Stress Center Peer Support

Hello All,

It's been a while since I've been back to this discussion bored.

Current issues is that the Klonopin I'm on, I beleive, is causing me issues YET AGAIN. I'm currently on a 0.5 mg pill daily. I break my dose into three doses. I take 1/4 at 9:30, a 1/4 at 2:30 and 1/2 at 7:30. I'm also on a low dose of Zoloft.

While taking this Klonopin I still have anxiety, panic attacks (not as severe though), and feel keyed up and have a hard time sleeping. I worry excessively. And my heart skips beats more often then it did in the past.

My past information: I was on Klonopin for about 10 years. Started at a higher dose initially 10 years ago...but then got down to 0.25 a day. Then this past March I had extreme anxiety attacks that debilitated me and I couldn't function, drive, or work. I was on short term leave from work (6 months). I eventually (with therapy and this program) was able to drive again (baby steps to make that happen), and I was able to return to work (was still very difficult) but I was layed off after three weeks of my return. I had been to all kinds of physcians for my problems and the outcome was Anxiety....I do have Mitral Valve Prolapse and 2 heart valve leaks....one is a trace and one is mild to moderate but no treatment at this time. Years ago for about 10 years I was on a betablocker (Inderal) for the heart palpitations. They took me off of that in May because I was having low blood pressure. Still have the low blood pressure. Still get lightheaded or dizzy. Still get panicky.

Anyway......my Klonopin was increased in May to 0.25 three times a day. I gradually got down to just one pill of 0.5 mg a day. That wasn't too hard. I've been working with my doctor to get off of the rest of this dreaded Klonopin and she seems to think it would be cake to get off of it gradually by decreasing 1/4 every few weeks. I made three attempts at decreasing my night dose which is a 0.25 dose to a 1/4 and each time.....within a few days I couldn't tolerate how I felt and went back on. While on the medication I still have anxiety but feel like I'm going through extra withdrawl or something...maybe tolerance withdrawl.

I put in a call to my doctor to get an appointment next week to sort this all out.

In the meantime, if anyone has had any luck with tappering off of this dreaded crap after so many years, please let me know what worked for you or how you approached it. I'm open to all suggestions. I'd like to talk to my doctor about any options I come up with so that together her and I can make this happen for 2008.

I read the Ashton manual on their suggestion on switching to Valium. Don't know if that worked for anyone.

I'm scared I'm stuck on this crap.

Friends tell me I should try to find a benzodiazipine detox center. It's not that I'm on a high dose or abusing...just that I can't seem to get off this crap. But I don't know of any in the Central Jersey area....and need to find work and can't be stuck someplace like a hosptial. Need to ween slow so I can still drive and function.

Any suggestions from your experiences will help me to feel less scared. I wish I knew at 23 that this medication was so terrible...I never would of taken it.

Thanks...for reading.
Carey

I was not on it for as many years as you, on for a few years, off for a bit then back on again.

What I did was get down to the lowest dose I could cut, then I just took it every other day for 2 weeks, then took it and skipped 2 days between and this went on for 2 weeks. Then again took the lowest dose I could cut and skipped 3 days in between. This went on until I had 5 days in between. You may need to spread the 2 week lowering of the dose spread to 3 or 4 weeks instead, a VERY low taper. It worked for me. Prior to this method, when I was on what a ER nurse called a "nothing" dose of .25mg per night I thought geeze I could just stop taking it. NOPE! 5 days later the MOTHERLOAD of all anxiety attacks I have EVER had. I had to take 2- .5mg klonopin pills to settle me. I know it is tough to stop, but it can be done. Run this by your physician and see that they say. Good luck.

Thanks Schnauzermom! My doc didn't call me back today, so I'll make a another attempt to get an appointment next week and I'll run your tapering method by her. She also thinks that 0.5 mg is A NOTHING dose and doesn't understand why I'm having issues. I think some people haven't experienced it and they just can't relate. She is one of them. That's why I was looking for suggestions from people that have experienced what I'm talking about so that together with my information and some others maybe she would work something out with me to best help me.

THANKS SO MUCH For sharing your experience.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! xo Carey

If you can get off drugs, do it. I work for four ear, nose and throat docs; however, I do not believe in taking any medication and I never do, not even for a rare headache. There are many other methods to deal with certain health issues such as acupuncture, massage, meditation, exercise, diet, books and magazines, yoga, pilates, etc. A lot of people I know experienced far more problems with the medications than without. One of my friends had a nervous breakdown. It may be useful for a small part of the population but to me, most people that pop multiple pills per day are nothing more than the "street drug addict." They just dillusional because a "professional" gave them permission to take drugs. Do not be afraid to research on your own and take control of your health; just because they have an M.D. after their name, they do not know everything. You must be doing something right, otherwise, you would not be in this program. Do not be afraid to be the minority instead of the sheep.

Carey,

You are SO welcome! I do so really feel for you. People that have never taken klonopin and tapered off or just stopped a "nothing" dose have NO idea what they are talking about. It is like pepper spray or mace, if you never got a hit of that stuff you have NO idea. Again good luck with your MD. I hope she understands.

Hi carey and all on this post, I just have to say.. I have an experience with a very different drug... Lexapro (for depression) but when I tapered off of it with my doctors guidance I was a wreck. My doctor said to taper over one month. well this is a long story but I had the worst symptoms of my life once I was totally off Lexapro. Dizzy, missed 7 days of work, I was hearing a stack of books dropping in my head, the wierdest stuff, I also felt a little suicidal. it was the most awful thing. our society and our doctors hardly talk about tapering off of anti-depressants and other drugs. my experience was so intense. anyway, I am not saying all of this to scare you but just to say that I am still tapering off of Lexapro. I have it in liquid form so that I can taper so slowly. I have been tapering off of it for 7 months now. That might sound extreme but that is what is working for me and for many others (I am on a anti-depressant internet community).
Tapering SLOWLY, really slowly is really important! I am tapering myself on my own schedule, what I think will work for me and based on what I learned from others on the internet community site. my doctor thinks I don't need to taper so slowly but I explained what happened to me and she is sort of convinced.
Good Luck.
I just have to say that I don't think doctors really know what these meds do to us for the long term nor do they understand the withdrawl and the need to taper slowly. It is appalling if you ask me!

I just logged on to see if anyone else was having a problem with klonopin. I have been taking it for a few months, after taking several others. It makes me sleepy, but not really that effective in reducing anxiety. I started on .5 twice daily. I then cut it into half, which I pretty well tolerated. Then into fourths. for a couple of day. I thought I could stop it then, but I guess I didn't wait long enough. I have been having a rough time for a couple of days. I took a half xanax to get some sleep a couple of times. After hearing others say that it takes quite a bit longer to taper off, I'm on half a tab at night. Hopefully this will work. I,too, regret getting on it.

Carey-
Went through the same thing you are....But was on ativan it was horrible was on it for 54 years 6 mg a day and went to detox they took me off it in 3 days with valium, it did help....I can relate to you still after 6 months being off it, I am having withdrawls.....If tyou want to chat privatly contact me and I will go through the whole story and tell you what I am still doing to fight this.....

Patricia

I meant to say I was on it for 5 years...I am 34 now ...lol....

I went to a hospital with my meds, and three of them didn't make it home with me. Klonopin was one of them and I couldn't get a refill from the doctor- thought I was a drug seeker looking for more. So I came off cold turkey from three tabs a day. Not recommended, but I made it and came off Xanax three times a day too. In the end, it was a blessing. My hubby thinks Klonopin was the most evil thing that I could be on. I think skipping a day for a while would be great. I would do that for a while, then go to every three days. It's not a "nothing" dose that you're on. It's very addictive and not something you should or could just quit. But, you can get there!!!! I did. If I made, I know you can!!! Hang in there and PM message me anytime you need too. I'll be there for you. Good luck! Beverly