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Positive The Tapering Support Thread v 2.0

Yes basically the Ashton method but I didn’t switch to Valium because I didn’t want to tell my Dr in case he cut me off early.

You did great to get off benzos in a month! I have had some issues in the past that flare up if I taper lorazepam too quickly, OCD and intrusive thoughts, so I just take it really slowly. But I’m not a patient person at all and really ready to be done with it.
 
kris66 said:
Yes basically the Ashton method but I didn’t switch to Valium because I didn’t want to tell my Dr in case he cut me off early.

You did great to get off benzos in a month! I have had some issues in the past that flare up if I taper lorazepam too quickly, OCD and intrusive thoughts, so I just take it really slowly. But I’m not a patient person at all and really ready to be done with it.
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It wasn’t fun. Fortunately I was off of work and recovering from surgery, so I was able to just play video games and sleep. No way in hell I could have done it if I had to pretend I wasn’t going insane. I would take my whole shot of Ativan at night, just to sleep.

But yeah…… it was hell.
 
It is hell. I'm tapered.

But even the mild withdrawals that I get once in a while now are bad 'nuff !!

So I am not going through that again. Tapering works eventually. Keep chipping away at it.

I'm just saying cut back, cut back, cut back. <3
 
So after requesting a refill on my lorazepam almost 2 months ago I saw the PA today. She just said it’s time to start getting off the medication and gave me a script for .5 for 30 days, then it will be .25 for 30 days, then .25 every other day for 30 days.

Even if this taper wasn’t too fast for me (it is) why did someone not return my calls and explain what was going on? As far as they knew I was out of my medication for 2 months! I’ve been on this medication for 10 years and this is the doctor’s office that prescribed it.

Thankfully I can wean down at my own rate because I have saved pills from my taper, but wouldn’t it be nice if we could trust doctors and discuss things like this with no fear of being cut off?

If anyone reading this wants help figuring out the water taper method they can dm me if they wish. It’s worked well for me but it’s slow.
 
I could never taper effectively. I struggled through a taper off oxy every month because I would overuse it every time I got a refill, then run out at the end of the month. I knew I absolutely needed to have a little oxy left for each day to get my ass to my job in the morning, and one last 1/2 pill to take just before my Dr appointment so I wouldn’t be in full withdrawal. Once my appointments switched to a phone call from a face-to-face, I stopped fearing being seen sweating and shaking. No more fear of tge Dr seeing me in wd and I stopped trying to taper.

After a couple of years of doing this, I actually started looking forward to running out because I hated the apprehension of knowing wds were coming every month. When I FINALLY saw what was happening, I cancelled my next appointment and cut myself off. It was the hardest decision I ever made.
 
Squeaky said:
I could never taper effectively. I struggled through a taper off oxy every month because I would overuse it every time I got a refill, then run out at the end of the month. I knew I absolutely needed to have a little oxy left for each day to get my ass to my job in the morning, and one last 1/2 pill to take just before my Dr appointment so I wouldn’t be in full withdrawal. Once my appointments switched to a phone call from a face-to-face, I stopped fearing being seen sweating and shaking. No more fear of tge Dr seeing me in wd and I stopped trying to taper.

After a couple of years of doing this, I actually started looking forward to running out because I hated the apprehension of knowing wds were coming every month. When I FINALLY saw what was happening, I cancelled my next appointment and cut myself off. It was the hardest decision I ever made.
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I know what you are saying. If I have opioids in the house I will take them. I wasn’t able to stop my hydrocodone until I no longer had a script. I later found out it was just a mistake it wasn’t filled that month, but I didn’t even call the Dr office and ask. I think I was just tired of the whole thing.

I have to take the benzo taper slowly because I’ve been on them over 10 years. Thankfully I started slowly cutting back over a year ago and now that my Dr cut me off permanently I should have enough to finish my taper. My doctor’s idea of a taper (after ignoring my calls for over a month) was to cut my dose in half one month and then to every other day the next month. After 10 years of use! And I’m in my late 60s.

You have done well Squeaky, coming off your Oxy had to be difficult. I’m glad you still check in here, it’s encouraging to see success stories.
 
Now I just think my doctor’s office is incompetent. I went to pick up my lorazepam today which was supposed to be the reduced dose of 15 (.5 mg) tablets for a month and it was 60 tablets with the instructions to take two a day! I’m thinking I’ll just save them for my taper and not try to refill my prescription. I have no idea what he was thinking.
 
kris66 said:
Now I just think my doctor’s office is incompetent. I went to pick up my lorazepam today which was supposed to be the reduced dose of 15 (.5 mg) tablets for a month and it was 60 tablets with the instructions to take two a day! I’m thinking I’ll just save them for my taper and not try to refill my prescription. I have no idea what he was thinking.
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I think most family doctors are completely incompetent when it comes to possible effects of withdrawals from these drugs. They go by the manufacturer’s claims tgat tgey are “non-addictive”, “safe”, and have few serious consequences if the patient goes a few days without. Especially benzos can be fatal after just one day of cold turkey.
 
My worst fear was being cut off suddenly without being able to taper, or being forced to taper too fast. Even tapering slowly I’ve only been able to sleep 5 hours a night. I just got used to being awake at 3 am. I’m taking melatonin and Benadryl every night just to get 5 hours. I hope it doesn’t get worse.
 
kris66 said:
My worst fear was being cut off suddenly without being able to taper, or being forced to taper too fast. Even tapering slowly I’ve only been able to sleep 5 hours a night. I just got used to being awake at 3 am. I’m taking melatonin and Benadryl every night just to get 5 hours. I hope it doesn’t get worse.
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Benzos usually go straight to full symptoms wds in 24 hours. It depends on which one you’re using, but your second night of sleep after your last change in dose will be the worst it will be.

It may be weeks before it gets better, but it probably won’t get worse.
 
Pregabalin, absolutely love the stuff, too much, so I decided to taper. Currently I take 600mg each morning, this formed into a solid habit while my Dad was dying and afterwards. I'm not making excuses as much as saying it's not been that long but I can't say when it got to be every day, I was taking up to ten at a time, but they aren't that cheap so it's down to two and time to go down some more.
I thought, drop to 300mg a day. That night I woke at 2am and was very uncomfortable until I gave in at 4am and took the second 300mg.
Then I decided to take one every 18 hours, that's still down from 2 in 24 hours, it's difficult and with it being Christmas I might need to abandon this taper and try some other time.
Anyway, I got to the blessed time to take another 300mg, 25 minutes ago, now I get stubborn and want to stretch it longer as I'm not doing anything much today, but that's only because I cleared my schedule because I'm in so much pain, from trapped wind perhaps?
If I'm tense I get trapped wind pains. My opiate slightly changed too, more tension.
Should I take diazepam to ease my trapped wind or should I take the pregabalin as planned in my taper?
I've tried anything the doctor or pharmacy will give, still very tender and afraid to move so much I can't even speak above a whisper as I'd need more air in my lungs for speaking loudly, more than I can take.
I got the diazepam specifically thinking it could help me reduce pregabalin, so which one should I take???
 
I don’t visit this site much anymore. I hope everyone is doing well, or at least better. I still take massive amounts of Kratom. The constipation is unbelievable. It’s a combination of pain, withdrawal, and autism that drives me. I’ve started smoking also because of stress. I was recently terminated from my job of 35 years because of my disability (I’m suing of course). That’ll takes a few years to resolve. Hopefully by then I’ll have had my neck surgery and be able to return to work, but who knows.

Hang in there papercuts! The game isn’t over as long as we’re still breathing. One day at a time. I realize that 5 years ago I didn’t know how I could make it another day, and I expect that I have at least another 5 years of fight left in me. 💪
 
Squeaky said:
I don’t visit this site much anymore. I hope everyone is doing well, or at least better. I still take massive amounts of Kratom. The constipation is unbelievable. It’s a combination of pain, withdrawal, and autism that drives me. I’ve started smoking also because of stress. I was recently terminated from my job of 35 years because of my disability (I’m suing of course). That’ll takes a few years to resolve. Hopefully by then I’ll have had my neck surgery and be able to return to work, but who knows.

Hang in there papercuts! The game isn’t over as long as we’re still breathing. One day at a time. I realize that 5 years ago I didn’t know how I could make it another day, and I expect that I have at least another 5 years of fight left in me. 💪
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I’m sorry to hear about your job Squeaky, that sucks after 35 years. My husband had to leave his job early and go on long term disability and it sucked because his job is what had caused his back and knee problems (heavy lifting for years.) I hope your lawsuit goes well.

You are right, we just have to do this one day at a time. We will get there.
 
Hi, hope someone can help me with this
i stopped taking methadone on Thursday, today is Sunday night, i was taking only 10 mgs or less, but yesterday i woke up weak and sweating, could not get up, i had to take a lil tramadol, and today i had horrible cravings and depression, a friend gave me 10 mgs of methadone and the pain stopped, how did you guys managed to get off of it when you were down to 10 mgs or less?? Why is it causing me so much physical and mental/emotional pain? i thought i had finally managed to stop 😥😢☹️ i have suicidal thoughts because my dope cravings wont leave me alone and i am tired of living like this, it's been 10 years now... This is not why i got "sober" i just wanted the pain to stop, but it got worse now, wtf...
 
Does anyone know what I could use as a sleep aid while tapering benzos? I’m okay if I can get 5 hours sleep a night but this last week it’s been less than four.

I am taking Melatonin already. Unfortunately I can’t take Gabapentin because it makes me so groggy the next day that I can’t function.

Any suggestions are appreciated.
 
blackCat5 said:
Hi, hope someone can help me with this
i stopped taking methadone on Thursday, today is Sunday night, i was taking only 10 mgs or less, but yesterday i woke up weak and sweating, could not get up, i had to take a lil tramadol, and today i had horrible cravings and depression, a friend gave me 10 mgs of methadone and the pain stopped, how did you guys managed to get off of it when you were down to 10 mgs or less?? Why is it causing me so much physical and mental/emotional pain? i thought i had finally managed to stop 😥😢☹️ i have suicidal thoughts because my dope cravings wont leave me alone and i am tired of living like this, it's been 10 years now... This is not why i got "sober" i just wanted the pain to stop, but it got worse now, wtf...
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Sorry I’m a little late in answering you…..,
Methadone withdrawls can last for months. It totally sucks. This is what I have come to know about opiates:

It’s not a game of milligrams. It’s a game of percentages. Cutting back from 40mg to 30mg isn’t measured by saying “I cut down by 10mg”. It’s saying,”I cut down by 25%”. Jumping off at any amount is basically quitting cold turkey. My advice is to look up ‘The Ashton Method for quitting benzos”. It’s designed for benzodiazepines, but the tapering schedule can be applied to methadone. You can adjust the speed (Ashton takes a full year) if you’re handling it really well, but the last little bit takes as long as the first few big steps.

My advice: Switch to loperamide (over the counter anti diarrhea medication, such as Immodium). It’s an opioid like methadone. My guess is that you would need the same daily dose as methadone, but you might find that double works better. It takes roughly 4 hours to start relieving withdrawls, and lasts 8-12 hours. But whatever brand you buy, it must say loperamide on the label.

Then stick with it for 1-2 weeks, or until you feel like you might live through this. Then taper slowly.
 
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