Is this even needed?

[[ga...]]

I have been on Benzo's for.... well, I don't exactly remember.  8 years give or take.  Currently I'm on Klonopins, every night I take a whole 2mg pill, and it helps me keep my mind from racing while I lay in bed, along with helping control some IBS issues that are tied to stress.  I will RARELY take them any other time then at night.  There have been days (on rare occasions) where I just plain forgot to take my pill, and I don't seem to have much noticeable withdrawals the next day. 

 

I'm at the point now where I'm really wanting to get off them.  I start to wonder how much my personality has been effected by them (lack of motivation, detached feeling from life and the world etc).

I just think it's time. 

I just don't really know if all this is needed.  I know that 2mg is a pretty hefty dose to take at once, and I have developed a pretty heavy tolerance, where as I can take that pill at night, and not really feel impaired at all, just mellow. 

 

When I think of addiction, I think taking pills numerous times a day, not once a day at night.  Although I know K-pins have a pretty long 1/2 life.

 

Anyways, coming to the end of this long ramble that may be in the wrong place, is a controlled taper really needed in my case?  Could I just go to 3/4 pill/night, then 1/2 etc?

 

I am considering talking to my doctor about coming off them, but there is this fear that if I do, he will just pull my prescription and I'll be left going cold turkey and have bad withdrawals. 

 

Again, sorry for the ramble, my brain is a bit fried today.

 

Thanks in advance for any and all input you guys have to offer!

 

[Guest [ba...]]

There's more than one way to do this.  On the conservative side, you could begin doing something like a 5% cut every week or two or even a 0.5-1% daily cut.  A somewhat more aggressive rate would be 10% cuts every week or two (or 1-2% daily cuts).  Some people find that they can handle far more aggressive rates (25-50% cuts every couple of weeks).  It's really impossible to predict which rate is the best for you.  It's one of those things that you simply find out.  Your idea of cutting your dose a quarter pill at a time is a pretty aggressive rate, but there are people who have done fine at that rate.

 

Might be prudent to do a 10% cut, wait a week or two, and see how you're doing.  Then adjust your taper rate accordingly.

 

Good luck!