Sleep ease with melatonin and Unisom

I’ve used that in the past and it was great but no doctors will prescribe it again.

TEENSY reductions are key. I've never an addictive personality or history. But clonazepam was a LONG LONG struggle to wean myself off of. At first I did not realize that even in low doses (1 mg at night) that might be true. Even when I got down to 0.5 mg I could not get off it without devising ways of taking very very tiny amounts for a many weeks then switching to even smaller amounts. I was weighing it. I understand compound pharmacies are designed to help with this but my method was free. And painful. It took me many years to get off klonopin.

I've been told it's especially NOT a good drug for women to metabolize and effects the liver. Doctors don't tell you that but holistic medicine people will.

SO CAUTION is advised. It worked so well for me for 20 years, but I had no idea it could become a requirement.

raina726... I take 1.5mg Lorazepam at night for sleep. I take .75 when I go to bed....and the other .75 throughout the night. My doctor has told me, I will be taking this for the rest of my life because I would not be able to sleep without it. It was prescribed for me by my previous primary doctor,,,, who prescribed this after prescribing many different sleep meds that did not work for me. The ones he prescribed for me to try included Lunesta, Trazodone, Ambien, Temazepam, Estazolam, etc... none of those worked for me. I used to take Flurazepam which worked EXCELLENT. But then they quit making it. I was devastated... thus the search started for a new sleep med. I was already taking Diazepam for occasional anxiety, not everyday. So finally my doctor thought, "hey, why don't we try 1 medication for both your issues... sleep and anxiety." I said Great! That's when he prescribed Lorazepam for me....and it works great. But I have to take it every night. Thus, I am now on it for the rest of my life. I'm okay with that because I feel fantastic! And my new doctor understands this. I'm a firm believer that good quality sleep is very very important for people for their overall health. If you get good quality sleep, everything else is better with you. Don't give up people... doctors know how important sleep is but most refuse to prescribe benzo meds. I tried many meds and the benzos were the ones that worked. Flurazepam and Lorazepam that is. None of the other benzos I tried worked for sleep. I also take Amitriptyline which helps with sleep, anxiety, depression and pain. Good luck everyone! P.S. I quit the Diazepam when I started the Lorazepam.

laughlin1947, none of those worked for me. (Temazepam, Melatonin or Lunesta) Neither did Trazodone, Ambien, or Estazolam..

laughlin1947? So you think it takes only 10 days to wean off of a benzo??? Sorry....but that is wrong. I've heard from many people and even doctors that it takes years for most people. And they suffer in the process from anxiety and lack of sleep. Not sure where you got the 10 days from.....but just had to respond to tell you and others, that is just not true. Maybe if you've only taken them a couple weeks....

cindi. Good points. Sleep is key for me and I've been a mess. I lived through the serious flooding and winds in Western North Carolina last September but I ended up with a serious PTSD reaction to the stress of it all. Once you've had PTSD, it's so easy for it to come back... I've been trying to rotate a collection of over the counter meds, CBD, diazepam -- but none of them can be mixed together or I have horrible dreams.

I did try 1 mg. Lorazepam once but I felt it had a depressant side effect(increasing over the several days I took it), and I was slightly groggy in the morning. I might try takin a 1/2 tablet and see if that works differently. Flurazepam was like magic for me. I can't bear antidepressants and their side effects, tried every one, except the newest. Good for you though for finding something that works! Curious what the dosage of the amitriptyline is that you take. That was the first anti-depressant that I took back in the 70's, it was still Elavil. It did give a 'drugged' feeling that I didn't care for, but I realized after taking it for a few weeks that I was seeing colors again. I was so depressed that I was practically seeing in black and white! Suddenly everything was awe-inspiring. THAT was worth the side effects. Thanks for sharing ideas.

Of course people metabolize drugs at different rates than others, including what the long term dosage gas been for the patient (matters a lot) but here is what the WHO says about withdrawal rate: "Stopping Klonopin With Tapering"
The best way to successfully quit Klonopin is to follow a slow tapering schedule. Tapering, which means gradually reducing your dose over time, is also the best way of preventing severe withdrawal symptoms.
It’s tempting to want to quit cold turkey as soon as you find the motivation or desire to do so, but it’s in your best interest to resist this temptation. In fact, the longer you draw out your Klonopin taper, the less likely you are to experience any withdrawal symptoms at all.

Tapering your Klonopin dose is a way of tricking your body into thinking it’s not in withdrawal. It is not an exact science, which means your tapering schedule should be updated as you go along. You will need to work closely with a physician who can adjust your dose every few days or weeks, as necessary.
Tapering Schedule
The ideal duration of your taper will depend on several factors, including your starting dose and primary goals. Studies in primary care settings have found that a gradual taper over at least 10 weeks is most successful. 6 Some people continue their taper for a year or more.
There is no universal tapering rate. The research suggests that generally speaking, slower tapers are more successful. 10 If you are doing a slow taper, your physician will only reduce your dose every two or three weeks, and the reductions will be small. People taking high doses of benzodiazepines may start with a quicker taper and slow down once a lower dose has been achieved.

If your withdrawal symptoms become too much to handle, your healthcare provider can slow down the taper and even increase your dose. The dose reductions are so small that you may not even notice them after the first couple of weeks.
at a dosage of 2 mg per day, the practical withdrawal dosage rate could still be in the 10 day time frame, per my own personal experience. At much higher dosages than 2 mg, well, it's up to the individual and his/her doctor and how the patient feels in terms of tolerable anxiety level and sleep quality. Again, melatonin and doxylamine succinate can easily offset the sleep issues as one withdraws from clonazepam, in my unprofessional but personal opinion. I'm a fan of Ambien (zolpidem) but some doctors put the fear of God into the patient over nightmares and bizarre sleep walking episodes which has happened only in a very few cases. I never experienced any of that with zolpidem, which I took for years. Good luck!

Wow, one of those should have helped you. You must have an unusual metabolism. Try the Costco "Sleep Aid" which is doxylamine succinate, at about 1/4 to 1/2 tablet to start and see how groggy you feel in the AM. That might work for you. Note, I am not a doctor, not a medical professional.

Did the help with amitriptyline in terms of anxiety relief work as well as lorazepam? Do you take a specific med for pain relief by itself, like during the day?

Hello, the Amitriptyline helped the first day I started taking it. I take 30mg along with the Lorazepam. I take the Amitriptyline about 2 hours before bedtime. It helps my anxiety, sleep and mild depression. I had hip replacement surgery in October, and before the surgery I had alot of pain and was also taking 3900mg of Arthritis strength Tylenol and 1800mg Ibuprofen daily for about 6 months. But after I had my hip replacement surgery, I didn't need the Ibuprofen and Tylenol anymore. Of course took a pain med right after surgery.....but the surgery was a complete success and recovery was short and easy! I couldn't be happier now! I am in absolutely no pain now. The hip was my only pain issue. I'm an active 64 year old and got back to doing the things I love. Long walks, hiking in the woods, bike riding... .I feel the Amitriptyline along with the Lorazepam help me greatly in stressful situations. Before I would get stressed out in a particular situation and now I don't. It's made me a calmer, anxiety free person. I'm very happy.