Getting off Klonopin (clonazepam)

I am tapering off Clonazepam. I had been on Clonazepam 1mg for over five years taking it nightly for sleep. I tapered to .75 MG for 15 days and then 3-weeks at .5 MG. Tonight I start at .25 MG and will stay at that level for 3-weeks. I am under a doctor's supervision and have had NO side effects. My doctor has advised that tonight I can also take Gabapentin 100mg which should help with sleep. I'm having second thoughts about adding the Gabapentin .... especially on my FIRST night at .25 MG. I am in my eighties and I have read that there could be serious problems with that combination. Any advice would be appreciated.

Ive been on 1mg of Clonazepam for about 8 to 10 years. I moved from my home state 4 years ago and ive had i couple of different drs where i moved that would continue my treatment plan but both Dr's have left the practices and its just getting hard to keep changing and finding a Dr who will prescribe it. Ive been on the same dosage since i can remember but now i feel like i should just come off of it instead of worrying whether im going to find a Dr who will continue with the treatment. Im just afraid i wont taper right or ill have extreme withdrawal and the thought of seizures is terrifying - ive never abused it - i have only ever taken what a Dr told me to take for anxiety and panic which has never been over 1mg. How should i taper?

My physician designed a safe protocol for tapering over a 3 mo period. It is not easy but I was determined. I chew 2 Magnesium Bisglycinate gummies from SPNutrition 30 min before bed. I now can sleep. Hang in there and get professional guidance. It's all worth it.
PS. I chose to come off Clonazepam because I knew my body was dependent on it. Best thing I could have done.

Hi Chris thank you dearly for your response. See if I can answer your questions as I go along as well as remembering them.
Yes I’m doing this on my own but with my primaries careful watch. This medication is the last one of my regimen. The past 3 years a lot was thrown at me. 2 diagnosis that were hard to swallow. Melanoma skin cancer and Multiple Sclerosis. MS is still on the fence but now they are thinking something worse. I was doing well on the MS meds and anti seizure medications, so I thought. Last year I was in relapse after relapse. Getting steroids infused a lot. It just happened that I kept missing days of the Klonapin or whatever the name is due to not being able to drive myself to the pharmacy. My kids were both at school and husband on the road which left me alone. After going through horrible side effects that was it, I needed off this medication. I had help from my primary and neurologist. Neurologist was against me coming off it but I didn’t care. Once I started lowering it, 2mg to 1.1/2 I was feeling less leg pain. I know this may sound funny but once I got down to 1-0.5mg, my moods, memory were so much better. I didn’t feel like I was in this strange bubble. I was actually thinking clearly too. My leg pain was better. My family started noticing my moods were calmer and I was happier. I felt like myself again. Bc we were lowering really fast I started noticing I couldn’t breathe, chest pains. Never felt like this in my life. After going to the ER, pulmonary doctor, cardiologist etc., no heart or lung issues, I was told I was Experiencing a full blown panic attack. I’ve never ever experienced a panic attack before and now that they have stopped (the medication) I was told this was due to side effects coming off this. That my body was addicted to this medication. Not my head, my body. 😳 I was baffled let alone furious. My own stupidity really. I did a lot of research about this medication and went right back to the original doctor who prescribed this and why. I’m still shocked about what I found. So I took it upon myself and lowered this with a lot of trial and error. I’m now on 4 days completely off it. Praying daily that I keep doing well. I did find out that I will need a good 6 weeks of being off this completely before I feel 100 percent and back to normal. So my plans going forward is to keep myself calm, stress free, away from extreme heat or anything that could trigger a MS relapse. Staying home and away from others that could effect my immune system. Listening to my body and eating healthy. Reaching out to people such as this site for help. I’ve always been to proud to ask for help but I’m finding that this, me cannot do this alone. I truly hope that I can help someone else when I get this behind me. Tysm Chris. Let me see if I answered all your questions.
What I’ve also noticed coming off this medication....
Panic attacks - increased
Hard too breathe, chest heaviness, jumpy, insomnia.
Was told to struggle through this that it was temporary.
No other medications were prescribed too help with this side effects.
Which is probably why it’s taken 1 year so far coming off 2mg’s.

@bholmstrom44
I was on clonazepam 7 months - I know 2-4 weeks is ideal. I am senditive to alot of meds - my dr had me on 3 different antidepressants in these 7 months. Did a genesight test where the swab your cheek and found Vilazodone was in green. Was on Ativan, Buspar and clonazepam to bridge the vilazodone. On 40. Had me on Zoloft then Prozac but never increased it in 10 weeks so I as not therapeutic.

I started on .5 Clonazepam then tapered to .25 then .125.

Been off 4 weeks but even only on 7 months am having body vibrations. I lnow I was on low dose but every one reacts differently.

Dr. says it is anxiety - I don’t agree and think my body still reacting / maybe rebound anxiety.

Dr tried to increase vilazodone from 40 mg to 60 mg but that sedated me way too much. 40 mg is recomnended highest degree dose.

Not feeling the best and maybe need to change antidepressant.

Clonazepam scared me and hope my body will readjust soon.

Any suggestions ? I see some folks been on clonazepam for years.

Thankful for this group !