What is the best way to taper off Klonopin?

Posted by kittymama @kittymama, Apr 7, 2019

Can anyone tell me the best way to taper off Klonopin? I feel it does nothing for my anxiety

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@jakedduck1

@laurine7
The max dose of Klonopin is 20 mg.
Jake

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I’ve never taken Klonopin, I never heard of these amounts. Yikes!

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@laurine7

Does Diazepam (Valium) cause falling? I know Lorazepam does, have read that many different places.

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Yes diazepam does cause falling. All the Benzos do especially with older people. We don’t metabolize like we used to.

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@jakedduck1

@archermac15
A compounding pharmacy is likely your best option provided your physician is willing to give you a prescription for the dosage you feel comfortable with and an adequate time frame between cuts.
Jake

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I don't think he's going to be willing to do that. He used to be a detox doctor and he's detoxed people with Phenobarbital and all the other detox medication in a month time frame. He's going to tell me to go to a detox hospital.

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@archermac15

I don't think he's going to be willing to do that. He used to be a detox doctor and he's detoxed people with Phenobarbital and all the other detox medication in a month time frame. He's going to tell me to go to a detox hospital.

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@archermac15
I agree with @sears on the detox issue.
If your doctor told me to go to a detox center I wouldn't hesitate to tell him/her in no uncertain terms exactly where they could go. I think your doctor needs to be reminded who he's working for. It shouldn'matter how you get off the drug. I'd never go to a detox facility.
Ask him what percentage of
his detoxed patients came out withdrawal symptom-free.
Although it doesn't always work I believe that your best and least expensive chance for a successful taper is by tapering very slowly and if possible without adding additional drugs. Going slow will ease if not get rid of any unwanted effects.
Jake

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@jakedduck1

@archermac15
I agree with @sears on the detox issue.
If your doctor told me to go to a detox center I wouldn't hesitate to tell him/her in no uncertain terms exactly where they could go. I think your doctor needs to be reminded who he's working for. It shouldn'matter how you get off the drug. I'd never go to a detox facility.
Ask him what percentage of
his detoxed patients came out withdrawal symptom-free.
Although it doesn't always work I believe that your best and least expensive chance for a successful taper is by tapering very slowly and if possible without adding additional drugs. Going slow will ease if not get rid of any unwanted effects.
Jake

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I agree, but he has gone and cut me off from 4mg down to 2mg without even thinking about tapering me down. This was about 2 years ago. Lucky for me I was using only 2mg at that time. I sometimes took the other 2mg with Excedrin migraine pills when I had migraines, but I stopped taking Klonopin with the Excedrin migraine pills. I am 53 and have a lot of health problems so I thought maybe I should try this when I tackle some of these issues, but I recently quit the antidepressant he was giving me, Lexapro, and I feel even more depressed, and Benzos cause depression, so I thought, I should start on a slow detox if it doesn't hurt. You said you cut your pills yourself? At which dose did you decide to jump off at?

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@laurine7

I can't imagine anyone taking it twice a week and having withdrawal. I am down to .125 after 8 months of tapering with Klonopin from Lorazepam. Has been a long and horrible time to get off the benzodiazepine poison. I will cut .125 in half after one week, then 1/2 again and I am going to celebrate. Can't tell you how many different medications I have been on for all the side effects I HAVE SUFFERED TO GET OFF this "BLACK BOX WARNING LABEL" drug.

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Hi Laurie, did you say you used a compounding pharmacy? Does Klonopin come in .125 mg? I've been on Klonopin for 16 years, I was on 2mg, and a few months ago I went down to 1mg, but I have chronic migraines and every now and then take Excedrin migraine with 2mg Klonopin and then the 1mg for bed. I'm 53 and in menopause and all the bad symptoms that comes with it, and I have chronic pain, plus I recently developed severe Restless leg syndrome, so I've been given different medications to try that won't cause me chest pain. The last 6 months have been extremely difficult, so I don't know if now is the best time to detox off of Klonopin but since I quit my antidepressant, Lexapro, I feel even more depressed and I know Klonopin is making it worse, I would like to get off of it. I know the best way is to go really slow. My Psychiatrist won't detox me according to the Ashton manual, so I was hoping that I could do it myself with my own pills. I have 1mg pills. At which dose are you on now?

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@archermac15

Hi, I've been on Klonopin for 16 years. I went down from 2mg to 1mg several months ago. I really want to get off. I thought of going into a rehab, but with the pandemic, I don't know if they are even open. The way you are doing it sounds like a pain free way. But how do you get the pills in such low increments. I have a lot of 1mg pills.

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You can get .125, lowest MG Klonopin comes in. Buy a pill cutter at drug store. Not exact when cutting pills in half, I always took the larger half and saved the other for down the road. I started Klonopin at .5 MG to get off Lorazepam 6 MG. Took me almost 10 months and now nothing, it has been three days and so far no problems. I don't know where I will go if I start having any problems from finally being off all Benzodiazepines. It has not been pain free, only sleeping 3 to 4 hours every night which I had been taking for a few months. Sleep was such a big problem and I think it is for everyone tapering off Benzos. Laurine

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@archermac15

I agree, but he has gone and cut me off from 4mg down to 2mg without even thinking about tapering me down. This was about 2 years ago. Lucky for me I was using only 2mg at that time. I sometimes took the other 2mg with Excedrin migraine pills when I had migraines, but I stopped taking Klonopin with the Excedrin migraine pills. I am 53 and have a lot of health problems so I thought maybe I should try this when I tackle some of these issues, but I recently quit the antidepressant he was giving me, Lexapro, and I feel even more depressed, and Benzos cause depression, so I thought, I should start on a slow detox if it doesn't hurt. You said you cut your pills yourself? At which dose did you decide to jump off at?

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@archermac15
when I finally quit which probably took over two years at the end I was literally taking tiny chips of Klonapin then cutting the chips in half. It’s been such a long time ago over 30 years ago at least its hard to remember accurately.
Jake

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@fluffykitty

@kittymama Hi, I also am tapering off Klondpin after 20 years. I started around October 2018. I took 1.5mg at night. I just no longer need it but was scared to go off. But decided to taper and to my surprise I am still not having any withdrawals that are hard to deal with. I am going down 10% of the pill every 2 to 3 weeks. That is very slow, but with good results. Just a little sleeplessness once in a while. But I am also taking melatonin 5mgs at night. I am currently at .125mg. I am very happy with my taper. The slower, the better my doctor said. And when I get to the last dose, he said take it every other night. It’s tedious to cut that last 1/2 pill but so worth going slow. Best wishes to you.

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How were you able to ten percent cuts each time

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@jakedduck1

@archermac15
when I finally quit which probably took over two years at the end I was literally taking tiny chips of Klonapin then cutting the chips in half. It’s been such a long time ago over 30 years ago at least its hard to remember accurately.
Jake

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@jakedduck1 , I know you said that you didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. I'm wondering if it's because you did it over the course of 2 years. And it was 30 years ago so you were really young. I'm already 53 and have a lot of pain. I'm on 1mg pretty much. I'm wondering if I tapered over 2 years, could I get away with going through all that pain. I want to get off, but I recently developed Restless Leg Syndrome in my legs, arms and torso in addition to Neuropathy in my fingers and feet. Before I just had chronic pain in my neck and back and was preparing for a surgery. Gosh, I wish I would have detoxed back then.
Do you remember which dose you stopped at. I know you said you were using crumbs at the end, but if you had to guess?

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