new to forum

[[su...]]

greetings - i am joining this group after reading countless very helpful posts here. i have "accidentally" become what appears to be addicted to klonopin after less than 60 days use at around 1 mg / day (i upped it to 1.5 a couple of times unaware how delicate dosing is with this drug). it was prescribed to me by an old family doctor to treat my chronic RLS (restless leg syndrome) after my current doc tried to prescribe an anti-depressant to treat RLS. that seemed extreme & our family doc said this was the med folks used across the board. i only took it at night & it worked great but when i ran out about a week before my refill, i realized i had developed a dependence on it b/c i have been experiencing withdrawal (overanxious is putting it lightly, motor impairment, numb skin, phantom smells, metallic taste, etc) symptoms. i also take the RX NSAID, Celebrex for a herniated disc & now see via one of your forums that NSAIDs can potentially increase withdrawal misery. my plan is to talk to my doc & use the next Rx to taper off - this is totally crazy that no one told me how easily i could become dependent on this med!! thank you all for posting here - it has been immensely helpful to me. good luck & love & compassion to anyone else struggling with this.

[[Ju...]]

Hello sunshine108,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

I'm glad you found out about how easily a Klonopin dependency can develop.  You're very wise to make the decision to taper off.  If your next prescription is for only one months worth of Klonopin, I would not plan to be totally off of the medication within this month, if I were in your shoes.  It sometimes takes much longer than we plan to taper off and I believe it's best to go slowly and allow our bodies to guide us off.  You'll get there, just take your time.  

 

The best way to stop taking Klonopin is to taper off if you've used them for any length of time over 2-3 weeks.  The suggested taper rate is 5 to 10% every 10 to 14 days.  Some taper faster and some slower than that, and the rate can be adjusted to meet your needs.  You can learn more about tapering on our General Taper Plans Board.  The second pink-highlighted post explains the three accepted taper methods.  Also:

 

The Ashton Manual is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field.  She describes and explains withdrawal symptoms, and there is also a section with withdrawal/taper schedules.

 

Members discuss their symptoms on The Withdrawal and Recovery Support Board.

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature.  This will allow others to see where you are in the process so they can better support you.

 

Welcome to the board!

[[al...]]

You have come to the right place for information and support. There is a ton of guidance here for you. The great folks here on benzobuddies have helped me learn about tapering/withdrawal and they have offered support when I needed it. This is a great place to post any question that you might have. One of the best things about this forum is that you will never be alone in this process. Stay strong and keep going forward.

[[su...]]

Thanks for all of the feedback here. This is SO helpful.