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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 becksFLA on May 6, 2008, at 12:43:04
My story with anxiety has been a long and interesting one. I've been on benzos now for roughly 4 years. I have used them all, to HEAVY HEAVY doses. However I am some sort of medical freak of nature, because most of them didn't work until I tried insanely high doses. (Xanax 14mg daily....)..which only helped about 50 percent IF that. I have finally found something that has worked for me in Klonopin. I was up to 14mg on that, and for whatever reason, I was able to minimize that to 5mg and still keep the anxiety very much under control.
The one positive about me is I can come off drugs like these with minimal side effects. However I don't want heavy rebound anxiety for obvious reasons, but for a long time I've really wanted badly to come off Klonopin, or at least get down to about 2-3 mg. I think I can do this now based on the amount I've come down from everything else, and based on how my anxiety levels have evened out.
All that being said, I know it will not be easy. Can anybody give me advice....I have 2mg tablets, so should I cut them into quarters, taking 3mg in the morning and 2 at night. Should I go straight to 2mg AM and 2mg pm? or should I quarter a pill and go from 5 to 4 1/2 for a bit and see how it goes? Are there any herbal supplements that can be recommended to help me get through this? I read some earlier posts, sorry I forget who it was, about skullcap and some others.
Thanks!
Posted by Phillipa on May 6, 2008, at 13:00:14
In reply to HELP - Want to begin taper of Klonopin badly. plz., posted by becksFLA on May 6, 2008, at 12:43:04
Becks so admirable I'd take it slow. Seriously. Since it is working and good luck. Love Phillipa
Posted by becksFLA on May 6, 2008, at 13:05:20
In reply to Re: HELP - Want to begin taper of Klonopin badly. plz. » becksFLA, posted by Phillipa on May 6, 2008, at 13:00:14
Slow absolutely. I just don't like the way that it seems to make me very impulsive, and also having to rely on it feels too much like a crutch. I feel a bit like I'm in shackles. Constantly having to have extras in my wallet in case I forget a dose and am far away from home....grr. I'll certainly need everybody on the board's help and advice as I go through this.
Thanks
Posted by Lou Pilder on May 6, 2008, at 13:51:51
In reply to Re: HELP - Want to begin taper of Klonopin badly., posted by becksFLA on May 6, 2008, at 13:05:20
> Slow absolutely. I just don't like the way that it seems to make me very impulsive, and also having to rely on it feels too much like a crutch. I feel a bit like I'm in shackles. Constantly having to have extras in my wallet in case I forget a dose and am far away from home....grr. I'll certainly need everybody on the board's help and advice as I go through this.
>
> ThanksbecksFLA,
You wrote,[...want to..badly...I'm in >shackles<...need everybody..help..I go...].
From the grammatical structure of your post I think that you are meaning that you are in a crossroads and want to have the drug out of your system so to be free and would like all of the members here to offer their thinking on that.
The roads to take are various. One road is to taper slowly untill you do not take the drug at all. This road is a wide road and many take that road. Then there is another road that one can take, which is to not take any more of the drug into your body. Then there is the road of to continue taking the drug for the rest of your life. Then there is a road to replace one drug with another drug(s). Then there could be the roads of acupuncture and other related treatments. Then there is the possibility of a miracle. But which road? Which road leads to a life, if you are seking to be freed from the drug, without the drug?
In making a choice as to the road to travle, the history of the drug may be of help. The drug was made by a chemist in Germany durring the time of National Socialism. The maker, fled to Switzerland and then came to the U.S. It was found to have psychotropic action and for years was a popular drug prescribed for {tranquilizing}, a popular version being called {Valium}. Then offshoots of a more powerful nature were made by other chemists. And then as time ran, the people that were taking those drugs started to exibit the symptoms that are well-documented. A site that deals with this is a UK site chaired by Dr. Heather Ashton. I had corrosponded with their leaders and although I have different ideas about what the drug does and how to be freed from it, that site is a good place for help and education concerning the situation that you describe here.
I am unsure as to what links that I can or can not post here according to the rules of this forum so that if you would like more infomation from me, you could email me if you like.
Lou
Posted by Dr. Bob on May 7, 2008, at 2:29:54
In reply to Lou's response to becksFLA's post-ovrcmbz » becksFLA, posted by Lou Pilder on May 6, 2008, at 13:51:51
> The drug was made by a chemist in Germany durring the time of National Socialism.
Sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to redirect posts about National Socialism to Psycho-Babble Politics. Here's a link:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20080312/msgs/827696.html
That'll be considered a new thread, so if you'd like to be notified by email of follow-ups to it, you'll need to request that there. Thanks,
Bob
Posted by AuntieMel on May 8, 2008, at 14:19:51
In reply to HELP - Want to begin taper of Klonopin badly. plz., posted by becksFLA on May 6, 2008, at 12:43:04
You might want to do it the same way I did effexor.
Take the meds at the same times you do now, but slowly taper off the amount.
Example: If you take 2 mgs of something at 10am start out with taking 1.5 mgs. If this is tolerated, then continue with the 1.5 mgs for a week or so, then cut it down to 1 for another week or 2, etc.
If you get to a place that isn't tolerable (say at the 2 to 1.5 cut) then try somewhere in bettween, like 1.75 for a week or 2.
With the effexor I ended up having to open up the capsules and pour out portions of them, gradually increasing the amount, With tablets you can cut in half, use a knife to shave off bits, or if the difference needed is small you can even sandpaper off a bit.
Good luck. Slow is best to avoid side-effects.
Posted by cactus on May 9, 2008, at 16:45:33
In reply to Re: HELP - Want to begin taper of Klonopin badly., posted by becksFLA on May 6, 2008, at 13:05:20
My pdoc told me a different way to taper. I'm coming off 6mg and now I'm down to 4mg ish. It's quite a bizarre way of doing it but it seems to be working and it takes a long time. Sorry.
His suggestion was to take 6mg mon, wed, fri, sat and sun. On tue and thurs, take 5mg, I took 1mg instead of 2mg at midday for 3 months.
Then after this time, drop it back to 4mg on tue and thurs, morning and night, eliminatimg my midday dose on those 2 days altogether. Once you feel ok on this dose then start 5mg doses on extra days like sat and wed until you cut out midday doses altogether.
It has worked quite successfully for me so far that I have been able to go a little faster.
You then start to lower your mon, wed, friday, sat and sun doses by 0.5mg to 1mg until you feel comfortable. As AuntieMel pointed out, somedays you do have to go back up a little, readjust and then come back down. I've had to do this quite a few times but it's worth it and it means you're going too fast for your body.
I know it sucks because it takes so long but it seem to be working. Also check out Heather Ashton's taper schedule, a lot of people have had successful tapers with her plans too. Although there has been a lot of controversy about her on this board in general, her tapering schedule's are not unreasonable, they too are slow and are another option.
Just don't rush it, take your time. Clonazepam has been great for me for multiple reasons, panic attack, anxiety, mood stabilization and restless leg syndrome. Because of the restless leg syndrome I'll have to stay on some kind of dose because it's fantastic for it but I want to take the least amount possible. I just don't want or need to be on 6mg daily anymore.
Good luck and I wish you all the best. I hope my post wasn't too confusing.
This is the end of the thread.
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