Congratulations 👏 🎊 The short half life Benzo's are much harder to get off, like Ativan (I tried to taper but went way too fast, besides effexor, and wellbutrin.. 9 years ago didn't use water taper.. self cut tablets.... huge mistake) Wicked Withdrawls!!!! I had to go back on Kilonopin for a few years, then water tapered. Took 1year 8mo. No withdrawal. We have beat Benzo's so great job!
Yes, big Congratulations to you! 💐 I know Ativan is hard to get off of. I'm still on a large dose of Klonopin, so it'll be a while before I'm ready for this. Hearing success stories strengthens my resolve & gives me confidence! 🤍
@@mamas3cubsthe half life is why I was originally switched from Ativan to klonopin. It really is different. Im down to .5 from 3mg but I did it over 3 years because I was on these benzos for 20 years. Doing it so slowly kept me from having withdrawal. I also had several newer traumatic events (because of a relative that lied and had me put in a hospital) in these 3 years so had to go really slow. When I was forced to go to a hospital this past October, I was on .75, but at the time I was taken, it had been at least 12 hours since I took it. They said it didn’t show up in my urine test. Then, because I had not gotten a new prescription in a month since i still had some and didn’t need it yet, they said I was lying about taking it. I didn’t have any for a week and had awful withdrawal and they told me I wasn’t. When I got out, I asked my psychiatrist what to do and he recommended going back on what I was taking and then continuing my slow taper. He was not happy about me being forced into a hospital when I didn’t need it or the way I was treated. The hospital didn’t even call him to confirm what I was telling them until day 5 of the 7, and then they didn’t care. They also didn’t give me my Lexapro for 5 days and I was on 20mg. The last two days they only gave me 10 mg. I have stayed on just 10 after that though and will stay on 10mg until I’m off the klonopin. Then I’ll slowly taper it too
This helped me get off Benzodiazapines after 30+ years! Now I'm tapering Effexor immediate release, Slow taper is the best way. Thank you for posting this method.
If I am on 3mgs of Xanax per day, how do I know how much water to put in my container when I mix the pill in? I'm horrible at math! He uses the term milliliters, I'm so confused. Pls help!
I did a water titration off of Lorazepam. I was addicted to it for 13 years! I used a mason jar. It took me 7 months to titrate down. I started in December of 2017 and was done by July 2018. Water titration is the most smooth way to go. It is very gradual and it tricks your body because your body is not able to sense the slow amounts. I did mine by the week. So I would titrate down 5-10% per week. Sometimes I would hold for a week and stay at that level, then go down 5%, etc. I have a whole story on my journey with Lorazepam, but I have been 100% Benzo free since 2018! It was worth it!
i get stuck at day 117, i hold for a werk at that dose but after a week i try to reduce, i got insomnia again, i dont know what to do , maybe i need to hold again?
I tried this when i had reached tolerance with Xanax... It did not work for me sadly... 😢 I wish it would have but i think i was too much in tolerance already... So my next step had to be the crossover to diazapam.. didnt want to but has to have some relief from interdose withdrawals... Hopefully i am able to taper the diazapam this way easier ... Good luck to everyone suffering from benzos.. it is the most painful thing ive had to live through in my life....
Me too. Unbelievably difficult. I would rather have broken collar bones . I ran marathons..I would rather run 26 miles a day the be dependent tapering Xanax. I'm afraid I been on xanax too long to even have success.
This has been a God send and I have not held. I use a coffee frother to get that suspension. Then quickly pull up my discard. It’s definitely easy and more exact for me.
Outstanding useful information outlining the most likely effective procedure that can be tailored to individual needs in terms of manipulating dose and timing. Gradually spacing dosage over a longer period of time is often useful while reducing the medication. Thanks Dr Josef for providing this critical knowledge!
gradually spacing out dosages has helped me taper with just breaking the pills. I might try this water method too. I didn’t know about it before. I’m down to .5 mg of klonopin from 3 so now I get .5 mg tablets but they are pretty small. This could help when I’m ready to decrease the.5 because when breaking them there’s always one half slightly bigger than the other
@@punkroxgirl Awesome! A slight variation in size isn't going to make a difference. Focusing on a healthy lifestyle... eating sleeping exercising and proper breathing along with coping skills and a support group is necessary for happiness health and well-being. Congratulations on your desire to stop having your life revolve around medication and focus on living!!!
@@vince6792 thank you. I agree with you. I now luckily have a supportive psychiatrist and I went to therapy for 10 years with a really good psychologist before I started tapering and that really helped me more than anything. I was misdiagnosed as bipolar after having a reaction to an SSNRI. The psychologist helped me figure out that it was actually adhd that I had (along with cptsd that was already diagnosed) but the coping mechanisms I learned helped me even before my diagnosis was changed. I do belong to several adhd online support groups and it did help a lot. In the last year I started taking vitamins regularly and quit drinking soda. My next goal is the exercise part. I started with daily stretching because I struggle with drastic changes but do well creating habits if I do small gradual changes. I don’t worry so much about breaking them yet, it’s more for when I’m down to smaller doses. I appreciate your comment
@@notanotherfuckingnikki You're probably correct, milk would make a better medium for suspensions. It wouldn't completely prevent settling so the same procedure Dr Josef outlined would still be necessary for timely even distribution and removal to slowly reduce and finally eliminate dosing over time.
Thank you for this valuable information! It's perfect because I'd prefer to have as much control as possible with my taper. So when the time comes for me to end dry cutting, I plan to try the water taper first. Luckily I have a STEM background & my husband's an engineer, so I'm confident that we can do it properly. I'm just praying that my body cooperates with the plan when the time is right. 🤞🏽🙏🏽
Thank you Dr Josef! I am using this method and it is working great so far. Really appreciate you posting this. You are doing great work as we all move forward together. 👏
Clonazepam is sold as a liquid formulation (Rivotrl 2.5mg/ml, in many European countries, at least. If you have tablets, of benzodiazepines that aren't soluble in water, propylene glycol is non-toxic and will dissolve benzodiazepines like diazepam, nitrazepam and clonazepam etc. Most other ones are adequately soluble in water.
You can also use MCT oil which also increases bioavailability of alot of chemicals and act as a preservative or use alcohol and a dropper (tincture). If you want to thicken up suspensions you can use xanthan gum
@@SEaudiofanyeah … benzos hijack our GABA receptors .. as does alcohol to a degree.. I’ve quit alcohol while I’m tapering & for a yr. or so beyond (at least)
I have done this before and it worked great ……. I did it in 5 months but my life had changed for the better …. Now I have to do it again because I had problems with terrible anxiety. The problem is finding a doctor who understands benzos and is willing to write prescriptions for 10 months to a year …… that is a very real problem
I am in the process of a water taper now. Ive been on 1 fast acting .0.5-1 mg lorazapam every night for 8 years. Started out my taper at 0.5mg in 1/4 cup of water, removing 1 ml every night. I am almost three months in and it’s really getting tough. Severe, debilitating anxiety, heart palpitations, stomach flopping uncontrollably starting in the evening at about 6pm, lasting all night until about 8am. I can’t sleep, so I am on here at 1am trying to get some encouragement. I think I need to slow it down now that I am getting closer to the end. Maybe hold here for a week and then only remove 1/2 ml every week from here on out.
Do you have a video on how to do a dry cut micro taper with a nail file and scale, from beginning to end ?? If not, would you be able to make one for us? The benzo groups have such confusing information !!! Thank you in advance !!!!
Thank you for this info! I would strongly consider doing this for my benzo taper. I asked my doctor to work with me on a taper and we’ve done 2 cuts so far. The withdrawal has been really bad and I haven’t received any encouragement. So I’d much rather do this on my own to ease the withdrawal.
A psychiatrist told me that recently clonazepam is now offered 0.125mg or 0.25mg dissolvable wafers. I even saw them for sale at online pharmacies. I am wondering if they would dissolve fully in water and could be used in a water taper? I would be grateful for any news on this.
Zopiclone is a problem as there are no tapering strips and they are film-coated, so dissolving in water causes severe IBS (on top of the gastric distress caused by benzo withdrawal). Dry cit and weigh has the same issue due to ingredients. Currently I am filing down with a nail file. It is is not 100% accurate, but the only way it seems.
I tried this for my Benzo taper, but only used it for one dose per day, not my whole daily dose. I hated it. It made me feel just as awful. With cut and hold u feel sh*t for a week or 10 days then it usually lifts, with this I felt like sh*t everyday. It also takes a lot of mucking around and preparation and maths, and ties you down to taking jars of watered down meds with you when u go out. I am 'afraid' to do my TDD using this method in case something happens to me, like I go to hospital and I have to try and tel them what Benzo dose I am on, and how would they deliver that dose ? I also did not like how the dosing seems so inaccurate as it not dissolved but a suspension but I knw a LOT of people have used this method. . I may have to go back to this method tho as my TDD gets under 5 mg Diaz.
My same fear is having to go to the hospital and trying to explain what I'm doing. No one understands, especially nowadays. Benzos have me literally in fear of everything. I live alone with no one to help me and I'm scared sh*tless.
I use water tapering for Pregabalin in a slightly different way - measuring the mg's first and then do the reduction every day and dissolve into a certain amount of millilitres in water. Then i stir it with a specific stirring stick for several minutes and down it. I don't use sugar or anything because it makes me sick and stresses my body. I tend to hold the same dose for a few weeks or a month and then do a reduction and on again. I haven't tried a micro taper because i am a bit scared to cut down every day even if it's safe than doing small reductions every few weeks.
Thank you Dr. Josef for posting this! I have a question though...I am on Gabapentin 600mgs daily: 200mg Morning, 200mg Afternoon, 200mg Evening (100mg Capsules) Do I still fill the glass container to 300 ml of water then add all 600mg capsules into it or should I open the capsules and drop the powder into it? I do have a lot of brain fog right now so it's a little confusing to me?
it's harder with klonopin. I'd have to be changed to valium, but that could make me sick. otherwise I would do this. klonopin is the hardest to get withdrawled from.
Thanks for this video. I’m not there yet but I plan to try this after my slow taper of lorazepam needs to go below .5mg per day because I can’t cut those tiny little tablets.
Spacing out dosages helped me, would it help to take them every 6 1/2 hours or 7? I’m not sure because Ativan has a shorter half life than the klonopin I was on. I was on Ativan before I was in klonopin. Also, I’m 49, almost 50 so that might have made it easier than if I was in my 70’s. However you choose to do it, I hope it works out well for you 💜
I just discovered akathisia on your channel this week...I went funking cold turkey with Benzodiazepines. I need research if Mirtazapin is as bad on the rezeptors.
@@Uma921”temporary”? That’s why we can’t get compensation. People think akathisia is transient. The head of the Akathisia Alliance has suffered almost 15 years. My friend Stephen Bailey was injured by a benzodiazepine and has suffered akathisia & pain & cognitive stuff over 27 years. I know many, many people a decade off and still suffering. Once you have akathisia, you are prone to reoccurrence. It’s a life long injury for some of us. We can’t get hurt and need antibiotics or anesthesia. We can’t get sick and need daily antibiotics without risking it. I’ve lost over 20 friends to akathisia since I realized what I had, but I’ve been unknowingly suffering akathisia on some level for decades. I have paced for nearly 3 years, 24/7 since my last medication injury (benzo + opiate).
@@Uma921Weird, I could pretty much take mirtazapine intermittently if I wanted to (DO NOT, of course), and the worst I'll get is weird dreams and grogginess, nowhere even remotely close to as bad as an SSRI, and not a billionth as bad as benzodiazepines. I will say, polydrug withdrawal is definitely going to be much worse if benzos are involved, you're definitely right about that, so I'd continue mirtazapine until you're completely off benzos. If you're anything like me, it helps sleep quite profoundly anyway. Trying to get a feel for OP's position, if you're off benzos, want to be off mirtazapine, but you have PAWS, all I can say is reduce and see. You really shouldn't have a severe response if you take it low and slow, it's not a GABA agonist. I know ADs and APs can have their own complications, I just wouldn't expect anything nearly on the level of benzo withdrawal. Another thing is the sleep properties of mirtazapine still work as well at low doses, so you can get all the way down to like 15, 7.5 mg even, and that will still be helpful for PAWS.
@@bitesizecrayons9187 SSRI withdrawal was literally hell on earth (still protracted), however my benzo taper was a cake walk, relatively speaking. I’ve heard from quite a few people mirtazapine has been a nightmare to get off of. Point being, everyone is different and adding more psych meds onto an already wrecked nervous system is usually not the answer whether or not they’re GABA agonists. There are exceptions to this (if it’s life or death it may be worth trying something). I also believe reinstatements are often necessary.
@Uma921 The aspect of everyone being different is certainly the key thing here. I was being short sighted, kind of like the docs who think ADs are just so benign and the answer to everything. Your case is absolutely the exception and not the rule with an easy benzo taper, but you make a good point about it being important to weigh cost/benefit concerning any medicine, and many are going to be understandably distrusting after a medically induced disaster. My estimation was that sleep from mirtazapine would more than likely be more beneficial than the potential harm based on *my* experience, and that is a major fallacy and not in the spirit of this channel, and it's a deep shame that there's not a lot of OTC stuff that is going to be/stay effective for benzo insomnia.
I'm on 5 mg of diazepam now. I want to know how to do a 10% reduction every 2 weeks to a month. I'm in considerably bad shape because of the way my doctor's acting, and I cannot think how to calculate based on this video. I have already reduced my dose by 10 mg. I returned to this method because the liquid diazepam tasted very bad. Can anyone help with figuring it out? I suppose I would want to know how to do 10% lowering every 2 weeks, And perhaps 10% lowering every month. Thank you for this video.
Thank you for this water taper idea sir🙏 I dont understand what to do in the second month Do we have to take out 30 ml from 300 ml first and drink 270 ml and so on for each month?
I was so hardly patient of drawing symptoms, but recently over 1 week no sleep because of akathesia, hyper sensitivity from lamotogine. How do you spend time during tapering especially hard time like akathesia?
I have tapered Ativan from 2mg at bedtime to 1.15 in about 2 months by dry cutting. TBH is rough. I think is too fast, but I've been on it for about 5 months. now I'm more or less ok. some days are worse than others, but I cut and hold. Now, I would like to try the water taper and do about 120 days taper to 0. I think is too fast, but I would try it to see how it goes. My doc wants me to cut it faster and wants me to take Gaba for anxiety. I don't want to do that, and I just want to pace myself. Also, I don't know if I should split my dose into 2. My doc thinks this is not a good idea, but in the afternoon the anxiety and headaches are romping up. Do you guys have any advice of what to discuss with my doctor?
Split it in 2 and tell your doctor that gabapentin doesn't work for anxiety and it causes heart and eye problems. Try using this method but use milk instead when you get to .5 and speed of detox really depends on how long you've been on the drug & everybody is different
I know for Klonopin is better to switch to Valium. I asked my prescribing psychiatrist to do that for me. He said it would be impossible for him to know what would be the equivalent dose to 1 mg of Klonopin if prescribed for that amount in valium. Also I tried to get a syringe to do the water taper method I bought it online and I couldn't see how it was marked very well. It turns out it was a much bigger syringe and it didn't go down to that little amount with the marks on the that syringe. So I'm stuck
I have been on Ativan 2mg/day at night for sleep. I'm not a math whiz so I'd appreciate some info how I would taper if I only take it at night. Thank you.
you can take at night like ido, now i am on 118 days tapering off, since i got insomnia so i hold till couple days and continue to deduct again after a week
I'm on 3.25mg. Been looking at a water taper. So when I do my daily water taper, do I just do 3.25mg the next day, then the next? When do lower the amount of tablets? Am I sounding stupid?
I am on 1mg of clonazepam once a day. . . id like to taper off at ten percebt intervals instead of the microtaper. How would I do that using the water method.
my doc is a benzo specialist but im scared to tell him because he is really on me about not even cutting pills! i do not understand it. they must have redflagged me. i cant afford a compounding pharmacy. i was on clonazapam for a decade and at first he gave me clonazapam to switch to diazapam like the Ashton manuel but the diazapam makes me sick! in the group he lets others taper on clonazapam but for me he says i abuse my meds( i dont) and since my pharmacy gives him a hard time i cant get a simple clonazapam taper. its ridiculous i dont know what to do it took me years to get money to pay for this specialist and i cant find any help in ilinois. been trying 7 years and it just doesn't work. i want to be able to walk with my dog and live my life. ever since they forced me off my medication ive been unable to live my life. lost everything literally
I hate doctors for the simple reason that as of today I’m trying to think I have enough pills of Klonopin till next Wednesday I mean 10 pills screwed me up and I don’t think this is gonna work. What’s anybody’s thoughts about doing this tapering thing was 10 pills I take 1 mg Two times a day when I first started out I was able to not take a walk I was on three and then I just skipped one and it was for I was fine a doctors office messed me up and now I’m down to 12 pills. Is this too late do I need to go to an ER tonight, you tell me
I did my Kilonopin immediate release in water only. No withdrawal symptoms, very slow took 1 year 8 months. Now 4 years later am doing in water, Effexor immediate release. No withdrawal as of yet. Worked for me.
@@mamas3cubsI’m on klonopin immediate release too. I’m down to .5 now from 3mg so I might try this. I also went very slow, it took me 3 years to get down to .5
Many meds do not dissolve. Many Benzo's do not 'dissolve' , they make a suspension crushed up in water. He talks abt that - the shaking of the jar then quickly taking out the dose b4 it settles again on bottom.
I had this same issue until I found my current psychiatrist. I went through many and he’s the only one that supports me and let’s me set my own taper schedule. It’s a shame that so many doctors want patients to be less educated and informed. You would think that would be encouraged but it’s generally not. This is exactly why i don’t like when they use the term “mood stabilizer”. I don’t take those anymore, but when I first stopped, every time I heard them say that term I asked them where could I find “mood stabilizer” in the PDR? It’s like they use that term to purposely keep people less informed about what they are taking. When I first started researching all these meds, it was before google existed so it was much harder to find information.
@@KlausSchwab-uq9sl that’s how I always felt when they would say mood stabilizer. God forbid I want to know the actual name of the medication and how it works and what it affects before I decide.
I am now taking only 1.3 mg of my 10 mg Valium dose using a Walmart 20 ml syringe. So this taper is going on smoothly and hope to be off very soon in September 2024. So i take only 13 ml of Valium dituted in 20 ml syringe means that i am taking only 1.3 mg of my 10 mg Valium dose daily 😂
I am was taking 2 5 milligrams cut to 8.75 of Valium for the last 11 days I am finding this water method very confusing. Could you please explain it. I would greatly appreciate it.
This reminds me that some of these meds should be available in lower doses to reduce risk of dependency. They aren't because that would reduce profits.
Thanks for your information some of us are dying out here.
That is the long and short of it, sadly.
I used a water taper to come off Ativan…today marks one year off!
How are you feeling?
Congratulations 👏 🎊 The short half life Benzo's are much harder to get off, like Ativan (I tried to taper but went way too fast, besides effexor, and wellbutrin.. 9 years ago didn't use water taper.. self cut tablets.... huge mistake) Wicked Withdrawls!!!!
I had to go back on Kilonopin for a few years, then water tapered. Took 1year 8mo. No withdrawal.
We have beat Benzo's so great job!
Yes, big Congratulations to you! 💐 I know Ativan is hard to get off of. I'm still on a large dose of Klonopin, so it'll be a while before I'm ready for this.
Hearing success stories strengthens my resolve & gives me confidence! 🤍
@@mamas3cubsthe half life is why I was originally switched from Ativan to klonopin. It really is different. Im down to .5 from 3mg but I did it over 3 years because I was on these benzos for 20 years. Doing it so slowly kept me from having withdrawal. I also had several newer traumatic events (because of a relative that lied and had me put in a hospital) in these 3 years so had to go really slow.
When I was forced to go to a hospital this past October, I was on .75, but at the time I was taken, it had been at least 12 hours since I took it. They said it didn’t show up in my urine test. Then, because I had not gotten a new prescription in a month since i still had some and didn’t need it yet, they said I was lying about taking it. I didn’t have any for a week and had awful withdrawal and they told me I wasn’t.
When I got out, I asked my psychiatrist what to do and he recommended going back on what I was taking and then continuing my slow taper. He was not happy about me being forced into a hospital when I didn’t need it or the way I was treated. The hospital didn’t even call him to confirm what I was telling them until day 5 of the 7, and then they didn’t care. They also didn’t give me my Lexapro for 5 days and I was on 20mg. The last two days they only gave me 10 mg. I have stayed on just 10 after that though and will stay on 10mg until I’m off the klonopin. Then I’ll slowly taper it too
Congratulations on a year off benzos. 🎉💜
This helped me get off Benzodiazapines after 30+ years! Now I'm tapering Effexor immediate release, Slow taper is the best way. Thank you for posting this method.
Wish you much Strength.
You will be ok, go slow. 🙏🏻
How do you do an AD (I need to do after benzo) from the bitter taste?
I always rinse my mouth out using zero Listerine daily 😊
If I am on 3mgs of Xanax per day, how do I know how much water to put in my container when I mix the pill in? I'm horrible at math! He uses the term milliliters, I'm so confused. Pls help!
@@DelKiddI don't get it either
I did a water titration off of Lorazepam. I was addicted to it for 13 years! I used a mason jar. It took me 7 months to titrate down. I started in December of 2017 and was done by July 2018. Water titration is the most smooth way to go. It is very gradual and it tricks your body because your body is not able to sense the slow amounts. I did mine by the week. So I would titrate down 5-10% per week. Sometimes I would hold for a week and stay at that level, then go down 5%, etc. I have a whole story on my journey with Lorazepam, but I have been 100% Benzo free since 2018! It was worth it!
Congratulations 🎊
Gob bless brother 1 day of
Tapering for me 15mg diazepam a day can’t leave my house
i get stuck at day 117, i hold for a werk at that dose but after a week i try to reduce, i got insomnia again, i dont know what to do , maybe i need to hold again?
@@lindasulistya9937 have you tried sleep gummies. Amazon have some that have made such a difference for me.
How much were you on and how much water did you use to titrate?
I used water taper during the last months. I learnt it in Internet. 2 years off! I'm 74 years old.
I tried this when i had reached tolerance with Xanax... It did not work for me sadly... 😢 I wish it would have but i think i was too much in tolerance already... So my next step had to be the crossover to diazapam.. didnt want to but has to have some relief from interdose withdrawals... Hopefully i am able to taper the diazapam this way easier ... Good luck to everyone suffering from benzos.. it is the most painful thing ive had to live through in my life....
Me too. Unbelievably difficult. I would rather have broken collar bones . I ran marathons..I would rather run 26 miles a day the be dependent tapering Xanax. I'm afraid I been on xanax too long to even have success.
Anyone have success with Xanax?? I'm at 1.5 mg. Stuck there for 10 years.
l@@GaryManning-m3n im stuck on 1.0 mg and i think with Xanax it's hard :(
Did you have success with diazepam?
@@GaryManning-m3n I'm stuck in 1 mg :( 😞
This has been a God send and I have not held. I use a coffee frother to get that suspension. Then quickly pull up my discard. It’s definitely easy and more exact for me.
Outstanding useful information outlining the most likely effective procedure that can be tailored to individual needs in terms of manipulating dose and timing. Gradually spacing dosage over a longer period of time is often useful while reducing the medication. Thanks Dr Josef for providing this critical knowledge!
gradually spacing out dosages has helped me taper with just breaking the pills. I might try this water method too. I didn’t know about it before. I’m down to .5 mg of klonopin from 3 so now I get .5 mg tablets but they are pretty small. This could help when I’m ready to decrease the.5 because when breaking them there’s always one half slightly bigger than the other
@@punkroxgirl Awesome! A slight variation in size isn't going to make a difference. Focusing on a healthy lifestyle... eating sleeping exercising and proper breathing along with coping skills and a support group is necessary for happiness health and well-being. Congratulations on your desire to stop having your life revolve around medication and focus on living!!!
@@vince6792 thank you. I agree with you. I now luckily have a supportive psychiatrist and I went to therapy for 10 years with a really good psychologist before I started tapering and that really helped me more than anything. I was misdiagnosed as bipolar after having a reaction to an SSNRI. The psychologist helped me figure out that it was actually adhd that I had (along with cptsd that was already diagnosed) but the coping mechanisms I learned helped me even before my diagnosis was changed. I do belong to several adhd online support groups and it did help a lot. In the last year I started taking vitamins regularly and quit drinking soda. My next goal is the exercise part. I started with daily stretching because I struggle with drastic changes but do well creating habits if I do small gradual changes.
I don’t worry so much about breaking them yet, it’s more for when I’m down to smaller doses. I appreciate your comment
Use milk not water because they are fat soluble and not water soluble.. an old pharmacist taught me this
@@notanotherfuckingnikki You're probably correct, milk would make a better medium for suspensions. It wouldn't completely prevent settling so the same procedure Dr Josef outlined would still be necessary for timely even distribution and removal to slowly reduce and finally eliminate dosing over time.
This is great information. Love your new videos.
Thank you for this valuable information! It's perfect because I'd prefer to have as much control as possible with my taper. So when the time comes for me to end dry cutting, I plan to try the water taper first. Luckily I have a STEM background & my husband's an engineer, so I'm confident that we can do it properly. I'm just praying that my body cooperates with the plan when the time is right. 🤞🏽🙏🏽
Use milk not water because benzos aren't water soluble (a pharmacist taught me this)
@@notanotherfuckingnikki really? I did not know that. Just ordinary milk, powdered or just cold milk?
@@notanotherfuckingnikki People who are lactose intolerant: 💀
More great info! Thank you🤍
Thank you Dr Josef! I am using this method and it is working great so far. Really appreciate you posting this. You are doing great work as we all move forward together. 👏
Clonazepam is sold as a liquid formulation (Rivotrl 2.5mg/ml, in many European countries, at least.
If you have tablets, of benzodiazepines that aren't soluble in water, propylene glycol is non-toxic and will dissolve benzodiazepines like diazepam, nitrazepam and clonazepam etc.
Most other ones are adequately soluble in water.
Do you know ratio to water for OraBlend? If you’re using 300mL per day it could be quite expensive. 🤨
You can also use MCT oil which also increases bioavailability of alot of chemicals and act as a preservative or use alcohol and a dropper (tincture). If you want to thicken up suspensions you can use xanthan gum
Tradução?
Alcohol might be a non starter for many
@@SEaudiofanyeah … benzos hijack our GABA receptors .. as does alcohol to a degree.. I’ve quit alcohol while I’m tapering & for a yr. or so beyond (at least)
Use milk instead of water - tablets are fat soluble and not water soluble
Do you think you could go over a comprehensive way to dilute the SSRI oral solutions, according to the Maudsley Deprescribing Guide?
I just got my Maudsley manual and I need help with it. Same question!
I have done this before and it worked great ……. I did it in 5 months but my life had changed for the better …. Now I have to do it again because I had problems with terrible anxiety. The problem is finding a doctor who understands benzos and is willing to write prescriptions for 10 months to a year …… that is a very real problem
true
I am in the process of a water taper now. Ive been on 1 fast acting .0.5-1 mg lorazapam every night for 8 years. Started out my taper at 0.5mg in 1/4 cup of water, removing 1 ml every night. I am almost three months in and it’s really getting tough. Severe, debilitating anxiety, heart palpitations, stomach flopping uncontrollably starting in the evening at about 6pm, lasting all night until about 8am. I can’t sleep, so I am on here at 1am trying to get some encouragement. I think I need to slow it down now that I am getting closer to the end. Maybe hold here for a week and then only remove 1/2 ml every week from here on out.
Do you have a video on how to do a dry cut micro taper with a nail file and scale, from beginning to end ?? If not, would you be able to make one for us? The benzo groups have such confusing information !!! Thank you in advance !!!!
That sounds difficult compared to this.... You'd need some damn good scale's
Thank you for this info! I would strongly consider doing this for my benzo taper. I asked my doctor to work with me on a taper and we’ve done 2 cuts so far. The withdrawal has been really bad and I haven’t received any encouragement. So I’d much rather do this on my own to ease the withdrawal.
A psychiatrist told me that recently clonazepam is now offered 0.125mg or 0.25mg dissolvable wafers. I even saw them for sale at online pharmacies. I am wondering if they would dissolve fully in water and could be used in a water taper? I would be grateful for any news on this.
how about if i only need once daily dose, .is it using 300 ml of water also?
Zopiclone is a problem as there are no tapering strips and they are film-coated, so dissolving in water causes severe IBS (on top of the gastric distress caused by benzo withdrawal). Dry cit and weigh has the same issue due to ingredients. Currently I am filing down with a nail file. It is is not 100% accurate, but the only way it seems.
I will try this. Thank you.
I tried this for my Benzo taper, but only used it for one dose per day, not my whole daily dose. I hated it. It made me feel just as awful. With cut and hold u feel sh*t for a week or 10 days then it usually lifts, with this I felt like sh*t everyday. It also takes a lot of mucking around and preparation and maths, and ties you down to taking jars of watered down meds with you when u go out. I am 'afraid' to do my TDD using this method in case something happens to me, like I go to hospital and I have to try and tel them what Benzo dose I am on, and how would they deliver that dose ? I also did not like how the dosing seems so inaccurate as it not dissolved but a suspension but I knw a LOT of people have used this method. . I may have to go back to this method tho as my TDD gets under 5 mg Diaz.
My same fear is having to go to the hospital and trying to explain what I'm doing. No one understands, especially nowadays. Benzos have me literally in fear of everything. I live alone with no one to help me and I'm scared sh*tless.
exactly ! @@DelKidd
I use water tapering for Pregabalin in a slightly different way - measuring the mg's first and then do the reduction every day and dissolve into a certain amount of millilitres in water. Then i stir it with a specific stirring stick for several minutes and down it. I don't use sugar or anything because it makes me sick and stresses my body. I tend to hold the same dose for a few weeks or a month and then do a reduction and on again. I haven't tried a micro taper because i am a bit scared to cut down every day even if it's safe than doing small reductions every few weeks.
Thank you VERY MUCH 🙏🏼🙏🏼🇦🇺 will use this for the Peroxitine when I’m over the Benzo & Mirtazepine rapid taper symptoms, injury’s….
I've currently been doing a Mirtazapine taper, I'm down to 15mg. I was doing it by eye but the rest I'm gonna do a water taper
This is very good especially for people like me who can't swallow tablets. I normally crush tablets up or crunch them in my mouth.
What a lovely vid
Thank you Dr. Josef for posting this! I have a question though...I am on Gabapentin 600mgs daily: 200mg Morning, 200mg Afternoon, 200mg Evening (100mg Capsules) Do I still fill the glass container to 300 ml of water then add all 600mg capsules into it or should I open the capsules and drop the powder into it? I do have a lot of brain fog right now so it's a little confusing to me?
Thank you very much Dr Josef 😘. This is so incredibly helpful 😘😘😘
Great info to help people
it's harder with klonopin. I'd have to be changed to valium, but that could make me sick. otherwise I would do this. klonopin is the hardest to get withdrawled from.
Thanks for this video. I’m not there yet but I plan to try this after my slow taper of lorazepam needs to go below .5mg per day because I can’t cut those tiny little tablets.
How much do I draw put to taper 3%? Im on 2 mg Ativan, I take .5 every 6 hours and am 72
Spacing out dosages helped me, would it help to take them every 6 1/2 hours or 7? I’m not sure because Ativan has a shorter half life than the klonopin I was on. I was on Ativan before I was in klonopin. Also, I’m 49, almost 50 so that might have made it easier than if I was in my 70’s. However you choose to do it, I hope it works out well for you 💜
So you are on 2 mg of ativan, right? Place the 2 mg into 300 ml of water, and begin your taper by pulling out 1 ml of that solution daily
@@punkroxgirl thank you. I dose every 6 hours. I pray I get free and heal from this toxic poison that has destroyed me.🙏🏼
I just discovered akathisia on your channel this week...I went funking cold turkey with Benzodiazepines. I need research if Mirtazapin is as bad on the rezeptors.
Yes, mirtazapine is as bad as the rest of them. When in withdrawal, other psychotropics often exacerbate the (temporary!) injury.
@@Uma921”temporary”? That’s why we can’t get compensation. People think akathisia is transient. The head of the Akathisia Alliance has suffered almost 15 years. My friend Stephen Bailey was injured by a benzodiazepine and has suffered akathisia & pain & cognitive stuff over 27 years. I know many, many people a decade off and still suffering. Once you have akathisia, you are prone to reoccurrence. It’s a life long injury for some of us. We can’t get hurt and need antibiotics or anesthesia. We can’t get sick and need daily antibiotics without risking it. I’ve lost over 20 friends to akathisia since I realized what I had, but I’ve been unknowingly suffering akathisia on some level for decades. I have paced for nearly 3 years, 24/7 since my last medication injury (benzo + opiate).
@@Uma921Weird, I could pretty much take mirtazapine intermittently if I wanted to (DO NOT, of course), and the worst I'll get is weird dreams and grogginess, nowhere even remotely close to as bad as an SSRI, and not a billionth as bad as benzodiazepines. I will say, polydrug withdrawal is definitely going to be much worse if benzos are involved, you're definitely right about that, so I'd continue mirtazapine until you're completely off benzos. If you're anything like me, it helps sleep quite profoundly anyway.
Trying to get a feel for OP's position, if you're off benzos, want to be off mirtazapine, but you have PAWS, all I can say is reduce and see. You really shouldn't have a severe response if you take it low and slow, it's not a GABA agonist. I know ADs and APs can have their own complications, I just wouldn't expect anything nearly on the level of benzo withdrawal. Another thing is the sleep properties of mirtazapine still work as well at low doses, so you can get all the way down to like 15, 7.5 mg even, and that will still be helpful for PAWS.
@@bitesizecrayons9187 SSRI withdrawal was literally hell on earth (still protracted), however my benzo taper was a cake walk, relatively speaking. I’ve heard from quite a few people mirtazapine has been a nightmare to get off of. Point being, everyone is different and adding more psych meds onto an already wrecked nervous system is usually not the answer whether or not they’re GABA agonists. There are exceptions to this (if it’s life or death it may be worth trying something). I also believe reinstatements are often necessary.
@Uma921 The aspect of everyone being different is certainly the key thing here. I was being short sighted, kind of like the docs who think ADs are just so benign and the answer to everything. Your case is absolutely the exception and not the rule with an easy benzo taper, but you make a good point about it being important to weigh cost/benefit concerning any medicine, and many are going to be understandably distrusting after a medically induced disaster. My estimation was that sleep from mirtazapine would more than likely be more beneficial than the potential harm based on *my* experience, and that is a major fallacy and not in the spirit of this channel, and it's a deep shame that there's not a lot of OTC stuff that is going to be/stay effective for benzo insomnia.
I'm on 5 mg of diazepam now. I want to know how to do a 10% reduction every 2 weeks to a month. I'm in considerably bad shape because of the way my doctor's acting, and I cannot think how to calculate based on this video. I have already reduced my dose by 10 mg. I returned to this method because the liquid diazepam tasted very bad. Can anyone help with figuring it out? I suppose I would want to know how to do 10% lowering every 2 weeks, And perhaps 10% lowering every month. Thank you for this video.
i used water taper for RIVOTRIL and im currently in 30 ML reduction
I’m on 0.5 mg Ativan 2 x a day morning and night. What’s the best approach for me.
Brilliant
Can this be done with someone that’s been in for over 30 years
Same question here too!
Yes. BUt, this drug is NOT water soluble.
Thank you for this water taper idea sir🙏
I dont understand what to do in the second month
Do we have to take out 30 ml from 300 ml first
and drink 270 ml and so on for each month?
Abilify is not Totally dissolved in water, small particles will go down to the bottom, regardless how long the pill was in the water.
Hi doc i use 0.5mg clonazepam not every night only when i cant sleep can you help me hoe to taper it pls
I was so hardly patient of drawing symptoms, but recently over 1 week no sleep because of akathesia, hyper sensitivity from lamotogine. How do you spend time during tapering especially hard time like akathesia?
I have tapered Ativan from 2mg at bedtime to 1.15 in about 2 months by dry cutting. TBH is rough. I think is too fast, but I've been on it for about 5 months. now I'm more or less ok. some days are worse than others, but I cut and hold. Now, I would like to try the water taper and do about 120 days taper to 0. I think is too fast, but I would try it to see how it goes. My doc wants me to cut it faster and wants me to take Gaba for anxiety. I don't want to do that, and I just want to pace myself. Also, I don't know if I should split my dose into 2. My doc thinks this is not a good idea, but in the afternoon the anxiety and headaches are romping up. Do you guys have any advice of what to discuss with my doctor?
I have the same questions, but for 3 mgs of Xanax. I'm so scared of my withdrawal symptoms.
Split it in 2 and tell your doctor that gabapentin doesn't work for anxiety and it causes heart and eye problems. Try using this method but use milk instead when you get to .5 and speed of detox really depends on how long you've been on the drug & everybody is different
Hello!
Can I take 100 ml of water and dissolve 40 mg of fluoxetine
and deduct 5% every month?
How can i taper cymbalta beads. No tablets or liquid for SNRI
What if I'm drinking every 2 nights? And i take 1mg of clonazepam?
I know for Klonopin is better to switch to Valium. I asked my prescribing psychiatrist to do that for me. He said it would be impossible for him to know what would be the equivalent dose to 1 mg of Klonopin if prescribed for that amount in valium. Also I tried to get a syringe to do the water taper method I bought it online and I couldn't see how it was marked very well. It turns out it was a much bigger syringe and it didn't go down to that little amount with the marks on the that syringe. So I'm stuck
Go to a pharmacy and buy a syringe
How much Ora Plus should be added to 300 mL? Desperate here. Does anyone do this or use milk?
Anyone?
You could put some syruppy stuff in the water to help keep the suspension going... maple syrup perhaps?
So i cant use this for my Xanax extended release then? Its not in a capsule, just extender release pill
I have been on Ativan 2mg/day at night for sleep. I'm not a math whiz so I'd appreciate some info how I would taper if I only take it at night. Thank you.
you can take at night like ido, now i am on 118 days tapering off, since i got insomnia so i hold till couple days and continue to deduct again after a week
I'm on 3.25mg. Been looking at a water taper. So when I do my daily water taper, do I just do 3.25mg the next day, then the next? When do lower the amount of tablets? Am I sounding stupid?
I am on 1mg of clonazepam once a day. . . id like to taper off at ten percebt intervals instead of the microtaper. How would I do that using the water method.
You’d just remove 10% of the suspension I guess. 300 mls of water then remove 30 mls which is 10 percent.
my doc is a benzo specialist but im scared to tell him because he is really on me about not even cutting pills! i do not understand it. they must have redflagged me. i cant afford a compounding pharmacy. i was on clonazapam for a decade and at first he gave me clonazapam to switch to diazapam like the Ashton manuel but the diazapam makes me sick! in the group he lets others taper on clonazapam but for me he says i abuse my meds( i dont) and since my pharmacy gives him a hard time i cant get a simple clonazapam taper. its ridiculous i dont know what to do it took me years to get money to pay for this specialist and i cant find any help in ilinois. been trying 7 years and it just doesn't work. i want to be able to walk with my dog and live my life. ever since they forced me off my medication ive been unable to live my life. lost everything literally
I hate doctors for the simple reason that as of today I’m trying to think I have enough pills of Klonopin till next Wednesday I mean 10 pills screwed me up and I don’t think this is gonna work. What’s anybody’s thoughts about doing this tapering thing was 10 pills I take 1 mg Two times a day when I first started out I was able to not take a walk I was on three and then I just skipped one and it was for I was fine a doctors office messed me up and now I’m down to 12 pills. Is this too late do I need to go to an ER tonight, you tell me
Do you have to taper ambian?
I take one mil. At night
Can I do this method with suboxone?
Can tablets for any Pharmaceuticals work this way please?
Or only capsules?
Not capsules .. tablets. Can be (not tine release though)
Use milk. Most meds are fat soluble but not water soluble
@@stevietalk1 Thank you, kindly.
@@notanotherfuckingnikki Thank you, kindly!
Can i use milk for abilify@@notanotherfuckingnikki
I thought only 1 or 2 bezos were water soluable
Spike þó soon
I didn't think you could dissolve it evenly through water
I did my Kilonopin immediate release in water only. No withdrawal symptoms, very slow took 1 year 8 months. Now 4 years later am doing in water, Effexor immediate release. No withdrawal as of yet. Worked for me.
@@mamas3cubsI’m on klonopin immediate release too. I’m down to .5 now from 3mg so I might try this. I also went very slow, it took me 3 years to get down to .5
Many meds do not dissolve. Many Benzo's do not 'dissolve' , they make a suspension crushed up in water. He talks abt that - the shaking of the jar then quickly taking out the dose b4 it settles again on bottom.
You can't -it is NOT water soluble. It will not disperse evenly in the jar.
@Pattycakes-hc4pm so how do you make diazapam a liquid taper? I need to take 5mg and get precise dosing
How can I do this with xanax
its working for xanax and klonopin ?
It does although some prefer milk for clonazepam (and diazepam) since it’s said to bind to the fat molecules in milk better.
@@Uma921thank you
Use milk is my advice as well
@@notanotherfuckingnikki thank you
@@notanotherfuckingnikkiis this your advice as well for lorazepam? Thank you kindly!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
It seems that doctors know very little about tapering off anything. It's almost as if nobody wanted to teach them. 🤔
Drug companies want you to stay on life
Is klonopin water soluble
Propylene glycol
So this will take 10 months? I can’t do math lol
most docters cant be trusted if they know you know your farmacology and kinetics they start to distrust you. i would not risk saying it
I had this same issue until I found my current psychiatrist. I went through many and he’s the only one that supports me and let’s me set my own taper schedule. It’s a shame that so many doctors want patients to be less educated and informed. You would think that would be encouraged but it’s generally not.
This is exactly why i don’t like when they use the term “mood stabilizer”. I don’t take those anymore, but when I first stopped, every time I heard them say that term I asked them where could I find “mood stabilizer” in the PDR?
It’s like they use that term to purposely keep people less informed about what they are taking. When I first started researching all these meds, it was before google existed so it was much harder to find information.
@@punkroxgirl so true they like dumb things down so much....
maybe they get off on a powertrip thats what i sometimes think
@@KlausSchwab-uq9sl that’s how I always felt when they would say mood stabilizer. God forbid I want to know the actual name of the medication and how it works and what it affects before I decide.
@@punkroxgirl so true
I am now taking only 1.3 mg of my 10 mg Valium dose using a Walmart 20 ml syringe. So this taper is going on smoothly and hope to be off very soon in September 2024. So i take only 13 ml of Valium dituted in 20 ml syringe means that i am taking only 1.3 mg of my 10 mg Valium dose daily 😂
I am was taking 2 5 milligrams cut to 8.75 of Valium for the last 11 days I am finding this water method very confusing. Could you please explain it. I would greatly appreciate it.
This reminds me that some of these meds should be available in lower doses to reduce risk of dependency. They aren't because that would reduce profits.
Just go to Mexico and get it prescribed in liquid form.
Aussie.
So complicated, just take a small piece of the pill.
Somewhat similar to homoeopathy or more precise
Isopathy..
Lol never waste your rinse...🙄😅
Thank you VERY MUCH 🙏🏼🙏🏼🇦🇺 will use this for the Peroxitine when I’m over the Benzo & Mirtazepine rapid taper symptoms, injury’s….