ASHTON TAPER / CUT & HOLD SUPPORT

[[fl...]]

Bolder good job .5 cuts,,, wish I could do that..The nail file is handy, right now I do it everyday..Until I figure out something else at least it's something...flower

[[Ju...]]

Hi-

I've been lurking because I am trying to keep benzo withdrawal in the background of my life, which works fine until it doesn't. I'm really encouraged by Bolders' progress. I was doing really well (felt like my normal self) for the last two months. Cutting 0.5 every two weeks. Then a week ago I went from 6 to 5.5 and Yowza I was reminded of how awful this can be. I'm sitting tight, I know it can get better because it has so many times before. I just find myself spinning into thoughts of am I going to have to get liquid/go slower etc etc. I hate that I can't see all the way to the end. I will hold here until i feel better and then just figure out the next step.

JKS

[[Sm...]]

Hi-

I've been lurking because I am trying to keep benzo withdrawal in the background of my life, which works fine until it doesn't. I'm really encouraged by Bolders' progress. I was doing really well (felt like my normal self) for the last two months. Cutting 0.5 every two weeks. Then a week ago I went from 6 to 5.5 and Yowza I was reminded of how awful this can be. I'm sitting tight, I know it can get better because it has so many times before. I just find myself spinning into thoughts of am I going to have to get liquid/go slower etc etc. I hate that I can't see all the way to the end. I will hold here until i feel better and then just figure out the next step.

JKS

 

Good to hear you were doing so well JKS! I was thinking about you the other day actually hoping everything was ok.

5.5 is amazing! You are rockin it.

As you say: this too will pass 

[[Ju...]]

Thanks smiff! I really thought I had it figured out- and then it slipped through my fingers again. It looks like etown is doing cut and hold now? I have this image of all of us blindfolded and groping our way forward. I'm staying at this dose until I can get a liquid prescription. I just haven't felt comfortable doing homemade with the kids around- don't want anything lying around, even a single drip. You are doing pretty great too! When it gets really bad I think- all I have to do is keep breathing and I will win.

[[Sm...]]

Thanks smiff! I really thought I had it figured out- and then it slipped through my fingers again. It looks like etown is doing cut and hold now? I have this image of all of us blindfolded and groping our way forward. I'm staying at this dose until I can get a liquid prescription. I just haven't felt comfortable doing homemade with the kids around- don't want anything lying around, even a single drip. You are doing pretty great too! When it gets really bad I think- all I have to do is keep breathing and I will win.

Yup etown is doing cut and hold

We all do what we can till we try other stuff

There is no play book for our ever changing individual bodies

Good luck

Hope the liquid works for you ❤️

[[Bi...]]

Hello

I thought I'd just drop in to give you some encouragement. I did 0.5 cuts all the way to the end and it wasn't easy but I made it.  I'm 6 months off now and mostly OK. Keep going - it's a great thing being off.

[Guest [in...]]

Hi JKS Glad you're moving along. I had to slow my holds down too. I got the Yowza trying to go from 8 to 7.5mg. I was doing 2 week holds, then 4 weeks, then 6 weeks, now at 5 week holds! I decided that I wouldnt hold any longer than 8 weeks. I will try .5mg cuts until 4mg, then try .25mg cuts on down to .5mg or .25mg, then it's nail filing it down to 0.

However, I also will consider daily micro taper or even liquid taper if I must. I will do anything to get off of this crap! 

 

Congrats Bigmistake for being done, done, done! 

[[la...]]

After talking to Jackie Brown, I am no more going to entertain any more avenues to try to lessen my sx. She told me to look for this thread...and I am back to just cut and hold the rest of the way.

 

so I will be on here to get encouragement. Friday is cut day to 6mgs!!!!!    pray for me

[[ro...]]

I'm here Lainey too...

I'm praying for you..I'm proud of you and here .for you. At 6! It's happening friend.

Hang in there with me .

 

Love rose

[[Ju...]]

Why is it that after 16 successful dose reductions (some 2-3 weeks of torture, but all ended) I always think THIS is going to be the cut that I never recover from!?! THIS one right now is going to be the end of me. I'm never getting better and it is over and I can't take it anymore. Entering week two of latest dose reduction and ready to get some sleep soon. Keeping the faith.

[Guest [in...]]

Well, JKS Im impressed and inspired by you.  I will cut .5mg on Friday, and try to keep the faith. 

[[la...]]

me too....just keep moving down no matter what

[[Ju...]]

I certainly wasn't impressive last week!! But today (11 days after last cut) I am feeling much better. Whenever I am feeling bad I search desperately for evidence that it will end, so I should just add my own data point- I feel a cut from valium after 3-4 days and the. Feel better at day 7-11 after the cut. It gets better. Now to resist the temptation to do another 0.5 mg cut. I see my doctor in 6 days and I will hopefully be getting liquid so I can cut 0.25. I tried doing the 5 mg and 2mg cutting plan but the 5mg pills just turned into powder. It seemed like such a good idea. Maybe I need a new pill cutter?

[Guest [in...]]

I have been able to cut my pills in to 4s but I do not like it  I get nervous, but just use the pieces in succession so the dose kinda remains stable. But I think I will try to keep with .5mg cuts until 4mg, then do .25mg cuts...we shall see, everything can change, as we well know. 

[[Bi...]]

Hi Just

It will end. I promise. Now at 6 months I think I am getting close to healing. My symptoms now aren't that serious, just annoying. Perhaps limiting is the word. I'm not too good with stress and I wake up with that horrible hangover thing. But it's nothing like before when I was a wreck. Hang in there all of you. 

[[bo...]]

Hi fellow cut'in'holders. I'm finding this group really helpful, as I scroll through recent posts. We're journeying together, some encouraged by progress, others battling and others sti back to offer their support. I'm 10 days since cutting 0.5 to 3 and it's been the lowest sxs cut I've had. No idea why, but it's been encouraging to me that I can and will do this. I haven't always felt that way.

 

I'm being strict about a 14 day hold despite feeling ok to cut again now, so I'm planning to knock another 0.5 off in 4 more days. I don't expect the next cut to be have the same easy run that I've just experienced. It will be what it will be. But I won't be going backwards!!

 

Travel well and keep being totally honest about what's happening, good or bad.

[[la...]]

well cut another .5mg today...down to 6mg now...what a long journey from 15mgs

 

JKS you sound like me with the pattern of sx

 

I want to keep cutting .5mg until I get to 3mgs but I can not see that far into the future at this point. If I do I will be at 3 by the beginning of April

 

 

[[Ju...]]

Nice progress Bolders and Ingrid. Thanks for checking on us bigmistake!

 

[Guest [in...]]

Thanks everyone!  Im going a little slower than most. But I will be cutting another .5mg tonight to 4.5mg, so tomorrow, I will change my sig! I usually give it a trial 2 day run, and if Im good, I go ahead. If not, I hold. Being perimenopausal/postmenopausal makes this more challenging, shall I say...

[Guest [in...]]

Lainey You have come a long way, my dear. You may soon pass me up. 

[Guest [in...]]

bolders It's soooo great to hear that 3mg has been kind to you. That inspires me. 

[[ar...]]

I am on day 5 with 5.5mg.  All is well, no symptoms.  Will cut .5 in another 5 days.  I haven't been on benzos that long so hopefully minimal s/x on the way down.  Not sure if that even matters.  Thank you boulders for pointing me to this positive support thread.

[[Ju...]]

Arcade, I think you are right not to read the horror stories. If I could do my first taper over again, I would just hold when I needed to and not misinterpret withdrawal symptoms that show up after jumping. You are smart to get off soon and carefully.

[[ar...]]

Hi Just.  Thanks for the kind words.  I won't have the luxury of liquid valium or anything like that.  My psych doc recommended the 10 day hold with .5 drop.  So far it's fine.  He is controlling my pill count but I meet with him once a month to go over my progress.  I created a spreadsheet of my progress tracing symptoms, pill count, dsage and days on dose.  We had a lot of trial and error in the beginning but it looks like we have the right plan.  Just as long as I meet him ever month and we go over the chart he will give me some wiggle room.  I will run out of pills the day after I meet him, but I can't imagine him cutting me off at 5mg for no reason.  That would be unethical and inhumane. He sees the effort so I can't imagine he would.  Anyway I am just catastrophising a bit.

[Guest [in...]]

Hi arcade Welcome.  I just made a cut last night, and hoping for the best.