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Klonopin taper
I have been on some kind of benzo for almost 40 yrs. I am trying to taper from 1.5-2 mgs of klonopin daily . Began in mid may 2017 and my last cut was very small on 7-2-17 to get to 1mg. Honestly feels like i am dying. I also take trazodone 75 mgs and 4 drugs for high blood pressure. I have been researching gabapentin and seroquel to help with the withdrawal symptons. Please offer any suggestions or help. I am 69 yrs old and cant even leave my house to visit my kids and grands. Thank you for any help!
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iamunwell
I took Klonopin for treatment-resistant seizures. I took 18mg a day which is nearly the daily maximum.
I you decrease your dose slowly enough you probably won't have any withdrawals. I didn't have withdrawals except some very minor ones at the end that were easily stopped. Stop it VERY SLOWLY, and I can't emphasize slowly enough, and you probably won't have any withdrawals.
Take care,
Jake
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2 Reactions....oh i had a break from mayo and back on and i forgot my post 2023 I am completely off Klonopin/Clonazepam in Canada after about 15 yrs on it originally to help me sleep and i just kept taking one at bedtime. I got myself off Zoloft - it was horrible and i spent months mostly in my bedroom... then on and off Clonazepam and decided to break the one pill a day (sometimes had taken more) into 4, so tiny, but I took less and less and it took me over a year ... it was no fun ... the horrid dr who made me leave his pracdtice left town i had no dr for 2 yrs during this, but nurse practitioner put me back on i could still be on it for rest of life, am a senior, but my goal was to get off it and i had NO help... it was a rocky road for me and small family... i still dont know if it was worth it ... am proud I did it but life has not been quite the same. I am a bit better but havent slept well since .... i suppose I cant have it both ways! J.
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1 ReactionThanks for your courageous story JVS.
I have been taking Suboxone to help me stay away from other opioids. I've been sober 15 plus years now.
I've tapered my dose about as low as it will go w/o withdrawal symptoms. I'm 71 y/o and have decided I'm just going to stay on it and not go through withdrawal. That happened once after I hadn't taken SubX for 3 days. It was horrible. This presents a challenge after surgery as opioids have no pain-reducing affect on me.
At this age, I'm ok with staying on the drug, as much as I'd like to not be taking it.
All the best to you, and thanks so much for sharing. It really helped me.
Joe
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1 ReactionThanks Joe. Just wanted to add that i was without a doctor for two years before getting the nurse practitioner and had to beg for the continuation of the Clonazepam/Rivotril.... pharmacist said go to Emerge where I spent five hours and 3 drs before I got a month supply and he said: you cannot keep coming here , get a doctor: well was on a list for 2 yrs. Another time a Dr. gave me 9 pills. Another time was interviewed by a female Dr. and I said: I feel like a pill seeker. She said.. you are. So although the new nursepractitoner was ready to give them to me for rest of live I decide to get off them.. but as I said, it was such a terrible journey and I now agree with you, may have been better to just continue with them.... all the best to you too. One of my adult daughers has been on Zoloft for 15 yrs and I am not sure what to suggest to her, stay on for life or taper off as I did and put up with the suffering ..!!!! (ps I got off Zoloft after diagnosis of Normal Tension Glaucoma. Take care, J.