I have been in Clonazepam 0.5mg TID for 18 years

Posted by jeanne51 @jeanne51, Jan 7, 2025

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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Profile picture for skeast @skeast

I hope you are comfortable….sending you the best cure ever…LOVE…
S

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@skeast Thank You. hope yo have a blessed day this Sunday

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Profile picture for frouke @frouke

@daveshaw Thank you Dave, it's been a tough time finding the medication and all the while you have to cope with the side effects, it's a proverbial mission but I am determined to get there, thanks for your support, Frouke

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@frouke Good luck. Unfortunately they take 4-6 weeks to start working but I am sure you will find the right combination.
Good luck to you.

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Profile picture for daveshaw @daveshaw

@frouke Good luck. Unfortunately they take 4-6 weeks to start working but I am sure you will find the right combination.
Good luck to you.

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@daveshaw Thank you 😊

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Profile picture for jeanne51 @jeanne51

Thank you for your kind reply. I did try one more nurse practitioner and
she feels the same. Benzodiazepine's and Opiates are tabu and it is the
government clamping down on these drugs other than for short term use. I
am not sure what I am going to do because I can't live like this much
longer. These doctors and nurses are paranoid that something bad will
happen and they will get sued. I have a PCP who is of the same mindset.
I would suggest you start looking for a new provider before yours retires.

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@jeanne51 Are you seeing a psychiatric nurse practitioner? Neither my PCP nor PNP have suggested stopping Clonazepam 1mg bid that I've been taking for 20 years. But I might have to taper off the Clonazepam to have TMS treatments, and the PNP said the pharmacist would help, probably by switching to Valium to make the titration - it's easier to titrate from Valium because of dosage availability. Maybe you've already resolved this. If so, would you mind sharing how you did?

Jim

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Profile picture for joseph1963 @joseph1963

I've been taking Clonazepam for over 20 years. I started on 1 mg. twice a day. The morning Clonazepam made me sleepy throughout the day. The next visit, he changed it to 1 mg. at night. I have epilepsy and it controlled my night-time seizures. The last visit, I started noting I wasn't sleeping as well. I requested to have the Clonazepam adjusted to 2mg. at night. He didn't hesitate to prescribe 2mg. tablet for me. I've checked the side effects of the drugs I take online pretty religiously. I have never seen an article stating that long term use of Clonazepam causing dementia or Alzheimer. If you already have dementia or Alzheimer, then it is not prescribed. I have been started on Lexipro. (5mg. 1 morning, 1 evening) for anxiety and has been working very well. I take a supplement, Kava, in the afternoon usually with lunch and also find it very helpful.

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@joseph1963
I have General Anxiety and major clinical depression and have been taking Lexapro 10 mg for 5 years now and it's helped.
Along with 1 mg Klonopin a day when the Anxiety grabs and won't let go.
However this week, my Lexapro has seemed to fail me and I've fallen into a depression this week ( and not situational ar all).
Just a paralyzing cloud where I don't (can't) even make myself a cup of tea.
Curious about what your experience is with depression / anxiety?and Lexapro ?

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