Benzos and seniors

Do you think benzodiazepines should just be available in large doses? What’s wrong with the smallest doses? Why is making pills in smaller doses a questionable tactic?

Not at all. Maybe I wasn’t clear. I think the drugs, especially the more powerful ones like Klonopin, should be made available at very TINY doses. Many people have to switch over to Valium, which comes in tiny doses, but it’s not easy to cross over for a lot of people. See the chart below. 1 mg Klonopin is a huge amount in my book. We should be able to get Klonopin at 0.125 mg doses at the least.

Actually Clonazapam does come in a 0.125 dose. I used it myself from my doctor to taper off. It is difficult for sure but can be done with determination and willpower. It takes time and quite a bit of suffering with extreme anxiety but it is so worth it in the end when you get your life back. I also went for therapy, walked everyday, and stopped caffeine while tapering off. Good luck to everyone attempting to rid your body of these awful drugs❣️Just keep plugging away one day at a time and before you know it it will be over.

I have exactly what you’re describing. I’m on Clonazapan (Klonopin) and it is a benzo and I’m 69 years old. My psychiatrist gave me a prescription for klonopin. 1/2 mg in the morning and 1 mg at 4 pm.
I recently had to spend 20 days in patient at a local hospital for something unrelated to this.

When I went to the hospital I gave EMS a list of my current medications. The hospital lost my medication list and relied on an older list from 3 years ago. I was not on klonopin then so the hospital refused to give me some of my current medication. Klonopin being one of them.

They gave me lorazepam instead (adavan benzo). At first the adavan helped to relieve me of my Klonopin addiction. Slowly that was not klonopin but adavan. Both benzodiazepines. Adavan started to wane. It stopped from doing its job. I went through extreme withdrawal symptoms that only Klonopin took away.

I admit that I am addicted to klonopin. I can’t even taper off even if it takes a year. I cannot get off klonopin at all. I was a nutcase because they still wouldn’t give it to me. The symptoms are a nightmare. I started bugging the nurses to get me some klonopin. Still, the doctor refused.

I became a person that I didn’t like. I became aggressive and dangerous to others and myself.
Klonopin (and adavan and Xanax) are very dangerous drugs and should not be available to anyone. Benzodiazepines need to be taken off pharmaceutical shelves. It’s a poison.

While Klonopin takes away some of my generalized anxiety disorder known as GAD, it’s not enough for me. I can’t get a dose increase but as soon as I got home from the hospital I took a 1 mg pill and before I knew it. My anxiety level dropped significantly although I became a zombie. That’s what I have to look forward to. (Possibly the rest of my life) I’m 69 so it may no longer make me feel like a zombie when I’m dead. It’s bad.
While losing your balance and being wobbly is probably part of getting old, I believe that benzodiazepines have exacerbated it. And I am light headed and have to use a cane, not because of my legs but because of my klonopin use.

Not at all. Maybe I wasn’t clear. I think the drugs, especially the more powerful ones like Klonopin, should be made available at very TINY doses. Many people have to switch over to Valium, which comes in tiny doses, but it’s not easy to cross over for a lot of people. See the chart below. 1 mg Klonopin is a huge amount in my book. We should be able to get Klonopin at 0.125 mg doses at the least.

I am very fortunate that at 73 I don’t have any problems with walking or balance and I have been taking the same dose of 1mg in the morning and 1mg at night for 35 years. I walked 9 miles yesterday in 30 degree weather and plan on doing the same again today. I have also spent two hours on an elliptical machine in my old fitness center while reading magazines or watching TV. Are there any seniors out there like me?
I would love to hear from them. I can’t be the only one.
I look forward to any and all posts.
I wish everyone the best.

Dave, I’ve had the same experience as you. I’ve taken the same dosage as you for 30 years. I’m very athletic and am grateful my anxiety is so well managed with talk therapy and Klonopin.