking at the start date (in mgs).

 

Tablet dose: the dose of your individual tablets.

 

Number of tablets: the total number (and/or fractions) of tablets you take per day. Examples: 2 tabs; 2.5 tabs; 0.75 tabs. These are the number of tablets (not doses), and the tablets used must be of the same dosage (strength).

 

Taper rate: if you are unsure, ask for the input of others. The majority of people probably titrate at a rate of about 10% of their dose every 7-14 days. If you are unsure of where to start, and unless you have good reason to think you need a particularly slow taper, 1% per day is probably a good starting point. The taper plan can be altered later if need be.

[[ba...]]

Hi Colin, Here's the info you've asked for for my klonopin titration

 

Start date: when you would like your titration to start.  May 9 2009

 

Dose: the dose you anticipate you be taking at the start date (in mgs). 1 1 1mg

 

Tablet dose: the dose of your individual tablets.1 mg

 

Number of tablets: the total number (and/or fractions) of tablets you take per day. Examples: 2 tabs; 2.5 tabs; 0.75 tabs. These are the number of tablets (not doses), and the tablets used must be of the same dosage (strength).1 tablet pm

 

Taper rate: if you are unsure, ask for the input of others. The majority of people probably titrate at a rate of about 10% of their dose every 7-14 days. If you are unsure of where to start, and unless you have good reason to think you need a particularly slow taper, 1% per day is probably a good starting point. The taper plan can be altered later if need be. start with 100 ml reduce by 1 ml/day

 

I've been advised to split my pill and take .5 mg oral and titrate the other .5mg over 100 days.  Tonight I will do that and take 1 ml out.

 

I want to do it in a way that I'll come out at the end as healthy as possible, so no rush.  I don't understand the math at all so I need titrating for dummies,  Just tell me how much to remove each day.

 

When I'm done with this 100 ml I'll get .5 mg from my doc so I can get new schedule then.

 

BTW,  Can someone tell me how to remove the milk without getting air bubbles in the syringe?

 

Thanks again.  jan

 

 

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

The spreadsheet is designed to work with just one size (dose) of pill - you cannot mix and match. Because you will be switching to 0.5mg pills, I've created a schedule based upon 0.5mg pills. You will need to spilt your 1mg pills in half, so that you have two 0.5mg doses per day. You will use just one of the 0.5mg doses to make up your liquid, and take the other 0.5mg independently (not as part of the liquid). You will be, in effect, using two 0.5mg pills per day, and this is is what the schedule is based upon.

 

You will not be reducing your dose by 1ml per day - this is because you are titrating just half of your daily dose. Additionally, the taper schedule indicates cuts according to your previous dose. As your daily dose grows smaller, cuts become smaller and/or less frequent. However, at a low dose (0.5mg in this case), cuts become of a fixed size/frequency, otherwise your taper is too long and drawn out at low doses.

 

Anyway, here's your schedule: http://www.benzobuddies.org/spreadsheets/tt-babybing-2009-05-10.html

 

Copy the following code into your signature (through your profile):

 

[url=http://www.benzobuddies.org/spreadsheets/tt-babybing-2009-05-10.html][u]My Titration Schedule[/u][/url].

 

Please print off your schedule now, so that you have hard copy in case you cannot reach it here for any reason.

 

You will make up 100ml per day (using half a tablet - that is 0.5mg), but you will drink just the amount indicated by the schedule. You will note from the schedule that you also take 1 additional tablet - this is the 0.5mg. When you obtain a prescription for 0.5mg tablets, then you use a whole tablet for titration, and if you are still taking more than 0.5mg per day, you will take one whole tablet in addition to the liquid.

 

I would suggest getting the 0.5mg tablets sooner rather later. This is more accurate and less fiddly than breaking 1mg tablets in two.

 

Good luck, and let us know if you have any questions.

[[ba...]]

Hi Colin.  Thanks for the schedule.  I did print it off.

 

Since I only have 1mg right now what I'm going is breaking the tablet and making sure I take both halves of the same tablet.  I"ll get .5 mg when I can

 

You have me going down 2ml per day to start. I get the theory behind your schedule but I went down 1 ml Friday night and 1 ml last night and I'm feeling pretty bad right now, really bad sleep, nausea, no appetite, diarrhea so I'm hesitant to do that much.  I'm going to just do 1ml again tonight and see how I feel.  I'd rather take some time than be really sick.  (I have other health issues (CFS/ME and mercury toxicity) which exacerbate how bad I feel

 

Can someone tell me how to use the syringe without getting air bubbles?  I'm using a 30ml syringe.

 

Also, I did not realize I was on the equivalent of 20mgs valium.  How do you decide which is the best way to get off Klon? Milk Taper or Valium providing a doc will do it. 

 

 

Thanks

[[Th...]]

Can someone tell me how to use the syringe without getting air bubbles?  I'm using a 30ml syringe.

 

Also, I did not realize I was on the equivalent of 20mgs valium.  How do you decide which is the best way to get off Klon? Milk Taper or Valium providing a doc will do it.

 

 

I only used a 10ml syringe and just drew the solution up slowly. Are you just drawing out 1ml per night with a 30ml syringe? You may want to get a smaller syringe until you are drawing out bigger amounts.

 

Titration is probably the best way to get off any of the benzos as it lets you make extremely small cuts. You could use water as an alternative to milk but need to stir vigorously. Some people do not do well with Valium as it can make some nauseous all the time and also tends to increase depression in some.

[[Co...]]

Be gentle when stirring up the milk. If you do this, there will be less froth, so you probably don't need the syringe - just pour out into a cup what you don't need (if you pour out too much, pour some back).

 

If you still use the syringe, don't be too vigorous when when stirring the milk, and make sure the opening of the syringe is well below the surface when drawing up the milk.

 

The problem you are experiencing are not because of these two tiny cuts. It is coincidence (some othercause) or anxiety about cutting. Your blood levels dip quite dramatically between doses, individual pills can vary quite a lot, and even the food you eat will affect blood levels. These two cuts are tiny compared to all that, and you normally cope OK with the other stuff. I'm just tryng to out this into perspective for you. You are fine!

 

If you are feeling unwell, then stabilise your dose for few days and then continue where you left off. If you need a new schedule drawing up, let me know.

[[...]]

Just to add an alternative - I am using water rather than milk - mix it all up and stir vigorasly before drawing it up, then keep the smaller am dose in a syringe and the larger pm dose in a plastic cut with a good screw on lid so I can shake it before taking it.  To shake the syringe I pull in enough air to make some space, then shake it up. 

 

A 12 ml syringe has increments of .2ml so you can be pretty exact.

 

Just in case that might be easier for you.

 

Snow

[[ba...]]

Hi all, Thanks so much for the ideas.

 

Snow, I actually bought a small individual blender to do water with so I did use that. (check ebay).  I don't have the patience for the milk and the bubbles.  It has a 100ml marking on it.  I first put my water in a beaker with a 100 ml marker, easier than a cylinder for me, then put that in my blender and then tune it with a pipette.  I draw the mixture out while its spinning.  I tried with my 3ml syringe but I kept getting bubbles so the 30 worked better.

 

I got my 30ml syringe from a vet but when I went to a pharmacy I found out that in CA you have to have an RX just to get any syringe even without a needle. 

 

Colin I came back on because it just occurred to me that I didnt understand what you were saying and what I was doing.  It takes me awhile to process stuff and I have notes all over my kitchen on how to do this when I'm brain dead, like now LOL!.  I guess I'll decide tonight if I want to do 1ml or 2ml.  My question is, if 2ml is too much do I stay there and tough it out or do I back down to 1ml?

 

Anyway, yes you are right there are certainly some mitigating factors as to why I felt exceptionally bad today relating to my other illnesses.  The thing that wrecks me most is not getting enough sleep.  I'm really fragile in the mornings.  But I've lived with CFS/ME for 15 years doing most stuff on my own.  I'm pretty amazed at what I can do sometimes so this "freaking out" is not comfortable. I don't like not understanding things. But I know I'll get the process down.

 

And Theresa, thanks for explaining the valium to me.  I keep looking for an easier way, like going to the hospital and having them do a complete body transfusion...I think that's a viable option with so many of us in this boat.  Why not?

 

I appreciate all the time you guys are taking with me.  I knew I wanted to get of this stuff but the decision came really fast. I found this site, the protocol, got online and started within a week.  That was after drying dry cuts!  I don't think there is anyway to really prepare yourself psychologically and the only ones who can really understand this nightmare are my fellow benzoids!  Hey I just made up that word.

 

So, i'll be back with my latest trials and tribulations on titration.  jan

[[...]]

Hey, BB -

 

You are working hard on this - good for you! 

I was always afraid some of the stuff would get stuck on the blender blades, lost in the crevices, etc - so I use a little mortar and pestle, making sure I get all the powder off the pestle with a little brush and so forth - quite obsessive, I guess...

 

Best place to buy syringes is a feed store.  You can buy the cylinders all by themselves, needles are done separately.  3cc definitely wouldn't cut it!

 

You are going to do well!

 

Snow

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

Just to say, there is no need to use a blender - just use a knife or some other long implement to stir the milk. It is the blender (and the subsequent froth) that's making it difficult to measure the milk.

[[ba...]]

My blender has a little spring in the bottom. I'm OCD like you and now I'm going to obsess about the springs. I know I read somewhere to get one with plastic blades but really.  Right now I'm using a 150 ml beaker. I put a little over 100 ml in that, pour into my blender which has a 100ml marker then I have a pipette that I use to fine tune. THen I take my 30 ml syringe and draw out a lot of water. After I've pulverized my pill with my mortar and pestle I use the syringe to rinse the mortar and pestle then put that in the blender.  Do that a few times and whatever water is left in the syringe goes into the blend.  I rev it up for about 30 secs, then stick in my syring, pull out more than i need and then drop it that way.  Drink it up, add more water and drink again.

 

I've kinda decided to just go 1ml per day.  I have a lot of other medical problems and I don't want to stress my body out any more than it is.  It's really hard to deal with titration and the BS of daily life, right now I'm dealing with my cable company.  Morons.  Thanks.  Jan

[[Th...]]

As Colin mentioned, using a blender is over kill. I used an extra long straw and I had no problems. 

[[ba...]]

HI,  I tried milk my first night and I had some problems.  I had already ordered a blender from ebay so I've been doing water and am good with that.  I draw off my solution while the blender is spinning to make sure  (I'm OCD too!) (my 30ml syringe won't fit in the cylinder)

 

I am having no withdrawal symptoms, in fact last night I slept 9 hours and then another hour a few hours after I  had eaten my breakfast.

 

I'll see how this goes, I was expecting the worst, but I may tempt fate and try drawing off 2mis this weekend and see. 

 

LostInBrooklin is celebrating hit the 50ml mark....seems so far away at 6ml. 

 

Thanks and later

[[Co...]]

I'm glad to hear that it is going well. If you ever feel the taper rate is too steep, just stabilise your dose for a while, and when you feel better, continue to taper at a reduced rate. Adjust your taper to suit you.

[[ba...]]

Thanks colin,  It seems so simple but it takes me awhile to understand.  The more I know the more I want to know.

 

I think on Sunday I'll draw off 2 ml.  Why sunday?  Cuz my crazy brain has to do it on an even number! day.  this is a new crazy!!  and today not good (not related to klonpin)

 

I know..put me in a coma and just wake me up when its over!!!  Sounds like a plan to me!!!

 

Jan