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How to taper off clonazepam?.

Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Mar 30, 2023 | Replies (321)

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I am working with a doctor to taper 0.5 mg clonazepam three times daily, for 4 months. Any tips to make this a better experience and avoid pitfalls.

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Just if the Dr is doing the right thing.
Ween off over a period of 5+ months. Hopefully he will work with you. I have been on .5 twice a day. for 10 years. now I am trying to take 2.5mg morning and night. Then ween off some more. Don't if I'm getting any next month. If not I will have to find another Dr that will help. Big Tom.

Oh no! Hope you get some more next month. Thanks for the information. Do you know the recommended schedule over the 5 months?
Ty!

@crbarefoot
If you can use a compounding pharmacy that would be your best option. But insurance doesn't always pay for compounded medicines.
I would taper by 10-15% perhaps a bit more but I believe it should depend on several factors. Length of treatment, dose of medication, age etc. Be sure to go slow, SLOW! to allow your brain chemistry to adjust. If you have any withdrawal effects increase your dose until those symptoms go away then restart the taper at a slower pace and/or longer time between dose cuts. I don’t believe in choosing a specific timeline. I think it depends on how your body relates to the taper.
Take care,
Jake

Thanks for your excellent input.

When I tapered from lorazepam, I did a very slow wean cutting pills in quarters by the end. I was on .5 mg

Thank you. Mine are also quartered and I think that could work. Do you mind sharing what dose you were on and how slowly you went?

Thanks for your input. Had not planned on the compounding pharmacy. Ty

@crbarefoot
@arthur57
I mentioned compounding because they also customize medications and is safer and more exact. I didn't use a compounding pharmacy when I tapered off Klonopin and splitting pills is no big deal. It's just not as exact. There are some insurances that do pay for compounding, granted not many. I use a sterile compounding pharmacy for injection medicine and my insurance does not pay for it. I have taken the drug phenobarbital for well over 50 years, and if I were ever to stop it, which looks very unlikely, I would, with without hesitation go the percentage route through a compounding pharmacy regardless of whether or not my insurance paid.
Take care,
Jake

Thank you. Each situation is different and each insurance is definitely unique. Best to you.

SLOW! is the only way to do it.
I took over 2 years but was taking 18 mg a day trying to stop seizures but no luck so I quit. I had only extremely minor withdrawal symptoms at the very end but chipping tiny pieces off took care of that. If your having withdrawal symptoms you’re likely not tapering slowly enough. What's the rush anyway?
REMEMBER S L O W !🤞
Jake