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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@ms91849

Jeanne-
Find a new practioner! It's quality vs quantity and there HAVE BEEN no studies to confirm that benzos cause dementia. Sleep is the key to everything and sleep deprivation will cause more mental illness than anything else.
I am 75 and without the clonazepam I would not be here today. Read Scott D. Mendelson-retired psychiatrist, author and neuroscientist. Follow your gut!
Reach out to us; I totally understand and will support you!
Hugs

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which of his books do you recommend??

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There are several men with same name who are psychiatrists etc. How to find the one you mention thank you Jeanne

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I have followed this post for some time. I cannot determine what is right so to speak for anyone. That said psychiatry was and is notorious for over prescribing when life style and behavioral interventions were warranted.

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@pieandme

There are several men with same name who are psychiatrists etc. How to find the one you mention thank you Jeanne

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I am not recommending specific psychiatrists anymore. The only practice I recommend is Family Care Center. Because I don’t know what geographic area patients live in, I can’t specify location of this clinic. Google it. They seem to be spread around the U.S.

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@jeanne51

I am glad you are doing better. We can’t rush chemical changes in our bodies. And in one of my previous posts I stated one drug doesn’t fit all. I have been on so many antidepressants, and titrating up and down takes time. Buspirone had no effect on me at all. I’m glad it is working for you. I wish you well in your journey to wellness.

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Thank you for commenting again! I’m still holding with a little less than 1/2 of the half dose of clonazipam and Buspirone. Do I sleep well? No. Does the Buspirone do anything - perhaps, perhaps not. I can’t say but I think I feel less motivated these days!? That’s not me. I have an appointment with my doctor in two weeks. It’s not easy to abstain from the clonazepam especially during the night when my ripped rotator cuff is throbbing. Damn that pill! I’m not regressing - next week I will try 1/4 dose.

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Some physicins are better than others when it comes to completely getting off benzos. I had an appt with a doctor in pain mgmt that thought I could get off in a matter of weeks. I't's not 6 weeks! It's more like a year or more. I'm doing it myself by just cutting down. The problem is, I have to take some in order to sleep at night, but hopefully I can accomplish this by educating my doctor or getting her to educate herself so she can help me. And yes, to the person who made the comment, we have to have quality sleep.

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@californiamom

Some physicins are better than others when it comes to completely getting off benzos. I had an appt with a doctor in pain mgmt that thought I could get off in a matter of weeks. I't's not 6 weeks! It's more like a year or more. I'm doing it myself by just cutting down. The problem is, I have to take some in order to sleep at night, but hopefully I can accomplish this by educating my doctor or getting her to educate herself so she can help me. And yes, to the person who made the comment, we have to have quality sleep.

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What I meant to say is that some physicians are more knowledgeable than others. when it comes to benzo withdrawal.

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