I am having a VERY difficult time with Klonipin withdrawal

I don't know if you've actually started your newly prescribed Buspirone yet or if it's not helping yet?? If you came off of any amount of klonopin quickly, especially 6mg daily, I would think is why you are experiencing such intense anxiety right now. Your body becomes dependent on this medication after only a short period of time. You definitely need to discuss with your physician and hopefully he will understand what you are dealing with. Unfortunately, I really believe many docs don't understand the issues this medicine can create or the importance of taper over considerable time. If he's the same doc who had you on that klonopin, you may want to seek out another physician who understands this situation better. I would be truly upset with any physiucian who gave me this stuff. The sleep doc who gave this to me and I had words after he disregarded the issues it created for me, and I was on a very small dose. Your body is going to need a period of time to adjust but hopefully another medicine can help with your anxiety in the interim. Praying for you!

Yes, I had terrible heart rates and BP. I changed my blood pressure medicine to help. I am also on gabapentin to help. I was on 2.5 for more than 15 yrs. I am older and needed to get off klonopin. I did 2.5 mg tap er to 1mg on my own. Couldn't physically go lower. Primary referred me to addiction medicine to work on taper and watch my mental health. 4 months later as of last week, I am off klomopin completely but having major withdrawal symptoms. Once I got BP meds changed I am better . Keep going. It's hard but better off med than staying on.

You were on a large dose for a long time. I hope you tapered very very slowly. If you didn’t, this could be why you’re having major withdrawal symptoms.

I was recently denied a refill of klonopin and had to stop abruptly. This sent my body into shock and all of my symptoms from over the past four years came back. I am now back on it to bring my system back to a stable place. Once I have been there for awhile, I plan on doing a very slow taper. I have many questions but first and foremost, how do I know what my current dosage should be to get back to where I was? Should all panic and anxiety symptoms go away, or will some continue to linger? How long does it take before I know I am at the right dose for stability to occur?

Where can I find support directly from mayo or help with the above. These are questions for a professional. My experience with that med may not relate to your challenge.

Its a control drug, addictive, as you need more as you go on.

My experience is different. I used it to stop my thought and to go to sleep, but the next morning I felt awful. I have switched to Magnesiun Glycinate which does many things..look it up. I go right to sleep in minutes, just one. It affects the muscles to relax tho im researching if it takes muscles away because my legs are weak.

Id like to hear from mayo but I dont think they comment on med. Talk to a psychiatrist to learn about this.

I am also withdrawing from Clonazepam like you but and here is the but I am doing it with the supervision of my doctor. We agreed about a year ago that it would be beneficial to my overall health to do so. I also take it for anxiety (panic attacks). I use to take .05 mg 3 times a day. I am now down to .05 (broken in 2} twice a day. I took the higher dose for 30 yrs! Who prescribed your meds and why would they not give you the refill that you needed. I can't think of any doctor who would essentially shut you off at the pharmacy. Stopping this med abruptly like you are doing would of course give you withdrawal that is not recommended. You need to find a doctor who would never think of doing this to you. It is dangerous. If you are still having withdrawal go to your ER where they will at least give you the name of a reputable doctor who will work with you to have a healthy and slow program if withdrawing. What you are experiencing is not healthy

Good luck with your withdrawal, definitely do the slow withdrawal and hopefully all will go well. Clonazepam was a nightmare for me after only 7 months. Messed me up big time and had withdrawal symptoms for 18 or more months. Frankly I think I still feel subtle side effects after 30 months, go figure. With respect to you panic attacks (disorder) I found Propranolol to be a God send for panic attacks and preventing them in the first place. I developed panic attacks while giving presentations to groups of people, often hundreds, and thought my career was over. But discovered if I took this miracle beta blocker an hour before my presentation, I could sing like a canary. Tried Xanax as doctor advised, helped, but nowhere close to the calm with propranolol. I found out others used it as well for the same stage fright I developed. We all thought it was a life saver. Now that I'm retired I no longer need the med and only took it for presentations or higher work stress events. Best of luck!!

My only though about your post was that it sounds like you had panic attacks when speaking in public. I like to jokingly define my panic attacks as having one in the frozen food section of the grocery store. No rhyme or reason. I think the fear of speaking in public is pretty wide spread whereas my panic attacks came out of the blue and were debhilitating (sp???) to say the least. Propranolol never helped me. Strictly Klonepin and an antidepressant and therapy all at the same time. At any rate, I think that we are in agreement about slow and easy. In fact, I am also a patient at our local hospital's pain clinic for something other than panic. When I told the doctor that I was weening off of klonepin and at the rate that I was doing it (over 24-36 mos.) he was very impressed as he said that that was one of the more difficult anti-anxiety meds. out there. I just wish that doctors would not prescribe them unless they are at least checking in with them on a monthly basis. It is a shame for anyone to have to go through withdrawal on their own from a prescribed med.

Join the FB group Benzo Warrior Community. They help with benzo withdrawal and there’s also the Ashton’s Manual for tapering off benzos.

I have also had a lot of benefit from Propanolol. It does lower blood pressure, though, so that is something that needs to be taken into account. It helps with anxiety and reduces the release of cortisol...somehow.