Starting Klonopin Taper, Scared of the Horror Stories

Posted by njp1013 @njp1013, Jan 26, 2020

Hi all- I am expecting to get a plan from my psychiatrist to begin tapering down .5mg of klonopin 2x daily that I have been on for 4 months (I have been taking buspar for a month and hope to use that as my anxiety med, also am on 225 mg effexor daily), the stories on the internet about doing this are horrifying and right now i feel like the prospect of doing this is the #1 cause of my anxiety, feel like I’m getting ready for surgery or something. Has anyone gone thru this process and found it manageable? I need to hear it’s possible. Thanks.

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Stay far far away from the internet. Go very slowly, listen to your body and your doctor. Take as long as you need to taper. Hope your doc is flexible and not putting you on a rigid schedule.

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@njp1013 I tapered from 1.5 mg a day I was taking for many years. It was no problem for me. I just kept saying to myself that if the doctor wanted me off then it was possible and I could do it. Keep us posted, and I am believe you will make it. I found that antidessants help with the anxiety.

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Thank you @sears and @johnhans i really want to be able to do this. I feel like the fear of this lurking as something i still have to do has been impeding my full recovery. It would boost my self confidence so much if I was able to get past it.

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@johnhans

@njp1013 I tapered from 1.5 mg a day I was taking for many years. It was no problem for me. I just kept saying to myself that if the doctor wanted me off then it was possible and I could do it. Keep us posted, and I am believe you will make it. I found that antidessants help with the anxiety.

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Which anti depressant do you use?

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@sears

Which anti depressant do you use?

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Effexor and also started buspar a month ago to augment

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@njp1013

Thank you @sears and @johnhans i really want to be able to do this. I feel like the fear of this lurking as something i still have to do has been impeding my full recovery. It would boost my self confidence so much if I was able to get past it.

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It is scary! But you’re not alone! And it can be done! A slow taper is the key. If it takes you two years then it takes two years! So what!

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Thank you, I’m looking forward to starting my own experience, rather than having to read what is on the internet the vast majority of which make me question why anyone would prescribe this or want to attempt to get off once on, I appreciate it is not easy but I find all the info out there to be scaremongering from rehab centers or people with a vested interest in scaring you. Nothing practical or helpful or encouraging.

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Please keep in touch. I’m going through what you’re going through. I’m scared to death. Reading the stuff on the internet about killed me. My doctor who prescribed my Xanax for 25 years abandoned me when I expressed my desire to start tapering. Long story! It was very difficult to find a new doctor that wanted to get involved, would take a 67 year old patient or who were taking new patients. My GP was of no help at all. Drove me to the brink. I’m still traumatized by what these doctors put me through. My new doctor has assured me that he will do a very slow taper. I’m still not stable enough to start the taper. Started an anti depressant, still on Xanax. I am so mad and distraught over the way I was treated by my doctors. I don’t think I’ll ever get over it. I now trust no one in the medical community.

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Yes I will update on how I am doing, so sorry to hear about what you are going through. The world of psych meds is very frustrating! You get better care for a broken foot than a broken brain. Ridiculous.

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Hi all..just wanted to update, I’m on day 8 having gone from 1 mg to .75 and things have been thankfully very uneventful. 2 more days then I reduce to .5, fingers crossed this is not a video game where the levels get progressively harder, we will see...

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