How to wean off Klonopin (or any Benzodiazapeme)

I have been klonapin for 5 years 2mg a day so scared to come off can I get some feedback

@ffranmshaw5150 hopefully, you’re working with your prescriber to do this. Why are you coming off, if you don’t mind sharing?

@ezjersey719 Definitely working with my prescriber on each decrease. I came off of it because I had a gait instability and am a fall risk (I am 72 years old).

@ffranmshaw5150 I've been on clonazepam for much longer than that, 2 mg daily. A handful of times I went off of it cold turkey and never found any side effect. That's such a low dose. Now I'm on 1 mg because I was trying to conserve and get a few extra tablets in the vial. My doctor doesn't know. She thinks it takes a full year to wean off 2 mg. That's BS. I was surprised to see in a doctor's column that clonazepam is like the worst of the benzos in terms of limiting the amount of REM sleep you get each night. I was taking mine before bedtime, now I take the 1 mg first thing in the AM. Anyway, don't be chicken, just go to a reduced dosage for a month, then reduce it more the next month, and so forth. I'm not a doctor, you are of course responsible for your own dosages. I'm a 78-year-old male. Why do you want to get off of it, anyway?

@laughlin1947

@ffranmshaw5150 I've been on clonazepam for much longer than that, 2 mg daily. A handful of times I went off of it cold turkey and never found any side effect. That's such a low dose. Now I'm on 1 mg because I was trying to conserve and get a few extra tablets in the vial. My doctor doesn't know. She thinks it takes a full year to wean off 2 mg. That's BS. I was surprised to see in a doctor's column that clonazepam is like the worst of the benzos in terms of limiting the amount of REM sleep you get each night. I was taking mine before bedtime, now I take the 1 mg first thing in the AM. Anyway, don't be chicken, just go to a reduced dosage for a month, then reduce it more the next month, and so forth. I'm not a doctor, you are of course responsible for your own dosages. I'm a 78-year-old male. Why do you want to get off of it, anyway?

@laughlin1947 my doc sa

@ezjersey719 Definitely working with my prescriber on each decrease. I came off of it because I had a gait instability and am a fall risk (I am 72 years old).

@ffranmshaw5150 my doc new doc said i was on a high dose for to long my other doc never even brought it up now I’m stuck with what is she going to do to me im afraid she will pull me off to quickly have a panic attack every time I go see her she tried to put me on a bunch of other drugs i said no to them all

@ffranmshaw5150 I don't know what your doctor may switch you to. but here is what the web says about dosages of clonazepam..."Initial dose: 0.25 mg orally 2 times per day - Maintenance dose: 1 mg orally per day Maximum dose: 4 mg/day Comments: 1. An increase to the target dose for most patients of 1 mg/day may be made after 3 days. 2. The dose may be increased in increments of 0.125 mg to 0.25 mg 2 times per day every 3 days until panic disorder is controlled or until side effects subside."