Klonopin taper

I was put on klonopin a low dose at age 17 by an old psychiatrist. I am now almost 38. I remember trying other medications and nothing worked. I was diagnosed with GAD and had horrible panic attacks and needed home tutoring for the rest of my senior year of high school. i changed drs. And over the years my dose got higher and higher i guess my body was building a tolerance to it. Im now on 2 mg 4 times a day. The max dose. I have been on this dose for around 8 years now. I saw my psychiatrist the other day and he told me he is becoming concerned because im developing major cognitive problems. Major Memory, thinking, speaking, walking, etc. and as i was responding he asked me to repeat what i said because it made no sense. I wasnt aware of it. I was looking at all of the long-term side effects and i have almost all of them. Its been hard to take care of myself, my son, my dog and even small tasks. I noticed a severe decline in 2013 of numerous things. i have never abused this medication. Ive been so upset since seeing my psychiatrist. i tried weaning off 3 years ago with His help and i failed. Its upsetting to be 37 years old and having so many difficulties because of a medication. Im at a loss. I cried all the way home after my appointment that day.

I was put on klonopin a low dose at age 17 by an old psychiatrist. I am now almost 38. I remember trying other medications and nothing worked. I was diagnosed with GAD and had horrible panic attacks and needed home tutoring for the rest of my senior year of high school. i changed drs. And over the years my dose got higher and higher i guess my body was building a tolerance to it. Im now on 2 mg 4 times a day. The max dose. I have been on this dose for around 8 years now. I saw my psychiatrist the other day and he told me he is becoming concerned because im developing major cognitive problems. Major Memory, thinking, speaking, walking, etc. and as i was responding he asked me to repeat what i said because it made no sense. I wasnt aware of it. I was looking at all of the long-term side effects and i have almost all of them. Its been hard to take care of myself, my son, my dog and even small tasks. I noticed a severe decline in 2013 of numerous things. i have never abused this medication. Ive been so upset since seeing my psychiatrist. i tried weaning off 3 years ago with His help and i failed. Its upsetting to be 37 years old and having so many difficulties because of a medication. Im at a loss. I cried all the way home after my appointment that day.

@youngsally- As I said in my earlier post I have been taking 1mg Klonopin or Clonazepam for over 20 years and for some reason without building up a tolerance. I started because of panic attacks that began robbing me of the many things that I took for granted doing on a regular basis. Whether it was driving on freeways or over bridges or flying to my favorite vacation spots, my panic attacks began to rule my life. After working with a Psychiatrist for about 6 months he introduced me to Klonopin and for me that changed everything! I love the fact that I am not aware I am on any drug and yet it seems to provide that edge that prevented me from doing the things I enjoyed. I started taking back my life one thing at a time. Even to this day there are still things that are still make me a bit uncomfortable, but as I am ready to take them on and suceed, it makes it that more easier and gives me the confidence to go for it! Often I will take a half a pill with me "just in case" but I seem to never need to take it. I think this helps again to reinforce for me I can do this. I do feel if I forget to take a pill in the morning that by early afternoon I am feeling a bit edgy like I had a double espresso, but once taking it within a 1/2 hr. I'm back to myself. I don't like that I "need" this little blue pill, but as I said in my earlier post "why fight what works for me"! Jim@thankful.

I'm new here and am have many questions and thoughts. First, my doctor put me on .5mg of generic Klonopin 3 times a day 10 years ago when I was diagnosed with cancer. I've taken the same amount all that time and it's been a real blessing. Before Klonopin, I had what my gastro called Chronic Disease PTSD. I saw a doctor of some sort 82 times in one year after the cancer dx. I often got up 100 times a night to look at an old mole or check some symptoms out of fear of health / dying. After a year on Klonopin, I was able to rationalize that 'no my lips were not purple and me dying' type thoughts were anxiety and eventually I seldom had health fears. In 2012 I had a met to my liver and had 80% removed so Stage IV Colon Cancer and no cancer for 6 1/2 years since then. I've never needed a dosage increase and once in a while will forget to take the middle of the day dose. The doctor who prescribed Klonopin was my primary (now working at a walk in clinic) and my oncologist took over and wrote the scripts for 9 years. I'll be discharged from his care in 11 months. He gave me a script for 6 months of refills and suggested I try to wean off them and see if the health anxiety returns. His suggestion was to start by skipping the .5mg in the middle of the day for 2 months, then skip another pill .5mg for 2 months and then just stop. From what I'm reading, that's not a good wean! Also, Klonopin gave me back my life and causes no side effects (I'm 68). I take no other medications for anything except a small dose of levothyroxine for my thyroid. I do not drink at all. I'm on Medicare only and see just a new primary who wanted me to use Paxil and Klonopin to wean off the K, and then wean to something else, etc. That was scary to me. I refused. Thoughts?

If Klonopin controls my severe health anxiety/ hypochondria with no increase in dosage ever needed and no side effects, is there really a need to stop taking it? @thankful

@healthfear- As my original post mentioned I've been on 1.0 mg of Klonipin for well over 18 years. I have had those conversations with my GP for years and I continue to decide "if it ain't broke, why fix it". I take it in the morning and have no side effects other than when I forget to take it till later in the day, which fells more like I missed my morning coffee. There has been much written on this topic and I wholeheartely agree that the taper needs to be spread out much further than what your Dr. is recommending. The Ashton Taper has often come up and I would recommend bring this to your Dr.'s attention. All the best to you! Be Well! Jim @thankful

@linda66 The device must be kept totally submerged in water whenever it's not in my mouth. I'll have to check with the manufacturer to see if the ingredients will harm it, as it was quite expensive. Thank you!

Thanks for info all! I also recommend we speak to God he is THE healer and i pray he gives us all the help we need weather its his intervention or he puts the right people in our path