Weaning off Clonazepan

Posted by gjwirth98 @gjwirth98, Apr 16, 2023

Hi, I was put on Clonazepan over 20 years ago for Restless leg syndrome.
I was younger and busy with family and work never really thought about this medication.I only knew that it helped me.
Now after seeing and hearing about this drug,I am scared and nervous about weaning off it.
I been reading about tapering off and I’m going to start . I’m seeing my PC this week and I’m going to discuss this with him.
I am so embarrassed that this has happened to me.
Has anyone successfully weaned off Clonazepan? Judy

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

Anyone that wants to discontinue these meds will. No question. It can be a long and arduous journey for some. Not for others. The best thing you can do is get your doctor on board and follow the Ashton Method which you can find online and is the best taper method we have available to us right now. It’s tried and true and has helped many. Good luck!

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Yes. I used the Ashton Method on-line. Personally, I would not tell my PC I want to wean. I would just do it myself, which is what I did. My fear of weaning and never taking it again was the worst part for me. I have been 'clean' for 2 months and I did it with restraint, no help from my doctor, he doesn't even know I quit taking it. Honestly, your PC may just cut you off completely and refuse to prescribe any and that is horrible.

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Not yet, but will look forward to hearing about your experience--physical & cognitive. hope it all goes well for you. have been on Benzos (off and on, actually) for more than thirty years, and I know I'm going to have to face my demons before I move beyond my comfort zone. Actually, I've been cut off: the VA no longer prescribes Benzos (originally through the VA shortly after returning from Vietnam as a frazzled ex-Marine), and it seems as if you want to find a doctor who will prescribe them, it's usually a "quack" who's not on my Medicare plan. So, I've had too many days where I'm holed up in my apartment, afraid to face the world; not much of a life. When I asked for as little as 0.5 mg clonazepam, I was treated as if I were a junkie looking for his next fix. The government puts Benzos in the same drug classification as Opioids. Yeah, I'm a drug addict who came back home as a basket case of anxiety; but the same military doctors who had me taking the med's in the first place are now scared to death of having us OD on trace amounts of med's that at least helped me to live a fairly normal life. I don't even know who I'm supposed to be angry at--taking on the responsibility myself, or coming home a shell of my former self. I'm accepting my Parkinson's diagnosis and mood disorder, but am having an extremely difficult time living beyond my comfort zone. I feel more alive, yet afraid, yet the anxiety and (much worse) panic attacks and nightmares keep torturing me.

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I've been taking Klonopin or yes it is now called and generic clonazepam since 1994 I took three doses a day I just nature of the thing started missing my noon day middle of the day dose and when I mentioned it to my psychiatrist he said that was fine he said the least that you can get by with the better but he also told me not to try to go off of it all together so I guess the thing to do is to try to reduce it with the doctor's help I wouldn't I wouldn't take advice from the Internet or from people because everybody's different and they doctor should know you and should know your case and hopefully you have the same doctor or you've had a doctor that said our psychiatrist that knows what to tell you and how to do it my wife went from Xanax to clonazepam and she's been doing good that way I pray for the best for you may Lord God help you

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@cgs

I've been taking Klonopin or yes it is now called and generic clonazepam since 1994 I took three doses a day I just nature of the thing started missing my noon day middle of the day dose and when I mentioned it to my psychiatrist he said that was fine he said the least that you can get by with the better but he also told me not to try to go off of it all together so I guess the thing to do is to try to reduce it with the doctor's help I wouldn't I wouldn't take advice from the Internet or from people because everybody's different and they doctor should know you and should know your case and hopefully you have the same doctor or you've had a doctor that said our psychiatrist that knows what to tell you and how to do it my wife went from Xanax to clonazepam and she's been doing good that way I pray for the best for you may Lord God help you

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Thank you for your response.
I will consult with my doctor because I have my RLS to deal with.
I never realized how serious this medication is. I just took it and trusted my doctor.
Now I have to talk to my husband about weaning off.
He is oblivious when it comes to medications.
I feel embarrassed…I can’t tell my friends/ family.
I’m nervous about the withdrawals that will come with this and how will it affect my lifestyle.
I never wrote on social media before, so thank you to everyone who responded.
💕

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@horowitz71

Not yet, but will look forward to hearing about your experience--physical & cognitive. hope it all goes well for you. have been on Benzos (off and on, actually) for more than thirty years, and I know I'm going to have to face my demons before I move beyond my comfort zone. Actually, I've been cut off: the VA no longer prescribes Benzos (originally through the VA shortly after returning from Vietnam as a frazzled ex-Marine), and it seems as if you want to find a doctor who will prescribe them, it's usually a "quack" who's not on my Medicare plan. So, I've had too many days where I'm holed up in my apartment, afraid to face the world; not much of a life. When I asked for as little as 0.5 mg clonazepam, I was treated as if I were a junkie looking for his next fix. The government puts Benzos in the same drug classification as Opioids. Yeah, I'm a drug addict who came back home as a basket case of anxiety; but the same military doctors who had me taking the med's in the first place are now scared to death of having us OD on trace amounts of med's that at least helped me to live a fairly normal life. I don't even know who I'm supposed to be angry at--taking on the responsibility myself, or coming home a shell of my former self. I'm accepting my Parkinson's diagnosis and mood disorder, but am having an extremely difficult time living beyond my comfort zone. I feel more alive, yet afraid, yet the anxiety and (much worse) panic attacks and nightmares keep torturing me.

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God bless you Horowitz I've never had that problem before it's kind of scary to look forward to something like that but I just pray it doesn't happen our doctor hasn't hasn't wanted us to try to do that they said that it was not something that you would want to to do to stop taking the medicine the Klonopin or clonazepam generic I just pray that they don't have to force us to quit taking it all at once if that if that causes problem although I have cut back on it without too much problem and he said that was okay

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@horowitz71

Not yet, but will look forward to hearing about your experience--physical & cognitive. hope it all goes well for you. have been on Benzos (off and on, actually) for more than thirty years, and I know I'm going to have to face my demons before I move beyond my comfort zone. Actually, I've been cut off: the VA no longer prescribes Benzos (originally through the VA shortly after returning from Vietnam as a frazzled ex-Marine), and it seems as if you want to find a doctor who will prescribe them, it's usually a "quack" who's not on my Medicare plan. So, I've had too many days where I'm holed up in my apartment, afraid to face the world; not much of a life. When I asked for as little as 0.5 mg clonazepam, I was treated as if I were a junkie looking for his next fix. The government puts Benzos in the same drug classification as Opioids. Yeah, I'm a drug addict who came back home as a basket case of anxiety; but the same military doctors who had me taking the med's in the first place are now scared to death of having us OD on trace amounts of med's that at least helped me to live a fairly normal life. I don't even know who I'm supposed to be angry at--taking on the responsibility myself, or coming home a shell of my former self. I'm accepting my Parkinson's diagnosis and mood disorder, but am having an extremely difficult time living beyond my comfort zone. I feel more alive, yet afraid, yet the anxiety and (much worse) panic attacks and nightmares keep torturing me.

Jump to this post

Horowitz I know what it's like to have that panic and fear they were giving me anti depressants I had to shock treatments also,I had all kinds of medications I had four psychiatrists that misdiagnosed me as having depression which maybe I did have depression from the anxiety was the main thing. the only thing that ever helped me was Ativan and then when they changed me to klonopin I was my old self again I could sit I could watch a movie , I could ride in the car without rocking back and forth. even drive after a little while. I got my driver's license back. and I know what it's like just to be afraid . I would stay close to my wife at night I would snuggle up against her like a little child to get comfort and I needed to be close to the Lord I had gotten away from the Lord and my Christian Life. and he helped me get back through the doctor and the medicine even though some Christians saw that was wrong. I know that the Lord used the medicine and the doctor. I know he's helping me now with my Gabapentin for my nerve pain in my neuropathy in my legs and feet and I just pray and ask the Lord to help you give your whole life over to him and he can lead you and guide you to a good psychiatrist. Most doctors won't prescribe Controlled Substances they're either not able or they don't want to have anything to do with it.

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Please forgive me for using this talk for text it's so inaccurate and I need to go back and redo my editing but I get in a hurry and trust it and it messes up a lot of things I'm sorry

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@cgs

I've been taking Klonopin or yes it is now called and generic clonazepam since 1994 I took three doses a day I just nature of the thing started missing my noon day middle of the day dose and when I mentioned it to my psychiatrist he said that was fine he said the least that you can get by with the better but he also told me not to try to go off of it all together so I guess the thing to do is to try to reduce it with the doctor's help I wouldn't I wouldn't take advice from the Internet or from people because everybody's different and they doctor should know you and should know your case and hopefully you have the same doctor or you've had a doctor that said our psychiatrist that knows what to tell you and how to do it my wife went from Xanax to clonazepam and she's been doing good that way I pray for the best for you may Lord God help you

Jump to this post

Unfortunately people are forced to take advice from the internet because the majority of doctors have absolutely no idea how to successfully taper their patients off the physchiatric medications that they prescribed. Sad but oh so true.

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@sears

Unfortunately people are forced to take advice from the internet because the majority of doctors have absolutely no idea how to successfully taper their patients off the physchiatric medications that they prescribed. Sad but oh so true.

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I've had two good doctors in the last 20 plus years and I don't think I want to take advice off the internet I called Loma Linda Medical University neuropathy Clinic to find out about neuropathy and they have a free call and a free video consultation and with a MD and that's the type of advice I think a person should get on medical it's all right to share experiences and care for each other and I pray that everyone on here will be close to the Lord Jesus Christ and have eternal life through him and his life death and Resurrection on the cross for us is God the Son and the son of God paid for our sins on calvary's Cross and we trust in him as we turn from our sins we have eternal life through him through the living Jesus Christ

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