Getting off Klonopin (clonazepam)

You have to find a psychiatrist who will help you taper off. I’ve been taking clonazepam for 30 years. We recently moved from Vermont to Pittsburgh. For 22 years in Vermont my PCP kept renewing my prescription. Now suddenly I’m in a system that insists that I have to get off it. I’m 73 years old and I have CFS along with many other health issues. I’m on a quest to find a psychiatrist who will let me keep taking it. At my age it would be sheer hell for years. I refuse to go through that. You can’t do it yourself.

You have to find a psychiatrist who will help you taper off. I’ve been taking clonazepam for 30 years. We recently moved from Vermont to Pittsburgh. For 22 years in Vermont my PCP kept renewing my prescription. Now suddenly I’m in a system that insists that I have to get off it. I’m 73 years old and I have CFS along with many other health issues. I’m on a quest to find a psychiatrist who will let me keep taking it. At my age it would be sheer hell for years. I refuse to go through that. You can’t do it yourself.

I’m 75 and just came off of tests ling use of klonopin. I used the Ashton Manual and did a water taper. You can do it if you do it very slowly. I figured I wanted to do it on my terms before I got forced off. You are already facing that prospect. It seems you need to seriously consider tapering before someone just pulls you off.

I’m 75 and just came off of tests ling use of klonopin. I used the Ashton Manual and did a water taper. You can do it if you do it very slowly. I figured I wanted to do it on my terms before I got forced off. You are already facing that prospect. It seems you need to seriously consider tapering before someone just pulls you off.

I’m 75 and just came off of tests ling use of klonopin. I used the Ashton Manual and did a water taper. You can do it if you do it very slowly. I figured I wanted to do it on my terms before I got forced off. You are already facing that prospect. It seems you need to seriously consider tapering before someone just pulls you off.

I 86 years old and have been on Clonazapam for about 4 years. The doctor who performed spinal surgery put me on it but my internal medicine doctor said I really did not need it so she reduced it to 1.0 mg per day. Well, I really did not want to be on it, so I reduced it to .5 per day without her permission, In fact, I
reduced it without anyone’s permission, However, I
have had some strange symptoms such as hearing music playing and sometimes people talking in another room. I was freaking out until my daughter told me those sounds were from the Clonazapam so I started ignoring them. I have not heard the sounds recently but now I am concerned about stopping it completely. However, at the age of 86, does it really matter? I doubt whether I will live past 90 and since the sounds I hear on occasion aren’t life threatening, I think perhaps I should just keep taking the .5 every evening. Anyone disagree!
PS. Until I read your post, I was not even aware that there was a dose lower then .5 mg. In fact, my local drug store told me that they no longer carried any .5 and I had to call around to see if any other drug store kept the .5 in stock and I finally found one that did. Strange, isn’t it!??

I 86 years old and have been on Clonazapam for about 4 years. The doctor who performed spinal surgery put me on it but my internal medicine doctor said I really did not need it so she reduced it to 1.0 mg per day. Well, I really did not want to be on it, so I reduced it to .5 per day without her permission, In fact, I
reduced it without anyone’s permission, However, I
have had some strange symptoms such as hearing music playing and sometimes people talking in another room. I was freaking out until my daughter told me those sounds were from the Clonazapam so I started ignoring them. I have not heard the sounds recently but now I am concerned about stopping it completely. However, at the age of 86, does it really matter? I doubt whether I will live past 90 and since the sounds I hear on occasion aren’t life threatening, I think perhaps I should just keep taking the .5 every evening. Anyone disagree!
PS. Until I read your post, I was not even aware that there was a dose lower then .5 mg. In fact, my local drug store told me that they no longer carried any .5 and I had to call around to see if any other drug store kept the .5 in stock and I finally found one that did. Strange, isn’t it!??

Ive been on 1mg of Clonazepam for about 8 to 10 years. I moved from my home state 4 years ago and ive had i couple of different drs where i moved that would continue my treatment plan but both Dr's have left the practices and its just getting hard to keep changing and finding a Dr who will prescribe it. Ive been on the same dosage since i can remember but now i feel like i should just come off of it instead of worrying whether im going to find a Dr who will continue with the treatment. Im just afraid i wont taper right or ill have extreme withdrawal and the thought of seizures is terrifying - ive never abused it - i have only ever taken what a Dr told me to take for anxiety and panic which has never been over 1mg. How should i taper?

Hello, I have been taking .5 mg for years. I was put on it, because I was hearing digital Christmas card music, and it was really intrusive. My old school Psychiatrist told me it was caused by a reverberated brain circuit, which no one seems to have heard of. Clonazepam worked very effectively., and the music stopped. A year or so ago, I wanted to switch to Lorazepam for other reasons. My Doctor made the change, however, she did not taper me off, and I had the worst withdrawal effects. I had been taking eight tablets per day, and it was like coming off heroin or something. As I have three brain injuries, I have forgotten now exactly what those effects were, but I can tell you it was one of the worst experiences in my life, and I do know that it affected my nervous system. I had to go on Clonidine to help with the withdrawal symptoms. It helped tremendously. I ended up not being able to wean off Clonazepam entirely, though I take half of what I had been taking, but I’m still taking 0.1 mg of Clonidine. I don’t want to go through an experience like that ever again. It should be noted that I am taking a lot of medication for various issues, including narcotic pain medications. I hope this helps somewhat. I wouldn’t come off it, but that’s your choice. If you do want to, then ask your Doctor about what he or she thinks of Clonidine to lessen the severity of the withdrawal effects. Best wishes!! 💜

I think you are right! At the age of 86, I think I will continue taking the .5 mg pill of Clonazapam before bedtime together with 200 mg of Gabapentin because it helps me to sleep for about 7 to 8 hours each night and I need that sleep. Even though I am quite old, I still have a lot of energy, I still clean
and decorate my 2 bedroom townhouse, cook my own meals , attend weekly Bible Study at the Club House, attend Sunday Mass, play my favorite game of Scrabble at the Club house,continue to visit my 62 year old developmentally disabled daughter every Tuesday and last Thanksgiving I flew down to Bell Buckle Tenn, all by myself (with my Rollator) and I continue to keep busy (with the help of God) and live a rather happy life. My only regret is that I am no longer able to drive due to my right leg still being too weak but with the help of friends and a local cab company, I still get around. And so, my suffering friends, it is all about attitude. Try to be thankful for what you can do and not dwell on what you cannot do and try to live as busy and happy a life as possible. Don’t be bitter,,,…. ………..
be better.