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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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I don’t want to taper off Clonazepam. I am already on. Propranolol for a heart arrhythmia and my cardiologist said adding or changing a beta blocker would not be effective or wise. I am glad it is working for you. Thank you.
Sorry. I thought you said you were tapering clonazepam and ambien.
Thank you - you’re a kind person I can tell! I am now 62 years old - I might have hit the wrong key! I am still holding strong with staying at the half dose - it is now 1 full week down! I can’t say I sleep the best but the Buspirone is helping. My issue that wakes me up is that I have a torn rotator cuff from over doing the weights before Christmas - I have no pain during the day but it’s one of those nagging injuries that I’m working on - I will know if I need surgery after I get an MRI done in May. Canadian medical system is very slow! I don’t want to take anything for the pain cause I don’t want to get hooked on that too! I have really cut down on cardio which I suspect didn’t help my sleep - I miss it though. I’ m working on a lot at the same time! I’m gonna win though!
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3 ReactionsI hope you have found resolve for this! You should have never been taken off clonazepam. Did you find a new Dr to give you back clonazepam?
Contrary to what many believe clonazepam can be taken for your entire life.
Everyone reacts differently to any medication. I suffer no side effects and have never increased my dosage in 30 years.
Just read the side effects from other medications and I think they can be far worse.
Just realize what works for one person doesn’t work for someone else.
Just find what works for you and stick with it. The descent in to depression is very gradual and by the time you hit bottom it can take 6-8 weeks to get the medication back in your system. That can be a very long and painful 6 weeks for you and your loved ones.
Depression is no different than having diabetes or other diseases. Left untreated it does not end well. I lost my wife to diabetes because she chose to not take care of herself. It was a painful way to go.
Medication for depression has come a long way and combined with exercise and a healthy lifestyle you can live a very fulfilling life.
Good luck to everyone out there.