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Tapering off clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)
Hi my name is Mary and I am a first time user of ever using a discussion blog online but have felt in my heart I need some advice and help with an issue I am having. My dr I have seen for many years moved out of state and referred me to another phychiatrist within his office. At the time of his moving away he had me weaning off clorazapam slowly and doing it as slow to not make it not so difficult as you all know , and I was doing well at it until I was having extreme chest pain and they put me in the hospital for 2 days to check to make sure it wasn't my heart, with all this happening I knew it was the weaning off the meds that was causing it so i went back up in dosage and it all went away again, and I was almost off it...My old dr started me on this med 27 years ago and I had no idea what it was but my body anxiety was shutting down my body and it helped it all go away so i didnt question it, well not until I went to school for nursing did I find out what it was all about. He put me on .5 mg three times a day and that stayed that way for 27 years not knowing what It does later in years, so I asked my dr to help me with the weaning off it, so our weaning process was as follows: Take .5 in a.m. ,25 afternoon and ,5 evening dose for 2 weeks then cut morning dose to .25 afternoon to .25 and evening .5 for 2 weeks then finally .25 three times a day for 6 weeks and then starting the last of the wean at this point the same as we did the first .25 till i was off. My new dr went from .50 3 times daily to .25 two times a day starting right away to get off it, that is over 1.0 mg a day off it all in one day and forward , I am already sad and crying because I dont know what to do, I have been there and I know how hard it was just to get off the way my old dr did slowly.....anyone out there that can help me with what to do I am so scared and I don't think she knows how extremely hard it is to get off this stupid stuff or that I really do want to do it, but please make it as painless as possible if there is such a thing with these meds. At 56 I didnt think I would have to go through menapause and this hell(sorry about the word but so true) all at once...at times I think it would be easier to just get cancer or something and die. Sorry but its true if you have been there you will understand. PLease help me!!!
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We switched from duloxetine about October to trintillix, but we are having a talk this afternoon. I have begun to take the trintillix right before bed, and I find the side effects have been minimized nearly completely. Trintillix has a long half life, so perhaps letting it ruminate while I sleep (and now I can) is a better way to go. My prior practice was to take it first thing in the morning.
So sorry to hear....do u take antidepressants with it?? I have bad anxiety that leads to depression so have always been on both meds ...remember anything can make your thyroid problems and other issues.. .nothing can say its caused by the meds...that's a drs guess so please dont put harshness on yourself for taking it...I'm sorry u had such a bad reaction to it...
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2 ReactionsHi jim... hope u had a great holiday season...just wanted to let u know I see my dr on 10th and am going to say what you have said...pray she will understand it!!! A bit nervous what she will say
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3 ReactionsI am switching from Trintillix to Prozac with the assistance of Clonazepam. Worst time of my life. I understand why people throw up their hands and quit trying. Insomnia, flu like symptoms, having to over-subscribe to companion drugs just to get by. Suicidal ideation is frightening and sometimes appealing, but not an option for me. I have a good psychiatrist, and a wife who is my greatest gift. This experience cannot be described in words. It just has to be endured, like any other torture. I am miserable, but know in my soul that there is light at the end of this very dark tunnel...
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2 ReactionsHi, Jim is right. Living your best life is the goal of any treatment. If you read the studies done on benzos and dementia you will find that at this time, they don't have any concrete evidence that they cause dementia. There is no direct link because there is a missing piece about the question of whether people started on the benzos later in life because they were already in the beginning stages of dementia. For example, ten years ago my mom started having anxiety issues at age 73. Her doctor put her on xanax .25 3 times a day. This is a very low dose and she usually only took it twice a day. In hindsight, the anxiety was being caused by the onset of dementia/alzheimers and the xanax was added to combat those symptoms. At age 73, the xanax did not cause the dementia. The studies they are currently referring too are having the same difficulty...what came first the chicken or the egg? In the future, they may prove that there is a connection to some of these medications ie: benzos, statins, beta blockers, but for now there is a lot of speculation. I hope you ultimately live your best life in this moment. I have been taking Klonopin for about 15 years 1 mg at bedtime. It has really helped and I too have occasionally tried a slow wean thinking that being off of them is better for me. I always end up back on my 1 mg and am comfortable there, no side effect and no panic attacks at night.
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5 ReactionsI have been on Effexor 150mg for anxiety for about 16 years and Klonopin (.5 - .75 mg) for sleep for about the same amount of time. I have stuck with .5 for last month, adding 6 mg of Melatonin about 4/week. My psychiatrist has recommended tapering klonopin by adding more melatonin (he recommended 10 mg of melatonin) I want to get off klonopin as I have a history of a minor stroke at 47 with no known cuase and have a family history of dementia.
Anyone else using klonopin for sleep or using melatonin to assist with tapering?
I am 53 now. Tend to get panicky with insomnia due to 4 year battle with it post partum (pre-klonopin)
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1 ReactionI totally agree with what comes first the chicken or the egg theory....living quality life I have decided at 56 is more important than going through the horrible withdrawals along with menapause so i see my dr on 10th of this month and am going to explain that to her....there mission is to make our life livable with this mental illness not to make us suffer for THEY want u off of it...I was prescribed this over 27 years ago and didnt ask for it but it along with anti depressants have given me my life back for over 30 years....why change something that has worked for so many years.. ty all for ur responses on this feed now I can only hope I can make her u understand!!! Happy new year to all of u
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3 ReactionsYes if you need the medication and the doctor is not wanting you off of the meds, then staying on is best. I weaned off of Klonopin because my need no longer existed and my doctor wanted me to.
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1 ReactionNo my dr wants me off after 27 years...not me its working just fine I dont understand why she feels the need to change it.. I want to stay as is
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1 ReactionI switched from prozac to trintellix fir yo prozac was way to stimulating for me with my anxiety even with taking clorazapam with it ....I wish u the best for finding the right meds is such a big part of the battle...bless your heart that u see the blessings in your life to struggle through...it does get better and life gets better...I believe people with mental illness are the strongest people for what they fight and struggle through!!!
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