Tapering off clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)

@num1boxer1919
What you are describing sounds a bit like tolerance withdrawal. Please google benzodiazepine tolerance withdrawl symptoms. You might find a link to a publication called the Ashton Manuel, if so click on it. The AM does a pretty good job of explaining things. Bottom line is you need to get with your dr or psychiatrist and talk about what’s going on. If you are in a place in your life where you can consider tapering off the benzos safely and slowly then I would if I were you. You might find that you feel way better off the benzo than on it. I don’t know the reason you are on it, but taking a higher dose may only help for awhile, then you may have symptoms again. Go online and really do some research, but go talk to your dr for sure. Read the Ashton Manuel...
FYI: if your pill is generic and has recently been changed to a different brand of generic that too can cause symptoms such as you describe, generics do vary as to manufacture. I have only recently learned that lesson.
Hope this helps!
Best wishes

Okay I just read all your posts and yes you def sound like yur body is in WD. You need a dr who is educated in benzo WD. Here’s one suggestion call your local compounding pharmacy (call as many in your area as you can) and ask the compounding pharmacist if they can recommend a dr that has experience in tapering patients off benzos. Who have they worked/compounded for in that capacity. That info is golden!

ps : Stay positive! You will figure this out with help from the right dr. Do some research and ask the pharmacists for advice!!!

Thanks u so much for your answers I appreciate it so much... & I've been trying for years to try to find a doctor to explain this to me & figure out a way to get off of them but they always want to prescribe me more & i tell them if you do that i will just get use to that higher dose just like in the past so they just get angry I don't understand.. It ain't my fault they put me on that stuff I had no clue what that medication was about I was pretty much still at kid & had no idea if it woulda kept working I wouldn't even be having this conversation lol but it didnt & I woulda never gotten on it in the first place if I knew it woulda put me in this spot.. My main question is tho will my natural sleep drive come back after I get off the meds because before I started I never had any sleeping problems what so ever & now I'm so tired but I cant get sleepy to actually fall & stay asleep without the medications but like i said the meds arent even doing that now they just barley work now.. & omg trying to come off of them feels literally impossible if I wasn't having so much sleep difficulties it probably wouldn't be so bad but like I said the sleep issues is basically my main issue.. I just wanna be able to sleep good again.. Are there any specialist that specialize in withdrawals & knowing what is actually going on in the brain besides psychiatrist.. Because like I said I dont know if my psychiatrist just doesn't know what's going on or if she just wants to put me on more meds but like you said its only going to work for a little while & I'll be right back in this same shape I'm in now.. But if I do have a mental illness I would definitely want it treated.. That's why I'm so frustrated because it's making me feel like I have a mental illness when I dont believe I have one I'm just a normal person that can't sleep because of an issue.. Yes I agree I had mild anxiety at the beginning but all these sleepless nights have been torcher with all those symptoms on top of it, it's rough.. Just want to know what to do & where to go to get help.. Because it's physically kiling me.. Thanks again so much for your reply..

Hello,
I’m so sorry you are in this position and feel so lost. The thing you must know as you move forward to resolve your health issues is that you must act as your own best advocate. You are worried you have a mental health problem, and we are not health practitioners so we can’t enlighten you there. A doctor of psychiatry must do that. However, you are on multiple psychotropic meds and everyone reacts differently so it is very possible that these psychotropic drugs in combination are causing your to experience symptoms that mimic mental health issues. That’s a very real possibility and if you start researching you will read over and over about others who are on multiple meds and are weaning off them one by one and gradually feeling better.
As for sleep, from what I have read in my researching, it will return gradually over time as your brain heals from the benzos and other meds. I am currently on 1.09mg of clonazepam and no other psychotropic drugs. I have been on this benzo for 12 years. It has wreaked my sleep. I take 10 mg of time released melatonin( Naturol brand) plus 2mg of melatonin drops (KAL brand) and 30mg of (Elixinol brand) CBD oil with my doctors approval. I am usually able to sleep 6 to 7 hours, sometimes well, sometimes not. I think brands are important and I research them. You should talk to your dr before you add anything to what you are taking.
If you are taking vitamins and supplements you should google their use during benzo withdrawal as they might be making your symptoms worse: Google gabergenic supplements and do some research, you might be surprised by what works against you. If you drink alcohol, it most likely is working against you. I was a casual/social drinker and figured out it depressed me as I tapered. I do not drink alcohol now under any circumstance. Look at your diet too.
Again, ask pharmacists if they know of any drs working to SLOWLY taper patients off benzos. Tell them your history and tell them you want off the drugs. They know who is good/successful with their patients. They witness drug treatment everyday. It doesn’t hurt to ask and costs you nothing but time and effort.
If you want to reclaim your health it can happen but you will have to develop a suuport network. Psychiatrist, therapist, primary care physician all working for you in your corner, supporting your recovery and you will need to address “the issue” you mentioned, that is preventing your ability to sleep. I’m a 54 year old woman who started dealing with the issues at 42, it took awhile and it was not easy, but in the end it helped and I let go of a lot of stuff dragging me down. Now I just have to get off the benzo (slowly)!
Best
Ann

@num1boxer1919
Hi again,
Have you considered seeing a sleep specialist, perhaps a sleep study would be beneficial. Also, why do you find it necessary to take anxiety medicine?
”Life isn't always a bowl of cherries, sometimes it's the pits.” You have to learn to cope with whatever disappointments, stress, heartache, tragedy etc comes your way. There are knowledgable trained professionals who can help you if necessar.
Back to sleep, (You wish) I obviously didn’t know why your having these issues but maybe these tips might help.
No tv, music, cell phone or computer use on in bedroom.
Sleep in a cool room preferably with some fresh air.
Get plenty of light during the day to help your body efficiently use Melatonin.
No caffeine at least 4hrs before bed.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every night/morning.
Don’t nap
If you decide to take a Melatonin supplement be cautious, less is best. Start out with half a milligram and increase. Have you tried an otc sleep aid?
Wishing you the best,
Jake

@annfsd
Hello Ann,
If you ever find a doctor trained in Benzo withdrawal please let us know, Anyone looking for a knowledgeable person in the Benzo field will be looking long and hard I’m afraid.
Jake

Jake,
Do you live in the state of Arkansas?? I have a very good dr who is well educated in benzo tapering and withdrawl. She practiced at the University of Arkansas School of Medical Science In their chemical and drug dependency clinic for 10 years. She is now in private practice. Let me know if you live in state. Not sure she treats patients long distance or from out of state.
Ann

@annfsd
Wow Ann, the search is over. No I live in California. I don't need a benzo doc. Took care of that problem years ago. Nice to know someone is around who can help.
Take care,
Jake

Hi, all. I’m late to the conversation and new to the site. I was recently in a psych hospital for about 5 days due to meds not working with me. They “tapered” me off of Klonipin, added some meds, took some away. And by that I mean that within 3 days I was tapered off klonopin from .75 mg 2 times a day to .5mg 2 times to .5 for 1 day. They took away the drugs causing the issues (pristiq and Latuda) and I wasn’t taking them more than 2 weeks at MOST. There was no weaning of Latuda. Only cymbalta. And they added Abilify 5mg.

So to make this make sense...
They took my Klonopin down from .75 twice a day to: tues and Wednesday .5 twice, Thursday .5 once and Friday none.
They took me off of Latuda cold turkey after taking it for about 2 weeks (I think?).
They weaned me off of Pristiq.
They put me on 5mg of Abilify.
They gave me Visteril for anxiety and insomnia.

So my question is, is it normal to feel absolutely awful and anxiety ridden? I feel like my site is delayed, my anxiety is worse than it’s ever been (obsessed with if I’m medically okay, shaking, can’t sleep, mind racing, tingling, head feels like a band is on it, etc). And I’m out of it. Is this withdrawal from weaning too quickly?

Danielle