This is an unofficial archive of PsychonautWiki as of 2025-08-08T03:33:20Z. Content on this page may be outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate. Please refer to the original page for the most up-to-date information.
Tapering: Difference between revisions
>Oskykins |
>Oskykins |
||
| Line 4: | Line 4: | ||
==Tapering methods== | ==Tapering methods== | ||
[[File:Taper3.png|300px|thumbnail|right|This chart from [http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm#s3 the Ashton Manual] is an example of a slow taper from 6mg alprazolam daily with a diazepam substitution.]] | |||
To taper successfully, users should decrease their dose each day or at least stay at the same dosage; however, if withdrawal symptoms are intolerable, one may be tapering too quickly and should slightly increase the dosage until withdrawal symptoms become minimal. Generally, the longer one has been on the drug, the longer the taper should be.<ref>http://www.hrpub.org/download/201310/app.2013.010202.pdf</ref> Slow tapers will result in less withdrawal symptoms than faster tapers. It may be helpful for users to stay at the same dosage for several days/weeks and then decrease amount slowly. | To taper successfully, users should decrease their dose each day or at least stay at the same dosage; however, if withdrawal symptoms are intolerable, one may be tapering too quickly and should slightly increase the dosage until withdrawal symptoms become minimal. Generally, the longer one has been on the drug, the longer the taper should be.<ref>http://www.hrpub.org/download/201310/app.2013.010202.pdf</ref> Slow tapers will result in less withdrawal symptoms than faster tapers. It may be helpful for users to stay at the same dosage for several days/weeks and then decrease amount slowly. | ||
| Line 10: | Line 11: | ||
Substances with long half-lives (like [[diazepam]]) are preferable to shorter-lasting ones (including [[alprazolam]] and [[lorazepam]]) because the latter are eliminated fairly quickly, resulting in its blood concentrations fluctuating instead of smoothly declining gradually. Tapering off of substances with short half-lives generally require taking multiple dosages per day and users will likely experience withdrawal symptoms between doses. Diazepam is the most commonly used drug for tapering off of [[benzodiazepines]] or [[alcohol]] because it has a half-life of 200 hours.<ref name="benzo">CHAPTER II: HOW TO WITHDRAW FROM BENZODIAZEPINES (aka The Ashton Manual) by Professor C Heather Ashton DM, FRCP | http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha02.htm</ref> To avoid withdrawal symptoms when switching over to a longer-lasting one, users should factor in potency differences between the substances. | Substances with long half-lives (like [[diazepam]]) are preferable to shorter-lasting ones (including [[alprazolam]] and [[lorazepam]]) because the latter are eliminated fairly quickly, resulting in its blood concentrations fluctuating instead of smoothly declining gradually. Tapering off of substances with short half-lives generally require taking multiple dosages per day and users will likely experience withdrawal symptoms between doses. Diazepam is the most commonly used drug for tapering off of [[benzodiazepines]] or [[alcohol]] because it has a half-life of 200 hours.<ref name="benzo">CHAPTER II: HOW TO WITHDRAW FROM BENZODIAZEPINES (aka The Ashton Manual) by Professor C Heather Ashton DM, FRCP | http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha02.htm</ref> To avoid withdrawal symptoms when switching over to a longer-lasting one, users should factor in potency differences between the substances. | ||
===Tapering schedule examples=== | ===Tapering schedule examples=== | ||
The overall schedule of the taper should be determined on an individual basis, depending on many factors including one's initial dosage, length of use, and specific substance used as well as its potency, duration of action, and half-life. | The overall schedule of the taper should be determined on an individual basis, depending on many factors including one's initial dosage, length of use, and specific substance used as well as its potency, duration of action, and half-life. | ||