Connect
I have been in Clonazepam 0.5mg TID for 18 years
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.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.
Connect
The only SSRI I had a horrible time getting off of was Cymbalta. I’ve been on so many in my lifetime but this took the prize. There is actually a Facebook group to help people with ways to get off that horrible drug. My hope is that my new provider will not continue tapering my Clonazepam. At my age, I really don’t care if I get dementia, if their claim is really true. I would like to have a quality of life, rather than quantity and staying on Clonazepam is the on,y way I see this happening.
Sorry to hear you suffered brain damage from SSRI’s.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThis is releated to daily living for people living with extreme anxiety.
Today tariffs go into effect for our trading partners. I assure you that if you spend time on social boards or watch CNN or FOX right now there is no medicine that will quell your anxiety, it will go through the roof. My SUGGESTION is to let things that are out of our control or early in the president plan which is unknown at this time play out awhile. You will only create extreme anxiety for yourself. TURN THEM OFF for now. We are suffering enough!!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsI'm in the exact same boat and thanks for the heads up. Doesn't change the fact that I need the medication to be able to function and I have no symptoms of dementia or any other reason not to prescribe Klonopin. I took it for years and could have died from other drugs that were forced on me and turned me into a nonfunctioning zombie my daughter was threatening to put into a nursing home! All is relative and an individual situation and the patients needs should be the most important consideration in my opinion!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI have to end my relationship with my psychiatrist and case mgr over this and that is very distressing for me on top of everything else I'm not able to deal with because of the anxiety.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsWe all needed the medication, all of us in that boat were suffering with something that the benzo easily fixed and other meds didn’t fix. I don’t think anyone actually started on a prescribed benzodiazepine for no reason and stayed on it for years. I showed absolutely zero signs of dementia. It’s never been absolutely proven beyond reasonable doubt that benzodiazepines cause dementia.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsOh my gosh that is horrible! She should not have asked that of you. My story is long so I'll try to shorten it. I have been on klonopin for a little over 30 yrs and like you I have been on it pretty much forever. Mt new MD wanted me to taper off klonopin so I tried, absolutely horrible. I got a new MD and he suggested for me to see a neurologist so I did. He asked me why I wanted off of klonopin and I said I didn't have a choice so he gave me two options. I tried the one without the klonopin but it was not working so I started back on my regular dose, 1.5mg at nite. I was like a new person. So if you can get an appointment with a neurologist I'm sure they could help you. I'm so sorry. God bless.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThat may have to be my next step. Colorado is very progressive with scheduled drugs and they say no more than 1 mg per day. I want together back to .5 mg three times per day. Thank you.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI needed to hear that . Under extreme stress due to health with my husband . I am so worried , that it will cause dementia.
I am already on metoprolol for heart palpitations, which also lowers my BP. My cardiologist suggested not switching to propanol ok or adding it.
I tapered completely off after 25 years of Xanax use. Best thing I ever did and I found I really don’t need it after all.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 Reactions