@janeee
My opinion would be that your going from bad to worse if you switch to an Anti-psychotic.
I wouldn’t take an Anti-psychotic medication. Did the klonopin ever help when you didn’t have these symptoms? Does your doctor say why your experiencing these symptoms? I would think he would want to get to the cause before he’d switch the medication. Do you think the issue your taking this med for is getting worse?
Jake
@janeee
My opinion would be that your going from bad to worse if you switch to an Anti-psychotic.
I wouldn’t take an Anti-psychotic medication. Did the klonopin ever help when you didn’t have these symptoms? Does your doctor say why your experiencing these symptoms? I would think he would want to get to the cause before he’d switch the medication. Do you think the issue your taking this med for is getting worse?
Jake
I was originally prescribed klonopin in March 2016 for a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder - I was experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts, depersonalization, dissociation, and major anxiety. The klonopin was very helpful then, but I never felt like the GAD diagnosis was correct. After embarking on an eight-month odyssey of multiple therapies to deal with my “psychological and emotional issues”, my acupuncturist encouraged me to go back to my doctor for more tests, as my condition was not improving (you know things are bad when your Eastern medicine practitioner sends you back to your Western medicine practitioner). As it turned out, I had severe anemia. The hematologist I saw said I was “toast”. I asked her if anemia would explain my psychiatric symptoms; she said, “um, yeah - you weren’t getting oxygen to your brain!” One month of iron supplementation later all morning symptoms were gone… but my psychiatrist never believed the anemia could cause my symptoms (and that his diagnosis was inaccurate), and kept e on the klonopin. Here I am, six years later, withdrawing, and he is s calling it a “re-emergence of my condition”. He doesn’t believe tat klonopin withdrawal can cause tremors, spasms, and jerking of limbs. I feel like gifting him a copy of the Ashton Manual, for crying out loud; these symptoms are textbook. I just need to know whether I should be taking more/less/a different manufacturer/a different benzo (Valium) to taper. Thanks for listening.
I was originally prescribed klonopin in March 2016 for a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder - I was experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts, depersonalization, dissociation, and major anxiety. The klonopin was very helpful then, but I never felt like the GAD diagnosis was correct. After embarking on an eight-month odyssey of multiple therapies to deal with my “psychological and emotional issues”, my acupuncturist encouraged me to go back to my doctor for more tests, as my condition was not improving (you know things are bad when your Eastern medicine practitioner sends you back to your Western medicine practitioner). As it turned out, I had severe anemia. The hematologist I saw said I was “toast”. I asked her if anemia would explain my psychiatric symptoms; she said, “um, yeah - you weren’t getting oxygen to your brain!” One month of iron supplementation later all morning symptoms were gone… but my psychiatrist never believed the anemia could cause my symptoms (and that his diagnosis was inaccurate), and kept e on the klonopin. Here I am, six years later, withdrawing, and he is s calling it a “re-emergence of my condition”. He doesn’t believe tat klonopin withdrawal can cause tremors, spasms, and jerking of limbs. I feel like gifting him a copy of the Ashton Manual, for crying out loud; these symptoms are textbook. I just need to know whether I should be taking more/less/a different manufacturer/a different benzo (Valium) to taper. Thanks for listening.
Yes. It’s called tolerance withdrawal. The body develops tolerance to the prescribed dose, such that the dose needs to be raised in order to achieve the initial therapeutic effect; if the dose is not raised, the body goes into withdrawal.
I may be the devil's advocate here, but I was sent this discussion by my Dad as an encouragement.
I have been prescribed Clonazepam for 20 years for an anxiety disorder. I was taking 1 mg in the morning a 1 mg as needed.
I started seeing a new mental health professional, who explained to me that it was too late and I would be on a benzo for life. She wanted to start me on xanax xr instead because she said what I was taking was not working any longer. I completely agreed with this.
I read an article on the internet and was reassured that the extended release xanax would not cause me any withdrawal from the Clonazepam.
I went through the process without tapering on April 7th 2022 and I feel like I know what is was like being in a Chinese torture chamber.
I was literally paralyzed with fear from day 5 to day 8, when I was told in the late morning of April 14th, to go back on the Clonazepam. I almost hyperventilate when I heard from her to go back, I basically went through all of that I went through for nothing.
My advice wear a heart monitoring device like a fitbit, its not quite as sophisticated as what you would find at a cardiologist office, but I knew things were wrong when I saw that my heart rate had been 130 to 149 while I was laying on my couch for 3 days.
I should have called it quits on day 5.
I may be the devil's advocate here, but I was sent this discussion by my Dad as an encouragement.
I have been prescribed Clonazepam for 20 years for an anxiety disorder. I was taking 1 mg in the morning a 1 mg as needed.
I started seeing a new mental health professional, who explained to me that it was too late and I would be on a benzo for life. She wanted to start me on xanax xr instead because she said what I was taking was not working any longer. I completely agreed with this.
I read an article on the internet and was reassured that the extended release xanax would not cause me any withdrawal from the Clonazepam.
I went through the process without tapering on April 7th 2022 and I feel like I know what is was like being in a Chinese torture chamber.
I was literally paralyzed with fear from day 5 to day 8, when I was told in the late morning of April 14th, to go back on the Clonazepam. I almost hyperventilate when I heard from her to go back, I basically went through all of that I went through for nothing.
My advice wear a heart monitoring device like a fitbit, its not quite as sophisticated as what you would find at a cardiologist office, but I knew things were wrong when I saw that my heart rate had been 130 to 149 while I was laying on my couch for 3 days.
I should have called it quits on day 5.
Hello @ashley2002 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. What you went through must've been so scary and awful. I am sorry that you had to experience that.
Thank you for sharing your experience with other members in order to illustrate that the right thing for one person may not be the right thing for another. Hearing from someone with a different experience is always refreshing!
Can you share a bit more about what your mental health professional shared with you when she recommended you return to your original Rx? How did it go for you after you resumed?
I know. I wish it were easy to find a psychiatrist who was easy to work with and actually listened. I’ve been with this psychiatrist for 20 years. He’s very smart, but he’s older and recalcitrant — his ego is taking a hit on this, which he can’t deal with. It’s not easy to find someone new and skilled. I know he will work with me on the taper, but I will have to endure his constant assertions that I’m suffering from a falsely diagnosed disorder he believes I have. Im not sure yet whether I can tolerate that. Sigh.
I may be the devil's advocate here, but I was sent this discussion by my Dad as an encouragement.
I have been prescribed Clonazepam for 20 years for an anxiety disorder. I was taking 1 mg in the morning a 1 mg as needed.
I started seeing a new mental health professional, who explained to me that it was too late and I would be on a benzo for life. She wanted to start me on xanax xr instead because she said what I was taking was not working any longer. I completely agreed with this.
I read an article on the internet and was reassured that the extended release xanax would not cause me any withdrawal from the Clonazepam.
I went through the process without tapering on April 7th 2022 and I feel like I know what is was like being in a Chinese torture chamber.
I was literally paralyzed with fear from day 5 to day 8, when I was told in the late morning of April 14th, to go back on the Clonazepam. I almost hyperventilate when I heard from her to go back, I basically went through all of that I went through for nothing.
My advice wear a heart monitoring device like a fitbit, its not quite as sophisticated as what you would find at a cardiologist office, but I knew things were wrong when I saw that my heart rate had been 130 to 149 while I was laying on my couch for 3 days.
I should have called it quits on day 5.
I’m so sorry you went through that! How scary! I’ve read that Xanax xr is extremely powerful. I would seek a second opinion about the need to ‘be on benzos for life.’ You weren’t/aren’t taking a huge amount of clonazepam. I know you’ve been taking it for a long time, and it sounds like, we’re you to taper off it, you would need a lot of support and some other modalities (e.g. CBT, DBT, EMDR) to equip you to deal with your anxiety disorder. I am in similar straits, and I appreciate your having weighed in as devil’s advocate. Again, so sorry you went through that. Hope you are feeling some peace today.
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@janeee
My opinion would be that your going from bad to worse if you switch to an Anti-psychotic.
I wouldn’t take an Anti-psychotic medication. Did the klonopin ever help when you didn’t have these symptoms? Does your doctor say why your experiencing these symptoms? I would think he would want to get to the cause before he’d switch the medication. Do you think the issue your taking this med for is getting worse?
Jake
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2 ReactionsI was originally prescribed klonopin in March 2016 for a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder - I was experiencing unwanted intrusive thoughts, depersonalization, dissociation, and major anxiety. The klonopin was very helpful then, but I never felt like the GAD diagnosis was correct. After embarking on an eight-month odyssey of multiple therapies to deal with my “psychological and emotional issues”, my acupuncturist encouraged me to go back to my doctor for more tests, as my condition was not improving (you know things are bad when your Eastern medicine practitioner sends you back to your Western medicine practitioner). As it turned out, I had severe anemia. The hematologist I saw said I was “toast”. I asked her if anemia would explain my psychiatric symptoms; she said, “um, yeah - you weren’t getting oxygen to your brain!” One month of iron supplementation later all morning symptoms were gone… but my psychiatrist never believed the anemia could cause my symptoms (and that his diagnosis was inaccurate), and kept e on the klonopin. Here I am, six years later, withdrawing, and he is s calling it a “re-emergence of my condition”. He doesn’t believe tat klonopin withdrawal can cause tremors, spasms, and jerking of limbs. I feel like gifting him a copy of the Ashton Manual, for crying out loud; these symptoms are textbook. I just need to know whether I should be taking more/less/a different manufacturer/a different benzo (Valium) to taper. Thanks for listening.
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2 Reactions‘All my symptoms’ not ‘all morning symptoms’ 🙄
@janeee
Are withdrawl symptoms possible if not tapering?
Jake
Yes. It’s called tolerance withdrawal. The body develops tolerance to the prescribed dose, such that the dose needs to be raised in order to achieve the initial therapeutic effect; if the dose is not raised, the body goes into withdrawal.
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3 Reactions@janeee
I’d be changing doctors if I were you.
Jake
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3 ReactionsI may be the devil's advocate here, but I was sent this discussion by my Dad as an encouragement.
I have been prescribed Clonazepam for 20 years for an anxiety disorder. I was taking 1 mg in the morning a 1 mg as needed.
I started seeing a new mental health professional, who explained to me that it was too late and I would be on a benzo for life. She wanted to start me on xanax xr instead because she said what I was taking was not working any longer. I completely agreed with this.
I read an article on the internet and was reassured that the extended release xanax would not cause me any withdrawal from the Clonazepam.
I went through the process without tapering on April 7th 2022 and I feel like I know what is was like being in a Chinese torture chamber.
I was literally paralyzed with fear from day 5 to day 8, when I was told in the late morning of April 14th, to go back on the Clonazepam. I almost hyperventilate when I heard from her to go back, I basically went through all of that I went through for nothing.
My advice wear a heart monitoring device like a fitbit, its not quite as sophisticated as what you would find at a cardiologist office, but I knew things were wrong when I saw that my heart rate had been 130 to 149 while I was laying on my couch for 3 days.
I should have called it quits on day 5.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsHello @ashley2002 and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. What you went through must've been so scary and awful. I am sorry that you had to experience that.
Thank you for sharing your experience with other members in order to illustrate that the right thing for one person may not be the right thing for another. Hearing from someone with a different experience is always refreshing!
Can you share a bit more about what your mental health professional shared with you when she recommended you return to your original Rx? How did it go for you after you resumed?
I know. I wish it were easy to find a psychiatrist who was easy to work with and actually listened. I’ve been with this psychiatrist for 20 years. He’s very smart, but he’s older and recalcitrant — his ego is taking a hit on this, which he can’t deal with. It’s not easy to find someone new and skilled. I know he will work with me on the taper, but I will have to endure his constant assertions that I’m suffering from a falsely diagnosed disorder he believes I have. Im not sure yet whether I can tolerate that. Sigh.
I’m so sorry you went through that! How scary! I’ve read that Xanax xr is extremely powerful. I would seek a second opinion about the need to ‘be on benzos for life.’ You weren’t/aren’t taking a huge amount of clonazepam. I know you’ve been taking it for a long time, and it sounds like, we’re you to taper off it, you would need a lot of support and some other modalities (e.g. CBT, DBT, EMDR) to equip you to deal with your anxiety disorder. I am in similar straits, and I appreciate your having weighed in as devil’s advocate. Again, so sorry you went through that. Hope you are feeling some peace today.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions