One month Clonazepam use/abuse - how to taper?

[[Si...]]

Hi everybody

 

Ive been looking around this forum, and it seems like there's a lot of nice and helpful people on here. And I need some help/advice

 

Im a 24 year old male and ive been using and abusing clonazepam for a month and a week now. Long story short: i was abusing Oxycodone, and a year ago i realised i needed help to stop. I was then put on methadone wich helped a lot until i realised that it made me just as messed up as when i was on the OC's, so i switched to Subutex. It was a really good choice: i finally felt like myself again. But my anxiety came back and stupid as i am, i turned to benzo's (non-prescribed - i just knew they would help me.. Or so i thought). The thing is that i have now been using Clonazepam for 5 weeks now, and i want to quit them before things turn really ugly. My doses varies a lot, and i dont have any control over it.. I started at 2mgs, but now i can take 12mgs without feeling a thing. My problem is that if i skip them for a day, my anxiety goes sky-high, makes me unable to sleep and function properly at my job. Ive decided to quit.. But where i live, there are no programs for benzo's, no clinics and if i go to my doctor i will be labelled as a drug-seeker for the rest of my life, so it seems like i have to do it by myself.

 

I take between 6-10mgs a day (some days 2, some days 4, and some days i have skipped taking them cause i thought i could quit CT. But my anxiety get so bad when i dont take them for 2 days that i cant work or be around people, so i think i might need to do a fast taper? So if i start at 8mgs (i know its a high dose, and i have no idea how i can take this much without feeling a thing). But if i taper from 8mgs to nothing, how long do you guys think i should do it? Take on mg less a day or do it over a longer period? I just hope that i can get out of this without ending up in anxiety/depression-hell (if you know what i mean)..

 

So 5 weeks of clonazepam use/abuse/self-medicating on doses between 6-10mgs a day (always at night)..

 

Any help will be highly appreciated! I just want to get out of this and be happy again.. Things were going so fine till i started this..

 

Note: i dont get the more serious WD-side effects, but the mental side-effects are just unbearable..

 

And sorry for the grammar, english isnt my first language :-)

 

Thank you so much, and much love to all of you!

 

- Sioul

[[Si...]]

No one?

[[Ch...]]

I would first want to be sure you're stable on the dose before starting to taper.  It sounds like you've been on a lot of up and down dosing and your body doesn't react well to that.

 

As you say, if you've been taking 6-10mgs per day, I'd try 8mgs daily for at least two weeks before starting to taper, and then start tapering slowly.  Rapid tapering or inconsistent dosing may make this much tougher.

[[Si...]]

First of all, thank you very much for responding!

 

So you say that even though i have "only" used them for a bit more than a month, i should take 8mgs daly for two weeks and then taper? There's no way i can taper over two weeks? Like dropping a mg a day or something?

 

Thank you!

[[Si...]]

Is there anyone who can help me? Would it be possible to do a fast taper, or should i get stable on a dose and then taper slowly like Challis99 said above? To me it seems like a fast taper would do it since i havent been on the drug for that long, but if other people agrees then thats what im gonna do. I really need some advice here :-)

 

Thank you very much!

[[be...]]

This is a hard one because you are on such a high dose. If it was a few weeks ago I would say to get off them as quickly as possible. I stopped a dose that high cold turkey and I can assure you that you do not want to do that. Stopping too rapidly can cause some pretty terrible symptoms. Are you experiencing any tolerance type symptoms now, or do they just do nothing?

[[Ch...]]

I would want to make sure I was stable first and that's why I suggested stabilizing at 8mgs to start.  If that went well, I'd be up for a more aggressive taper than 10%.  No one really can predict how their bodies are going to react to benzodiazepine withdrawal, even the same person can have a different reaction each withdrawal.

 

It's just best to go at it cautiously, in my opinion.  It's hard to undo symptoms that are brought on by too-rapid withdrawal. 

[[be...]]

I would want to make sure I was stable first and that's why I suggested stabilizing at 8mgs to start.  If that went well, I'd be up for a more aggressive taper than 10%.  No one really can predict how their bodies are going to react to benzodiazepine withdrawal, even the same person can have a different reaction each withdrawal.

 

It's just best to go at it cautiously, in my opinion.  It's hard to undo symptoms that are brought on by too-rapid withdrawal. 

 

Challis is right. It is really difficult to undo the consequences of coming off too quickly.

[[Si...]]

Again, thanks to both of you..

 

As of now, i can take 8mgs of clonazepam and just feel a bit confused. Like they dont really get me rid of my anxiety.. And is it normal with clonazepam, that the withdrawal-sideeffects doesnt show up till 24 hours after last intake?

 

I guess a slow taper is what im gonna do. Read the Ashton Manual and I kind of think i know what ive done. So a relatively slow taper would be it. Could any of you suggest a taper-plan? Should i stick to clonazepam or should i get something else?

I just dont want this whole thing to interrupt my job-situation as i work in fashion and have to be open, talkative and so on (which i am during the day if ive taken clonazepam the night before)

 

Thank you!

 

You wont imagine how much it helps that you guys help me out here!

[[be...]]

It can take several weeks for symptoms to show up after taking clonazepam if stopped suddenly. I think that clonazepam is a great benzo to use for a taper because of it's long half life. Personally I would try a 10 percent cut every two weeks if I was doing a slow taper after taking it for such a short period. You can always adjust your taper as needed from there.

[[Si...]]

Benzo-r-crues: Would you say too that i should try and be on a stable dose before tapering, or should i just try out and feel how much i need to feel okay, and start taper straight away? And is it completely out of question to taper 10 percent every week?

[[be...]]

Personally if I was me I would get off of them as quickly as I could, but that is me. You may not be able to stabilize where you feel good, but there has to be a starting point if you are going to taper. It will still take you months to taper at 10 percent every two weeks. Your body will tell you if that is too quickly and you can always adjust.

[[Si...]]

Thanks..

 

So for an example, dropping half a mg a day would not be the thing? It has to be weeks? And what about a CT?

[[Si...]]

Sorry, just read the whole Ashton Manual. Doesnt seem like a CT would be ideal at all. But do i have to stabilize over a week before i start taper? Or could out by waiting till i feel the (minor) WD's that i get, and then take a bit and see how much i need to feel ok, and then start from there? Or should i stabilise on that dose for a week and then start tapering? Sorry about my stupidity, i know nothing about this drug and fear this will send me to hell, i just want to get rid of them asap. Im just so lost in this benzo-WD-thing, and about to be promoted next week at my job.. Its just such a shitty situation..

 

Thank you very much, and a very big thanks to Benzos-r-cruel!