@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
I started taking klonopin for anxiety. But back in April I guess it stopped working because I have been taking it for so long. I was prescribed it from my Mitral Valve Prolapse doctor originally. She and my internal meds doc were both able to do my refills. Been taking it for years until I started having issues last month. Moody, depressed, sleeping a lot. Not wanting to do anything. I thought I was under a lot of stress. I started having suicidal thoughts and was admitted into the hospital. A psychiatrist tapered me off in the hospital. For years I took 1mg. They gave me .75 for 2 days and then .5 for 1 day and that was it. All the while giving me 25mg of Zoloft for 2 days then the 3rd day 50 mg. I went home on a Monday with a prescription for Zoloft. I took it Monday night and immediately got sick. Couldn’t hold anything down. That Thursday I was headed to a doctor appointment but never made it. I remember being at a light and put my car in park and woke up in the ER. All my tests came back fine so I went home but that Saturday I ended up passing out at the house. My heart rate was bottoming out. So by the time I went to the doctor I felt like I was about to fall over. Couldn’t even brush my teeth without the room spinning. Stomach pains, shakes, hot/cold flashes, the shakes, you name it I had it.
My doc told me that 3 days wasn’t enough time to take me off the klonopin and that I probably had a seizure from stopping the way I did. She put me back on it at .5mg until I go to my psychiatrist. I just want to be off the meds for good if this is what I have to go though. Apparently I built up a tolerance for it and it was like I was going through withdrawals before I went to the hospital if that makes any sense
I have been on 2 mg for as long as I can remember, I’m a retired hair stylist, I was sick in January 22 for 6 weeks with bowl problems , I was just extremely tired , when I went to my primary i suggested I stop taking clonazepam , and they jump and reacted with don’t , I was bewildered so I googled it , oh my I took 1/12 mg to date it’s been 7 weeks , saw them again and told me to go to 1 mg because the night before again I was so tired I just took 1 from what I read that is to fast, so 1 /14 now , I feel like he is dismissive of my concerns, I have read the struggles gives me panic attacks , I’m self pay and won’t be on Medicare until February which at that time I’ll have to switch , this office dose not take it , I really don’t know what to do
I am a US citizen living in the Philippines. Been here for 3 years. I am dependent on Klonopin at about 1 mg a day. In the Philippines, this drug only comes in 2mg tablets. I talked with my doctor about getting off the drug. I am currently splitting the 2mg pill into 1/4's which is 1/2 mg. I seem to be doing ok on 1/2 mg a day. My pill cutter won't allow me to cut any further, so my doctor said I will have to chop the 1/2 mg into a powder and take half the powder daily as my next reduction. I doubt this will be an exact 1/4 mg. My goal is to get to .125 mg and hopefully be off the drug. I am thinking about returning to the US for a few months to get as many 1/2 mg tablets as I can get that I can cut. This is all going to be a hassle and expensive. Any advice or words of encouragement?
I am a US citizen living in the Philippines. Been here for 3 years. I am dependent on Klonopin at about 1 mg a day. In the Philippines, this drug only comes in 2mg tablets. I talked with my doctor about getting off the drug. I am currently splitting the 2mg pill into 1/4's which is 1/2 mg. I seem to be doing ok on 1/2 mg a day. My pill cutter won't allow me to cut any further, so my doctor said I will have to chop the 1/2 mg into a powder and take half the powder daily as my next reduction. I doubt this will be an exact 1/4 mg. My goal is to get to .125 mg and hopefully be off the drug. I am thinking about returning to the US for a few months to get as many 1/2 mg tablets as I can get that I can cut. This is all going to be a hassle and expensive. Any advice or words of encouragement?
I think @kermit2021 has a great suggestion that might be something worthwhile checking out. Here are a couple compounding pharmacies located in the Phillipines but I'm sure there are more and hopefully one close to where you are:
-- American Compounding Pharmacy, Inc.,
Address: MGA Arcade, A. C. Cortes Ave, Mandaue City, 6014 Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 268 8278
-- Sweet Treat Pharmacy & Compounding Lab - https://sweettreatpharmacy.com/
Address: Centuria Medical Makati, Century City, Kalayaan Ave. cor, 1210 Salamanca, Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 2 8362 1235
I am a US citizen living in the Philippines. Been here for 3 years. I am dependent on Klonopin at about 1 mg a day. In the Philippines, this drug only comes in 2mg tablets. I talked with my doctor about getting off the drug. I am currently splitting the 2mg pill into 1/4's which is 1/2 mg. I seem to be doing ok on 1/2 mg a day. My pill cutter won't allow me to cut any further, so my doctor said I will have to chop the 1/2 mg into a powder and take half the powder daily as my next reduction. I doubt this will be an exact 1/4 mg. My goal is to get to .125 mg and hopefully be off the drug. I am thinking about returning to the US for a few months to get as many 1/2 mg tablets as I can get that I can cut. This is all going to be a hassle and expensive. Any advice or words of encouragement?
@johnfeldman
I agree, A computing pharmacy is by far your best option. Although compounded medications aren't always covered by insurance while some have certain restrictions or some cover them in full. I have read that occasionally doctors refuse to write prescriptions for compounding.
How long is your doctor advising you to wait between dosage cuts?
Many people use the
5-10% method.
I took 18mg and tapered with no problem although at the end I started to have mild withdrawal symptoms so I chipped off tiny pieces
that quickly resolved the issue. You initial cut is usually well tolerated but as your dosage decreases withdrawal symptoms are likely to increase. I decreased my dosage once a month and my taper took 2 years or a little more. Remember SLOW wins the taper game.
You may be successful taking your doctors advice but if withdrawal symptoms appear I'd increase the dose until those symptoms go away then restart your taper more slowly.
Best of luck to you,
Jake
Looking for insight on quitting Klonopin. It's the weekend and I can't reach my dr. I have been taking Klonopin a couple times a week - .25 mg for about 7 months. Very low dose. I am wondering if I can just stop. It has four days now since I have taken a pill and I am noticing withdrawal symptoms. The most intense is my insides feel like they are on fire. It comes in waves. Wondering if I should just work through this or if I should have tapered to an even lower dose for a while.
I have chronic imbalance issues.
My neuro put me on a “low dose” of
,25 to ,5 mgs at bedtime. I did this for almost 7 months. I asked if I would have a dependence problem and was told no
He told me to go off to try cymbalta
I was never so sick in my life. Cold turkey
I am back on klonopin but still feel like I cant walk extra dizzy shaking rapid heart beats. He told me to cut it in half in two weeks
I don’t trust this. I need a slow taper from .25. Please help. Thank you so much I can not function
Looking for insight on quitting Klonopin. It's the weekend and I can't reach my dr. I have been taking Klonopin a couple times a week - .25 mg for about 7 months. Very low dose. I am wondering if I can just stop. It has four days now since I have taken a pill and I am noticing withdrawal symptoms. The most intense is my insides feel like they are on fire. It comes in waves. Wondering if I should just work through this or if I should have tapered to an even lower dose for a while.
Hi @giav23 and welcome to Connect! I am sorry to hear that your doctor just took you off the medication without tapering. That must have felt terrible.
I wanted to let you know that I moved your post to a recent discussion where several members are discussing tapering off of Klonopin.
- Getting off of Klonopin https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/getting-off-of-klonopin/?pg=3#comment-731140
Did you ask him/her if you could taper so you don't get the same withdrawal symptoms?
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I started taking klonopin for anxiety. But back in April I guess it stopped working because I have been taking it for so long. I was prescribed it from my Mitral Valve Prolapse doctor originally. She and my internal meds doc were both able to do my refills. Been taking it for years until I started having issues last month. Moody, depressed, sleeping a lot. Not wanting to do anything. I thought I was under a lot of stress. I started having suicidal thoughts and was admitted into the hospital. A psychiatrist tapered me off in the hospital. For years I took 1mg. They gave me .75 for 2 days and then .5 for 1 day and that was it. All the while giving me 25mg of Zoloft for 2 days then the 3rd day 50 mg. I went home on a Monday with a prescription for Zoloft. I took it Monday night and immediately got sick. Couldn’t hold anything down. That Thursday I was headed to a doctor appointment but never made it. I remember being at a light and put my car in park and woke up in the ER. All my tests came back fine so I went home but that Saturday I ended up passing out at the house. My heart rate was bottoming out. So by the time I went to the doctor I felt like I was about to fall over. Couldn’t even brush my teeth without the room spinning. Stomach pains, shakes, hot/cold flashes, the shakes, you name it I had it.
My doc told me that 3 days wasn’t enough time to take me off the klonopin and that I probably had a seizure from stopping the way I did. She put me back on it at .5mg until I go to my psychiatrist. I just want to be off the meds for good if this is what I have to go though. Apparently I built up a tolerance for it and it was like I was going through withdrawals before I went to the hospital if that makes any sense
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsI have been on 2 mg for as long as I can remember, I’m a retired hair stylist, I was sick in January 22 for 6 weeks with bowl problems , I was just extremely tired , when I went to my primary i suggested I stop taking clonazepam , and they jump and reacted with don’t , I was bewildered so I googled it , oh my I took 1/12 mg to date it’s been 7 weeks , saw them again and told me to go to 1 mg because the night before again I was so tired I just took 1 from what I read that is to fast, so 1 /14 now , I feel like he is dismissive of my concerns, I have read the struggles gives me panic attacks , I’m self pay and won’t be on Medicare until February which at that time I’ll have to switch , this office dose not take it , I really don’t know what to do
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionHi @tmwin and welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I am sorry to hear you are having issue with the medication. Have you sought out a second opinion yet?
I am a US citizen living in the Philippines. Been here for 3 years. I am dependent on Klonopin at about 1 mg a day. In the Philippines, this drug only comes in 2mg tablets. I talked with my doctor about getting off the drug. I am currently splitting the 2mg pill into 1/4's which is 1/2 mg. I seem to be doing ok on 1/2 mg a day. My pill cutter won't allow me to cut any further, so my doctor said I will have to chop the 1/2 mg into a powder and take half the powder daily as my next reduction. I doubt this will be an exact 1/4 mg. My goal is to get to .125 mg and hopefully be off the drug. I am thinking about returning to the US for a few months to get as many 1/2 mg tablets as I can get that I can cut. This is all going to be a hassle and expensive. Any advice or words of encouragement?
Can you find a compounding pharmacy? Maybe they can help to make up a much smaller dose in more uniform amounts? Good luck
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsI think @kermit2021 has a great suggestion that might be something worthwhile checking out. Here are a couple compounding pharmacies located in the Phillipines but I'm sure there are more and hopefully one close to where you are:
-- American Compounding Pharmacy, Inc.,
Address: MGA Arcade, A. C. Cortes Ave, Mandaue City, 6014 Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 268 8278
-- Sweet Treat Pharmacy & Compounding Lab - https://sweettreatpharmacy.com/
Address: Centuria Medical Makati, Century City, Kalayaan Ave. cor, 1210 Salamanca, Poblacion, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 2 8362 1235
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsIn the US, you can get clonazepam in .125 mg. foil packets. Have the doc prescribe it in that dose. Hope this helps.
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Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@johnfeldman
I agree, A computing pharmacy is by far your best option. Although compounded medications aren't always covered by insurance while some have certain restrictions or some cover them in full. I have read that occasionally doctors refuse to write prescriptions for compounding.
How long is your doctor advising you to wait between dosage cuts?
Many people use the
5-10% method.
I took 18mg and tapered with no problem although at the end I started to have mild withdrawal symptoms so I chipped off tiny pieces
that quickly resolved the issue. You initial cut is usually well tolerated but as your dosage decreases withdrawal symptoms are likely to increase. I decreased my dosage once a month and my taper took 2 years or a little more. Remember SLOW wins the taper game.
You may be successful taking your doctors advice but if withdrawal symptoms appear I'd increase the dose until those symptoms go away then restart your taper more slowly.
Best of luck to you,
Jake
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI have chronic imbalance issues.
My neuro put me on a “low dose” of
,25 to ,5 mgs at bedtime. I did this for almost 7 months. I asked if I would have a dependence problem and was told no
He told me to go off to try cymbalta
I was never so sick in my life. Cold turkey
I am back on klonopin but still feel like I cant walk extra dizzy shaking rapid heart beats. He told me to cut it in half in two weeks
I don’t trust this. I need a slow taper from .25. Please help. Thank you so much I can not function
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionHi @giav23 and welcome to Connect! I am sorry to hear that your doctor just took you off the medication without tapering. That must have felt terrible.
I wanted to let you know that I moved your post to a recent discussion where several members are discussing tapering off of Klonopin.
- Getting off of Klonopin
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/getting-off-of-klonopin/?pg=3#comment-731140
Did you ask him/her if you could taper so you don't get the same withdrawal symptoms?