Dear Mari,
First, thank you for all your thoughts and suggestions and persepectives! Lots to chew on... wow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mari
One guess is that you woke up feeling this way, so it was not the activity of the day, although the activities you describe sound like a problem for certain days.
|
right. on the other hand, the activity of the previous day was very very frustrating. but it does seem "suspect" waking up that way...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mari
If this is close to Valium's half life, then you might have been near the four day mark of the half life (and these half lives vary considerable from person to person (if I remember right about how this works).
|
when i used to use the benzo prn but non-daily, i would start to notice anxiety after about 2-3 days. with a smaller cut i would expect more time to pass. this benzo has a typical half-life of about 96-120 hours, but i've seen higher and lower values cited too. the taper plan is in Excel. i am using a half-life of 110 which my pdoc agreed was a good working value... but i tried plugging in lower and higher values (ranging 80 to 130) it doesn't make too much difference to blood levels and drops, within my current dose range... only at much lower doses with a lower half-life.
Quote:
|
Any chance that you would benefit from dosing twice a day instead of once a day?
|
No. taking any in the morning leaves me out of it. as it is, i need at least a little caffeine in the morning!
also, fwiw, Ashton suggests shifting to 1ce daily dosing for long-acting meds during taper, if it is not already the case. the reason given is to reduce the pill-taking habit/psychological impact.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mari
Also, you say you are reducing by 5%-10%. Maybe some of the cuts / tapers are going to need 5% rather than 10%.
|
I said i was observing the guidelines...
including the part about varying (can be more or less, faster or slower) according to individual reaction / situation" etc! LOL. the last cut was 5.77% - previous two were 7.69%, first - being the easiest - was a whopping 11%. throughout December i will only cut by 1 drop (
< 2%) every 10 days due to the holidays (big stress, potential alcohol consumption here and there). the calculated daily drop in blood level is marginal throughout. And, if i feel too stressed out, i will just play sitting duck till after New Years.
Quote:
|
And maybe sometimes the cuts need to be further apart than the 1-2 weeks suggested. If this cut was hard, then maybe go 3 weeks until the next one.
|
yes, could be.
but i hope not! this cut and the one before only had a week each technically, but were kinda pre-emptive due to a missed dose... followed "recovery" dosing that kept me at steady state (dose was cut, but not blood level). i will definitely keep this dose until i feel "ok" to move on.
Quote:
|
The internet instructions (consensus?) are to stay at a decrease once you have made the decrease. But go by what your body mind is telling you. You can go back up to the last dose and sit there awhile if you need to.
|
Not just internet. But, true... it's not like there's a law!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mari
Carbamazepine, imipramine, valproate, and trazodone have been beneficial in the management of benzodiazepine discontinuation, but not in decreasing the severity of benzodiazepine withdrawal. |
I am trying very hard to manage anxiety without additional meds of any kind... to use breathing, or distracting myself, or doing something physical, or focusing hard on sensations - to change mindset.
I believe this will help decrease psychological addiction which my pdoc reminded me of, as well as the Ashton Manual, lol.
However, if i am up a creek... heheh... I still have some Neurontin which relaxes me... i am taking as much Depakote as i can handle and do not want to add anything which can alter benzo metabolism. Neurontin does not get metabolized or interfere with my other meds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mari
[It's hard to assess against the day you had. So wait one or two more days to decide if it was the cut that caused the day.
|
yah, i think you're probably right. unfortunately the pressure will build up over the next 10 days. it will be hard to say. today was better but then again i just watched tv and movies and ate. nothing productive.
hmmm....
Anyway, I appreciate you sharing all this and will keep ALL of it in mind. what is even somewhat working now may not necessarily later, so it is good to have all your suggestions.
~ waves ~