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I have been in Clonazepam 0.5mg TID for 18 years
My psychiatrist retired and I was left to find a replacement. It seems there are a majority of nurse practitioners these days taking patients as providers, many do not take insurance. I found a nurse practitioner with a very good educational background. I saw her in person and she renewed the medications I was in for 6 months. Next month we had a zoom meeting and she told me she wanted me off the Ambien and Clonazepam because I would get dementia or Alzheimer’s with long term use. She insisted I start tapering against my will. I had school phobia in grade school, began having depression symptoms in my 20’s, and in my late 20’s had two major panic attacks. I have been depressed with anxiety most of my adult life. I have been hospitalized twice because of this. I have never asked for an increase in dosage of Ambien or Clonazepam fur 18 years after I found a wonderful psychiatrist who was so good at medication management.
Now, tapering Ambien and Clonazepam I have started self mutilating by picking my fingers raw until they bleed. I can’t sleep at night, I have become socially phobic. I have become isolative and often think of suicide with no plan. I am 73 years old and I think it is so cruel to put me through this when all I want is to have quality of life, not quantity. I live with my husband in adult senior living which I have not adjusted to. Taking these meds away has decreased my desire to exercise and my endurance is decreasing. My new provider told me if I didn’t want to taper my medication that I should find a new one provider. I did manage to taper the Ambien but I am down to half of the Clonazepam and feel like I can’t go on. Please help me. I am on Paxil and Wellbutrin for depression but it is anxiety and insomnia making my life miserable. I am not the same person I was a year ago.
I feel miserable, she has destroyed any quality of life I had. I really don’t want to live anymore.
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The idea is to build a blood level. If you don’t like how it affects you, you need a new medication.
Have you tried Clonazepam? Of all of the ant anxiety drugs I have been on, this is the most effective for me. That’ why I have fought so long and hard to get back to 0.5mg three times a day. If you have anxiety, like I do, that’s why I recommended Paxil. It is more sedating than many of the other anti depressants. Also, you may need more than one drug. I was on Lamictyl {used for seizures but they found it to be helpful with depression}. Your history seems complex and it sounds as if you have been on quite a few drugs. The important thing to remember is that is NEVER stop any medication abruptly. Give the medications long enough time to decrease a blood level before you decide to stop. Same when you start. It takes at least 3 weeks for your brain to adjust to getting off and getting on new psychiatric meds.
I don’t know how much more I can help you because I don’t know your past history. I wish you success in finding the therapeutic medication dose that works for you.
Jeanne
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2 Reactions@jeanne51
I did not yet good information from my doctor and I was too uninformed to do it correctly. I dropped from 150mg a day to 75mg and then stopped. I was ok for 9 months until I relapsed. I can’t find a hospital to go to in Phoenix. What kind of hospital were you in? General or Behavioral. None here take Medicare.
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1 ReactionI’m a little late to the party but I feel your pain. I was on klonopin for over 10 years & was taken off it by my doctor. I did it thru detox. But the after effects were devastating. This was 5 years ago & I am just starting to get some semblance of a realty back. It was truly debilitating. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. And I feel like you…I’m freaking 65 years old….cant I just have some good life left? I also never abused klonopin…never needed an increase. But they are dangerous drugs apparently so maybe it’s best to come off? Nah…I prefer peace. BTW mirtazapine has helped a lot. Good luck.
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4 ReactionsI am finally back on the dose of Klonopin that I was in for 18 years. I will stay on this medication until I die. At 73 years old, if I have upcoming dementia, so be it. I want quality of life NOW! The torture of tapering a medication to control my anxiety and social anxiety doesn’t magically make the anxiety disappear. I wish the FDA would not put out a blanket restriction on this drug. Each provider needs to evaluate the individual and not project what MAY happen down the road. If it is such a big deal, don’t start people with anxiety on benzodiazepines and don’t take it away from the people it works therapeutically on.
Too fast of a taper!
Most psychiatric hospitals do not take Medicare. I have a supplemental insurance, AARP United Health Care. I haven’t been hospitalized for 18 years and didn’t have this insurance at the time.
Most do not accept insurance. You need to research psychiatric hospitals, often times in a general hospital. I google a lot and find a lot of help. That’s how I found my current provider. Look up Family Care Center and see if there are any near you. They take Medicare. You will need a psychiatrist for a referral to a hospital or outpatient care. These Family Care Centers have everything you would need without hospitalization. I hope this helps. I take it you aren’t non an antidepressant now after coming off Effexor? Just Valium will not help you. You need a complete start over with a new psychiatrist.
@jeanne51
I will try to find a Family Care Center.
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2 ReactionsI hope you find one and they accept you. I really do understand how people with mental illness are so misunderstood and how poor the services they offer are. I have been in this tangled web for 50 years.
jeanne51 | @jeanne51 | 1 second ago
I hope you find one and they accept you. I really do understand how people with mental illness are so misunderstood and how poor the services they offer are. I have been in this tangled web for 50 years.