Any positive stories about Benzo tapering? I need hope

Posted by sears @sears, Nov 9, 2019

Would love to hear some positive stories from people whom have tapered off benzos. Positive only please. Give me some hope. No horror stories! I need some encouragement!

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yvonne55 | @yvonne55 | May 23, 2023

In reply to @jakedduck1 "@yvonne55 Hi, i’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but I..." + (show)

Hi Jake! I guess Klonopin and Clonazepam are different. I WAS on 6mg a day and my doctor almost lost his mind over it. (His temporary replacement put me up to 6 because my anxiety was severe). So upon my regular doctors return he brought me back down to 4 mg. And I'm basically stuck at home now. This is no life for sure.

andytheman | @andytheman | May 24, 2023

In reply to @jakedduck1 "@yvonne55 Hi, i’m sorry it took me so long to get back to you, but I..." + (show)

20 mg is a lot! But I guess if you’re having seizures it’s probably normal.
I take 0.5 in the morning and 1mg at 4 pm and I’m having problems getting off of it.

andytheman | @andytheman | May 24, 2023

In reply to @yvonne55 "Hi Jake! I guess Klonopin and Clonazepam are different. I WAS on 6mg a day and..." + (show)

Clonazapan is Klonopin and klonopin (Clonazapan) are one medication I take for anxiety. It is a benzodiazepine. Very hard for me to wean off. But they are the same like lorazepam (adavan) and Xanax. are all addictive benzodiazepines.

Leonard | @jakedduck1 | May 24, 2023

In reply to @yvonne55 "Hi Jake! I guess Klonopin and Clonazepam are different. I WAS on 6mg a day and..." + (show)

@yvonne55
Hi,
You mentioned you had a seizure, was that from a fast taper or do you have a seizure disorder?Clonazepam is the generic and Klonopin the brand-name. Higher doses are generally used in seizure patients.
Some doctors think up to 4 mg is all that’s needed for Anxiety, others depending on the doctor and patients condition use up to 12 mg that I have heard of. But generally patients with seizure disorders take higher doses of Klonopin/Clonazepam.
It’s sad that some doctors seem to believe that all patients will receive the same benefit with the same dose of medication. Did you udon better on 6 mgs?
Jake

yvonne55 | @yvonne55 | May 24, 2023

In reply to @jakedduck1 "@yvonne55 Hi, You mentioned you had a seizure, was that from a fast taper or do..." + (show)

Hi Jake...I was originally put on lorazepam for severe anxiety which led to agoraphobia for 5 years. The doctor never took me off it, just added an anti depressant that didnt work. By now I've tried them all. We had a wicked snow storm one winter and the town basically froze. I was without my lorazepam for 3 or 4 days. I had a seizure. After that my doctors replacement switched me over to clonazepam saying weaning off it was easier. When my doctor returned from his holidays and saw the other doctor switched me to clonazepam, he switched me back.

andytheman | @andytheman | May 25, 2023

In reply to @yvonne55 "Hi Jake...I was originally put on lorazepam for severe anxiety which led to agoraphobia for 5..." + (show)

In my case I’m on 1 mg of Clonazapan and it is nearly impossible to get off of.
I’ve also been on lorazepam and I was able to just quit abruptly.

lindasmith1222 | @lindasmith1222 | May 25, 2023

In reply to @andytheman "In my case I’m on 1 mg of Clonazapan and it is nearly impossible to get..." + (show)

I have been off of benzos for 3 months now after decades of use. The last 1mg was the hardest for me to taper and then finally quit. Everybody's metabolism is different, but after a long time on just 1/2mg at night (I thought it was helping me to sleep), it had stopped working probably months before and then I quit. No withdrawal. Best wishes.

yvonne55 | @yvonne55 | May 25, 2023

In reply to @andytheman "In my case I’m on 1 mg of Clonazapan and it is nearly impossible to get..." + (show)

Thank you for your insight Andy. My son was also put on clonazepam (hes 37) and cant get off that last 3/4 of a mg. Yet I was reading back 3 years ago in my journal where I was so busy with work and life, I'd neglected to take my lorazepam for a week and didnt notice! (As in no physical symptoms) ! And my dosage was the same. So strange! How long were you on lorazepam before you were able to abruptly quit?

andytheman | @andytheman | May 25, 2023

In reply to @lindasmith1222 "I have been off of benzos for 3 months now after decades of use. The last..." + (show)

Great! Positive feedback! Thanks! I’m going to try again to wean off Clonazapan. (Klonopin). Lorazepam (adavan) was easy because I went from one benzodiazepine to another and I was only on it for 2 months.

jcase | @jcase | May 25, 2023

In reply to @yvonne55 "Hi Jake...I was originally put on lorazepam for severe anxiety which led to agoraphobia for 5..." + (show)

Clonazepam is just the generic form of Klonopin. I don't understand why the Dr would've switched you to the same thing. I've been taking Xanax unprescribed for about 10 years and I only take about 3 mgs at a time and still have withdrawal when I try to taper myself off. These Drs are over prescribing benzos. But I can't get a Rx for my anxiety and panic attacks because I had an addiction to pain meds over 20 years ago. Very sad for people that need benzos and can't get them

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