Moderator Frogie Posted September 30, 2019 Moderator Share Posted September 30, 2019 On 9/28/2019 at 4:04 PM, Frogie said: I don’t know if this is where I should post this or not. If not, could a moderator please move it. I have been crushing my Xanax with the back of a spoon on a plate. It took forever to get them into a fine powder. That was the worst part about having to weigh them out and putting the powder in capsules. I found, on Amazon.com a pill grinder. It’s made by B&C Home Goods and called Premium Pill Grinder. It was $15.99 and worth every penny. You pour the pills in, put the handle on and turn it. It grinds the pills into a fine powder and has a storage container on the bottom. Just wanted to share in case anyone was interested in saving time and a mess crushing your pills by hand. Take care, Frogie xx Thank you ChessieCat for putting this where it needed to go. I wasn’t sure, but wanted to share the information. Hope you are doing well. You’re getting lower and lower! That’s wonderful 🌼 Take care, Frogie xx PREVIOUS medications and discontinuations: Have been on medications since 1996. Valium, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Prilosec and Zantac from 2000 to 2015 with a fast taper by a psychiatrist. Liquid Lexapro Nov, 2016 to 31-March, 2019 Lexapro free!!! (total Lexapro taper was 4 years-started with pill form) ---CURRENT MEDICATIONS:Supplements:Milk Thistle, Metamucil, Magnesium Citrate, Vitamin D3, Levothyroxine 25mcg, Vitamin C, Krill oil. Xanax 1mg 3x day June, 2000 to 19-September, 2020 Went from .150 grams (average weight of 1 Xanax) 3x day to .003 grams 3x day. April 1, 2021 went back on 1mg a day. Started tapering May 19, 2023. July 28, 2023-approximately .87mg. Dr. fast tapered me at the end and realized he messed up. Prescribe it again and I am doing "slower than a turtle" taper. 19-September, 2020 Xanax free!!! (total Xanax taper was 15-1/2 months-1-June, 2019-19-September, 2020) I am not a medical professional. The suggestions I make are based on personal experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insomniac Posted October 6, 2019 Share Posted October 6, 2019 This forum recommends using Gemini-20 scales for tapering/weighing tablets. I bought 2 different scales from ebay and aliexpress that look like exactly like Gemini-20 scales, but are both made in China. I am worried about their accuracy. This forum has recommended buying Gemini-20 scales from Amazon but I see on Amazon some reviewers of scales have complained about scales sold as Gemini not being that. Can anyone recommend a RELIABLE place for Gemini-20 scales that offer international shipping and aren't just for sale in the USA? Thank You 1996-2012 On Clonex (clonopin) and Seroxat 2012 Tapered off Clonex 2017 Spring 15mg Seroxat...started tapering 2017 6th August 13.5mg Seroxat 2017 November returned to 15mg Seroxat due to side effects and bereavement 2019 September attempted tapering again. 2019 November Seroxat 14mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Sassenach Posted October 7, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 7, 2019 Hi Insomniac Welcome to SA You are right to be concerned about accuracy, it is so important for tapering and cutting. Amazon UK sell this scale. This number ASIN B0012TDNAM refers to the genuine article I would email and ask for confirmatiom of the number and country of origin to be sure. You should then be covered by Amazon. Sassenach . Escitalopram 10mgs from mid 2007 ( can't remember exact date) to 11th Dec 2018 Fentanyl patches ( don't remember dose ) from Nov 2014 to 11 Dec 2018 Quit both cold turkey Dec 2018 Reinstated 3rd March 2019 2.5 mgs. Updosed 8March to 5mgs and holding 25/11/19 Started taper 4.5mgs and holding This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner If you are going through Hell, keep going. NCIS series 15, David MaCallum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy4 Posted October 24, 2019 Share Posted October 24, 2019 Hi, just wondering if this the correct thread to ask my question: I am on 75mg of zoloft, and I want to go ahead and make some capsules out of zoloft powder for when I’m ready to taper to 67.5mg. I’m going to calibrate my scale, and I have the gelatin capsules, but what I’m wondering is this: once I crush zoloft tablets into powder and make capsules, will they keep for awhile? (Cause I’m not quite ready to drop yet but since I have the time, I’d like to make them). I assume just keeping them in a jar in a cool, dark, dry place will be okay(?) Thank you very much. Cathy 1999-2006 Luvox, xanax 2007-2009 Prozac, xanax, klonopin 2009-2018 Zoloft, xanax, klonopin 2019 January zoloft 150mg, February 100mg, April 75mg, mid-May 50mg, July 25mg, (xanax .5mg or .25mg as needed) August zoloft 25mg HOLD, CT xanax, reinstate 50mg zoloft, September reinstate 100mg zoloft w/.375 klonopin, mid-September lower to 75mg zoloft 2020 January: .125mg klonopin February 1st: .112mg klonopin February 24th: 60.3mgai zoloft 2020 December 1st: off klonopin completely currently on 15mgai zoloft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted October 25, 2019 Moderator Share Posted October 25, 2019 You shouldn't have any trouble keeping them that way for several months. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy4 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 Thank you so much, brass monkey. I really appreciate the help/reassurance. 🙏 Cathy 1999-2006 Luvox, xanax 2007-2009 Prozac, xanax, klonopin 2009-2018 Zoloft, xanax, klonopin 2019 January zoloft 150mg, February 100mg, April 75mg, mid-May 50mg, July 25mg, (xanax .5mg or .25mg as needed) August zoloft 25mg HOLD, CT xanax, reinstate 50mg zoloft, September reinstate 100mg zoloft w/.375 klonopin, mid-September lower to 75mg zoloft 2020 January: .125mg klonopin February 1st: .112mg klonopin February 24th: 60.3mgai zoloft 2020 December 1st: off klonopin completely currently on 15mgai zoloft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy4 Posted October 25, 2019 Share Posted October 25, 2019 And I have one more quick question: I weighed 20 tablets of 100mg zoloft and there was a range of weight from 305mg to 313mg. The average weight among those 20 tablets is 309mg. Is it okay at this point to go with the average weight? or is it prudent to grind up one pill at a time, making the 67.5mg dosage as accurate as possible? I was very surprised to find how much variation in weight of these 100mg tablets there is. I’ll recalibrate my scale and try again, just to ensure against user error. Cathy 1999-2006 Luvox, xanax 2007-2009 Prozac, xanax, klonopin 2009-2018 Zoloft, xanax, klonopin 2019 January zoloft 150mg, February 100mg, April 75mg, mid-May 50mg, July 25mg, (xanax .5mg or .25mg as needed) August zoloft 25mg HOLD, CT xanax, reinstate 50mg zoloft, September reinstate 100mg zoloft w/.375 klonopin, mid-September lower to 75mg zoloft 2020 January: .125mg klonopin February 1st: .112mg klonopin February 24th: 60.3mgai zoloft 2020 December 1st: off klonopin completely currently on 15mgai zoloft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted October 26, 2019 Moderator Share Posted October 26, 2019 We generally use the average weight of the tablets. However, it's only relevant when establishing the starting dose of a taper. After that we calculate a specific weight that is to be measured for each dose based on the average weight starting point. The powder used to make up the dose comes from a stockpile of one or more ground up tablets, so their weight is irrelevant. The strength of the pill is divided by the average pill weight to provide a ratio that is referred to as the AIC or Active ingredient Concentration. In this case it would be 100/309 = 0.323 which means that there are 0.323 mg of active ingredient for every 1mg of pill weight. Using this ratio we can calculate the pill weight of any dose strength we need. When we measure out that specific dose weight the differences in weight of the original pills goes away. If you divide your desired dose strength of 67.5mgai (milligrams active ingredient) by the AIC 0.323 you get 208. 67.5/0.323 = 208 which would be the weight of your desired dose that you would measure on the scales. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy4 Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Oh my. Okay, Brassmonkey. So the batch of 20 pills I weighed can be an accurate representation of the 3 month supply I have? (Meaning, whenever I lower my dosage by 10%, I can use 309mg as the average weight without having to weigh 20 more individual pills, etc.) Okay, I think I’m understanding this. Yes, I got 208mg as well using Altostrata’s formula. Okay, wrapping my head around the AIC. Perfect, I think I’m getting it. Thanks so much. 🙏🏻 Cathy 1999-2006 Luvox, xanax 2007-2009 Prozac, xanax, klonopin 2009-2018 Zoloft, xanax, klonopin 2019 January zoloft 150mg, February 100mg, April 75mg, mid-May 50mg, July 25mg, (xanax .5mg or .25mg as needed) August zoloft 25mg HOLD, CT xanax, reinstate 50mg zoloft, September reinstate 100mg zoloft w/.375 klonopin, mid-September lower to 75mg zoloft 2020 January: .125mg klonopin February 1st: .112mg klonopin February 24th: 60.3mgai zoloft 2020 December 1st: off klonopin completely currently on 15mgai zoloft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted October 26, 2019 Moderator Share Posted October 26, 2019 The 309mgpw (milligrams pill weight) gives you a starting point to calculate your doses. For your first reduction you multiply 309 by 90% to get the weight of your new dose. 309 X .9 = 278. This is an example of the first reduction of the taper. For the next reduction you would use the same formula but substitute 278 for the starting number so you would get 278 X .9 = 250. In your case, you are currently using 208mgpw. So you would multiply that by 0.9 to get the weight of your next reduced dose. 208 X .9 = 187mgpw. This progression is followed throughout the entire taper for a 10% reduction. Meaning that after the initial reduction the 309mgpw is no longer needed. The formula for a 10% reduction is: current dose weight X 0.9 = reduced dose weight 208 X 0.9 = 187mgpw the does weight of your next reduction that you would weigh on the scale and record in your records. The same formula is used to calculate the dose strength; current dose strength X 0.9 reduced dose strength. Your are currently taking a dose strength of 67.5mgai 67.5 X 0.9 = 60.8mgai for the strength of your next reduction that you would talk about in your posts and record in your records. The only time you will need the average pill weight again would be if you change manufacturers of the pills and the new ones are significantly different is weight. If that happens tell us and we will walk you through the new calculations. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy4 Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Excellent, thanks so much, Brassmonkey. I understand, and I feel more confident about how to go about this process. Now I can prepare my first batch of 67.5mg pills!!! Much appreciation, Cathy 1999-2006 Luvox, xanax 2007-2009 Prozac, xanax, klonopin 2009-2018 Zoloft, xanax, klonopin 2019 January zoloft 150mg, February 100mg, April 75mg, mid-May 50mg, July 25mg, (xanax .5mg or .25mg as needed) August zoloft 25mg HOLD, CT xanax, reinstate 50mg zoloft, September reinstate 100mg zoloft w/.375 klonopin, mid-September lower to 75mg zoloft 2020 January: .125mg klonopin February 1st: .112mg klonopin February 24th: 60.3mgai zoloft 2020 December 1st: off klonopin completely currently on 15mgai zoloft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinciukas Posted October 28, 2019 Share Posted October 28, 2019 Hello guys, One question I am using 20 mg Seroxat pills and now I am on 6 mg I would like to know whether my cuts are good? I split pill in a half and then shaving with razor until 6 mg. I am doing this 17 months but it is good way to tapper? More I read here more I am confused. AD: Seroxat since 2005 20 mg and tapering from March 2018 10% every 4 weeks. 15-11-2019 down to 5.5 mg 28-12-2019 crashed really bad on 5.5mg 01-01-2020 updose to 7mg 16-01-2020 Updose to 9 mg Benzos: Bromazepam 1.5 mg daily since 2015 Quit CT Bromazepam 16-01-2020 No withdrawals Occasionally 1.5 mg extra Last extra 1.5 mg 12-01-2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted October 28, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 28, 2019 4 hours ago, pinciukas said: I would like to know whether my cuts are good? I split pill in a half and then shaving with razor until 6 mg. How do you know you have 6mg? Are you weighing with a scale? Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinciukas Posted October 29, 2019 Share Posted October 29, 2019 23 hours ago, Gridley said: How do you know you have 6mg? Are you weighing with a scale? Yes I am weighing with a scale AD: Seroxat since 2005 20 mg and tapering from March 2018 10% every 4 weeks. 15-11-2019 down to 5.5 mg 28-12-2019 crashed really bad on 5.5mg 01-01-2020 updose to 7mg 16-01-2020 Updose to 9 mg Benzos: Bromazepam 1.5 mg daily since 2015 Quit CT Bromazepam 16-01-2020 No withdrawals Occasionally 1.5 mg extra Last extra 1.5 mg 12-01-2020 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted October 29, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 29, 2019 3 minutes ago, pinciukas said: Yes I am weighing with a scale The way to use a scale is you first determine how much your 20mg Seroxat pill weighs. If you want 6mg, you would shave off and weigh until you had 6/20 of the pill's weight. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insomniac Posted November 1, 2019 Share Posted November 1, 2019 (edited) On 10/7/2019 at 2:39 AM, Sassenach said: Hi Insomniac Welcome to SA You are right to be concerned about accuracy, it is so important for tapering and cutting. Amazon UK sell this scale. This number ASIN B0012TDNAM refers to the genuine article I would email and ask for confirmatiom of the number and country of origin to be sure. You should then be covered by Amazon. Sassenach . Those exact scales also won't post to Israel but I got a good look at how the packaging of genuine Gemini-20 scales should look. It helped me find another one on Amazon. I did a comparison when I received it and saw the difference between the gemini scales and the cheap China copy was 0.03g. That is not important now but will be later on. Thank You Edited November 1, 2019 by Altostrata added quote for continuity 1996-2012 On Clonex (clonopin) and Seroxat 2012 Tapered off Clonex 2017 Spring 15mg Seroxat...started tapering 2017 6th August 13.5mg Seroxat 2017 November returned to 15mg Seroxat due to side effects and bereavement 2019 September attempted tapering again. 2019 November Seroxat 14mg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted November 3, 2019 Moderator Share Posted November 3, 2019 A scale that only weighs to .03g is not going to be useful for measuring doses for a taper. Most of the doses required need to be accurate to the milligram (.001) level to provide a consistent slow taper. Making cuts that differ by .03g will cause problems. There are a number of generic scales that will weigh with an accuracy .001g. Please look around some more and find one of those. You'll be very glad you did. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Frogie Posted December 8, 2019 Moderator Share Posted December 8, 2019 On 9/29/2019 at 4:28 PM, ChessieCat said: I've added a link to the Pill Crusher. That's a really great idea. I had no idea that they existed. I'll add the information to Post #1 as well. Thanks Frogie. You’re very welcome. I had no idea they existed either, just found it by accident. Take care, Frogie xx PREVIOUS medications and discontinuations: Have been on medications since 1996. Valium, Gabapentin, Lamictal, Prilosec and Zantac from 2000 to 2015 with a fast taper by a psychiatrist. Liquid Lexapro Nov, 2016 to 31-March, 2019 Lexapro free!!! (total Lexapro taper was 4 years-started with pill form) ---CURRENT MEDICATIONS:Supplements:Milk Thistle, Metamucil, Magnesium Citrate, Vitamin D3, Levothyroxine 25mcg, Vitamin C, Krill oil. Xanax 1mg 3x day June, 2000 to 19-September, 2020 Went from .150 grams (average weight of 1 Xanax) 3x day to .003 grams 3x day. April 1, 2021 went back on 1mg a day. Started tapering May 19, 2023. July 28, 2023-approximately .87mg. Dr. fast tapered me at the end and realized he messed up. Prescribe it again and I am doing "slower than a turtle" taper. 19-September, 2020 Xanax free!!! (total Xanax taper was 15-1/2 months-1-June, 2019-19-September, 2020) I am not a medical professional. The suggestions I make are based on personal experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppies123 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 When First using my Gemini scale, do I tare it with the little bowl on it or without the bowl? I will be using the little bowl when I weigh the pill or powder. I couldn’t find an answer for this. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Sassenach Posted January 2, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 2, 2020 Hi Puppies Switch it on and it should settle to zero. Place the bowl gently on the round plate and let it settle. Press tare and it will settle back to zero. Now weigh to desired dose. There should be a set of instructions in the box. Sassenach Escitalopram 10mgs from mid 2007 ( can't remember exact date) to 11th Dec 2018 Fentanyl patches ( don't remember dose ) from Nov 2014 to 11 Dec 2018 Quit both cold turkey Dec 2018 Reinstated 3rd March 2019 2.5 mgs. Updosed 8March to 5mgs and holding 25/11/19 Started taper 4.5mgs and holding This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner If you are going through Hell, keep going. NCIS series 15, David MaCallum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppies123 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Hi, I guess what I’m asking is when I’m putting the weights on it am I putting them in the bowl on the scale to calibrate the scale? Hope I’m making sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted January 2, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 2, 2020 Right out of the box the scales should not need calibration. The weights are used for two different things, the first is to do a calibration if the scale needs it. The second is to move the scale into its mid-range where it will be the most accurate. If you are going to use the weights it is best to put them in the bowl and the bowl on the scale before you turn it on. Once everything is in place, turn the scale on and it will automatically detect the weight and bowl and set the readout to "00000". Then you can measure out the medication. The weight isn't really necessary until you start weighting amounts of less than 10mg (0.010). All it will rally do is get in the way. I find it helpful to fold a small postit note or slip of paper in half and open it back up and place this on the bowl. This provides a bigger surface to place the ground up tablet on and an easier way to transfer it to the gel caps you are making up. Either have the paper in place before you turn the scale on or put it in place and press TARE to zero the readout. If you really need to calibrate the scale there are very good videos on line about how to do it. This thread has a lot of good information about using the scales: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1596-using-a-digital-scale-to-measure-doses/ 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppies123 Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Hi Brassmonkey and thank you! I have been tapering Mirtezapine and am at 0.018grams. The way I’ve been weighing is every two weeks I cut my 15mg Mirtezapine in quarters then weigh my quarters as I shave off to get 0.018grams. I decrease 5% a month. I watched a video of a girl crushing her pill then weighing the powder to get her dose. My foggy brain then started to wonder if my scale was accurate since when I have calibrated I just put the weights right onto the scale without the little bowl so that’s the reason for my question. I do use the bowl when weighing. Sorry if this is monotonous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted January 3, 2020 Moderator Share Posted January 3, 2020 I believe that for calibrations it is best to leave the bowl off and use just the weight. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Sassenach Posted January 3, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 3, 2020 Hi puppies If you have not got a manual you can download a pdf here. https://americanweigh.com/pdf/manuals/gemini-20_manual.pdf 10 hours ago, Puppies123 said: I just put the weights right onto the scale without the little bowl That is the correct way to do it. Sass Escitalopram 10mgs from mid 2007 ( can't remember exact date) to 11th Dec 2018 Fentanyl patches ( don't remember dose ) from Nov 2014 to 11 Dec 2018 Quit both cold turkey Dec 2018 Reinstated 3rd March 2019 2.5 mgs. Updosed 8March to 5mgs and holding 25/11/19 Started taper 4.5mgs and holding This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner If you are going through Hell, keep going. NCIS series 15, David MaCallum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puppies123 Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 Thank you so much everyone for your help. I appreciate being able to come to this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pens Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 On 7/5/2011 at 11:13 PM, JoLe said: Anyone who wants to weigh dosages will need to be able to weigh milligrams. Hi, joLe I’m tapering down from a caplet . I have been cutting it but had to go to liquid because I’m down to 1.8 ml. I don’t think I’m tolerating the liquid very well so I read your post and wondered if I can weigh it in powder form on the scale you mentioned? 2017–20 18 sertraline 50 mg 2018 Pristiq 50 mg 2018 Ciprolex 10 mg 2019 bupropion 150 mg 2019 to 2020 Mirtazapine 7.5 mg 2019 clonazepam 0.5 mg 2020 escitolopram 10 mg 2020 May Pre-Gabalin 150 mg, June sertraline 100 mg to 50 mg, December pre Gabalin 110 mg 2021, December pre-Gabalin 53.5 mg to 48 mg, December sertraline 38.8 mg to 38 mg 2022, January sertraline 38 mg to 36 mg, February sertraline 36 mg to 34 mg, March pre-Gabalin 48 mg to 46.2 mg, April 5 sertraline 34 mg to 33.6 mg., April 24, Sertraline 33.6 mg to 32.9 mg, April 24, stopped Calcium citrate 150 mg, May 4 melatonin 1.25, reducing melatonin see posts., May 2, Brand change on sertraline and pregabalin May 13 Sertraline 31.2 mg May 21 Sertraline 30.8 mg, May 28, Sertraline 30 mg, June 6 29.2 mg, June 16, 29.2 mg to 28 mg. July 4, Sertraline 28 mg to 27.4 mg, August 7, 27.4 mg to 24.8mg, August 11 pregabalin from 46.2 to 45 mg, Oct 11; Sertraline 24.4mg, Oct 18, 24 mg., Oct. 25, 23.5 mg, Nov 2, 23.2mg, Dec 2, pregabalin 43.2 mg, Dec. 29, Sertraline 22.4 mg, February 3/23 Sertraline 22 mg,, Feb 24, 22.6. Mg, melatonin From black cherry juice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted January 12, 2020 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 12, 2020 24 minutes ago, Pens said: I’m down to 1.8 ml. I'm assuming 1.8ml is referring to active ingredient. What does that translate to in pill weight of your caplet? When we use the scale we measure by pill weight and keep track of where we are with active ingredient. For example, I'm at 0.9mg active ingredient, which with my brand of Lexapro weighs 9mg. The Gemini 20 scale that I use is accurate only through 4mgpw (pill weight), which is 0.4mgai (active ingredient). At that point I'm going to have to figure out how to measure to get where I want to jump off (shooting for 0.05mg). Probably by eyeballing. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pens Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 On 1/12/2020 at 11:50 AM, Gridley said: m assuming 1.8ml is referring to active ingredient. What does that translate to in pill weight of your caplet? When we use the scale we measure by pill weight and keep track of where we are with active ingredient. For example, I'm at 0.9mg active ingredient, which with my brand of Lexapro weighs 9mg. Hi Gridley, My mirtazapine is 15 mg so I am actually dissolving the hard pill 15 mg in distilled water And using a syringe to take out 1.8 mg. I was inquiring about the scale because I was developing a rash and thought maybe I would have to go to powder form. Manymoretoday’s advise me to stay put at the solution instead of changing until my system stabilizers. Altostrata Also didn’t think the mirtazapine was causing the rash. So that’s where I’m at. . Thank you for your reply. 2017–20 18 sertraline 50 mg 2018 Pristiq 50 mg 2018 Ciprolex 10 mg 2019 bupropion 150 mg 2019 to 2020 Mirtazapine 7.5 mg 2019 clonazepam 0.5 mg 2020 escitolopram 10 mg 2020 May Pre-Gabalin 150 mg, June sertraline 100 mg to 50 mg, December pre Gabalin 110 mg 2021, December pre-Gabalin 53.5 mg to 48 mg, December sertraline 38.8 mg to 38 mg 2022, January sertraline 38 mg to 36 mg, February sertraline 36 mg to 34 mg, March pre-Gabalin 48 mg to 46.2 mg, April 5 sertraline 34 mg to 33.6 mg., April 24, Sertraline 33.6 mg to 32.9 mg, April 24, stopped Calcium citrate 150 mg, May 4 melatonin 1.25, reducing melatonin see posts., May 2, Brand change on sertraline and pregabalin May 13 Sertraline 31.2 mg May 21 Sertraline 30.8 mg, May 28, Sertraline 30 mg, June 6 29.2 mg, June 16, 29.2 mg to 28 mg. July 4, Sertraline 28 mg to 27.4 mg, August 7, 27.4 mg to 24.8mg, August 11 pregabalin from 46.2 to 45 mg, Oct 11; Sertraline 24.4mg, Oct 18, 24 mg., Oct. 25, 23.5 mg, Nov 2, 23.2mg, Dec 2, pregabalin 43.2 mg, Dec. 29, Sertraline 22.4 mg, February 3/23 Sertraline 22 mg,, Feb 24, 22.6. Mg, melatonin From black cherry juice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom2020 Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 On 7/1/2017 at 4:25 PM, brassmonkey said: The easiest way to handle the powder is to but a big bag of size "0" gel caps. You then weigh out the amount of powder you need for your dose and pour it into the gel cap. Close the gel cap and you're all set. That would expose the powder to some humidity. Does it degrade as a result? Maybe it doesn't matter if the dose is big enough: there's more powder and less air/humidity added to capsule. But for small doses it might make a difference. 1995-present: on and off various antidepressants, and many changes in dose. Never tapered properly 2012-present: citalopram. Steady dose of 27.5mg since July 2020 2020: pregabalin for 2 months. Very bad withdrawal. Current daily medications: 27.5mg citalopram. 1mg melatonin, 4mg doxazosin, 300mg docusate. My intro topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted February 16, 2020 Moderator Share Posted February 16, 2020 The powder is exposed for such a short time while making up the capsules that the humidity doesn't really matter. Once in the capsule it is protected and should be fine for quite some time. I wouldn't make up more than a months worth at a time though. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magentila Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Hello hive mind, I am tapering off of effexor, 35.7mg - 10% decrease every month. The information on this platform has been life changing! I am tired of bead counting, so I bought this digital scale - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B078WJMCRK/ref=pe_3034960_236394800_TE_3p_dp_1 I am worried that it is not functioning correctly, after reading the instructions and calibrating the scale, it seems to be measuring weights unreliably. I have read all the tips on this forum, and still seems to be unreliable. For ie: I will weight the same pill 3 times, and it will have 3 variations in weight. For ie: it would be 0.062g, 0.066g, 0.059g. I'm worried this will affect my tapering because it is not as accurate as I had thought. Have you had this issue with a digital scale? Am I doing something wrong? Or maybe my scale is bad? Thank you for any thoughts/ideas! Yanna 10 years of Effexor, mostly at 37.5mg. Mid Aug 2019 - taking pill 6 days out of 7 days. no side effects. Oct 2019 - Nov 2019 taking pill 5 days out of 7 days. many side effects. Dec 2019 and ongoing - reducing at 10% a month Update: I am fully off Effexor. And have been on 5mg of Lexa for 2 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerAsperaAdAstra Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 On 2/19/2020 at 2:00 AM, magentila said: Hello hive mind, I am tapering off of effexor, 35.7mg - 10% decrease every month. The information on this platform has been life changing! I am tired of bead counting, so I bought this digital scale - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B078WJMCRK/ref=pe_3034960_236394800_TE_3p_dp_1 I am worried that it is not functioning correctly, after reading the instructions and calibrating the scale, it seems to be measuring weights unreliably. I have read all the tips on this forum, and still seems to be unreliable. For ie: I will weight the same pill 3 times, and it will have 3 variations in weight. For ie: it would be 0.062g, 0.066g, 0.059g. I'm worried this will affect my tapering because it is not as accurate as I had thought. Have you had this issue with a digital scale? Am I doing something wrong? Or maybe my scale is bad? Thank you for any thoughts/ideas! Yanna Hi @magentila! Maybe you've figured it out already but I've read in the material on this site that it might be better to base the pill weight on 10 pieces instead of one. You can use the average weight then. This yields better and more stable results per piece. How is your digital scale working? 1 Antidepressant history 2001 - 2018: Paxil / seroxat (20 mgs), several failed c/t and taper attempts. 2018-September: last failed c/t attempt. 2018-October: reinstated Paxil (30 mgs) 2018-October thru 2019-January: Short-term Oxazepam & Diazepam use. Tapered off very slowly. Jumped 10Jan2019. Brassmonkey Slide Method stats Currently on hold on 0,1 mgpw after an updose due to becoming increasingly unstable. Supplements: C, D, Magnesium Miscellaneous: low on alcohol (1/2 times/year). No substance abuse. Lower carb diet with cheat days. Wim Hof Method. Buteyko. Calisthenics. Hiking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerAsperaAdAstra Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 I've started tapering as per today. *yay*. 30 mgs of Paxil. I'm using the Brassmonkey slide method and have worked out my calculations in Excel for the next couple of months. So far so good. Some questions though (sorry if they've been answered, I haven't been able to find them): I'm using a Gemini-like scale and a nail file since the pills are still quite large. I find that if I keep the scale turned on and X number of times and then assess whether I should swipe some more, the end result seems OK. If I seem to be off of the target pill weight I swipe off some more, again assessing the weight I'm at. At such a point the weight seems unreliable; it hasn't changed at all or all of a sudden it changes from one value to a totally different one. Do people find it's better to turn the digital scale off and then on again to create a more reliable (intermediate) pill weight? Or should I totally change my approach? I'm this liberal environmental friendly hippy so to speak and I don't want to pollute the environment with leftover Paxil powder. How do you dispose of it responsibly? Thanks in advance! 🙂 Antidepressant history 2001 - 2018: Paxil / seroxat (20 mgs), several failed c/t and taper attempts. 2018-September: last failed c/t attempt. 2018-October: reinstated Paxil (30 mgs) 2018-October thru 2019-January: Short-term Oxazepam & Diazepam use. Tapered off very slowly. Jumped 10Jan2019. Brassmonkey Slide Method stats Currently on hold on 0,1 mgpw after an updose due to becoming increasingly unstable. Supplements: C, D, Magnesium Miscellaneous: low on alcohol (1/2 times/year). No substance abuse. Lower carb diet with cheat days. Wim Hof Method. Buteyko. Calisthenics. Hiking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator brassmonkey Posted March 28, 2020 Moderator Share Posted March 28, 2020 Hi Per-- this is one of the drawbacks of using these scales. They can be accurate but their repeatablity is sometimes questionable. However, the amounts that the readings differ by are so small only people who are extremely sensitive will notice a difference. Trying to hit a specific weight by scraping small amounts off of a tablet also can be quite frustrating. I tried to do that for a while and finally gave up. The easier way is to crush the tablets into a fine powder and measure out the dose from there. You already have a target weight calculated for the dose, so that is the amount of powder you weigh out. The powder can then be put into empty gel caps for easy handling. The left over powder is saved for the next round. So there are no left overs to dispose of. As your taper progresses you just reduce your current dose weight by the desired percentage to determine your next dose. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerAsperaAdAstra Posted March 29, 2020 Share Posted March 29, 2020 Thanks for your answer brassmonkey! I'm quite paranoid about these small differences in readings but because of your experience I'll trust it won't be much of a problem. Once I get to the point shaving off starts to be annoying I will start using the crushing and tablet method. Antidepressant history 2001 - 2018: Paxil / seroxat (20 mgs), several failed c/t and taper attempts. 2018-September: last failed c/t attempt. 2018-October: reinstated Paxil (30 mgs) 2018-October thru 2019-January: Short-term Oxazepam & Diazepam use. Tapered off very slowly. Jumped 10Jan2019. Brassmonkey Slide Method stats Currently on hold on 0,1 mgpw after an updose due to becoming increasingly unstable. Supplements: C, D, Magnesium Miscellaneous: low on alcohol (1/2 times/year). No substance abuse. Lower carb diet with cheat days. Wim Hof Method. Buteyko. Calisthenics. Hiking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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