Tapering off of Benzodiazepines after 25+ years

Why do you want to taper off? General feeling that it is an addicting drug or are you having specific issues?

Just want to taper down to my original dose,of 1.5mgs

Over the years the doctor put me up to 3mgs a day.
I would like to get down to 1.5 simple as that.
But from what I'm reading online it may not be so simple,probably looking at 5% dosage reductions every 4-6 weeks to stave off withdrawal symptoms.

I think you should discuss tapering with your prescribing physician. I was placed on Klonapin years ago for insomnia (I was so desperate I didn't do my due diligence to learn that it is a benzo and I should have known better; Ambien, Lunesta, Sonata etc didn't help). I was on 2 mg for years from what I recall. I learned about the Ashton Manual which provides guidance as to how to taper. That's an easy Google. A psychiatric nurse then prescribed Remeron (mirtazapine) which helped me slowly lower my dosage to 1 mg and then .5 mg. I now take .25-.45 mg nightly. I liked the Remeron in its ability to help me lower the dosage but the trade off was a very large weight gain. I reluctantly went off of it as the weight gain caused other issues. I have an appointment with my sleep specialist later this month to see if he can help me taper off the rest and substitute something else for the insomnia. Tapering .25-.45 mg to even .15 mg was very difficult. I understand that there may be more difficulty weaning off with the last remaining small dosage. Or I may just need to stay on a low dose as it helps my anxiety as well. Good luck to you.

Thankyou for the response I appreciate it!

@william81, I think you will find it quite easy to get from 3 mg. to 1.5 mg., it can sometimes get a bit rough when you’re trying to give them up,Kolonpin lasts longer than Ativan so you feel more uncomfortable soon, I read that some doctors switch to Valium when tapering because the effects also last longer. When I look into tapering Ativan I think that the effects from withdrawal get stronger when you are really close to stopping, some of it is psychological and some are physical.

@ngk1 there is a new med for insomnia that helps me. To my knowledge it is the first (there are actually two new drugs that act the same way, I can only remember the name of the one I take) drug approved for long term use. Its trade name is belsomra. Retail price is $400 per month. With my Medicare advantage plan I pay $131 for 3 months. So not cheap. Maybe something to keep in your back pocket in case you need it

@laura1970 I was told about Belsomra in the past by the sleep practice I went to previously before I relocated to another city. I have an appointment with my new sleep specialist next month and I plan to discuss this medication as well as the newest one, Quviviq, with him. And then of course it depends upon what my prescription plan will cover. However, I would like to try to get off clonapin and not substitute hypnotics and there is a treatment plan according to the Ashton Manual in that regard. But I do plan to discuss these meds with my new doctor as well. And I have chronic insomnia going back decades. He is anti-medication for insomnia, however, so it will be interesting to see how that discussion goes. Thanks so much for your feedback.

@frouke Yes, the Ashton Manual recommends adding a low dose of Valium while tapering off Klonapin, then once off the Klonapin, tapering off the valium. There is a chart in the Manual outlining the tapering schedule for each benzo. The Manual also goes into the half-life of each.

@william81 Yes, you can taper down but it needs to be very slow. Usually it is exactly as you say, maybe even longer than 4-6 weeks, but if you are not getting off Ativan completely, I believe you will have an easier time. Be sure and do it slow and take it one day at a time. If you have been on it for anxiety, try and find another way to reduce that anxiety...mindfulness, exercise, breathing exercises. Good luck and keep us posted.