What is the best way to taper off Klonopin?

Never heard music, for me it was mostly central nervous system issues which cause tingling, tremors, vibrations so I can understand your toes acting up. I just think getting off through appropriate tapering is best for anyone on these meds, but that's just my opinion from my experience.

I am on .5 mg clonazepam and have been for about 20 years. I take it at bedtime. I can't say I have any negative stuff going on, but my Dr retired and my new one doesn't want to continue it. I started it for panic and, oftentimes, wonder if I even need it anymore, so I'm open to stopping. I see a psychiatrist that my new dr set me up with next week. I'm hoping she will make a plan for a slow tapering, but am anxious at the idea of all of it and hearing horror stories about how hard it is to come off. To think, 6 months ago, I was living life large the way I always have, feeling great and now I've been thrust into all of these unknowns and fears. Panic is what I started the meds for and now I'm panicking at the thought of horrible withdrawal.

I so get your panic. My prior psychiatrist prescribed me .5 clonazepam and 5 mg ambien for 6 years. Now I have to get off these drugs. My new doctor is giving me trazadone and slowly tapering me off ambien first. I am sure the new MD will make you a plan but go slowly. I have also read that at an older age, I am 71, it might just be ok to not mess with .5 as it is hard to titrate off this. What will replace the clonazepam for sleep?
Best of luck. I have develpoed dry eyes and need to come off these drugs.

.5 mg is low. That’s what I take in the morning. And 1 mg at 4:00. Don’t ask me why 4:00 pm.
Is there anything under .05 available? When I was inpatient at a hospital for internal bleeding due to Coumadin poisoning they didn’t give me the .5 or the 1mg at 4:00. For 2 months I laid there bleeding to death and never received a Klonopin but I sure as hell missed it. It was a nightmare. You can’t quit cold turkey! Dumb doctor.

This happened to me as well. My primary care doc stopped prescribing it and referred me to a young psychiatrist who was very against any benzos, especially taken for a long time (almost 20 years for me) and in the elderly (I am a young, active 64 year old). I took it only for sleep and nocturnal panic attacks and it worked like a charm. Never increased the dose - 1 mg at night with occasional half if I woke at 2:00 or 3am. I am down to .25mg and we have tapered very slowly. The first few tapers were fairly uneventful but when I went from .5 to .25, it has been really hard. I have felt more daytime anxiety and irritability, night sweats, insomnia about one night a week. I'm determined to see this through and I do think I will be better in the long run and allow my CNS to heal from years of dependence on Klonopin. But I will miss it. I have been tapering for 7 months and have about another month to go. The doctor thinks that at this low of a dose, I could just quit. But I think I need to cut my 1/2 pill into a 1/4pill for the final taper. They do make a .0125 dissolvable tablet but I'm told it is hard to find. Good luck - I don't think it has to be horrible for you if taken very slowly.

I am currently tapering off Klonopin after almost 20 years. I took Ambien before that but it did nothing for my night panic attacks. I would wake up drenching in sweat and shaking. It worked like a charm but my psychiatrist (a new young doc) convinced me it was a bad drug, especially in the elderly, and so I am coming off. It has not been horrible, but this last taper from .5-.25 was the hardest. As for sleep, it has been rough during the taper but I am trying meditation and supplements of magnesium, zinc and L-theanine as well as an occasional antihistamine or .5 melatonin. They are not as effective as the Klonopin was. It seemed like the perfect drug for me, until I was told it wasn't. He suggested Remeron for sleep but it is tricyclic antidepressant that has to be taken every night and there are nights I sleep well so we are holding off for now. I'm hoping to develop a better relationship with sleep so I don't depend on a drug. But sleep is important and if the insomnia gets worse than just once a week bad night, I can deal.

Thank you so much for your reply. I know everyone is different, but it sure helps to hear a story of someone who has been on it as long as I have. It seems that a lot of people who have been on it for less time have really struggled. I really would like to let it go. I just am afraid of going back into a constant panic, especially if I start having horrible symptoms. Again thank you. I needed someone to relate to. I hope the best for you going forward.

Thank you. I'd like to be off of it, but I honestly never felt that way before. 8 months ago I walked into my Dr's office and walked back out with my script like I had for 20 years and then he abruptly retired leaving my head spinning. I should have been looking for it since he was 77. I wasn't though. I just need some time to wrap my head around all of it. I wish the best for you too.

Totally agree with cutting in quarters. My pcp wanted a faster wean from Ativan, but I went more slowly. After 6 months, I’m benzo free!!

I am 80 years old. My psychiatrist would like me to taper off Clonazepam 0.5 MG (Klonopin). I take it daily, and have been about 6-years. What is the safest way to taper?