Cutting Calculator 2.0

This spreadsheet is not medical advice and is intended only as a potential tool you could choose to use after creating a deprescribing plan with your qualified clinician.
 

[We have updated the Cutting Calculator to version 2.1 to include a Micro Taper 1/30 tool - Updated 30 March 2026]

 

Cutting Calculator

 

This is the original tool designed to be used when 'cutting' and weighing tablets to make specific doses. Preparing Doses for Tapering - Weighing & DIY Liquids

 

This spread sheet calculates your dose reductions and converts them into pill weight.

 

It is designed for use with a precision set of scales.

 

The dose is rounded to the nearest 0.1 mg and the weight is rounded to the nearest 0.001 g.

 

Simply enter 4 pieces of data:

 

1. Full dose strength of one pill (mg).

2. The average weight of one pill in (g) - To get this weight, weigh 10 pills and divide by 10 to get the average weight.

3. Your chosen regular dose reduction (%)

4. Start dose of the taper (mg)

 

You can custom label each drop with dates or names for conveniance. 

 

You will then get the next 49 drops calculated automatically for you based on the inputted reduction rate (%) as well as the corresponding weight (g) of tablet needed to achieve this.

 

Liquid Calculator

 

This spread sheet calculates dose reductions and converts them into the required amount of liquid based on a given dilution (mg/mL).

 

It can be used with both DIY and Manufactured Liquids. It requires you to know the strength of your liquid in (mg/mL).

 

DIY Liquids

DIY solutions are often made by doubling the amount of liquid to mg of drug. So, for example, 10mg of drug for 20ml of water, this would be a 1:2 ratio (Technically 1:2000).

If this is your chosen dilution ratio, the amount of drug per mL of water would be 0.5mg/mL. If you are using a different dilution to this, you would need to work out what the mg/mL is for your formulation and input that into the calculator.  Preparing Doses for Tapering - Weighing & DIY Liquids

 

 

Manufactured Liquids

Manufactured Liquids come in set dilutions for example 15mg/ml. If you need a more dilute version of the drug, most liquid antidepressants can be mixed with water to achieve this. Please read this: Using Manufactured Liquid Antidepressants

 

The dose and liquid required are rounded to the nearest 0.001 (mg)/(mL).

 

Simply enter 3 pieces of data:

 

1. Start dose of the taper (mg)

2. Your chosen regular dose reduction (%)

3. The strength of your liquid measured in mg/mL and entered in (mg)

 

You can custom label each drop with dates or names for conveniance. 

 

You will then get the next 49 drops calculated automatically for you based on the inputted reduction rate (%) as well as the corresponding liquid required (mL) needed to achieve this.

 

Manufactured Liquid Antidepressant Dilution Recipes 

 

Each liquid antidepressant comes in a different strength solution and is measured in mg/mL (this will be written on the bottle). If you need to make smaller doses up than your current liquid dilution allows you can do this if the manufactured liquid has water as an ingredient. You would only dilute a small amount, take what you need from that and discard the rest because stability/shelf life will be affected.

 

Included with the new calculator, for a list of different strength antidepressants, are suggested dilutions needed to achieve smaller doses at various stages in your taper, it details the amount of drug and water needed to achieve these dilutions. You would then enter the dilution into the liquid calculator.

 

If your strength liquid antidepressant is not listed, please let us know and we will add it for you.

 

Please check your individual drugs insert for specific dilution instructions.

 

(Note Citalopram liquid comes as Citalopram hydrochloride which is 25% more bio-available then the tablet form. i.e. 8mg of liquid is equivalent to 10mg in tablet. You would therefore need to multiply the calculators value by 0.8 to get the correct result).

 

Brass Monkey Slide AR Calculator

 

This spread sheet calculates dose reductions for one 6-week BM slide cycle and converts them into the required amount of tablet/powder (g) or liquid based on a given dilution (mg/mL).

 

The dose, weight of drug and liquid required are, rounded to the nearest 0.001 (mg)/(mL).

 

Simply enter 3 or 4 pieces of data depending on your drug type:

 

ALL

1. Start dose of the slide (mg)

2. Your chosen dose reduction for that slide (%)

 

Pill form

3. Full dose strength of one pill (mg). (If using pills)

4. The average weight of one pill in (g) - To get this weight, weigh 10 pills and divide by 10 to get the average weight. (If using pills) 

 

Liquid form

5. The strength of your liquid measured in mg/mL and entered in (mg) (If using liquids)

 

You will then get the 4 drops needed to complete one BM slide calculated automatically for you based on the inputted reduction rate (%) as well as the corresponding weight of tablet (mg) or volume of liquid (mL) to achieve this.

 

Micro Taper 1/30 Calculator

 

This spread sheet calculates dose reductions for a 1/30 Micro Taper shedule cycle, and converts them into the required amount of tablet/powder (g) or liquid based on a given dilution (mg/mL).

 

The dose, weight of drug and liquid required, are rounded to the nearest 0.0001 (mg)/(mL).

 

Simply enter 3 or 4 pieces of data depending on your drug type:

 

ALL

1. Start dose of the Monthly Taper (mg)

2. Your chosen dose reduction for that month (%) - Daily reduction rate is automatically calculated for you.

 

Pill form

3. Full dose strength of one pill (mg). (If using pills)

4. The average weight of one pill in (g) - To get this weight, weigh 10 pills and divide by 10 to get the average weight. (If using pills) 

 

Liquid form

5. The strength of your liquid measured in mg/mL and entered in (mg) (If using liquids)

 

You will then get the 30 drops needed to complete one 1/30 Micro Taper schedule calculated automatically for you based on the inputted reduction rate (%) as well as the corresponding weight of tablet (mg) or volume of liquid (mL) to achieve this.

 

Record Keeping

 

This spreadsheet is here to allow convenient records of each BM slide to be kept. Simply copy the last slide data into here for reference later and update the BM calculators start dose value ready for the next slide.

 

It could also be used as a handy place to keep general records about your reduction history particularly as you change dilutions/tapering method and need to reset/switch calculator settings.

 

Cutting Calculator AR 2.1.xlsx