What is the best way to taper off Klonopin?

Posted by kittymama @kittymama, Apr 7, 2019

Can anyone tell me the best way to taper off Klonopin? I feel it does nothing for my anxiety

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@jakedduck1

@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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These doctors love to prescribe theses antipsychotics off label for anxiety and sleep. I’m so sick of these doctors and their prescription pads!

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@janeee

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.

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Medicine is science. It is also art. Much is easily quantifiable and exacting. The fact that physicians are treating humans who have their individual unique systems introduce the qualitative portion of treatment protocol. Clonazepam has been a part of my life for 30 years without negative incident. It has been a fairly recent bridge taking me off Trintellix and converting to Prozac. I have a good psychiatrist, concerned and experienced. I understand, as does he, that there are no absolutes in the management of problems of patients. Give the doctor some grace, or find someone else who can help you. I am genuinely uncomfortable with the multiple self directed “tapering” discussions posted. See a professional, preferably a psychiatrist who understands the issues and the medications.

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@elwooodsdad

Medicine is science. It is also art. Much is easily quantifiable and exacting. The fact that physicians are treating humans who have their individual unique systems introduce the qualitative portion of treatment protocol. Clonazepam has been a part of my life for 30 years without negative incident. It has been a fairly recent bridge taking me off Trintellix and converting to Prozac. I have a good psychiatrist, concerned and experienced. I understand, as does he, that there are no absolutes in the management of problems of patients. Give the doctor some grace, or find someone else who can help you. I am genuinely uncomfortable with the multiple self directed “tapering” discussions posted. See a professional, preferably a psychiatrist who understands the issues and the medications.

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How fortunate for you to have no negative response to clonazepam in 30 years, and also fortunate to have a good, concerned, experienced psychiatrist. You obviously have no need of any advice from other laypersons. Again, how fortunate for you. The fact that you think that psychiatrists in general have a good grasp on benzodiazepines, their effects, and withdrawal would make me laugh if it weren’t so painfully and patently false.

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@janeee

How fortunate for you to have no negative response to clonazepam in 30 years, and also fortunate to have a good, concerned, experienced psychiatrist. You obviously have no need of any advice from other laypersons. Again, how fortunate for you. The fact that you think that psychiatrists in general have a good grasp on benzodiazepines, their effects, and withdrawal would make me laugh if it weren’t so painfully and patently false.

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elllwoooodsdad’s doctor is one in a million. Very fortunate indeed! If all these doctors knew what they were doing there would be no need for these forums. Very sad patients have to resort to these forums and ask virtual strangers for help.

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@janeee

How fortunate for you to have no negative response to clonazepam in 30 years, and also fortunate to have a good, concerned, experienced psychiatrist. You obviously have no need of any advice from other laypersons. Again, how fortunate for you. The fact that you think that psychiatrists in general have a good grasp on benzodiazepines, their effects, and withdrawal would make me laugh if it weren’t so painfully and patently false.

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You’re clonazapam will turn on you one of these days. Took over 25 years for me. Just a friendly “beware”. Doctors don’t tell us these things . This was not meant for you Janee. It was meant for elwoooods dad.

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How does one delete a comment?

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@sears

You’re clonazapam will turn on you one of these days. Took over 25 years for me. Just a friendly “beware”. Doctors don’t tell us these things . This was not meant for you Janee. It was meant for elwoooods dad.

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No worries - I figured. 😉

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@janeee
Have you ever considered going to a neurologist instead of a psychiatrist. Some Neurologists specialize in Psychiatry and Neurology. I believe a neurologist would be a good choice because Klonopin was developed as an anti-seizure medication and it’s primarily prescribed by Neurologists for that purpose. If you have a primary care doctor you might also ask them about tapering off. Just because a doctor is a specialist doesn’t always mean they’re the best choice. I went to a neurologist and I knew something was off so I asked for a seizure level blood test but he refused so I went to my primary care doctor and she gave me the lab slip but I ended up having a seizure while driving home because my level was so low.
it’s a shame that doctors don’t pay more attention to their patients and their needs.
Take care,
Jake

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Hello, I’m new to this and I just want to say thank you!! I thought I was alone in all this. Yea have been taking 1mg for almost 10 years. I ended up in the hospital because of certain thought and they “tapered” me off in 3 days and then sent me home on a Monday. That Thursday I had a seizure while driving. And just been going downhill from there. It wasn’t until May 4th that my regular doctor put me back on it but at 5mg. I had been going through with drawls.

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@lrowel22
Abrupt withdrawal from Klonopin can cause seizures. I guess I don’t have to tell you that. Did your doctors tell you that your seizure was caused from an abrupt withdrawal or tell you what caused the seizure? Not that there guess would be much better than ours. Was a Neurologist or a hospitalist responsible for the
irresponsible taper?
Was this your first seizure? Did your doctor tell you why s/he wants you to take Klonopin? I definitely would not take a Benzodiazepine as a first line drug to control seizures. You mentioned you were hospitalized because of “certain thoughts”. Were those thoughts suicidal thoughts by chance. It could be helpful to others if you could share more detailed information.
Take care,
Jake

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