Withdrawing benzos

[[je...]]

Hi I was started on Valium 2mgs while starting sertraline 4 months ago. Took 2 mgs at night as was unable to sleep without going into a panic. Started to reduce to 1mg about 1 month ago but only sleeping 2-4 hours and waking in a panic. Now reducing sertraline down from 50mgs to 25mgs as it was making things worse. Doctoer prescribed 0.25 mgs clonezepam 5 days ago to take 1 1/2 hours before bed. Sleepinh 5-6 hours a night - so drugged up all day. Stopped Valium 5 days ago when I started the clonezepam. Feel I need to start reducing & get off these drugs & would like advise

Thanks

[[Ju...]]

It's usually suggested to taper one medication at a time.  Plus, crossing over to another benzo can also bring on some symptoms while the body is becoming accustomed to the new benzo.

 

As I mentioned in your Intro thread, your doctor prescribed .25mg of Klonopin to substitute 1-2mgs of Valium.  This is quite an updose, so I'm not surprised you're so sedated during the day.

 

.25mg of Klonopin is equivalent to 5mgs of Valium.  You were taking 1-2mgs of Valium and at 1mg of Valium, many people stop taking Valium at this level.  Also, some do taper the Valium down lower if they are having uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.

 

It's hard to say what I would do, but I do know I would either pick the benzo or the SSRI to taper individually, not both at the same time.  I would be inclined to stop the benzo first, to limit my exposure to the benzo, because we know from experience that benzo dependency can become stronger the longer we take the medicine.

 

If I were tapering Klonopin, I would probably opt to taper either in 4 cuts of .0625mg or 2 cuts of .125mg.  I might even, (given your short usage of the K med to cover 1-2mgs of Valium), go ahead and cut to .125mg ASAP.  This is closer to the dose of where you were on Valium prior to when you substituted the Klonopin.

 

Please know though that IF you developed a dependency to Valium during the time you took the med, your dependency IMO, is a benzo dependency.  So even though your use of Klonopin is short term, your use of a benzo for 4 months is not IMO, short term.  Four months is ample time to develop a benzo dependency, IMO, so I'd taper off rather than stop abruptly.

 

Good luck and keep posting for support.