My Biggest Fear

[Turtleshoes]

My biggest fear and what causes me the most anxiety is the fear of withrawal symptoms from Klonopin. I've tried previously to get off of this medication and have had to go back on due to horrible lasting withdrawals.

I've had anxiety issues most of my life but none to this extent. I became fearful after going on benzodiazepine withdrawal forums. I still have physical symptoms from my last withdrawal from these medications but I am not sure if a lot of my fears are exacerbating these phyiscal and emotional symptoms or not.

I would like to eventually taper off of the klonopin.

I started back on 2mg at bedtime last October. I have weaned down to 1.75mg and I still don't feel right.

Has anyone successfully tapered from the benzodiazepines and is doing okay now?

Has the program helped? I've just started week one.

I'm a little scared because I feel depressed while on the drug but not when off. When off of it I get the worst rebound anxiety, nothing like what I had ever experienced before going on the medication.

Please help.

[Shifrah]

Back in Nov of 07 I went through withdrawl from Klonopin (was taking 6mg a day) and feel much better today. I just wanted to let you know that the best way to withdrawl from Klonpin is by having your dr. do a switchover to Valium. Valium has a longer half life than any other benzo. Benzos are very hard to withdrawl from and can take months to do, however withdrawling from Valium is the safest way to go. (Dosage amouont has to be determined by your dr.) If you go onto google and type in the Ashton Maunual, you will need to print this out and bring it to your DR. It gives you all the instructions of how and why you should taper from benzos slowly and have your dr. do it with valium. I am certainly no expert but have gone through withdrawl and trust me you dont want to go through what I did. I had to go into the hospital in Nov- do a detox and it was pure hell. I am still feeling the effects of withdrawl from benzos and it has been well over three months now. However, I lost my job, had to leave school, and lost almost all of my savings due to not working and having to pay bills. Trust me there is a better way and you can do this by reading the ashton manual. I wish you the best of luck in your withdrawl. Oh also there is a site called <A HREF="http://www.labelmesane.com" TARGET=_blank>www.labelmesane.com</A>. You cann actually purhcase supplements from this site and trust me this actually is what saved me and why I am doing so well now. It is shake you take twice to three times a day that is a glutathione builder-something we have in our body but lose most of this while being on benzos and other meds for years. It is great and I think you should read it and see if you think it is for you. It is also is great because the girl-Alesandra Rain who is the founder of the company-also had to go through withdrawl from Klonopin and it comes with her book and story of withdrawl,-really great. I so wish you luck and know that you can do it safely with the right medication and tools.

B.

[Guest]

wow I am glad i read this tonight. I went cold turkey off of 2mg of Klonpin a day 25mg of elavil and 50mg of seroquel 7 days ago at home. I have been through hell but i Have made it through detox so I am told as far as the meds still being in my system supposedly they are not. I am having rebound anxiety attacks every 1-2 hrs what has this medication done to me? I didn't even have anxiety that isn't why I started taking it 12 yrs ago they gave it to me for a sleep diorder. It fixed by sleep problem for 11 years until I had premature twins and have been raising them for the last 3 years. I have gone on higher doses and more meds and still couldn't get my sleep regualated. I was either too sleepy or didn't sleep at all depending on the dosage. I think the seroquel did it that is the only thing I can think of. I was fine until i started taking that stuff, or so I thought I was fine but then my dr kept raising my dose of Klonopin until I got up to 8 mg a day. Then I freaked out when that movie star Heath Ledger died and found out what he died of it was benzo overdose He was just trying to get some sleep. He had been getting only 2 hrs a night for some time I suspect he had a benzo addiction and just kept taking more and they weren't working anymore because that is what happens. I was on the same dose for 10 years never had to raise it. Went through my husband committing suicide in 2001 my mom died in 2003, my dad in 2004 and now by brother in 2007 but I didn't raise my dose through those first 3 deaths. I didn't have such terrible anxiety until I had my daughters and then all my childhood issues have come to the surface and I didn't want my daughters to ever fell abused neglected scared etc. I tried to protect them from anything and anyone who even smelled like abuse. I thought everyone was abusive I didn't trust daycare's, I didn;t trust my husband, I didn't trust teenage babysitters and so I had all the responsiblity on myself and of course I can't protect them from everything, and of course everyone isn't abusive, but you here so much these days I just didn't think I could be too careful. Any way I don't have any help for the original poster here cause I just started my detox from Klonopin but I will print out that manual and take it to her when I see her next week. I didn't tell anyone but my husband what I was doing I didn't want any doctor to stop me from getting off the drugs. I was worried about the valium. How does it help you? Then what was it like to get off of it? Thanks to the Irish girl for posting here if you could email me sometime I would love to know more about how you did it and wht you are like now. thanks gail abigail.good@yahoo.com

[Guest]

Wow I read all this stuff about Klonopin withdrawal and I'm grateful that hasn't happened to me. I've taken Klonopin on and off for about 4 years. I take it for a while, it stops working so I just stop taking it. I'll switch to something else for a while or nothing at all and then I'll get back on the Klonopin because I find it works best for me. Xanax made my jaw lock! I guess everyone is different.