Getting off Klonopin (clonazepam)

It sounds like you are going through a lot. I really hope things improve for you. It seems your doctor would want to help you feel better. Have you asked about options? I have a primary that I trust and admire. It gives me much peace of mind. It’s actually my neurologist who prescribed the clonazepam. He’s a pain specialist.

You’re right about prescriptions getting harder to get. As you know they have done the same with opioids. The docs seemed to have replaced pain meds for even post surgical patients with Tylenol. The government wants to control all the medications now . Google the Ashton Manual. It’s the best benzo tapering method there is right now. Doctors are just very anxious to unprescribe even to those that truly need their medication. It’s inhumane.

It's gotten to the point where I'm writing letters to my political representatives--you know, the uber-wealthy people who serve their wealthy promoters. It has helped me in the past, and it gives me a reason the be.

I'm now taking 0.5 mg Alprazolam after decades of taking 2 mg of Clonazepan with some Ambien often taken as well; note: had been living overseas and doc's were prescribing the stuff like candy. The 0.5 mg Alprazolam does pretty much nothing for me except for possibly acting as a placebo for my severe social anxiety. With the tremors I get from Parkinson's, it's often difficult for me to differentiate an anxiety attack from a bad PD day, and to top it off I need to be watchful of rapidly changing moods due to being Bipolar. Yeah, I'm a royal mess, overwhelmed by too many feelings and emotions bouncing around in my head and body. I came back to the states to file a claim for both Agent Orange exposure in VN and toxic drinking water from my time stationed at Camp Lejeune. At 73, I'm still working because the government took 10% out of my Social Security for each year that I didn't have Medicare Part B--useless for an expat who never expected to return to the US, and now I need to take care at work lest I be reported by my fellow fascist co-workers tell management that I'm 'unwell.' So, here I am trying to tytrate off Benzo's while wishing I could get my hands on a higher dose. At work, I'm getting paranoid and being reclusive, and by the time I get home, I'm too agitated to enjoy time with my wife. I don't even know where to begin. My main complaint is that healthcare in the US continues to worsen--more and more expensive, with fewer providers willing to take on new patients. Also, I live in CA where my wife is licensed to practice (burnt out on her job), yet the cost of living is getting way out of hand; we pay nearly $4 K/month for rent, are unable to save up enough to move, and have no plans beyond making it from day to day on survival mode. We both worked hard our entire lives and now have become redundant; I'm currently training interns (most of them working for free) what they'll need to learn in order to take over my job for half the pay. I was talking about getting myself off of Benzodiazepines, and now I wish I could get my hands on.... no, can't think of that; my wife would be devastated.

I am fed up with everyone gonna be a dope head. Doctors can monitor the meds. Pharmacies trace the meds. If they are abused do something about them. I dont abuse anything as I dont want a pill to control me. I have enough problems with insomnia controlling me. The effort should be spent of drug addicts, they are the problem for all of us.

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?

Hi there

I can relate to your post…I’ve been on klonopin for years..small dose for GAD…I don’t feel like I’m addicted to it…doesn’t really act the same on me as say, Xanax or Valium. It’s a longer acting med very good for general anxiety as well as some OCD…I take a .5 nightly.. it seems to really help…

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?

You go guy. I am on that same mission. I have been writing and emailing government and telling my young doctors that can write their own scripts what needs to happen (I am respectful). I went to a neurologist to see if I have dementia because I forget and cant cut my brain off. We did all kind of tests. He said to tell my psy. I am not crazy, dont have dementia. I have a problem with life being too much for the this person (me). Family, death, the worlds crazies, pain everywhere on my body, and more. He said I needed to tell the doctor that there are very good reasons to have insomnia and anxiety in my case and I do need some help.

I am so glad I saw your writing and I am not the only person raising hell. I am 70+ and the elderly definitly should have quality of their last 10 years of life.

Hi everybody
I just joined this forum and I am very grateful.
I was on Klonopin 0.5 mg for about 10 yrs. My family doctor prescribed it because I had experienced multiple losses one by one and had anxiety issues.
Long story short- my family doctor retired and new doctor on our first visit told me - no more Klonopin and to stop it in 2 weeks. She prescribed Wellbutrin,which I don’t want to take.
I took a month to tapper it down and stopped a week ago. Having hard time with withdrawal symptoms.
My question is about LTheanine Serene Supplement.
It was recommended to me by grief counselor some time ago.
I know I will need help with my anxiety.