1. < Depression & Anxiety

Tapering off clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)

Posted by mmussak @mmussak, Dec 19, 2018

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!!!

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Depression & Anxiety Support Group.

mmussak | @mmussak | Feb 5, 2019
In reply to @happy_ira "Hi Mary -- I feel for you. Keep fighting the fight. I am in a sort..." + (show)
@happy_ira

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?

Jump to this post

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...

REPLY
1 reply
pankaj | @pankaj | Feb 6, 2019
In reply to @mmussak "Ty for the article...I will be bringing it to my new psychiatrist...let's pray she is more..." + (show)
@mmussak

Ty for the article...I will be bringing it to my new psychiatrist...let's pray she is more sympathetic as u say and can see I dont abuse these drugs...never changed my dose for 27 years...unfortunately my dr I saw for 7 years moved out of state somewhere and my dr I saw for 20 years has retired.. i will keep praying!!

Jump to this post

@mmussak: I am not sure if taking the article to your new doctor will help...doctors usually don't like to be told what to do. Some of them might even take offence at being shown literature. Gentle persuasion might work better, including the withdrawal effects that you are experiencing. Good luck.

REPLY
annfsd | @annfsd | Feb 6, 2019
In reply to @happy_ira "Hi Mary -- I feel for you. Keep fighting the fight. I am in a sort..." + (show)
@happy_ira

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?

Jump to this post

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

REPLY
1 reply
happy_ira | @happy_ira | Feb 6, 2019
In reply to @annfsd "Hello @happy_ira First, welcome and please let me congratulate you on your amazing progress in tapering..." + (show)
@annfsd

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

Jump to this post

@annfsd @mmussak

The micro tapering methods and Ashton method (yes, I've read that) are all easier said than done. The fact is, K is very very addictive in its own right, when coupled with genetics, length of time on the medication, each person's unique make-up etc.... there is no "one size fits all".

I have micro-tapered before, and yes 0.25mg every three weeks feels HUGE as we all know the half life and so on. It does lead to irritability, some semi-suicidal thoughts alll amidst real external pressures (job, family, etc).

In the end, the few times I have tried, I buckled and went back to 1.5mg. I chalked it up as an EXCUSE on jobm, family etc.... however, as my therapist would say "cart before horse". I need to get off the med. Anyone on here trying same knows how really really really hard it is.

There *never* seems to be a good time, but I believe that had I gotten off this years ago, IU would be in a better place now. My PLAN is to taper at that schedule. Easier said than done. But this time, unlike past years, I am committed becuase it has ruined enough of my life.

REPLY
1 reply
annfsd | @annfsd | Feb 6, 2019
In reply to @happy_ira "@annfsd @mmussak The micro tapering methods and Ashton method (yes, I've read that) are all easier..." + (show)
@happy_ira

@annfsd @mmussak

The micro tapering methods and Ashton method (yes, I've read that) are all easier said than done. The fact is, K is very very addictive in its own right, when coupled with genetics, length of time on the medication, each person's unique make-up etc.... there is no "one size fits all".

I have micro-tapered before, and yes 0.25mg every three weeks feels HUGE as we all know the half life and so on. It does lead to irritability, some semi-suicidal thoughts alll amidst real external pressures (job, family, etc).

In the end, the few times I have tried, I buckled and went back to 1.5mg. I chalked it up as an EXCUSE on jobm, family etc.... however, as my therapist would say "cart before horse". I need to get off the med. Anyone on here trying same knows how really really really hard it is.

There *never* seems to be a good time, but I believe that had I gotten off this years ago, IU would be in a better place now. My PLAN is to taper at that schedule. Easier said than done. But this time, unlike past years, I am committed becuase it has ruined enough of my life.

Jump to this post

@happy_ira
You mentioned that a slower taper was possible in your original post. So that was why I commented and mentioned the liquid suspension taper. Certainly I didn’t mean to make you defensive, my apologies. You have set your course and sound determined to follow it. If that’s a given, then I wish you strength and nothing but success. Please let us know how it goes.
Best,
Ann

REPLY
happy_ira | @happy_ira | Feb 6, 2019

Hi all,

I have heard (as others) that some supplements that many of us take *may* make it harder to wean off/taper off Klonpin ("K"). Below is a list of supplements I take on a semi-regular basis. Curious if anything jumps out at anyone as a potential flag to avoid. Please reply and help me and others. Thank you.

My Rx and Supplments (which I actually take to REDUCE my anxiety, but maybe not having desired effect?)
- Clonzapem 1.5mg throughout the day (usually 0.5mg x 3).; down from 6mg a few years ago
- Lutein softgel
- VItamin A + D3 combo softgel
- Colace (stool softener when I dont always eat greens)
- Calcium tablet
- Multivitamin (One a Day; OTC)
- Ginkgo Biloba
- Collagen
- Saw Palmetto
- Probiotics (I am Gluten Free, and have had GI issues in the past, so I monitor this carefully)
- L-Theanine
- B complex
- Vitamin C (1000mg per day)
- K2
- VItamin E
- Ashwagandha
- Turmeric

I take the above in tablet/capsule/softgel form throughout the day. I WAS taking fewer but recently added Ashwagandha and Turmeric ands K2. The Collagen is purely aesthetic/vanity. 🙂

Thoughts?

REPLY
1 reply
Moderator
Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Feb 6, 2019
In reply to @happy_ira "Hi all, I have heard (as others) that some supplements that many of us take *may*..." + (show)
@happy_ira

Hi all,

I have heard (as others) that some supplements that many of us take *may* make it harder to wean off/taper off Klonpin ("K"). Below is a list of supplements I take on a semi-regular basis. Curious if anything jumps out at anyone as a potential flag to avoid. Please reply and help me and others. Thank you.

My Rx and Supplments (which I actually take to REDUCE my anxiety, but maybe not having desired effect?)
- Clonzapem 1.5mg throughout the day (usually 0.5mg x 3).; down from 6mg a few years ago
- Lutein softgel
- VItamin A + D3 combo softgel
- Colace (stool softener when I dont always eat greens)
- Calcium tablet
- Multivitamin (One a Day; OTC)
- Ginkgo Biloba
- Collagen
- Saw Palmetto
- Probiotics (I am Gluten Free, and have had GI issues in the past, so I monitor this carefully)
- L-Theanine
- B complex
- Vitamin C (1000mg per day)
- K2
- VItamin E
- Ashwagandha
- Turmeric

I take the above in tablet/capsule/softgel form throughout the day. I WAS taking fewer but recently added Ashwagandha and Turmeric ands K2. The Collagen is purely aesthetic/vanity. 🙂

Thoughts?

Jump to this post

Hi, @happy_ira - I wanted to let you know I moved your post on supplements and tapering off clonazepam here into this discussion you've posted in previously called "Tapering Off Clonazepam." I did this as there are many members here talking about this subject I thought you might like to talk with - like @mmussak @annfsd @thankful @pankaj @bvgrammy @gettingbetter75 and others - about whether supplements taken may make tapering off clonazepam harder.

Ultimately, this is a pharmacist or physician question about the impact of any supplement or prescription medication on tapering off clonazepam. Has your doctor or pharmacist weighed in on this? If so, what did they say?

REPLY
pigletpmd | @pigletpmd | Feb 6, 2019

I also take .5 three times a day. I would be horrified to be taken off quickly. Have you talked to your new doctor about how your old doctor was weaning you. I know it must be so hard to start over with a new psychiatrist.

REPLY
num1boxer1919 | @num1boxer1919 | Feb 7, 2019

I just want to say I'm praying for everyone on here that's going through benzo withdrawal.. I have just 1 question? Let me know if anyone has had this experience, can a person have withdrawal symptoms from just staying on a regular prescribed dose & not coming off of it?? I take 1mg at night & .5 in the morning.. & I'm having extremely bad sleep problems, headaches, nausea & agitation but i haven't even came off of any of it.. Just wondering if anyone has went through this or heard of this happening.. I really appreciate any feadback.. Thanks so much..

REPLY
1 reply
happy_ira | @happy_ira | Feb 7, 2019

@num1boxer1919 Yes.

Without getting into the science (so we can speak as plainpeeps), I have long understood that as we take Benzos, our minds get rewired and dependent on it (getting off the Benzos help us rewire back to initial state).... as such, if one is take 1mg daily, after an amount of time (different for each person), the brain gets used to the 1mg and needs MORE for same effect, so people up accordingly.... this is a vicious event as you up and up and up, it gets harder to wean off and off and off.... so, you MIGHT be experiencing that effect. Have you tried tapering down slowly, as hellish as we all know it might be?

Personally, I still struggle from a root bipolar disorder and clinical panic and generalized anxiety disorder, sadly, that I battle daily. 🙁 I am on supplements (vitamins etc , though looking into which ones might be having an adverse effect--see my posting a few posts above). I take 1.6mg of Klonopion daily and it feels im possible to get off this. I was once at 6mg daily. Then 3mg dailty for a year. Then 2mg daily for a year. Now at 1.5mg and it feel impossibly hard to get down to 1mg where I feel "normal" daily. Absolutely living hell if I do not take 1.5mg regulary, as we know the long half-life and withdrawal implications,.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.