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Tapering off clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)
Depression & Anxiety | Last Active: Mar 30, 2023 | Replies (236)Comment receiving replies
Hi Mary -- I feel for you. Keep fighting the fight. I am in a sort of similar situation and hopping on this thread to see if my Q helps...
I am a 40 year old white male with bipolar disorder trying to *desperately* wean off Clonazepam/Klonopin ("K" for short). Short version of Rx: along the way, I've taken everything from anti-depressants to anti-anxiety and ambien and trazodone.... I'm now down to 1.5mg of K per day, and that is down from 6mg back a couple years ago. Apart from vitamin supplements (C, A, D3, E, Theanine...), I am not on any other Rx.
Help needed: I am trying to wean off K under guidance of a therapist and Pysch MD. I am down from 6mg-8mg years ago to 1mg-1.5mg per day now. I find it helps to keep a BALANCED amoutn in system. I have tried to reduce over time, but it is very, very , very hard. Like crawling out of skin. I can go to 1mg per day, but I have a wife and kids and a job (for now) that I need to semi-function in. When I have tried to stop cold turkey, after 24 hours, I am a basket case. Of course, *everyone* says you can never stop cold turkey, and they are right. K is a poisoinous drug for many reasons.
Any thoughts appreciated on how to wean off, slowly... nothing seems to work.... other than keeping steady amount. Having a hard time dropping below 1.5 mg on a regular basis. I know it has a long half life, etc.... . Prefer herbal or other supplements. Thoughts?
@mmussak I know it feels impossible. If you can stick to a strict schedule, it CAN work. I know I write this, but easier said than done for me and everyone addicted to K. My goal is:
1.50mg daily for three weeks
1.25mg for three weeks
1.00 for three weeks
and so on
Some would say do a slower taper, so that is possible. There is some discomfort and irratibility involved (who are we kidding-- it is like haveing crawling skin on fire). Thoughts?
Replies to "Hi Mary -- I feel for you. Keep fighting the fight. I am in a sort..."
Hello @happy_ira
First, welcome and please let me congratulate you on your amazing progress in tapering off K. You have made a huge reduction already, so a big congrats to you.👏🎊🎉
I am currently on 1.09mg daily and have a very difficult time cutting. I try to reduce in .0045mg cuts per week and it is extremely difficult. I have been on K for 12 years at very low dosage(@.75mg daily) My dr had me up dose after my first failure of a taper.
I am doing a micro taper using a simple syrup suspension compounded by a compounding pharmacist. So I am able to make very small reductions each week when I can tolerate them. I try to weekly but can’t always swing it. Depends on how sick I am (nausea, magraine headache, etc) and how bad my pain level is. When I start having chest pain I know it’s time to back off and hold a bit.
Have you read the Ashton Manuel? Are you and your dr at all framiliar with the side effects caused by vitamin supplements during the taper process? Google it, if you are not framiliar with this school of thought. Vitamin D made me very, very sick, I was literally in bed for 3 days. The supplements might possibly be adding to your misery and making things more difficult. I have developed sensitivity to many foods and supplements. As Mary mentioned in her post, the micro taper is easiest for some people and I’m one of those. I wish I could cut more but my body has a different agenda and so I am going very slow. Your .25mg cuts every 3 weeks are very big cuts.
Best regards
Ann
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I have tried that way and ended up in hospital with severe chest pains .. couldn't breathe right and hence they kept me for two days cuz it was effecting my heart...my gut was in a knot and couldn't digest any food...my body was shutting down....went back to my .5 x 3 times a day and within a few days everything went away....so let me ask u ...do they have u micro tapering??? That is the smartest ways I have heard and am slowly doing my mid day dose that way...like a 1/4 of pill every 50 days....but I am feeling hard effects already do ti dr taking me off 25 immediately in one day...