What is the best way to taper off Klonopin?

Posted by kittymama @kittymama, Apr 7, 2019

Can anyone tell me the best way to taper off Klonopin? I feel it does nothing for my anxiety

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@art79

I am 60, I have had access to Klonopin for 30 years.  Always took (1mg) as needed, (as prescribed,) NEVER more.  
I rarely took it daily.  Maybe a few days, then not again for a month or more.  Never any issues and /or abuse.  Starting 5 months ago I began taking (1mg) a day to deal with sudden onset of crippling Tinnitus.   But within a month or so I started to notice strange symptoms surfacing. anxiety, bad sleep, killer headaches, bizarre moods and blurry vision.  Don't know if it's the Klonopin or the stress from the blaring Tinnitus... but decided its time to get off the Benzo. ( Read a lot about Benzos causing Tinnitus. ) Started taper by dropping from 1mg to .75. Not feeling great, but not as bad as I feared.  Plan on staying there for 3 or 4 weeks... now what?   I know every ones
case is different, but, I'm interested in hearing how to move forward.

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I have been taking 1mg Klonopin at bedtime for sleep, Xanax before that for a total of 19 years. My doctor stopped prescribing it and sent me to a psychiatrist who encouraged me (not forced) to taper off of it as it is not good for older people. I will soon be 65 so I agreed to the taper. We are taking it very slowly, reducing by .25mg every 8 weeks. I have sometimes reduced in 5-6 weeks on my own. I am at .25mg now. I can't say it's been great fun, but it hasn't been awful either. I think my brain is given a chance to recover and change and I've developed a new relationship with sleep. I don't get anxious if I am not sleeping but meditate or pray instead. Many times I will fall asleep again. I do believe going very slowly with the taper is key. Maybe you could stay on the .75mg for a few more weeks, then go to .5 for up to 2 months, then .25. That seems to be working for me.

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@shannie

Thank you for sharing. I have been on 0.5 of Klonopin for 12 years for sleep. It stopped working and I tried to taper myself and couldn’t. I am under a doc care now but not sure about his method of taper.

My worst problem is sleeping. I take 0.125 twice a day. I seem to have anxiety and racing mind at night. Other meds he’s given don’t work. He just gave me Seraquel but when I read it’s a anti psychotic drug it made nervous. Have you ever taken it?

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I was prescribed .5 mg ativan for short term anxiety and began relying on it for sleep. Stopped working for me after two years and I had difficulty stopping it. After following a wean schedule my sleep doctor gave me, I wound up taking it again. A new sleep therapist prescribed 7.5 mg mirtazapine and I started my own very slow wean. I didn’t feel like dealing with the 5-10% reduction.
It took about 6 months and I’ve been off it for three weeks now and feel fine!

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@jakedduck1

@shannie
Researchers don't recommend Seroquel as a sleep aid and I doubt a good doctor would prescribe it as a sleeping aid. Speaking for myself, I definitely wouldn't use it for that purpose.
as far as Klonopin is concerned, it took me over 2 years to get off it but I had no withdrawals. Remember Klonopin is a sedative so if you have sleeping problems those is sure may well return.
I had sleep problems and reset my circadian rhythm and used good sleep hygiene, which worked for me.
The ideal way to get off KLONOPIN in my opinion would be to use a compounding pharmacy and have the doctor write a prescription to reduce it by 5 to 10% every 3 to 4 weeks.
Your doctor will probably squawk at the compounding pharmacy and think it should be tapered quicker. If it’s important for you to get off quicker, you most likely will pay the consequence of having withdrawals for awhile.
Good luck,
Jake

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Jake thank you. My doc also gave me vistaril which I’ve been taking to sleep but now it’s not working. I’ve not slept in about 8 days. I don’t have any other symptoms except racing mind at night.
How did you reset?

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@jakedduck1

@shannie
Researchers don't recommend Seroquel as a sleep aid and I doubt a good doctor would prescribe it as a sleeping aid. Speaking for myself, I definitely wouldn't use it for that purpose.
as far as Klonopin is concerned, it took me over 2 years to get off it but I had no withdrawals. Remember Klonopin is a sedative so if you have sleeping problems those is sure may well return.
I had sleep problems and reset my circadian rhythm and used good sleep hygiene, which worked for me.
The ideal way to get off KLONOPIN in my opinion would be to use a compounding pharmacy and have the doctor write a prescription to reduce it by 5 to 10% every 3 to 4 weeks.
Your doctor will probably squawk at the compounding pharmacy and think it should be tapered quicker. If it’s important for you to get off quicker, you most likely will pay the consequence of having withdrawals for awhile.
Good luck,
Jake

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I will
Be going off clonzapam in august and replacing with?? Don’t know yet. I ask about tapering and he said no!! Because I will
Be on something else. I don’t know yet. It will be 8 months by then .5mg 4 x a day for anxiety. But it’s now giving me a bit of depression and isn’t also working. My body tingles so much.
I’d rather have no anxiety. Developed out of the blue!

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Hi, I tapered off Klonopin on my own 20 years ago and I started walking 3 times a day. I needed to get all that extra anxiety in me out and walking for 15-20 minutes 3 times a day did help immensely. It did help. OMG I also went through my whole house and did a spring cleaning in the fall. I found that I needed to stay busy to get through the new weird anxiety I was experiencing. Yes for me my anxiety was worse at first, but all I cared about was getting off of the Klonopin. I took for 11 years. I'm rooting for you because I know it's tough.

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@con123

I have been taking 1mg Klonopin at bedtime for sleep, Xanax before that for a total of 19 years. My doctor stopped prescribing it and sent me to a psychiatrist who encouraged me (not forced) to taper off of it as it is not good for older people. I will soon be 65 so I agreed to the taper. We are taking it very slowly, reducing by .25mg every 8 weeks. I have sometimes reduced in 5-6 weeks on my own. I am at .25mg now. I can't say it's been great fun, but it hasn't been awful either. I think my brain is given a chance to recover and change and I've developed a new relationship with sleep. I don't get anxious if I am not sleeping but meditate or pray instead. Many times I will fall asleep again. I do believe going very slowly with the taper is key. Maybe you could stay on the .75mg for a few more weeks, then go to .5 for up to 2 months, then .25. That seems to be working for me.

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Makes a lot of sense

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@shellbomb64

Hi, I tapered off Klonopin on my own 20 years ago and I started walking 3 times a day. I needed to get all that extra anxiety in me out and walking for 15-20 minutes 3 times a day did help immensely. It did help. OMG I also went through my whole house and did a spring cleaning in the fall. I found that I needed to stay busy to get through the new weird anxiety I was experiencing. Yes for me my anxiety was worse at first, but all I cared about was getting off of the Klonopin. I took for 11 years. I'm rooting for you because I know it's tough.

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How much were you on when you started?

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@yvonne55

How much were you on when you started?

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I read your post about getting of Klonopin. Good for you!!
I’m in the process of tapering from 0.5. I was on it for 12 years. I never dreamed it would be so difficult. I tried & failed by myself. So now I have a doctor but it seems he wants to put me on several other meds. One is Seraquel I haven’t taken it. It’s a antipsychotic drug.. which makes me nervous.
My daytime anxiety is ok but it’s the NIGHT! I haven’t slept in 4 days. My mind is racing! My dose now is 0.125 twice day
Any suggestions?

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@vsby

I will
Be going off clonzapam in august and replacing with?? Don’t know yet. I ask about tapering and he said no!! Because I will
Be on something else. I don’t know yet. It will be 8 months by then .5mg 4 x a day for anxiety. But it’s now giving me a bit of depression and isn’t also working. My body tingles so much.
I’d rather have no anxiety. Developed out of the blue!

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vsby - I'm curious, are you saying that you will have been taking clonzapam for 8 months when you come off in August?? My body began the tingling (which drives me crazy sometimes) after only a month on the drug at just .5mg once per day. Appears you are taking 4 times that amount. I stopped cold turkey as of March 3rd and my body still tingles with very minor tingling during my waking hours but much more intense while sleeping. I'm beginning to suspect these will be with me for quite some time. I just came back from vacation and they seemed worse over last 2 weeks being away. I am attributing that to the stress/anxiety of travel. I have noticed my symptoms are worse during any stressful times? Best luck on your withdrawal.

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@arthur57

vsby - I'm curious, are you saying that you will have been taking clonzapam for 8 months when you come off in August?? My body began the tingling (which drives me crazy sometimes) after only a month on the drug at just .5mg once per day. Appears you are taking 4 times that amount. I stopped cold turkey as of March 3rd and my body still tingles with very minor tingling during my waking hours but much more intense while sleeping. I'm beginning to suspect these will be with me for quite some time. I just came back from vacation and they seemed worse over last 2 weeks being away. I am attributing that to the stress/anxiety of travel. I have noticed my symptoms are worse during any stressful times? Best luck on your withdrawal.

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I have been on Clonazepam for 5 years (.5 mg.) and all of a sudden I have terrible tingling in three of my toes. I have quit taking it several times but then I hear music when I stop, so then I go back on it. Does anyone have this problem!
@yvie

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