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Replies to "No, the panic attacks came first, that is why I am on klonpin@"
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Apr 2, 2023 | Replies (547)
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Replies to "No, the panic attacks came first, that is why I am on klonpin@"
Hi @imabamagal - Just to give you my quick background with Klonopin: I too was prescribed for anxiety/panic disorder. For 10 years, I was taking .05mg twice a day. I've been tapering off of it for about the past 8-9 months. I have cut to 0.0635mg and will be tapering to 0.03125 soon.
I briefly touched on this before - for those prescribed Klonopin for anxiety/panic, it's tricky to recognize if it's the taper causing panic attacks or the disorder that was the root of being put on it in the first place (or maybe a combo of both). Even the fact of knowing you are getting off the drug that many depend on to control something scary can be enough to cause panic attacks.
Paying attention, or keeping a journal, of the trends of these panic attacks may help in understanding this a bit more. Are they occurring during the days following a cut? Are they consistent within the weeks or months of adjusting to a cut. Now I don't want to influence you too much on reasoning, but the fact you've been on it for 25 years should most likely be handled with a very, very slow taper. As Lisa asked, what is your advised schedule and how long have you been tapering? Are you doing this under medical care? What was your starting dose before tapering?
Thanks - Chris