User Guide · Part 5: Help

Common Questions

I opened the sheet and my progress is gone.

Open your newest saved file in your Downloads or similar folder (benzotaper-progress-yyyy-mm-dd-hhmm.html). The original file you bought opens empty, unless this browser already has a schedule saved from before.

I opened a new copy of BenzoTaper and my old schedule is there.

Your browser remembers your latest schedule on this computer, even in a fresh copy of the file. For a blank sheet, click Clear All Fields. Keep this in mind if other people use your computer.

I changed something. Do I need to save?

Yes. Click Save my progress after every change, then use the newest file next time.

Why does a day say "(no extra reduction)"?

You stay on the same lowered dose as the day before. Reductions only happen at the start of each Taper Period. While paused, every day says this.

Why is Day 1 lower than my stable dose?

Day 1 is your first reduction. Your stable dose is the dose you took the day before you start your taper.

What do the gold notes mean?

The sheet shows messages as gold notes on the page. For example, it tells you when a number is outside what the sheet allows.

What are the limits?

Up to 250 mg of Diazepam a day. Other medications: up to the label maximum plus 25% (Zolpidem 30 mg, Zopiclone 22.5 mg). The start date must be within a year of today. A new plan can be up to 3 years long. If you slow down later with Pause / Change, the rest of your taper can be up to 5 years long.

Where do the Diazepam estimates come from?

From published tables, mainly the Ashton Manual, checked against the 2021 VA/DoD guideline. They are estimates only. Your prescriber confirms your dose.

Can I use it on more than one device?

Yes. Keep your saved file in a cloud folder or email it to yourself, then open it on the other device.

General Sources

Diazepam-equivalent conversions are adapted from the Ashton Manual (C. Heather Ashton, 2002) and cross-referenced with the 2021 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Substance Use Disorders. Tablet sizes are checked against Health Canada's Drug Product Database and the U.S. FDA National Drug Code Directory. Switching and taper steps are also based in part on the Oregon Health Authority's benzodiazepine tapering materials. Half-life figures are from the ASAM 2025 Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering and the Ashton Manual. Equivalents for the European medications and the Z-medications are also checked against the 2021 Swiss benzodiazepine equivalence table and European product information.

Questions or problems with your sheet? Email [email protected]

All chapters of the User Guide