Thankfully my psychiatrist listened, and gave me a full 90 days of .125mg of Klonopin so I could continue the taper on my own terms. Sadly, .125mg is like taking nothing and I am back to insomnia and night sweats. Ugh! I have gotten the names of CBT for insomnia therapist and a sleep doctor. Moving ahead!!!
Due to my issues with klonopin I have spent hours researching this medication. It obviously affects everyone differently but I suspect your insomnia is due to the fact that the .125 mg is just not enough for you as your body became dependent on the medication at a higher dose. I assume you are on a slow taper which will be good long term. Just know (and you probably do) that the insomnia is a withdrawal side effect of this benzo and can persist for some time before it gets better. My primary doc (who couldn't believe my sleep doc gave me this junk) tried to put me on trazadone and to stop taking klonopin. Even the pharmacist said, you'll sleep like a baby! Nope, after stoping the klonopin was wide awake for it seemed weeks, the trazadone could not counter klonopin withdrawal effects.
Based upon my research on this drug, it affects all of us as it changes the makeup of our brain receptors, many people don't notice anything and it works fine for them, but make no mistake, it does alter our receptors and how our central nervous system works, mostly trying to calm it, i.e., anxiety control etc. The good news is that the changes to our brain etc. are NOT permanent once withdrawal begins but can last for extended periods of time for many. Some folks have no issues when withdrawing, mostly those who have properly tapered over time. I hate this drug and how it affected me, although I am much better now at almost 6 months cold turkey but still notice some side effects. I now sleep much better, although I still have nights, where an over the counter sleep aid helps. Best of luck to everyone here, just do what's right for you and you will overcome in time. You might find this piece on withdrawal symptoms helpful as well. God Bless you all!
Do you think the side effect continued after you stopped taking Klonopin. I don't know of any side effects I had. It worked well for what it was prescribed for and I miss it, yet I realize it is not good to take it long-term and I look forward to not being dependent on a drug.
Due to my issues with klonopin I have spent hours researching this medication. It obviously affects everyone differently but I suspect your insomnia is due to the fact that the .125 mg is just not enough for you as your body became dependent on the medication at a higher dose. I assume you are on a slow taper which will be good long term. Just know (and you probably do) that the insomnia is a withdrawal side effect of this benzo and can persist for some time before it gets better. My primary doc (who couldn't believe my sleep doc gave me this junk) tried to put me on trazadone and to stop taking klonopin. Even the pharmacist said, you'll sleep like a baby! Nope, after stoping the klonopin was wide awake for it seemed weeks, the trazadone could not counter klonopin withdrawal effects.
Based upon my research on this drug, it affects all of us as it changes the makeup of our brain receptors, many people don't notice anything and it works fine for them, but make no mistake, it does alter our receptors and how our central nervous system works, mostly trying to calm it, i.e., anxiety control etc. The good news is that the changes to our brain etc. are NOT permanent once withdrawal begins but can last for extended periods of time for many. Some folks have no issues when withdrawing, mostly those who have properly tapered over time. I hate this drug and how it affected me, although I am much better now at almost 6 months cold turkey but still notice some side effects. I now sleep much better, although I still have nights, where an over the counter sleep aid helps. Best of luck to everyone here, just do what's right for you and you will overcome in time. You might find this piece on withdrawal symptoms helpful as well. God Bless you all!
Thank you for that reply. I realized the insomnia is due to the taper. It has been slow enough that I have not had severe problems. I also know my brain will heal in time. I, too, tried trazodone years ago for anxiety and it made me feel awful. My doctor offered a tricyclic antidepressant but I simply don't want to take any more psychiatric drugs. I have booked an acupuncture appointment and have names for a sleep medicine expert as well as a CBT-I person. I feel I am on the right track and this website has been a God-send.
I am so scared . I am taking klonopin for severe anxiety . I don’t want to take it . I know the drug is bad for you. I have terrible anxiety due to my husband’s cancer . What else have you tried ? Did you take it daily ? How much ? Please tell me.
When I first started having severe anxiety, I was prescribed Lexapro as well as Xanax at bedtime. Later the Xanax was switched to Klonopin. I took 1mg at bedtime and never increased the dose. At the time, I feel these drugs were necessary for me to function. In time, I have learned other ways to cope with anxiety. I have not been on an antidepressant since 2014, and I don't want to revisit them. At the time, they were needed. When these drugs were prescribed, doctors had no problems with them but over time, that changed. First it was opiates, now benzos. Seldom prescribed now and strongly regulated. Most doctors seem to want us off them. I would suggest you try not to worry about the medication as it just increases your anxiety. Hopefully you have a psychologist to work with and someone to manage your medications.
When I first started having severe anxiety, I was prescribed Lexapro as well as Xanax at bedtime. Later the Xanax was switched to Klonopin. I took 1mg at bedtime and never increased the dose. At the time, I feel these drugs were necessary for me to function. In time, I have learned other ways to cope with anxiety. I have not been on an antidepressant since 2014, and I don't want to revisit them. At the time, they were needed. When these drugs were prescribed, doctors had no problems with them but over time, that changed. First it was opiates, now benzos. Seldom prescribed now and strongly regulated. Most doctors seem to want us off them. I would suggest you try not to worry about the medication as it just increases your anxiety. Hopefully you have a psychologist to work with and someone to manage your medications.
Good stuff! Yeah, with respect to physicians, what I have found is the older physicians are the ones who still prescribe this benzo crap. The younger guys/ladies do not, my primary (young guy) said as much and I have found that to be true. As a precaution, I saw a neurlogist two weeks ago, to just make sure, my tremors weren't the result of something more serious, although I strongly suspected it was the klonopin. After giving me a thourgh exam, he said, he agreed with me, the klonopin was most likely the cause. Asked me why this sleep doc gave me that medicine as he was frankly surprised. I told him it was due to off/on insomnia I had and he couldn't believe he prescribed this. He did say he prescribes this med (old guy too), however, fairly rare. So 3 docs could not understand why I was ever given this med, go figure. Neurologist told me to just stay away from physicians, thought he was joking but then I realized he was serious. Reminded me of what my God son ( a physician) had told me a while back, be your own advocate. He said he was shocked at what he sees in his profession and being at top of his class at Harvard, he's the brightest of the bright, so I take what he said to heart. Best to you!
Good stuff! Yeah, with respect to physicians, what I have found is the older physicians are the ones who still prescribe this benzo crap. The younger guys/ladies do not, my primary (young guy) said as much and I have found that to be true. As a precaution, I saw a neurlogist two weeks ago, to just make sure, my tremors weren't the result of something more serious, although I strongly suspected it was the klonopin. After giving me a thourgh exam, he said, he agreed with me, the klonopin was most likely the cause. Asked me why this sleep doc gave me that medicine as he was frankly surprised. I told him it was due to off/on insomnia I had and he couldn't believe he prescribed this. He did say he prescribes this med (old guy too), however, fairly rare. So 3 docs could not understand why I was ever given this med, go figure. Neurologist told me to just stay away from physicians, thought he was joking but then I realized he was serious. Reminded me of what my God son ( a physician) had told me a while back, be your own advocate. He said he was shocked at what he sees in his profession and being at top of his class at Harvard, he's the brightest of the bright, so I take what he said to heart. Best to you!
My first psychiatrist told me to take it as long as I wanted to, or felt I needed it, and that as long as I never went over 2mg per day, I would be fine. (The most I ever took was 1.5mg and that was not that often). He did not tell me how difficult is was to get off of it or the brain changes that might occur with long term use. He just kept prescribing it and I was glad it worked for me. It was only when I moved from FL to GA that my doctors started questioning me and telling me it was a bad drug. How could it be if it worked so well for my insomnia? I did not know of any side effects. I'm happy to be at the end of my taper and I cannot believe it has been 7 months since I started that. I'm holding at .125mg for now, but I don't think that low of a dose does much. At least I know when I quit, I should not have any problems that I have not already encountered.
I wish I knew. The pharmaceutical companies and the doctors need to be held accountable. Making someone cold turkey a benzodiazepine is heinous. The doctor tortured your son and got away with it. Maybe someday we’ll be taken seriously. In the mean time good luck and God bless.
@buchanana - thank you for joining the Mayo Clinic Community and sharing some of your experiences with the community. It sounds like you have had a really tough time and sharing that with an online community takes some courage. You have come to a great place to share those experiences and meet others who have had similar experiences as well. Members like @aarniek, @rosie111, and @nonnied have all discussed tapering off benzos with different results in addition to the members in the discussion you found here.
@buchanana - Are you currently managing your anxiety with any sort of treatment now or were others discussed with you when you had all of your issues with the weaning off of benzos?
I have not quit benzos only Klonopin. I take Alprazolam. I also take 200 mg of Zoloft my dosage alprazolam is .5 mg three times a day since I was 15 yrs old. I will be 50 often find myself wondering what would’ve been had someone let my brain be mine.
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Due to my issues with klonopin I have spent hours researching this medication. It obviously affects everyone differently but I suspect your insomnia is due to the fact that the .125 mg is just not enough for you as your body became dependent on the medication at a higher dose. I assume you are on a slow taper which will be good long term. Just know (and you probably do) that the insomnia is a withdrawal side effect of this benzo and can persist for some time before it gets better. My primary doc (who couldn't believe my sleep doc gave me this junk) tried to put me on trazadone and to stop taking klonopin. Even the pharmacist said, you'll sleep like a baby! Nope, after stoping the klonopin was wide awake for it seemed weeks, the trazadone could not counter klonopin withdrawal effects.
https://www.benzoinfo.com/protracted-withdrawal-syndrome/Based upon my research on this drug, it affects all of us as it changes the makeup of our brain receptors, many people don't notice anything and it works fine for them, but make no mistake, it does alter our receptors and how our central nervous system works, mostly trying to calm it, i.e., anxiety control etc. The good news is that the changes to our brain etc. are NOT permanent once withdrawal begins but can last for extended periods of time for many. Some folks have no issues when withdrawing, mostly those who have properly tapered over time. I hate this drug and how it affected me, although I am much better now at almost 6 months cold turkey but still notice some side effects. I now sleep much better, although I still have nights, where an over the counter sleep aid helps. Best of luck to everyone here, just do what's right for you and you will overcome in time. You might find this piece on withdrawal symptoms helpful as well. God Bless you all!
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2 ReactionsDo you think the side effect continued after you stopped taking Klonopin. I don't know of any side effects I had. It worked well for what it was prescribed for and I miss it, yet I realize it is not good to take it long-term and I look forward to not being dependent on a drug.
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1 ReactionThank you for that reply. I realized the insomnia is due to the taper. It has been slow enough that I have not had severe problems. I also know my brain will heal in time. I, too, tried trazodone years ago for anxiety and it made me feel awful. My doctor offered a tricyclic antidepressant but I simply don't want to take any more psychiatric drugs. I have booked an acupuncture appointment and have names for a sleep medicine expert as well as a CBT-I person. I feel I am on the right track and this website has been a God-send.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsWhen I first started having severe anxiety, I was prescribed Lexapro as well as Xanax at bedtime. Later the Xanax was switched to Klonopin. I took 1mg at bedtime and never increased the dose. At the time, I feel these drugs were necessary for me to function. In time, I have learned other ways to cope with anxiety. I have not been on an antidepressant since 2014, and I don't want to revisit them. At the time, they were needed. When these drugs were prescribed, doctors had no problems with them but over time, that changed. First it was opiates, now benzos. Seldom prescribed now and strongly regulated. Most doctors seem to want us off them. I would suggest you try not to worry about the medication as it just increases your anxiety. Hopefully you have a psychologist to work with and someone to manage your medications.
Good stuff! Yeah, with respect to physicians, what I have found is the older physicians are the ones who still prescribe this benzo crap. The younger guys/ladies do not, my primary (young guy) said as much and I have found that to be true. As a precaution, I saw a neurlogist two weeks ago, to just make sure, my tremors weren't the result of something more serious, although I strongly suspected it was the klonopin. After giving me a thourgh exam, he said, he agreed with me, the klonopin was most likely the cause. Asked me why this sleep doc gave me that medicine as he was frankly surprised. I told him it was due to off/on insomnia I had and he couldn't believe he prescribed this. He did say he prescribes this med (old guy too), however, fairly rare. So 3 docs could not understand why I was ever given this med, go figure. Neurologist told me to just stay away from physicians, thought he was joking but then I realized he was serious. Reminded me of what my God son ( a physician) had told me a while back, be your own advocate. He said he was shocked at what he sees in his profession and being at top of his class at Harvard, he's the brightest of the bright, so I take what he said to heart. Best to you!
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1 ReactionMy first psychiatrist told me to take it as long as I wanted to, or felt I needed it, and that as long as I never went over 2mg per day, I would be fine. (The most I ever took was 1.5mg and that was not that often). He did not tell me how difficult is was to get off of it or the brain changes that might occur with long term use. He just kept prescribing it and I was glad it worked for me. It was only when I moved from FL to GA that my doctors started questioning me and telling me it was a bad drug. How could it be if it worked so well for my insomnia? I did not know of any side effects. I'm happy to be at the end of my taper and I cannot believe it has been 7 months since I started that. I'm holding at .125mg for now, but I don't think that low of a dose does much. At least I know when I quit, I should not have any problems that I have not already encountered.
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1 ReactionBecause everyone to is taking Xanax.
Continue taking care of your husband. Don't worry about meds right now. You have enough on your plate. Any doctor worth anything will recognize that.
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1 ReactionI was tortured too.
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1 ReactionI have not quit benzos only Klonopin. I take Alprazolam. I also take 200 mg of Zoloft my dosage alprazolam is .5 mg three times a day since I was 15 yrs old. I will be 50 often find myself wondering what would’ve been had someone let my brain be mine.
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