I am having a VERY difficult time with Klonipin withdrawal

Hi @lisalynn, Sorry to hear you are struggling to get off of Klonopin. There are a couple of discussions you might find helpful for suggestions.
--- Getting off Klonapin (klonazapam): https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/getting-off-klonapin-klonazapam/
--- Klonopin taper: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/klonopin-taper/.

The American Addiction Center also has some information that might help here:
--- Clonazepam Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline & Detox Treatment
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/clonazepam
Hope this helps!

I was given “Pregabalin” for nerve pain due to a mild case of shingles . I’ve been on Clonazepam ( klonopin) since 2014 when my dad passed … tried to come off of them after 4 months of refills .. cold turkey ? I didn’t know anything about wds ? Lol I soon found out ! I can only describe it as someone kicking me through the gates of hell .. so I tried tapering for 9 months . That was torture !!! Every two weeks when I would just get used to that certain dosage I was back in wds again .. it was like having the flu for one week .. but after like 10 ( 1 week flus ) I couldn’t take it anymore and I’m sure my husband can vouch for that as well as my co workers ( depressed ? Wasn’t the same person )
However , getting back to the present . I was prescribed like I said at the beginning “ Pregabalin” well , I guess it helped my nerve pain all along my back and shoulder. Under armpits . Where the rash had been . But after taking it for 2 weeks it seemed to be now in my system . I felt calm ? Things that used to worry me to no end , even with clonazepam? We’re gone .. I found that I was taking my clonazepam but after a few days I noticed that I wasn’t counting them or even going to grab one ? Went a few days without them ? I took a quarter of a piece each day …now I’ve never heard of this drug . I’ve heard of “Gabapentin “ and this would be in the same family .. but wow ? Now maybe it won’t last ? But if it at least takes me to the point that I’m over the time period for wds from clonazepam? Idc ? It really has helped my anxiety .. I feel like cleaning and rearranging my furniture again ? Making sure that dishes are always done .. things that I haven’t been interested in over 10 yrs ..I would force myself ? But mostly my husband would do them .. so I’ve tried and read up on every drug out there to help me with benzo wds .. nothing came remotely close to this drug ..I called my dr 2 weeks later and asked him ( before checking Google ) can this drug taking for nerve pain also make me less worried , anxious and not needing my clonazepam??? He said “ yes “ some people have reported that they felt calmer with this drug or gabapentin as well..and yes .,hed much rather see me on this drug or one similar than clonazepam… so he sent in for another refill .. and raised my dosage for now .. so I’ll see what happens ? I only take 400 mgs per day but he told me that there are people who are taking 36,00 mgs per day .. I’m sure that’s what he said as I told him my dad was taking 900 mgs a day of gabapentin, I thought that was a lot . Anyway so far so good . I’m sleeping perfect ! And happy to get out during the day ..I just feel like I did 10 yrs before I started taking clonazepam.. the only reason I stayed on it ( bc it wasn’t helping me ) but it was the horrible wds so I had no choice . Now I’m not sure if this one is addictive too ? But according to my dr he’d much rather see me on this one if it’s helping my overall mental health . I’d have to say it’s a miracle drug for me . So happy I came down with shingles ?? 😂😂❤️❤️.

Please keep in mind how addictive this drug is and you will eventually have to taper this one too. The withdrawal is similar to benzodiazepines.

Oh great !! Ty the doctor didn’t tell me that ! So I’m
Only taking it for nerve pain right now .. and it does work ? I just was amazed that I found something that does not make me use clonazepam. But the most he’ll Llow is 3 (75) mgs Per day .. so I’ll talk to him about the addiction part .. I’m just curious if now after so many days of not taking clonazepam … I had no wds ? So I’ve been on this drug for shingles (3 weeks ) Just curious how bad the wds would be ? And would I start going through the clonazepam wds instead ? But they’d must be out of my system now? Lol kind of weird situation . But I’m just going to see what happens over the next couple of days ? I’m going to just try 2 pregabalin today
And just see how bad the wds are after taking 3 (75) mgs per day after 3 weeks ? Could be interesting? I’ll let you know it’s just I’ve never had another pill that has ever taken Hall with drawl symptoms from clonazepam away. Not one bad thought but also the pre-Gabalin Does seem to give me a very calm feeling even right now I just woke up I’m retired and 55 by the way lol but I just woke up and I mean after 10 years I didn’t take a Clonazepam and I didn’t take a pre-Gabalin and wow here I am on absolutely nothing for the last three hours since I woke up. So yeah might be too good to be true that’s right but we’ll see what happens I’ll keep you updated. I’m sorry if you kind of have to read between the lines with this message I can’t find my reading glasses ha ha ha sorry never thought I’d be saying that thanks for the advice I didn’t get into the into the pre-Gabalin addiction part too much yet but I was going to read on that one today because I know they are addictive I’ve heard that before. Thank you will let you know👍👍

Hi Lisa, I also recently went through the extremely difficult & disorienting Klonopin withdrawals after 15 yrs for my Social Phobia, Panic Attacks, & Anxiety struggles. I am very new to this site/forum so I apologize that I am unclear on how best to communicate to you some lessons I now understand much better. ? Can I send you a private message, email, text ??? I hope I can I help. Joseph H. jheatherly19@yahoo.com

Yes keep in touch and always research any med before taking. Your doctor was remiss by not letting you know about withdrawal from this drug. This is what happened to most of us with the Benzos. The doctors left out the dependence part and we trusted them. Most of of here trust no doctors now. Don’t let your doctor put you on an antidepressant either without doing your own research first and deciding on your own if it’s worth the risk. I say this because doctors hand these antidepressant scripts out like candy since Benzos have become demonized.

Oh def . Agree lol yes , benzos and opioids ? Not much difference with the wd cycle !! My dad died 10 yrs ago and nobody told me that they were addictive or what would happen if I took extra ( which I did ) and after that refill . I went back in and told him that they actually made me feel better so he took me off of Ativan ( lorazepam) and gave me about 2 refills for clonazepam ( klonopin) he explained from same family .. just stays in your system a little conger and won’t feel the effects right away though..fine with me .. so you can all imagine how the story went when I started to take extra during the day ( didn’t follow the orders ) asked him to increase it bc I found that it wasn’t working as well .. so he gave me another .5 mgs per day .. than ? I decided I was better ? Omg ?2-3 days felt like I was going crazy ? Just stared at ceiling and could only watch shows like ( threes company ) mindless shows that’s it ? Couldn’t eat , couldn’t drive couldn’t stop crying ? I thought I was going through a nervous breakdown . Paranoid , started thinking about all of the bad stuff or weird stuff I’ve ever said to anyone ? Right back to primary , I started crying bc I fell off of merry go round and the kids laughed or whatever bc I wasn’t tough enough ? Lol that’s how bad the wds are !! And I didn’t even know for 3 days ? Until I looked up clonazepam on Google ( first time ever ) omg ? At least I knew I wasn’t going crazy ..but would this end ? Or am I stuck on cpam for ever ? That was 10 years ago . I just picked up my monthly refill ? So this is one I guess I’m taking with me ? The only thing now is I’ve been taking 2 (75mgs) per day of pregabalin? For shingles ? But they have also made me not reach for my purse to get a cpam ? For 2 weeks now .. the one day I took a 1/4 of cpam and the rest of day nothing . Didn’t feel any different . Except wanted to go out visiting and cleaning and shopping ? So if this stays like this ? Wow I even gave up my zopliclone? I took one before bed . I’m tired now and just fall asleep without even trying ! Asked dt and 3 pharmacy’s about it . They all said the same . It has been known to work but usually only used as a tapering process while trying to come off of benzos.. never seen it used completely instead of with (5) days under your belt and not one wd symptom ? Then I won’t have them . The wd from pregabalin is much easier than benzos …however ? Do I want to come off of these ? I feel great ! I can’t explain it ? The worry at night is gone ? I just feel very calm but also want to get up and clean !! Lol we’ll see I guess ? Can’t be any worse than taking the cpam for the rest of my life ? But I put the refill on top shelf . I’m not giving them up until I see how this all plays out . So far so good ..

I’m in the middle of klonopin withdrawal too. I’ve taken it for 12 years. I’ve tapered from 0.5 now I’m on O.125 2x day. My hardest symptom is the insomnia. My doctor gave me Gabapentin to sleep and it made me worse. I had panic attacks and didn’t sleep. I’m now on vistaril for sleep. It worked in the beginning but now it wears off.
I’m just wondering what my next taper will be? My doctor seems to think I’ll be done after my next visit! That’s in a few weeks! I’m really nervous.
Any advice would be great.
Thank you

First of all, you should never have been taken off 3 pills to none. That is cruel. A very slow taper of Klonopin allows your body to adjust. It is not easy at times, but it is bearable. Sudden withdrawal can even be dangerous. You need a doctor who will agree to doing it this way. I was taking 1 mg at bedtime for sleep for 18 years or so. My PCP docs stopped prescribing it and I was sent to a psychiatrist. He told me I needed to taper off it as it is now considered a bad drug. Promised me a slow taper and he held to his word. In January of this year, he had me reduce to .75mg for two months. I didn't feel much of a difference so I reduced myself to .5mg a bit early. Stayed at .5mg and other than some sleepless nights, I was generally ok. When I decreased to .375mg, I also didn't feel much difference. However, when I decreased to .25mg, I had some pretty uncomfortable symptoms, including shakiness, high blood pressure, shaky voice, sleep problems, night sweats and bad dreams. My doc had said after 2 months max at this dose, I could safely just stop. We determined in a therapy session that it was probably my anxiety around the end of our relationship (I am turning 65 and he does not take Medicare) and the end of a long time dependance on Klonopin that was causing the anxiety more than the last reduction. It has been 10 days and I am adjusting to the low dose. Sleep is better, not sweating and less shakiness. I know I can do this and so can you; but I've been at it about 6 months now to get off 1mg/day.

I hated Gabapentin also. It made me really jittery and dizzy. .125mg is a tiny dose, barely perceptible. My doctor is not even suggesting that I do that. I am currently on .25mg and have adjusted in about 10 days, but he had allowed 2 months at each dose, and then reducing. This gives my nervous system time to adjust. I occasionally take vistoril, but it is very short acting. I also take a lot of supplements that help. This includes magnesium L-threonate, Zinc, L-Theanine and occasionally 5 mg of melatonin. (all at bedtime) Good luck if you feel you need more time to adjust, tell your doctor!