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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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@clonazepamxxx
This was also quite informative, also a very comprehensive explanation broken down in less than 10min:
I wish I had known about CBD when my symptoms first emerged in my early 20's however it simply wasn't "a thing" back then. When I think about, the internet was in its infancy back then and I don't believe the extraction and cultivation practices were known to isolate CBD at the time.
I should add that I do sometimes add a little THC (Indica or Sativa) depending on my needs at the time.
Regardless, this is where I am now and this plant is going to get me through this taper!!
Hope this useful to some and all the best to ALL with getting off these powerful benzos!!
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1 ReactionHi
Someone mentioned Fumazenil for GABA receptor up regulating. I have done some research online about this. The Coleman Institute does a initial rapid benzo detox with Fumazenil and it sounds promising. They are the only treatment program I can find here in the US that does this type of treatment, they have been around since 1989. You can go online and visit their website, they have 2 treatment locations here in the US. It is an 8 day outpatient program and seems to have a high rate of success. There can be some protracted withdrawal symptoms but from what I’ve read nothing debilitating. The clinical treatment costs approximately 8,725.00 Does not include travel costs, hotel and meals. You must have a family member or care person with you 24hours a day to keep an eye on you. From what I’ve read there are no follow up treatments after, they get you to the point of being benzo free and then you follow thru with your psychiatrist and drs from there. You must commit to having a psychiatrist and therapist for continued support after detox. Those requirements sound pretty non negotiable. They do have a company that finances the detox treatment, but I don’t know anything more about that end of it. Yes, I have called and talked with them.
Mary
How are you doing?? Prayers being sent your way.
Sending thoughts of peace and strength.
Ann
@annfsd
No way would I do that. That isn’t the purpose of that drug. Are you abusing Benzos? My personal opinion is that if you slowly decrease your dose you can get off Clonazepam with NO! withdrawals. I was on almost the max dose and it took time to get off but what’s the hurry. Did you ever wonder why no other detox center offers this treatment? You need to give it a good think!!! I don’t know what your dose is but your brain isn’t going to stabilize in a weeks time.
Health and happiness,
Jake
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1 ReactionI agree @jakedduck1, @annfsd. With everything I've read and watch regarding a slow taper, this sounds pretty risky mostly for your mental health but also your wallet. I would pass.
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2 ReactionsI'm taking a day at a time ann....its tough fir my fiance doesnt understand it so alot of tension between us right now which makes it worse...so important to have understanding people to help u through it....I want to run away and be by myself so I dont have to deal with both ..but a day at a time is all i can do..ty an for ur prayers i so need them right now.. this second half has not been good at all!!!!
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1 ReactionMary you are definitely in my prayers. I understand about needing supportive people surrounding you. My husband and I don’t live never any family except our son. Both my son and husband work full time. So I’m alone a lot, I have found that it’s hard to b around friends. Most know what I am going thru but r at a loss as to how to help. Personally I do just want to be alone most of the time. Laying on the bed seems to be my best comfort zone. Getting out and walking our dogs feels good when I’m not terribly nauseous but it’s been a really cold winter here in Arkansas and Im frozen to the bone this winter.
My cut this month was only .0350mg. Very small, I’m going to try for a bigger cut in a week but I’ll be puking my brains out I know it. My dr thinks I am experiencing benzo toxicity, which means I get sick when I take a dose and feel better after it wears off and if I cut a dose I get extremely sick. Cutting a dose by .0048mg shouldn’t really make much difference but I experience nausea, vomiting, migraine headache, temporary eyesight changes, burning in my gut, muscle weakness, no appetite for several weeks. Then I rest a week with no cuts then I start it all again. Very slow going, at this rate it will take me 4 years to get off my current dose of 1.09 mg daily. I get zero benefit from taking Klonopin, sick if I take it, sicker when I don’t. The only upside for me is that I don’t have any cravings to take my doses. I do get a headache if I put it off too long, like by a couple hours.
I have to force myself to eat and forget about cooking or going to a grocery store. My sense of smell has gone nuts and I want to put a clothespin on my nose. Plus I can’t drive when I take my meds, I’m taking .17mg in the morning and also in the late afternoon. I feel totally looped on that small amount and I can’t drive for 3-4 hours. Weird fact- the smaller the dose the more doped I feel. It just stinks No matter what!!
My husband has had to do a lot of research to understand what’s going on. He has read the Ashton Manuel as well, he gets that it’s awful and I have it pretty bad in comparison to some others. But he is only human and he does get frustrated with the situation. He likes to eat and I don’t anymore. That can make for some serious tension to say the least. I’m lucky I’m not working bc I’d probably b fired.
Are you taking supplements or vitamins? I know from experience that they can make your withdrawal symptoms much worse. Vitamin D, B, especially bc they excite yur CNS. Also sugar, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate can make it worse and absolutely no artificial sweeteners. I even have issues taking a probiotic, I take one but only every other day or two days. I went from 124lbs to 111lbs in 3 months. I gained most of that back by taking a break during November & December.
I pretty much live on water, Martnellis organic apple juice deluted with water, eggs, 2%milk, bananas, applesauce, Progresso chicken noodle soup, cottage cheese, cooked carrots, green veggies when I can tolerate them, pasta, lean roast beef, special K cereal and boost drinks. I do sip on a little coke sometimes, it seems to settle my stomach.
Elixanol CBD oil helps tremendously with anxiety which wasn’t a problem until I started this taper 7 months ago. In 7 months I’ve cut .285mg, doesn’t seem like much but it’s been a horrible struggle and completely turned our lives upside down.
So sorry for the crazy long post. Please be careful, rest, drink water. Praying for you girl....
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1 Reaction@jakedduck1 Sounds like you may have lost someone meaningful in your life because of mind altering substances.
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3 ReactionsHi Jake,
I’m guessing you must have experienced a very easy and mild withdrawal. Oh how I envy you! How long were you on Klonopin and what was your dosage? How long did you take to taper off it? We are all different and what may work for one person might not for another. But good advice is always appreciated.! We are all so different in our experiences with this poison.
To answer your question, NO I have never abused benzodiazepines. I took what was prescribed by my then doctor (who is no longer my current dr). Never more.
Please share your experience with benzo withdrawal, I would appreciate any new advice you can bring to light with regards to your own taper experience. My current dose is 1.09mg, due to benzo toxicity and my sensitivity at my current taper rate I’ll b done in 4 years, maybe a bit longer. My dr is a bit concerned about my reactions to the benzo and we are both afraid to change to a different one that might b easier to taper off of bc there is no telling how I may react. Also my health is in a decline now and cognitively I may be a veg in 4 years. I am now being treated by UAMS med professor with 10 years of experience treating drug dependency and abuse. She has some experience with the use of Fumazinel in drug dependency withdrawal.
Best regards,
Ann
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2 Reactions@jakedduck1
I appreciate your adding, "My personal opinion is that if..." As we have discussed many times, Jake, everyone is different in how they react to meds as well as to their withdrawal. When a person is having a problem with withdrawal and/or change of dosage, it is important to not think that what worked for you will necessarily work for everyone. We certainly cannot dictate how a person's body will react.
When we share our experiences it is important to remember that these are just our experiences and we cannot assume that they are correct for others. Therefore, it is important that we not dictate how others should feel or react.
Does this make sense to you, Jake?
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4 Reactions