![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 46 to 70 of 191. Go back in thread:
Posted by RT on November 3, 2003, at 20:02:29
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » lamajama, posted by lamajama on October 31, 2003, at 22:03:21
> > > Hi all. I am new here. I have been taking Klonopin for over 7 years now. I have never gone over 2mg. Over the years I have tried to go off this drug. I went cold turkey the first time and thought I was going to die. Last week I cut my dosage in 1/2. I am not sleeping as well and I am very moody. My doc gave me Xanax to help with the withdrawls. Why give me another addictive drug? I would like to have a baby and I have to go off this medication. I am a bit discouraged because what I have read from everyone is wean yourself slowly. I am just grateful that I have found this site where I can be with other people with the same symptoms as myself.
> >
> > I am presently weaning myself off from a high of 4 mg. Klonopin last year. Am currently down to .75 mg. and it has taken several months to do it, because I've learned that you must decrease ever so slowly. For me, it's something like decreases of only .125 mg. every 10-14 days. If you try to go faster than your body can tolerate, you'll definitely get withdrawal symptoms, like insomnia, anxiety, and irritability. You should never quit a benzo drug cold turkey.
> >
> > As far as the Xanax goes, I question why your doctor has put you on a more powerful drug to help with the weaning off process. This sounds completely wrong. The only other benzo that is recommended to help with the Klonopin tapering is Valium.
> > I suggest you mention this to your doctor. If he/she balks, then get yourself another doctor to help you establish a good tapering schedule.
> >
>
> Thanks for the imput. I will talk to my doctor about the Xanaz. I haven't taken the Xanax to help with my side-effects. I did however talk to my doctor about cutting my Klonopin dosage in half. It has been too hard on me. I am now taking 1.5mg. It is so troublesome to me that this drug has such a hold on me. I have been trying for a long time to wean off it. I sometimes wonder if I will even be able to cope without it. It is just very frustrating at times. Thanks again for listening. I really do appreciate it.
>
>
I have been on both xanax and klonopin over the years and neither one is easy to get off of to me. I think your doctor is wrong in giving you the xanax to get off the klonopin though. I was given just the opposite. I had always heard xanax was the worst to get off of and the klonopin was used to get off the xanax. you can do it though it may seem like you cant do without them , but it just takes time to ease your way off and the uncomfortable side effects will eventuallly go away , just hang in there.
Posted by lamajama on November 3, 2003, at 20:22:03
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit, posted by RT on November 3, 2003, at 20:02:29
> > > > Hi all. I am new here. I have been taking Klonopin for over 7 years now. I have never gone over 2mg. Over the years I have tried to go off this drug. I went cold turkey the first time and thought I was going to die. Last week I cut my dosage in 1/2. I am not sleeping as well and I am very moody. My doc gave me Xanax to help with the withdrawls. Why give me another addictive drug? I would like to have a baby and I have to go off this medication. I am a bit discouraged because what I have read from everyone is wean yourself slowly. I am just grateful that I have found this site where I can be with other people with the same symptoms as myself.
> > >
> > > I am presently weaning myself off from a high of 4 mg. Klonopin last year. Am currently down to .75 mg. and it has taken several months to do it, because I've learned that you must decrease ever so slowly. For me, it's something like decreases of only .125 mg. every 10-14 days. If you try to go faster than your body can tolerate, you'll definitely get withdrawal symptoms, like insomnia, anxiety, and irritability. You should never quit a benzo drug cold turkey.
> > >
> > > As far as the Xanax goes, I question why your doctor has put you on a more powerful drug to help with the weaning off process. This sounds completely wrong. The only other benzo that is recommended to help with the Klonopin tapering is Valium.
> > > I suggest you mention this to your doctor. If he/she balks, then get yourself another doctor to help you establish a good tapering schedule.
> > >
> >
> > Thanks for the imput. I will talk to my doctor about the Xanaz. I haven't taken the Xanax to help with my side-effects. I did however talk to my doctor about cutting my Klonopin dosage in half. It has been too hard on me. I am now taking 1.5mg. It is so troublesome to me that this drug has such a hold on me. I have been trying for a long time to wean off it. I sometimes wonder if I will even be able to cope without it. It is just very frustrating at times. Thanks again for listening. I really do appreciate it.
> >
> >
> I have been on both xanax and klonopin over the years and neither one is easy to get off of to me. I think your doctor is wrong in giving you the xanax to get off the klonopin though. I was given just the opposite. I had always heard xanax was the worst to get off of and the klonopin was used to get off the xanax. you can do it though it may seem like you cant do without them , but it just takes time to ease your way off and the uncomfortable side effects will eventuallly go away , just hang in there.Thanks for the support. I am struggling with the decrease of the Klonopin. I want so badly to increase my dosage back to 2 mg. I want so badly to get off this medication, but the nervousness I feel is so uncomfortable. The insomnia is starting to affect me as well. I am not going to take the Xanax. The thought of getting addicted to another drug scares me to death. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get through these withdrawal symtoms?
Thanks
>
Posted by cubbybear on November 4, 2003, at 1:56:20
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit, posted by lamajama on November 3, 2003, at 20:22:03
> Thanks for the support. I am struggling with the decrease of the Klonopin. I want so badly to increase my dosage back to 2 mg. I want so badly to get off this medication, but the nervousness I feel is so uncomfortable. The insomnia is starting to affect me as well. I am not going to take the Xanax. The thought of getting addicted to another drug scares me to death. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do to get through these withdrawal symtoms?
> ThanksI really feel for what you're going through. Some people have a miserable time quitting these meds, while others do not. You made a wise decision not to take the Xanax. If you're determined to succeed, you will. I suggest that you treat yourself kindly and go back to the 2 mg. dose, wait about 1-2 weeks to readjust, then start your taper. Go very slowly. . get a pill cutter and decrease at the rate of about .125 mg. every couple of weeks or so. From 2.0, go to 1.875, then 1.75, then 1.625, etc. As you get toward the end of your taper, to the very low numbers, you can extend the time between decreases. This is the way I've been doing it, after I started getting withdrawal anxiety in the early stages of tapering. Don't be in a hurry to get off. Accept the fact that you'll need to make very small cuts and stay on each new dose for 1-2 weeks or more. There are plenty of postings in the Psychobabble archives from earlier this year from various people. This is where I found Psychobabble to be incredibly useful--in helping me to devise my own tapering schedule rather than go with the doctors, who were either reckless and wanted to rush me through the tapering or didn't give me any reinforcement, support, or pat on the back for doing well with the decreases. This guy would have thought nothing of keeping me on the Klonopin after I stated emphatically that I wanted to get off it. Sometimes it's best to take matters into your own hands, even if you have to backtrack a little at first.
> >
>
>
Posted by lamajama on November 4, 2003, at 12:23:19
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » lamajama, posted by cubbybear on November 4, 2003, at 1:56:20
Thanks for your advice. I talked to my doctor and she suggested putting me on Clonodin (blood pressure med) to help curb the withdrawals. I think she is nuts. It is time to find another doctor. I have been trying to go off the Klonopin for years now. The end result was going back to the 2 mg. I had found that I would do alright for awhile, then I would start feeling anxious. I feel like a total failure. I feel like I am just setting myself up for another failed attempt to go off Klonopin. Wrong attitude I know. It just gets so draining. Thanks for listening.
Posted by RT on November 4, 2003, at 19:59:04
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » lamajama, posted by lamajama on November 4, 2003, at 12:23:19
> Thanks for your advice. I talked to my doctor and she suggested putting me on Clonodin (blood pressure med) to help curb the withdrawals. I think she is nuts. It is time to find another doctor. I have been trying to go off the Klonopin for years now. The end result was going back to the 2 mg. I had found that I would do alright for awhile, then I would start feeling anxious. I feel like a total failure. I feel like I am just setting myself up for another failed attempt to go off Klonopin. Wrong attitude I know. It just gets so draining. Thanks for listening.
Clonidine is a blood pressure medication, I think its an alpha adrenergic blocker , I have also taken this medication and I wouldnt suggest you start on it. I had a hard time coming off it also. it can cause rebound hypertesion, it caused me to have heart palpatations, it would be something you would have to ween off of again. Maybe neurontin might work its very sedating to me and I think its not addicting , I had no trouble getting off it. An antidepressant would work for your anxiety or maybe buspar might be worth checking out. Good luck and hang in there
Posted by maximum on November 14, 2003, at 19:17:03
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit, posted by RT on November 4, 2003, at 19:59:04
Quick question for anyone out there... I've been taking Klonopin for about 3 or 4 months and I'm scared to death of becoming dependent on it. Do you all think that I'm in danger of withdrawal after this short amount of time?
Posted by cubbybear on November 15, 2003, at 0:05:13
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit, posted by maximum on November 14, 2003, at 19:17:03
> Quick question for anyone out there... I've been taking Klonopin for about 3 or 4 months and I'm scared to death of becoming dependent on it. Do you all think that I'm in danger of withdrawal after this short amount of time?
Physical and/or psychological dependency on benzodiazepines can develop after as little as 2 weeks. That's just the way it is. Don't worry about this, since when it is time for you to quit, you will reduce your dosage gradually and that should minimize any discomfort from the decrease. I'm curious about what your dosage is right now anyway.
Posted by maximum on November 16, 2003, at 17:42:13
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » maximum, posted by cubbybear on November 15, 2003, at 0:05:13
Hey, my current dosage is 1mg. three times a day. Is that a normal sounding prescription to you?
Posted by cubbybear on November 17, 2003, at 0:31:18
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » maximum, posted by maximum on November 16, 2003, at 17:42:13
> Hey, my current dosage is 1mg. three times a day. Is that a normal sounding prescription to you?
It might be a little on the high side, but is definitely not excessive. My maintenance dose for a while was 4 mg.
Posted by lamajama on November 17, 2003, at 23:13:45
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » maximum, posted by cubbybear on November 15, 2003, at 0:05:13
Knowing what I know now about Klonopin I would have never gone on the drug. I can't get off of it. I wouldn't recommend anyone taking it. I take 2 mg. Every time I try to decrease, my body really feels the slightest bit of the change in dosage. I am very sensetive to drugs, so I am sure other people will react differently. Good luck.
Posted by cubbybear on November 18, 2003, at 1:21:48
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » maximum, posted by lamajama on November 17, 2003, at 23:13:45
> Knowing what I know now about Klonopin I would have never gone on the drug. I can't get off of it. I wouldn't recommend anyone taking it. I take 2 mg. Every time I try to decrease, my body really feels the slightest bit of the change in dosage. I am very sensetive to drugs, so I am sure other people will react differently. Good luck.
Now, hang in there, let's make sure we're talking on the same wavelength. What you say is the "slightest bit" might actually be a significant amount. I remember, as an Eastern transplant to L.A., I used to get a rise out of hearing a co-worker say that it had cooled off outside when the temperature went down to a high of 88 from a high of 90 the day before.
What is the "slightest amount" for you? Are you using a pill cutter with .5 mg tabs and splitting them into quarters, so you get .125 mg. pieces? Or are you simply breaking the 2 mg. piece in half to get a 1 mg. piece. If it's the latter, you're going to get a nasty reaction. But if you are taking the .5 mg tabs, try cutting the way I mentioned and see what happens. If you're still experiencing painful withdrawal this way, a good pdoc should be able to make a recommendation. I've read on this board that there might be a liquid form of Klonopin that would enable you to make infinitesimal reductions. Try checking this out. I hope all works out better for you.
Posted by lamajama on November 20, 2003, at 20:03:59
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » lamajama, posted by cubbybear on November 18, 2003, at 1:21:48
> > Knowing what I know now about Klonopin I would have never gone on the drug. I can't get off of it. I wouldn't recommend anyone taking it. I take 2 mg. Every time I try to decrease, my body really feels the slightest bit of the change in dosage. I am very sensetive to drugs, so I am sure other people will react differently. Good luck.
>
> Now, hang in there, let's make sure we're talking on the same wavelength. What you say is the "slightest bit" might actually be a significant amount. I remember, as an Eastern transplant to L.A., I used to get a rise out of hearing a co-worker say that it had cooled off outside when the temperature went down to a high of 88 from a high of 90 the day before.
> What is the "slightest amount" for you? Are you using a pill cutter with .5 mg tabs and splitting them into quarters, so you get .125 mg. pieces? Or are you simply breaking the 2 mg. piece in half to get a 1 mg. piece. If it's the latter, you're going to get a nasty reaction. But if you are taking the .5 mg tabs, try cutting the way I mentioned and see what happens. If you're still experiencing painful withdrawal this way, a good pdoc should be able to make a recommendation. I've read on this board that there might be a liquid form of Klonopin that would enable you to make infinitesimal reductions. Try checking this out. I hope all works out better for you.
>
>
Well, I tried cutting back from 2mg. to 1 1/2 mg. I was alright for the first couple of weeks, but found myself getting more and more irritable. I know it was because I wasn't sleeping as well and I was also feeling some withdrawals. I am back up to 2 mg. and will try to cut down to 1.75mg. My doc gave me 2 mg. tabs and it is impossible right now to cut it the way I need it. I just wonder what life would be like without Klonopin! Thanks for the advice.
Posted by cubbybear on November 20, 2003, at 23:28:34
In reply to Re: New here and sharing a bit » lamajama, posted by lamajama on November 20, 2003, at 20:03:59
> >
> Well, I tried cutting back from 2mg. to 1 1/2 mg. I was alright for the first couple of weeks, but found myself getting more and more irritable. I know it was because I wasn't sleeping as well and I was also feeling some withdrawals. I am back up to 2 mg. and will try to cut down to 1.75mg. My doc gave me 2 mg. tabs and it is impossible right now to cut it the way I need it. I just wonder what life would be like without Klonopin! Thanks for the advice.Yes, you made too drastic a decrease--from 2 mg. to 1.50. If you run into problems at 1.75, you'll have to make even smaller cuts, as I said before. Those white 2 mg. pills can never be cut to yield the fractions you'll need. You've got to convert to 1 mg. pills or better yet, work with the .5 mg size.
>
Posted by 13beans on December 14, 2003, at 18:25:21
In reply to Sorry I posted, posted by shadows721 on September 3, 2003, at 2:09:24
I just jumped in here today, I know your original post was a long time ago, but I have been scouring the entire net trying to find someone that could help me in my search for others going through terrible withdrawals from klonopin. I myself suffered from a few I read in one of your posts, including the hallucinations...wow, how horrible!! I am now trying to help my mother who recently tried to commit SUICIDE from the physical pain she is suffering from. (She has POTS, which most is just now starting to be acknowledged by a handful of physicians and is a degenerative disease.) The trouble is that now that she is trying to get off of the klonopin which no longer works for her and affects her heart rate and blood pressure (a bad thing for people with "P.O.T.S."...I am very worried about her now because of her history. Her pain is even worse (she has terrible muscle pain in her legs that have almost sent her to the e/r. ...) now that she is tapering off of the klonopin. She is now having a lot of problems with her vision including blurry of vision and high sensitivity to light, dizziness and ringing in her ears and severe panic attacks. If you happen to get this, could you please reply and let me know what your withdrawals were like and if they included anything I mentioned? I hope you are doing better now. The message you posted was beautiful and well put. I really hope to hear from you.
Posted by Girl1969 on December 15, 2003, at 13:14:45
In reply to Re: Sorry I posted » shadows721, posted by 13beans on December 14, 2003, at 18:25:21
Just wanted to wish you and your mother well. I, too, suffered tremendous withdrawal after coming off of klonopin and my heart goes out to you. It took me 6 months to feel normal again, but I hope it takes less time for your mother.
Best wishes...
Posted by 13beans on December 15, 2003, at 14:07:21
In reply to Re: Sorry I posted, posted by Girl1969 on December 15, 2003, at 13:14:45
Thank you for responding, glad to hear that you are doing better. The experience, while going through it can only be compared to a horror movie or novel. I can't believe that so many doctors are so willing to keep doling them out, without telling you the risks involved. It's not like they "don't know"!! (Gee, there wouldn't be any money issues involved would there??) BIG BUSINESS, pharmaceuticals!! There as bad as the tobacco industry if you ask me. Sorry, I know I will offend many people here, but something needs to be done about this. I've lived it and it's just plain WRONG that something like this can happen to someone with no warning!! Take care all.
Posted by shadows721 on December 18, 2003, at 19:03:54
In reply to Re: Sorry I posted » shadows721, posted by 13beans on December 14, 2003, at 18:25:21
It took me 3 yrs to get off Klonopin. I am going to give you a brief trial and error of years on and off Klonopin.
I had every symptom your mother had and then some. I tried to get off this drug 3x. The first time was in the hospital by a physican. No klonopin and lets see what happens game. Within 3 days, the painful knife convulsions game started. I jumped like crazy with every sound that I heard. I hallucinated ants. When I closed my eyes, I was talking to people I didn't know. All that stopped with another administration of the klonopin. It scared the Hell out of me.
The 2nd time a doc tried to get me off the Klonopin, it was switch Klonopin for tranxene game. I saw the ants again, itched like bugs all over me. I heard loud voices in my ears. Doc said you will be clear of Klonopin withdrawals in 6 weeks. Not so!!! My hands shook uncontrollable. I couldn't feed myself. I was paranoid. Finally, I emotionally and physically crashed 2 weeks into the 6 weeks. I got uncontrollably homicidal and suicidal in very violent ways. I literally saw everything in a dark cloud. I felt like 15 pounds were sitting on my head. I was praying to die. I was losing reality of what was really going on. I checked myself into a hospital and they just put me back on klonopin right away.
After I got out of the psych hospital, I decided I am not going to be a prisoner to a benzo. I decided to fight for my body and mind back. I was not going to thru live feeling the numbed out feeling that I had on Klonopin. Yes, it helped me stop shaking (for which I was originally prescribed), but I paid a HIGH price. It felt like a deal with the devil. I started to deal with the real issues behind the anxiety and depression. They were very ugly. Sadistic Sexual abuse and life threatening beatings long time ago came up out of no where. Klonopin covered it all up very well. I never had any memories on Klonopin, because Klonopin suppressed them. In the beginning, I slept for 10 hrs a night when I was on it. I had the beauty of a drug that got rid of my unfounded anxiety. Wow, isn't that wonderful. But, there was a very ugly truth that I didn't know. I was a total slave to the drug and I didn't even know it. When I tried over and over again to get off this drug, I did feel totally dependent on it.
When I found that out, I researched all I could on anxiety/depression and benzo's. As you can imagine, I went thru several docs to get me off this stuff. None of them helped me. My body was the ultimate boss. It said it doesn't take 1 day or 6 weeks. It takes 3 long years. None of the docs I saw were qualified to get me off of this highly physically dependent drug. I was telling one doc all the troubles I was having getting off this stuff and he said, "I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT KLONOPIN IS CAUSING ALL THESE SYMPTOMS. KLONOPIN IS SAFER THAN BAYER ASPIRIN." With that ignorance in mind, I did the taper with a pill cutter and bottles of Kava Kava. I had years of pain and I found out my will to live free of this med.
For any of those who are experiencing the likes of what I went thru, educate yourself like a chemist on this med. Don't listen to people who don't understand or give you support. This drug is very serious stuff. Perhaps, I was in the minority of those who get physically dependent on the drug very quickly. I sure hope so. I don't want anyone to go thru what I did. My head hurt so bad that I thought it was going to explode.
I don't in anyway think this med is bad. I think it has a place in medicine. It is very useful. I had a horrible experience, but I learned a lesson. I couldn't trust what a doc told me as law. I had to become very educated on any med that I took. I had to know myself and listen to what the body said no matter what.
Klonopin quit working for me at a certain dosage and the dosage kept climbing up. I could have stayed at the initial dosage but I wasn't having that artifical wonderful world anymore of no anxiety. Sometimes, in my case, the fear was leading me to the truth about my history and self. It was a lesson not many really want to go to. It was so easy to just take a pill and think all is well. It wasn't my ultimate truth. I found out that I was far more than I even understood. I ultimately discovered who I really was. I was person in a great deal of pain for damn good reasons.
I have determined everyone has very different experiences with their meds. Some don't go thru what I did. Praise be it for them. But those that do suffer - REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THIS BATTLE. KEEP SEEKING THE TRUTH AND DO WHAT YOUR BODY SAYS. IT IS THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY.
Posted by shadows721 on December 18, 2003, at 20:36:51
In reply to Re: Sorry I posted » shadows721, posted by 13beans on December 14, 2003, at 18:25:21
I still am off the Klonopin. I take a 5 mg of Lexapro, 60 mg of buspar and occasionally neurontin. I am still in therapy and still having flashbacks from my childhood. I have the shakes still and working with a new neurologist.
I am so sorry your Mom is going thru a really hard time. It takes time to to get off of Klonopin and the depression can worsen when you are getting of it too fast. I know it did for me. There was no getting off quick method for me. Her body will determine how slow to go.
Posted by shadows721 on December 18, 2003, at 21:31:46
In reply to Re: Sorry I posted-currently, posted by shadows721 on December 18, 2003, at 20:36:51
I took the pill cutter and cut a 1mg pill into quarters. I wouldn't take off any more than a quarter off at a time. This went on for several months for me, because it was how I could tolerate it. Eventually, I worked it up to every other day. Essentually, I worked off only 1 quarter off a pill for several months. If the anxiety rebounded too much I would increase that quarter or take Kava Kava. I never had any bad effects with Kava Kava. It really took that edge off. Don't take Kava Kava if you have liver problems and don't take extreme dosages. Take a very low dose and see how you tolerate it. Personally, I always have benadryl handy for any symptom of allergic reactions (itching, rashes, severe headache, difficulty breathing). I have a history of being allergic to many medications.
It seemed like the last half of a pill was the worst and I don't know why. I literally set a schedule for myself to the tapering. There was no fast way for me. When I didn't meet the goal,I didn't beat myself up. I would have to bounce up by a quarter of 1mg pill to help on the worst days.
I didn't suffer from the ill effects from the previous ill fated attempts to get off like hallucinations, pains, convulsions, nausea, ringing in the ears, seeing ants, feeling worms crawling on my skin and suicide dreams as I did the docs ways. My body said it was going to fast when my gums hurt, horrible headaches, and increasing anxiety/depression. I always cut down by 1 quarter of a pill. For example:
Time length: A month
One quarter off a pill down on Mondays.
Tues, Wed, Thurs, and Friday (full dose).
================
Time length: Couple of months (As tolerated)
One quarter off a pill down on Monday and Friday.
Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sat & Sunday (full dose).
=================
Time length: Couple of months (As tolerated)
One quarter off a pill down on Monday, Wed, and Friday
Tues, Thurs, Sat, and Sunday (full dose).
=================
Time length: Couple of months (As tolerated)
One quarter off a pill down on Monday, Wed, Friday and Sun
Full dose on Tues, Thurs, and Sat
=================
Time length: Couple of months (As tolerated)
One quarter off a pill down on Monday, Tues, Wed,Friday, and Sunday
Full dose on Thurs and SatEventually, I got to where I was taking 1 quarter off a pill the whole week. Then, I started again with half a pill on so on. It may seem extremely slow to some, but this is how I safely got off of Klonopin. Your cue is how you tolerate the tapering. If you are getting more uncomfortable symptoms, slow down. There may be better ways than mine, but this worked for me. An antidepressant can help ease the pain of tapering too. My policy: There are no awards here on Earth for needless suffering.
Posted by nobodyz on January 5, 2004, at 1:34:35
In reply to After shocks of trauma, posted by shadows721 on September 4, 2003, at 23:29:03
"I see things move in the corner of my sight all the time. I find I tend to self rock a lot too when under great stress. I am extremely jumpy with sounds or touch. Just can not handle watching much of what is on tv either. These are just some of the aftermath of trauma for me."
I just want to say I have Complex PTSD and am currently off Klonopin for 3 months. I am having a very hard time dealing with things with no medication and am ready to throw in the towel and go back on. Despite the difficult posts with misunderstandings re: "addiction" etc, the entire thread proved extremely consoling to me as this is exactly what I am experiencing. And the clincher was reading the above quoted post; I now know at least one other person has the "things moving in the corner of their sight" going on and it is quite possible that is due to my PTSD being in an agitated state (well, that would be it's natural state, wouldn't it? LOL) Thank you all, so much for writing.
Posted by nobodyz on January 5, 2004, at 1:48:38
In reply to How I tapered off of Klonopin, posted by shadows721 on December 18, 2003, at 21:31:46
Wow, I like that policy: "There are no awards here on Earth for needless suffering."
I find it true for me as well but something I needed to be reminded about. For me it's a matter of remembering that my baseline anxiety level is quite high and that going off Klonopin is not as clear cut as I think it is. I'm sure it's different for everyone, as most meds affect people differently. I have been on Klonopin for many years at a very low dose (.5 mg 1-2x day) then went off it 3 months ago concurrently with going onto neurontin (which proved to be a bad move for me). That was when I discovered there is a basic anxiety I have that Klonopin withdrawl is NOT responsible for at all. It's a difficult thing for me to accept, but I'm hoping that I get it right this time. Thanks for the invaluable info, as I may need it someday.
Posted by rutt on January 6, 2004, at 16:48:51
In reply to Re: How I tapered off of Klonopin (nm), posted by rutt on January 6, 2004, at 3:03:29
HI everyone,
I've been trying the 10% reduction method mentioned in various sources. The method states that it is reasonable to ween off klonopin(and other benzo's)by reducing the dosage 10% every week or two.
I was originally taking 2mg of klonopin a day, but quickly cut down to 1.5mg a day because I was afraid of becoming dependant. The psychiatrist I was seeing said he was under treating me due to the severity of my panic, and high anxiety. Even though i was suffering tremendously, I was very afraid of the drug because of the things I read about it. Stuff like it causes chemical imbalances, rather then curing one.
Anyway, it's been a long bumby ride- I was having panic attacks and very high anxiety on 1.5mg of klonopin, but I wouldn't increase the dose(I'm either very dumb, or very cautious). Eventually, my panic attacks went away-(took a while)-it's been about a year since the last one. My high level of anxiety has come down quite a bit.
The whole experience was very confusing. My doc told me that I shouldn't have had panic attacks on klonopin. My anxiety seemed to go away with time, so I'm not sure if klonopin helped me at all.
I weened down to .75 from 1.5 and noticed feeling very uncomfortable in sept/oct, so I went back up to 1mg a day. I think I was coming down to fast. It's really hard to shave 1/10ths off a 1mg tab, so I cheated and tried to ween by 1/6 every week(no good for me).
After resting at 1mg for a while, I decided to try again. I'm currently at .5 and I'm starting to feel bad again(weird sensations, anxiety).
I really would like to get off klonopin, but it sure isn't easy. I'm very frightened of experiencing what I went through with panic and very high anxiety at its peak(afraid of it's return) but I want to be drug free.Anyone have any feelings about the desire to be drug free, vs. the fear of mental illness- I would appreiciate it.
Posted by ian24 on January 7, 2004, at 13:43:16
In reply to Re: withdrawl from Klonopin » sheebies, posted by silmarilone on August 25, 2003, at 12:39:07
I withdrew from zanax. Was on I think 2 mgs a day. I would cut a quarter of a mg and then feel tense and agitated for a week to 10 days. But it was magaebale with exercise and etc. After a week or two of being used to it Id cut another quarter. Basically Id cut a quarter a month. It took like nine months but thats ok it was a difficult task but one i wanted to do and was willing to be patient about it.
Posted by 13beans on January 7, 2004, at 15:53:44
In reply to Re: withdrawl from Klonopin, posted by ian24 on January 7, 2004, at 13:43:16
What I really would like to know is whether or not someone should still be going through any type of severe withdrawals like dizziness, visual disturbances or trouble adjusting to light, (ringing in ears possibly too but could be from something else), muscle pain, etc. It's going on two months now and my mother is only down to 1 1/2 milligrams (from 3 originally). It's been over a month that she's been on the same dosage and still believes she is going through withdrawals. Is this even POSSIBLE?? Please post if you have ever experienced anything like this or have heard of anything like this happening. She is going crazy trying to figure it out (she is worrying that it might be something else, as she is pretty young and was once, not too long ago, very active, but can hardly leave the house anymore) and unfortunately is driving me crazy with trying to figure this out...I'm a single parent of a 3 year old and work a f/t job, but she has picked me out to be her detective and she won't learn to get on a computer. (SORRY! Just venting!) Anyhow, I don't see how this could be the problem. Does anyone out there?
Posted by Ryan123 on January 12, 2004, at 18:31:32
In reply to Re: withdrawl from Klonopin, posted by 13beans on January 7, 2004, at 15:53:44
I am one month to the day without any klonopin in my system. I tapered all the way down to .25mg/day from 3mg/day. Each day is getting worse.
I am taking 30mg of oxoxepam once per day to help regulate some of the withdrawal symptoms. Some people might consider that using gas to put out a fire, but I am at my wit's end.
I am not a newcomer to withdrawals. I am a recovering alcoholic. These withdrawals though make quitting alcohol seem like a day in the park.
One of the major symptoms I have is ringing in the ears. Most of the other symptoms are far to complex and overwhelming to try to describe.
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