Klonopin taper - any suggestions?

Hello Hazel, I too have been on Clonazepam for a long time due to anxiety, panic attacks, and PTSD. I too was abused horribly as a child and I still have the nightmares. It's been 16 years since I've been on Klonopin. I also suffer from severe depression and I'm 53 and going through menopause, have chronic pain in my neck and lumbar, chronic migraines, and now developed severe Restless leg Syndrome. I'm a mess right now, and am on a lot of medication. I think the Klonopin is making my depression worse, and my Psychiatrist wants to lower the dose to 1mg but hasn't because he knows that I'm going through a divorce, so I decided to just go ahead and lower down to 1mg. I do have extra Klonopin from when he used to give me 4mgs and I sometimes use them for when I get a migraine and I need to take Excedrin migraine and I usually will take 2 mg Klonopin with that. It makes me really nervous and a previous Doctor had told me that Klonopin works well with the Excedrin migraine. I felt like you do at one time. I felt like I should just stay on the Klonopin because after all, it is an anxiety medication and I have really bad anxiety, but I read that it causes dementia and memory loss and that's when I got worried and thought about detoxing. I don't think I can at this moment though unless I do it extremely slow, but I don't believe my Doctor would be willing to help me go really slow. Can I ask how long have you been taking it?

I'm so sorry. I know how awful Klonopin withdrawal can be and it's worse when you have been taking it for a long time. I've been on Klonopin for 16 years 2mg and my Doctor wants me to go down to 1mg but hasn't dropped me because he knows that I'm going through a divorce, so I cut back to 1mg awhile back. He has dropped me from 4mg down to 3mg on one visit, then down to 2mg on another visit because he found out I was on pain Management and didn't even consider detoxing me, but see I was really only taking 2mg anyway. I just occasionally used the extra 2mg when I needed to take Excedrin migraine. I want to taper slowly off Klonopin like some of these people do with their Doctors calling smaller doses into compound pharmacies, but I know my Doctor won't do that. I'm afraid. I was taking it for anxiety and panic disorder. I'm 53 and going through menopause and now developed restless leg Syndrome, so now is not a good time for me, but eventually I will have to go through with it.

Klonopin is used for seizures among other problems and you tapered way too fast. I stopped Lorazepam Cold Turkey and after 4 days I almost had a psychotic break, I was in terrible shape. He put me on 4 drugs including .5 MG of Klonopin. I stayed on .5 for months, .25 in AM and .25 in PM. two months later I dropped my PM to .125, weeks later I tried to stop .125 in the PM and was extremely jittery so I went back on the .125 in PM. One month later I dropped .125 and was fine. My last dose of Klonopin was the day before yesterday and it was 1/8MG. 2 weeks each reduction. I would have gone back to 1/8MG if I had any problems because I was fine when I dropped to 1/8MG. Only you now the taper. your Dr. guides you but you are the only one who decides if you can go down more. It is imperative you go slowly. You really MUST FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP YOU. You cannot go on like this, you will start to have other problems created by what is happening to you now.

You can break the pills down yourself, won't be exact but in the scheme of things the importance is to taper down and slowly. I was going to go to a Compounding Pharmacy but decided to have my Psychiatrist give lower doses down to the lowest of .125MG and then I just cut that in 1/2, then cut that half in half etc. Should you feel the least bit worse or anxious stay on the higher dose 2 more weeks. You can do this!

I'm so sorry that you had to suffer so much. I know you said it was a fast detox and he cut you back .5mg every 3 weeks. Can I ask how many weeks in total was it that it took? I'm not very good at math. Sorry.
Evie

Laurie, how many weeks did you taper down and when you got to half of .125 mg of Klonopin did you cut that in quarters and stop at the last quarter of the .125mg? I'm not good at math so I don't know what that strength would be.

@lindasmith1222
Marijuana is illegal on federal land in California too. A dispensary opened here called Cookies. I thought they sold cookies.
The feds can close them down anytime they want but most likely
won't because of the tax revenue.
Jake

Been on Ambien 5-10 mg for several years. Anyone find a good alternative that is just as effective with no morning side effects?

Google Benzoinfo.com, You will be amazed how knowledgeable you will become about Clonazepam. Laurine

I can't believe your Doctor won't help you go slowly. That is the NUMBER ONE ADVICE from anything you will read about tapering off any Benzodiazepines, must go slowly to prevent a terrible WITHDRAWAL. Research Benzoinfo.com. You need to take control and find another Doctor. I cannot believe everything you are going through. At 53 you can't wait much longer as the older you are the worse it is when you taper. I saw a video this morning from someone whose Doctor told her to stop taking the Lorazepam now. I don't think I need to tell you what bad nice that was, the person on the other end of the Video told her she will end up in the Emergency if she does that. Very very dangerous not to taper slowly. Laurine