Tapering off clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)

Well I hear what u r saying nut the big word there is CAN lead to dementia....and I have been on it for 27 years so if I get completely off it now at 56 what says I'm not going to get dementia and go through this horrible horrible withdrawal so we HOPE it doesn't happen???? Do you see what I'm saying?? At this point I say do I get to live a good life without withdrawals now or go through all this and still get dementia for being on it for so many years....its a very hard decision I have to make!!

Mary,
I absolutely understand, hard to know what to do if you’re not sure which path you want to follow. Withdrawal is not pleasant. I tried to reinstate after my first tapper ended in horrible withdrawals. My first taper was going good until I got impatient and tried to speed it up. Then all hell broke loose. When my dr told me to reinstate the Klonopin it no longer worked. It did nothing for me, except turn me into a zombie with zero joy or emotion, not to mention i was sick as a dog all the time. My first taper was easy compared to what I’m going thru now. 2 totally different experiences. I really don’t understand that at all....it’s very frustrating. Continued prayers for you, may you find peace and the path that is right for you.
Peace & strength
Ann

@mmussak: Having gone through your and all the other posts, I would like to ask the same question that you posed yesterday: After 27 years and no problems why do you have to taper Clonazepam now, with all the terrible things happening to your body? I don't get it either. I am not a great admirer of Benzos, but these are legit drugs which have to be taken under certain circumstances, to alleviate a great deal of misery caused by intense anxiety. I take them myself, because I suffer from very severe and chronic anxiety and depression. These drugs should not be seen as inherently undesirable or evil; they serve a very important purpose [viz. to relieve anxiety], and are therefore prescribed much more frequently than antidepressants. If taken for a long period of time, it may not always be possible to taper them completely. The choice before you is to continue the taper with very unpredictable consequences and a great deal of suffering [and no guarantee of success], or to resume the dosage that you have taken for 27 years and lead a normal life. After all, don't people take medicines for depression, blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma [and many other chronic illnesses] for life? Anxiety is, similarly, a chronic illness, which may sometimes require medication for life, depending upon its severity etc. Please think about all these considerations and make up your mind soon. Do let me know what you think. God bless you.

@pankaj; @mmussak- I would add my agreement to @pankaj advice! I have taken 1 mg. of Clonasapam for over 20 yrs. and it gave me back my life of things that had become phobia's for me. I've never felt the need to increase the dose and life is good! Jim @thankful

I totally agree 100 percent with you but why my new psychiatrist is making me get off it is beyond me...as people say if it ain't broken dont fix it. I'm not broken I was doing great...I got referred to this dr by my dr that moved out of state and now she not even knowing me wants to change things that are not even an issue just because SHE feels I should not be taking a benzo....I did today look up a new psychiatrist and am seeing her next week...pray for me that she puts me back to normal....after all these years of just dealing with disease of anxiety and depression and now she puts me In this world wind....i pray i can get back my life i had the last 27 years soon...ty all for caring and letting me know.....you all are a gift from God for helping people with this....!!!💖💖💖

Awesome! I’m so glad you are getting a second opinion!!! You are your own best advocate. As I wrote in an earlier post I saw 3 before I found one that would work with me and not do anything crazy to me! Fingers crossed for you!!

Thank you ann....your heart is so filled with love....keep spreading it!!!

@mmussak: Good to know that you found my post useful. As you said, you are not broken, so why fix you? Just your bad luck that your new doctor decided to taper, and that too at a very rapid pace. As I mentioned in my previous post, it may sometimes become difficult to taper benzos if you have taken them for a long time or if your illness is severe. Here is a link to an article on the topic by S M Stahl, one of the top psychiatrists in the US: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1858/842428817661940cf410aebf5b9cff13d690.pdf. I, too, tried to taper a few years ago, but gave up when the withdrawal became unbearable. Since then, I have reconciled myself to taking it for the rest of my life. You will have to find a doctor who has empathy and who respects your concerns. This is not always easy; you may have to change doctors till you find one who agrees to restore your previous dosage of Clonazepam. After all, your previous doctor was OK with it and prescribed it to you for 27 years. You could seek his help in finding another one who continues the same line of treatment. Finally, let me make it clear once again that I am not a supporter of taking benzos for the long term. But if it becomes inevitable, as explained above, so be it. Please keep us posted with your progress. Thanks.

Ty for the article...I will be bringing it to my new psychiatrist...let's pray she is more sympathetic as u say and can see I dont abuse these drugs...never changed my dose for 27 years...unfortunately my dr I saw for 7 years moved out of state somewhere and my dr I saw for 20 years has retired.. i will keep praying!!

Hi Mary -- I feel for you. Keep fighting the fight. I am in a sort of similar situation and hopping on this thread to see if my Q helps...

I am a 40 year old white male with bipolar disorder trying to *desperately* wean off Clonazepam/Klonopin ("K" for short). Short version of Rx: along the way, I've taken everything from anti-depressants to anti-anxiety and ambien and trazodone.... I'm now down to 1.5mg of K per day, and that is down from 6mg back a couple years ago. Apart from vitamin supplements (C, A, D3, E, Theanine...), I am not on any other Rx.

Help needed: I am trying to wean off K under guidance of a therapist and Pysch MD. I am down from 6mg-8mg years ago to 1mg-1.5mg per day now. I find it helps to keep a BALANCED amoutn in system. I have tried to reduce over time, but it is very, very , very hard. Like crawling out of skin. I can go to 1mg per day, but I have a wife and kids and a job (for now) that I need to semi-function in. When I have tried to stop cold turkey, after 24 hours, I am a basket case. Of course, *everyone* says you can never stop cold turkey, and they are right. K is a poisoinous drug for many reasons.

Any thoughts appreciated on how to wean off, slowly... nothing seems to work.... other than keeping steady amount. Having a hard time dropping below 1.5 mg on a regular basis. I know it has a long half life, etc.... . Prefer herbal or other supplements. Thoughts?

@mmussak I know it feels impossible. If you can stick to a strict schedule, it CAN work. I know I write this, but easier said than done for me and everyone addicted to K. My goal is:

1.50mg daily for three weeks
1.25mg for three weeks
1.00 for three weeks
and so on

Some would say do a slower taper, so that is possible. There is some discomfort and irratibility involved (who are we kidding-- it is like haveing crawling skin on fire). Thoughts?