Benzo withdrawal

I understand what you are saying but I have to sleep. Long term impact of no sleep isn't good either. My neurologist said, "Take more", when I told him I only take .25 mg.

It’s rather interesting to see how some people can use an addictive substance and just walk away from them…I used to smoke and it took quite some effort to stop using them and I succeeded in doing so 12 years ago…I’ve been taking Ativan for half the time I smoked and it’s not as easy to stop… I find it strange because smoking is reputed to be very addictive mentally, physically and emotionally and the products they provide are not very helpful, you can only quit if you really want them gone from your life, also you can’t have even one after you stop…Ativan is also very addictive but they have the worst side effects when you try to decrease them, perhaps it’s the reason they are hard to stop

Yes my withdrawal was terrible. Would not wish it upon anyone.

Good for you ! Would you mind sharing how slowly you tapered your klonipin: the schedule or how much you reduced it by each month?

It has been a while so I'm vague on the specifics now. I remember feeling a huge sense of relief when I found an MD who said she'd prescribe more if I needed it in order to stretch out the taper. That took so much psychological pressure off and I never did need a refill. One variable is how much you are taking before you start to taper. My dose was relatively low at 1 mg/day, but it still took me several months b/c I was so addicted (over 20 years). I decreased my dose by maybe 25%, and then I'd hold there until I felt like I was ready for another decrease. At the end, I was taking little nibbles out of the pill - purely psychological, but it worked for me. I'd also skip a night btw nibbles and then, it seemed like all of a sudden, I was off of it. I still have some here, but have zero compulsion to take it - yet the fact that they are in my lockbox just in case is weirdly comforting. I also joined an online group called "Benzo Buddies" and got some good recommendations there. Benzos take up residence in the body and mind for sure. After reading some articles on the long term impact, I consider it poison. I wish you the best of luck. It's not easy, but you can definitely do it.

Thank you so much.

In my experience, MDs hand it out willy nilly such that I wondered if they were getting kickbacks from big pharma. I really do believe there are safer options to treat insomnia.

My doctor keeps a strict watch on my Ativans. I have had insomnia since I was 15 and have tried everything, believe me. When I was 72 I cleaned my whole house, mowed the lawn and walked 2 miles with a friend and still couldn't sleep that night. Not fighting my body......25 mg won't kill me.

Eventually, you will become tolerant to these meds. At 4 months your body is already dependent on them. You really need to taper off of them slow . My Dr put me on ativan 1mg after my husband passed away. Little did know the damage tha would be done to my body. I have lost over 40 pounds . I was only on them a month and THOUGHT I was done. Got a bad case of the flu or so I thought. It was withdrawals. Tried to.get help from so many Drs, only to be demeaned. Because unfortunately, the medical Society loves to put you on these, but have no idea how to get you off. It has been 4 months with no help but now I need to take this poison. Never go cold turkey off of these. More dangerous than street drugs. Finally found a lot of sites on FB and Utube that talk about this and can help you taper off.
Currently I am on a water titration that I have to be on for three months until I can safely get off. Still
have withdrawals and still losing weight. This poison affects everything in your body, especially your nervous system.
This has been the worse thing I have ever been through and to try and get off is just as bad.
Good luck to anyone taking these benzos, they never should have been put on the market. This is a silent epidemic that has affected millions of unsuspecting people. Worse than any street drug.
I never thought in a million years this would happen to me .
Not only did I lose my husband but I lost myself and a good part of my life.

Years ago, when my psychiatrist first prescribed Xanax for agoraphobia, I asked him about the long-term effects. Without looking up at me while typing his notes, he casually said, "can't be good," and continued to write notes. I no longer trust doctors, especially concerning medication. When I want to know about medication, I consult a pharmacist. Now that I have Parkinson's Disease, I'd like to live out my days being available to my wife and in close contact with friends and being confident enough to be outgoing and sharing with people in groups (which I used to dread). I'm able to go for days at a time without Benzos, but in the back of my mind I'm conscious that I'm all alone without the support of Benzos, and that I'll panic and want to run away from what for most people (I assume) are normal everyday situations. None of my doctors, not my primary care physicians from either the VA or Medicare have offered a solutions to titrate down on my 1.0 mg Alprazolam. My current neurologist (the only one in my area who takes my insurance) was laughingly referred to by two women in my water aerobics class for PD/MS patients as the "Vitamin K" lady. Seems she's quick to prescribe "Vitamin K" for Klonopin which exacerbates many of the symptoms of PD: dizziness, confusion, joint pain, double vision, drowsiness, depression, insomnia--which is the main reason my neurologist prescribed it, poor coordination, speech problems and difficulty swallowing, and others. The VA on the other hand stopped prescribing Benzos after the Oxycontin/Opioid epidemic. I have now idea who to turn to for help.