1. < Depression & Anxiety

I have been in Clonazepam 0.5mg TID for 18 years

Posted by jeanne51 @jeanne51, Jan 7 4:49pm

My psychiatrist retired and I was left to find a replacement. It seems there are a majority of nurse practitioners these days taking patients as providers, many do not take insurance. I found a nurse practitioner with a very good educational background. I saw her in person and she renewed the medications I was in for 6 months. Next month we had a zoom meeting and she told me she wanted me off the Ambien and Clonazepam because I would get dementia or Alzheimer’s with long term use. She insisted I start tapering against my will. I had school phobia in grade school, began having depression symptoms in my 20’s, and in my late 20’s had two major panic attacks. I have been depressed with anxiety most of my adult life. I have been hospitalized twice because of this. I have never asked for an increase in dosage of Ambien or Clonazepam fur 18 years after I found a wonderful psychiatrist who was so good at medication management.
Now, tapering Ambien and Clonazepam I have started self mutilating by picking my fingers raw until they bleed. I can’t sleep at night, I have become socially phobic. I have become isolative and often think of suicide with no plan. I am 73 years old and I think it is so cruel to put me through this when all I want is to have quality of life, not quantity. I live with my husband in adult senior living which I have not adjusted to. Taking these meds away has decreased my desire to exercise and my endurance is decreasing. My new provider told me if I didn’t want to taper my medication that I should find a new one provider. I did manage to taper the Ambien but I am down to half of the Clonazepam and feel like I can’t go on. Please help me. I am on Paxil and Wellbutrin for depression but it is anxiety and insomnia making my life miserable. I am not the same person I was a year ago.
I feel miserable, she has destroyed any quality of life I had. I really don’t want to live anymore.

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jeanne51 | @jeanne51 | Jan 29 3:57pm

You are lucky that you have someone who will provide you with Vicodin. I just finally found a provider who will continue my Clonazepam at half dose plus give me a sleeping pill for insomnia. If you ever have trouble finding a new provider I recommend Family Care Ceter. They are all over Denver and other cities. Good luck.

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1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | Jan 29 9:14pm
In reply to @jeanne51 "You are lucky that you have someone who will provide you with Vicodin. I just finally..." + (show)
@jeanne51

You are lucky that you have someone who will provide you with Vicodin. I just finally found a provider who will continue my Clonazepam at half dose plus give me a sleeping pill for insomnia. If you ever have trouble finding a new provider I recommend Family Care Ceter. They are all over Denver and other cities. Good luck.

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@jeanne51 what sleep med are you going to take?

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wisco50 | @wisco50 | Jan 29 10:07pm
In reply to @jeanne51 "I saw my new Provider today and she was a breath of fresh air. She admitted..." + (show)
@jeanne51

I saw my new Provider today and she was a breath of fresh air. She admitted that the overprescribing of opiates and benzodiazepines by physicians in the past is causing the closer monitoring and dispensing these drugs. I will be continuing my Clonazepam at my current dose of 0.75 mg per day and will be starting a new medication for sleep. I don’t know the name as it is fairly new.

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The pushing of narcotics over past years lent to it also. This led to the current knee jerk attitude and atmosphere of thinking all opioids are bad. That they are not to be used for chronic pain. You’ll get addicted.
Years back I had a severe problem. Long story. Difficult to diagnose. I was labeled the overreacting patient (female).
Well, I was right and if my internist had not been willing to prescribe slow release Morphine and hydrocodone (I can’t handle oxy) until I got the right diagnosis and surgery, I seriously doubt I would still be here.

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1 reply
jeanne51 | @jeanne51 | Jan 30 3:46pm
In reply to @wisco50 "The pushing of narcotics over past years lent to it also. This led to the current..." + (show)
@wisco50

The pushing of narcotics over past years lent to it also. This led to the current knee jerk attitude and atmosphere of thinking all opioids are bad. That they are not to be used for chronic pain. You’ll get addicted.
Years back I had a severe problem. Long story. Difficult to diagnose. I was labeled the overreacting patient (female).
Well, I was right and if my internist had not been willing to prescribe slow release Morphine and hydrocodone (I can’t handle oxy) until I got the right diagnosis and surgery, I seriously doubt I would still be here.

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People and their medical issues are so individualized. The approach they are taking is wrong. To deny someone an anti-Anxiety or opiate medication because of history of others in the past which occurred because of physician mismanagement is wrong.
I am so happy I found a clinic who actually listens to me and works with me with medication management. I am glad you found a good internist. Was very fortunate for you. I had two providers I’d interviewed and they blatantly refused to keep me on Clonazepam and insisted I taper off. I am still suffering the results of that traumatic experience but hope to do much better either way my new provider.

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larrypains | @larrypains | Jan 31 9:11am
In reply to @rclouv "Curious, how much klonooin do you take? I take maybe 3 mg a week and wonder..." + (show)
@rclouv

Curious, how much klonooin do you take? I take maybe 3 mg a week and wonder sometimes if it can be an addiction.

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Naw!!

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larrypains | @larrypains | Jan 31 9:14am

I sure hope this has been rectified!

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1 reply
larrypains | @larrypains | Jan 31 9:19am
In reply to @jeanne51 "I agree. All I know is that it still can be prescribed just like opioids. I..." + (show)
@jeanne51

I agree. All I know is that it still can be prescribed just like opioids. I believe it is the discretion of the provider and the practice they are in. That is why I enjoyed going to my psychiatrist of 18 years….he did what he thought was therapeutically needed. It only took the provider I chose, who was not forthright in telling me her goal was to taper, that has thrown me in a tailspin.Ativan seems to be the drug of choice these days because it has a shorter half life

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That is very wrong!! TV pushes drugs that side affects could be sudden death and the Dr's. Can't prescribe enough. Now benzos that save lives you have to search for. This is all ass backwards.

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jeanne51 | @jeanne51 | Jan 31 9:51am
In reply to @larrypains "I sure hope this has been rectified!" + (show)
@larrypains

I sure hope this has been rectified!

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I”m getting there.

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vulnerablesky | @vulnerablesky | Feb 1 3:32pm

I feel your pain though not exactly as thankfully none of the true hypocrites have done that to me yet. The less potent generics they do not tell you about when given your normal dose is bad enough but I can’t imagine attempting to withdraw from something you’ve been on for decades when coming off SSRIs gave me brain damage. The people need to be held accountable for their negligence. I do hope you’re able to make it. Many I’ve known were not so lucky.

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