Klonopin/Xanax hole

[[Kp...]]

I've been taking clonazepam and Xanax heavily for over 4 months now. I first was prescribed after being diagnosed with general anxiety disorder and agoraphobia. I started at .25mg of clonazepam and after a few weeks my dosage was raised to .5 mg (everyday) and is now at .75 mg or more per day. I have also been prescribed 1 mg xanax to take occasionally for extreme anxiety. This last week I didn't take klonopin for five days straight and had the most intense neck/shoulder pain and would break out in sweats and then chills. My anxiety has never been worse and I ended up taking 1 mg of clonazepam today out of fear of getting so sick from CT from benzos. Googled withdrawal symptoms and found this website. I eventually want to kick my benzos but I'm afraid of detox because what I've experienced is horrible. 

[[ma...]]

Hello Kpinspace   

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!.  Please don't try to stop these drugs abruptly, it can be dangerous, benzodiazepines need to be tapered slowly.

 

The best way of getting off benzodiazepines is to taper off.  If you have used them for a couple of months or more then the suggested taper rate is 5/10% every 10/14 days. It’s important to listen to your body when tapering, you can adjust the rate if need be.

 

You may want to familiarize yourself with the Ashton Manual. It is a great resource for information about these medications and how to withdraw. Here is a link to the manual: : Professor Ashtons Manual  .

 

For tapering advice General Taper Plans   

 

For support with any symptoms you may have post here: Withdrawal Support

 

If you would please be so kind as to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice.  This link will show you how to do this Create a signature

 

If you have any questions let us know.

 

Welcome aboard

 

Magrita

 

[[De...]]

Hello Kpinspace,

 

Welcome to the forum from me too 

 

As Magrita sais a cold turkey off benzos is never a good idea and some nasty symptoms can result. A gradual reduction by tapering is the way to go to ensure that the withdrawal effects are kept minimised. Magrita has given you the recommended guidelines for tapering but as you haven't been taking benzos for too long you might be able to taper a bit quicker than this, taking too long to taper would of course prolong the dependence. A good tip would be to listen to how your body reacts to the cuts and taper accordingly.

 

It is normally recommended to taper from one benzo at a time beginning with the one with the shortest half life which in your case is the xanax, alternatively you couuld do a gradual crossover to diazepam from both drugs and begin tapering from here. Try to avoid taking extra doses from here if you can as inconsistent dosing or taking varying amounts will confuse your brain and can contribute to interdose withdrawal symptoms (between dose withdrawals) I would try to make a point of taking the same dose consistently, this will ensure that the blood benzo level is kept as smooth as possible making for a smoother taper when the time comes

 

Please try not to worry about the taper in advance, as long as you taper off carefully the experience should be nothing like the cold turkey experience, it should be very manageable.

 

I'm glad you found us and I wish you success with the taper.

 

Debbie