My clonazepam story: More regulation seems to be coming

Posted by jackt @jackt, Dec 10, 2019

Serious auto accident 18 years ago. Operated on for a double subdural hematoma. Started experiencing extreme myoclonus a few months later. Put on clonazepam 1 mg/day to control it. C worked very well. Never had to increase dose. Still on 1 mg/day today and very happy with the results. No myoclonus.

Physician I have been with these last 18 years now is starting to increase visits. When all this started it was once every 6 months, then a few years ago increased to once every 4 months, then 3 months, now a year later he just told me he has to do it every 2 months. I can see the writing on the wall. Pretty soon it will be once every month. It's grueling to go to an appointment, usually takes 2.5 hours to get through the whole thing just for a 10 minute "What's new?" friendly chat and then the prescription. It's private pay so this is going to cost quite a bit if I have to do once a month, not to mention the 20 minute drive and $10 parking.

Long story short, hopefully. I'm very happy with the status quo. I have no side effects. Haven't had any to increase the dose. I'm 69 and what's my life expectancy, 8 years?? I'd be very happy to just stay on the C until I die of natural causes presumably around 78 according to life expectancy actuarials. It's the DEA that's upsetting the applecart with this witch hunt they're starting on benzos after having decimated hundreds of thousands of CPP's lives with their opiate crackdown by intimating doctors with prison and loss of their license. My pharmacist suggested my doctor is probably trying to ease me out his door to get rid of me. I tend to agree. But going to a new doctor is going to be very difficult with the climate against benzos now. Channel 4 Evening News is already labeling benzos, "The Next Opiate Crisis?" in a series of reports.

I'm in California and the laws are not too strict here, but is the DEA going to start forcing doctors to get their patients off benzos now like they did with the painkillers? What about people who need this medication because of TBI (traumatic brain injury)? is there anybody else out there who is thriving on the benzos but is being pressured by their doctors to either taper or leave? I would like some guidance on how to weather this storm.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Addiction & Recovery Support Group.

@lacy2

Yes wont repeat story here but pressured and cut off Benzo.. didnt even know it was one til Feb.2019.... wanted me off after last 5 pills afterover fifteenyears one a day and no questions asked. then gp put me on half a day and i spilled drink over a FEW and needed before end of month and he refused. Pharmacist came to my rescue as he knew I dont abuse meds. After a couple of months he, gp, got mad at me , long story, i telephoned ontario college of physicians and surgeons to get advise not about pills but he raised his voice and discussed my case in front of people in waiting room, one of whom was my ex husbands ex wiife! Was in office later just he and receptionist and he again lambasted me. College was great i did not put in complaint but they phoned him, next visit he let me go from practice and there is more. My pharmacist said i was not addicted but body now dependent on it... for sleep. Long story short a specialist in another field has renewed my one a day pill and at 77 I hope it takes me to my death. I have a laundry list of other physical illnesses and had depression for past 2 years etc. ... WHY all of a sudden get rid of those pills.. have you read the information sheets in with some of the medications they are now prescribe for all kinds of ailments....some side effects being blindness, neuropathy, seizures etc etc etc.., no worse than Clonazepam in my humble opinion. There is more to the story.. I think they want us of inexpensive Clonazepam and put us on higher priced drugs? Not sure... but there is a reason behind this and I would love to know what it is. J. Canada (excuse typos typing quickly)

Jump to this post

Life is just to darn complicated. Sounds like a bit of a mess. What to do???CDB helps with anxiety in my case, though I rarely take it. Wonder if I can take it after the vaccine. Too calm the fear.

REPLY
@lacy2

....yes Sears and many hundreds of medications worse than bonzos and worse than anti-depressants: even my eye drops , long term use especially its frightening what "could"happen. The fact some of us have been on Clonazepam for over 15 years and are still here to talk about it says something! Now I discover my neuropathy and internal tremors MAY have been caused by dental freezing! Nothing is 100 per cent without chance of someone somewhere getting serious side effects - even from peanut butter!

Jump to this post

What the heck is dental freezing?😬

REPLY

@sears Oh! Well its the medication they inject into your gums before drilling or extracting a tooth. Quite often it is Lidocaine and epinephrine.... am just searching it all as this combination was used months ago when I had stitch put in hand at emerge and after couple of hours sleep woke up to body shaking...... now am going to have to find out if five recent dental fillings and an extraction,... what they used to freeze mouth as started to have internal shaking... ugh, hours spent on on this so far and not feeling well ad am a little bit scared of what I will find! J.

REPLY
@lacy2

@sears Oh! Well its the medication they inject into your gums before drilling or extracting a tooth. Quite often it is Lidocaine and epinephrine.... am just searching it all as this combination was used months ago when I had stitch put in hand at emerge and after couple of hours sleep woke up to body shaking...... now am going to have to find out if five recent dental fillings and an extraction,... what they used to freeze mouth as started to have internal shaking... ugh, hours spent on on this so far and not feeling well ad am a little bit scared of what I will find! J.

Jump to this post

LOL! Here in the Midwest we just call it “numbing your mouth”.

REPLY

I was told by past drs that they’re weaning me the clonazepam. I was very happy about that. I told them it’s the only thing that helps my anxiety. I’ve been told so many different stories from different drs about the kind of med it is that I’ve got to where I let it go in one ear and out the other bcuz I don’t know what to believe anymore. Recently I was told that the state of Oregon is advising all drs to take their patients/clients off clonazepam. It really confused me. I was told they were coming out with another med. if the drs would’ve told me this to begin with then I would’ve kept my mouth shut about talking them into keeping me on it.

REPLY
@lorihager57

I was told by past drs that they’re weaning me the clonazepam. I was very happy about that. I told them it’s the only thing that helps my anxiety. I’ve been told so many different stories from different drs about the kind of med it is that I’ve got to where I let it go in one ear and out the other bcuz I don’t know what to believe anymore. Recently I was told that the state of Oregon is advising all drs to take their patients/clients off clonazepam. It really confused me. I was told they were coming out with another med. if the drs would’ve told me this to begin with then I would’ve kept my mouth shut about talking them into keeping me on it.

Jump to this post

I meant to say that I wasn’t very happy about the idea of the drs weaning me off the clonazepam

REPLY

I feel like you do. I'm 62. I was prescribed clonazepam for insomnia. I took 1 mg. 4 times a day for 19 years. My Dr retires. Before I had my first visit with a NP the Dr there started weaning me off pretty quickly. Their nurse had called before the Dr started the taper telling me she was going to do that. Asked if I wanted to wait till she referred me to a specialist. I said yes but that's not what happened. Cut them quickly. I went to this so called specialist. He had access to my records even my sleep lab. He never brought it up. He went to say that they prescribe antidepressants never mind I told him those drugs make sick, exhausted and don't help me sleep. He dismissed me about that. Got me out quickly. I've suffer greatly from the withdrawals. Extreme stomach acid, nausea, more pain, abdominal cramps, loose bowels or constipated and of course insomnia. I have health problems already and don't need this. I live in rural Missouri and it's hard to find a Dr that excepts new patients. No luck finding one who'll prescribe clonazepam. I don't understand how a Dr can have no compassion to take people off a drug for sleep especially when they're sick and in extreme pain. Got off pain meds to satisfy the Dr. I was unable to exercise much and gained weight pretty quickly. It's just a nightmare for me. I feel like dying. My life is trying to eat. Try to rest. I'm unable to do my errands, etc. I go almost no where except med visits and tests. I hope for us we can get help somewhere.

REPLY

I wish I knew. I need help also. It's a nightmare situation. If a person is on it for decades then they should not be taken off them. They cause permanent side effects from the withdrawals.

REPLY
@amielove

I feel like you do. I'm 62. I was prescribed clonazepam for insomnia. I took 1 mg. 4 times a day for 19 years. My Dr retires. Before I had my first visit with a NP the Dr there started weaning me off pretty quickly. Their nurse had called before the Dr started the taper telling me she was going to do that. Asked if I wanted to wait till she referred me to a specialist. I said yes but that's not what happened. Cut them quickly. I went to this so called specialist. He had access to my records even my sleep lab. He never brought it up. He went to say that they prescribe antidepressants never mind I told him those drugs make sick, exhausted and don't help me sleep. He dismissed me about that. Got me out quickly. I've suffer greatly from the withdrawals. Extreme stomach acid, nausea, more pain, abdominal cramps, loose bowels or constipated and of course insomnia. I have health problems already and don't need this. I live in rural Missouri and it's hard to find a Dr that excepts new patients. No luck finding one who'll prescribe clonazepam. I don't understand how a Dr can have no compassion to take people off a drug for sleep especially when they're sick and in extreme pain. Got off pain meds to satisfy the Dr. I was unable to exercise much and gained weight pretty quickly. It's just a nightmare for me. I feel like dying. My life is trying to eat. Try to rest. I'm unable to do my errands, etc. I go almost no where except med visits and tests. I hope for us we can get help somewhere.

Jump to this post

I live in Kansas City, Missouri. Even in a large city it was very difficult finding a doctor that was willing to help me do a proper Xanax taper after my physchiatrist of 25 years abandoned me. I just don’t know how they are allowed to do this. I truly feel for you, I know it’s a nightmare. I would give you my physchiatrist’s name as he does Telehealth, but I don’t think controlled substances can be prescribed this way. If you would like any info you can message me.

REPLY
@amielove

I wish I knew. I need help also. It's a nightmare situation. If a person is on it for decades then they should not be taken off them. They cause permanent side effects from the withdrawals.

Jump to this post

I agree I will be 74 in May I've been on ativan for a month or so and then Klonopin since 1994 or 5 I had my breakdown when I went into the hospital in 1990 and they treated me for depression four different psychiatrists in the same Hospital all diagnosed me with depression the head psychiatrist recommended shock treatments my wife taking care of me at that time went along with it knowing not what else she could do they gave me 10 shocked electrical shock treatments that didn't help they gave me multiple multiple medications I couldn't tell you how many none of those helped except for having side effects and not feeling well and this went on for years until in 1994 I believe I went into the hospital my wife said this is the last time I'm taking you to the hospital I think it was like 4th or fifth time of going to the hospital to stay and the doctor there gave me an Ativan and it was like someone flipped the light switch my anxiety my fears my inability to rest concentrate sometimes sleep all all faded away after a week they let me go home on Klonopin and after about a month I passed the medical examination and I was able to start driving a car again I passed my driver's examination I was back to being able to go to church to concentrate to read to watch TV to function with my wife I was no longer like a child to her and a burden and we started to be able to do things together again I've been taking clonazepam as they change the name to it for all these years and I don't take 3, 1 mg tablets a day as I had for the last couple years I only take 1 mg in the morning and 1 mg at night and I've been doing that with my doctor's okay and blessing and I've had the same psychiatrist for the last 10 years and he's told me several times not to go off of the medication our other psychiatrist that we had before him I had for about 9 years and he was pretty much in agreement and they both have been really great I would not go against their advice just because of reading some kind of report on the Internet or the news or whatever I'm doing just fine on my medication and if I have any problems with memory or brain fog or whatever you want to call it it's more from my growing older and the stress of life and the economy and the same thing that other people are drinking and taking drugs and taking their own lives that's the world we live in and I couldn't make it without the Lord Jesus Christ he's the one that healed me he's the one that keeps me going and I have to give him all the praise and glory but he has used doctors and he had to use medication in the same way that he uses these things for other diseases and sicknesses that people used to be plagued with and now they're practically extinct God bless you I hope that your things go well with you

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.