ASAM Pocket Guidelines and Patient Guide

Benzodiazepine Tapering Patient Guide

ASAM Opioid Addiction Treatment GUIDELINES Apps and Pocket Guides brought to you courtesy of Guideline Central. Enjoy!

Issue link: https://eguideline.guidelinecentral.com/i/1539871

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 14 of 21

15 Some patients may need to taper benzodiazepines very slowly to manage withdrawal symptoms. Here are some tapering strategies that may help if you need a slower taper: Hyperbolic Tapering Hyperbolic tapering is a strategy where dose reductions are smaller and smaller over time. Each dose reduction is based on the previous dose, not on the dose at the start of the taper. Micro-Tapering Micro-tapering requires very small reductions in the benzodiazepine dose daily or nearly every day. Typically, these reductions add up to a 5% to 10% (or less) total reduction in dosage over the course of a month. Liquid Tapering and Compounding Pharmacies Some benzodiazepines have liquid formulations that allow for more flexible dosing. Compounding pharmacies can also develop custom dosage tablets or liquids. These options cost more, and not all patients will have access to them. Measuring liquid doses can be challenging for some. FIGURE 3. TIPS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING TAPERING CHALLENGES

Articles in this issue

view archives of ASAM Pocket Guidelines and Patient Guide - Benzodiazepine Tapering Patient Guide