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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JohnSky on March 4, 2008, at 10:11:17
My doctor has started to reduce my clonazepam. I was taking 3.5mg per day for about 9 months. He wants to get me off of it as it seems to be depressing me and messing with my breathing. In the last two weeks we have gone from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. Down to 3.0mg the first week. This is hard. I feel "wired" and it seems hard to focus and think clearly. I think we are taking me down too fast and I am wondering how long these withdrawal effects will last if we held at 2.5mg for now and then went slower later.
Thanks
John
Posted by Phillipa on March 4, 2008, at 12:19:34
In reply to clonazepam withdrawal - help, posted by JohnSky on March 4, 2008, at 10:11:17
Did you check the withdrawal board does sound for you it may be too fast. Love Phillipa
Posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 2:04:52
In reply to clonazepam withdrawal - help, posted by JohnSky on March 4, 2008, at 10:11:17
Hi again,
I'm reading bottom to top. It sounds to me like your doctor is changing too many things at once. Increasing the Nardil from 30mg to 60mg, while at the same time decreasing the clonazepam from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. When you do this, you don't know what is causing what. I've always heard to change one thing at a time so you can better keep track of the medications results and side effects.
Good luck,
Jedi
> My doctor has started to reduce my clonazepam. I was taking 3.5mg per day for about 9 months. He wants to get me off of it as it seems to be depressing me and messing with my breathing. In the last two weeks we have gone from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. Down to 3.0mg the first week. This is hard. I feel "wired" and it seems hard to focus and think clearly. I think we are taking me down too fast and I am wondering how long these withdrawal effects will last if we held at 2.5mg for now and then went slower later.
>
> Thanks
>
> John
Posted by polarbear206 on March 5, 2008, at 9:17:24
In reply to Re: clonazepam withdrawal - help » JohnSky, posted by Jedi on March 5, 2008, at 2:04:52
> Hi again,
> I'm reading bottom to top. It sounds to me like your doctor is changing too many things at once. Increasing the Nardil from 30mg to 60mg, while at the same time decreasing the clonazepam from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. When you do this, you don't know what is causing what. I've always heard to change one thing at a time so you can better keep track of the medications results and side effects.
> Good luck,
> Jedi
>
>
> > My doctor has started to reduce my clonazepam. I was taking 3.5mg per day for about 9 months. He wants to get me off of it as it seems to be depressing me and messing with my breathing. In the last two weeks we have gone from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. Down to 3.0mg the first week. This is hard. I feel "wired" and it seems hard to focus and think clearly. I think we are taking me down too fast and I am wondering how long these withdrawal effects will last if we held at 2.5mg for now and then went slower later.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
>
John,Jedi has made a good point. Be very conservative and cautious and do one thing at a time. Go very slowly when you taper a benzo.
Good luck :)
Posted by yxibow on March 6, 2008, at 3:32:16
In reply to clonazepam withdrawal - help, posted by JohnSky on March 4, 2008, at 10:11:17
> My doctor has started to reduce my clonazepam. I was taking 3.5mg per day for about 9 months. He wants to get me off of it as it seems to be depressing me and messing with my breathing. In the last two weeks we have gone from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. Down to 3.0mg the first week. This is hard. I feel "wired" and it seems hard to focus and think clearly. I think we are taking me down too fast and I am wondering how long these withdrawal effects will last if we held at 2.5mg for now and then went slower later.
>
> Thanks
>
> John
It is a bit fast, the general rule is around 10% per week.But, your doctor has presumably heard from you about respiratory problems and is trying to protect you from....
...Respiratory Depression which is the collapse of lungs and other smooth tissue breathing conductors. This can definately be fatal.
So basically you're caught between a rock and a hard place -- I would have your doctor go over all your medications and see if anything interacts with Valium, and adjust accordingly.
Or unfortunately you may have to suffer the anxiety of extreme withdrawals which may take a month or more to reclaim themselves.
Posted by Marcelo Araujo on April 26, 2008, at 1:52:01
In reply to clonazepam withdrawal - help, posted by JohnSky on March 4, 2008, at 10:11:17
It seems to me that he you are doing to fast. I'm gonna tell you my case and I will let you be the judge. I got on clonazepam for myoclonus my neuro gave me this, 0.5mg at night small dose, right?! Wrong everybody is different. Then on the 20th day I forgot to take it. End up having a seizure and going to the hospital. Yes it is one of the withdrawal side effects and one of the side effects of the drug, believe it or not! So went to the ER and the doc there told me it was the withdrawal from the meds. The neuro next day laugh at him and said no it is not. Told me to just stop taking it again and I would be fine. One day later without the drug, I had another seizure. Another doc at the ER told me the same thing, withdrawal from the medication.
So if with 0.5mg I had a seizure and you were taking 3.5 for 9 months! I would think you would need to get off slower maybe use another drug with it which I don't like but might be helpful.
I only have one thing to tell you. Find a doctor that knows this drug. If you are been taken care by one like took care of me, you will be in trouble like I did. If you don't trust the docs anymore, then search online there is some good sites that show you how to do it, the whole withdrawal. But you should search for a good doc, one the knows about the drug and also care about your health.
Good luck
> My doctor has started to reduce my clonazepam. I was taking 3.5mg per day for about 9 months. He wants to get me off of it as it seems to be depressing me and messing with my breathing. In the last two weeks we have gone from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. Down to 3.0mg the first week. This is hard. I feel "wired" and it seems hard to focus and think clearly. I think we are taking me down too fast and I am wondering how long these withdrawal effects will last if we held at 2.5mg for now and then went slower later.
>
> Thanks
>
> John
Posted by Questionmark on April 26, 2008, at 23:59:55
In reply to Re: clonazepam withdrawal - help » JohnSky, posted by yxibow on March 6, 2008, at 3:32:16
If i'm not mistaken respiratory depression is very minimal with benzos unless combined with a significant respiratory depressant such as alcohol or esp an opiate.
> > My doctor has started to reduce my clonazepam. I was taking 3.5mg per day for about 9 months. He wants to get me off of it as it seems to be depressing me and messing with my breathing. In the last two weeks we have gone from 3.5mg to 2.5mg. Down to 3.0mg the first week. This is hard. I feel "wired" and it seems hard to focus and think clearly. I think we are taking me down too fast and I am wondering how long these withdrawal effects will last if we held at 2.5mg for now and then went slower later.
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> > John
>
>
> It is a bit fast, the general rule is around 10% per week.
>
> But, your doctor has presumably heard from you about respiratory problems and is trying to protect you from....
>
> ...Respiratory Depression which is the collapse of lungs and other smooth tissue breathing conductors. This can definately be fatal.
>
> So basically you're caught between a rock and a hard place -- I would have your doctor go over all your medications and see if anything interacts with Valium, and adjust accordingly.
>
> Or unfortunately you may have to suffer the anxiety of extreme withdrawals which may take a month or more to reclaim themselves.
>
This is the end of the thread.
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