Ninth Week Off Clonazepam

[[Su...]]

Hello, I am new to BB. I've been on Xanax and Clonazepam prescribed by a doctor for CFIDS/FM and anxiety.  I've been on these for 20 yrs. I have health problems possibly caused from benzos. I am currently on 2 mg a day of Xanax and the doctor removed Clonazepam 1 mg, completely 9 weeks ago. I had no idea how unbelievably difficult this would be. There are not many people or friends that want to hear about what I'm experiencing, I don't blame them. So I found this forum. Hoping to get support. Thank you

[[Ch...]]

Hi Summer and welcome.

 

I'm sorry for what you're going through.  Cold turkey from 1mg of Clonazepam (Klonopin) would be rough for many people.  I'm not sure if you're planning to taper from the Xanax, but in my opinion you'll want to wait until you're feeling better from the Clonazepam withdrawal first.  Hopefully your doctor is not going to abruptly take you off the Xanax as well. 

 

Friends and family really can't understand what this is like.  Doctors usually don't understand it either and we're indeed left on our own to find answers. 

 

You may want to begin reading and posting in the Cold Turkey, Detox & Rapid Withdrawal.  When you're feeling better you may want to start planning a Xanax taper but you can look into that when you're ready.

 

You'll find a wealth of information in the Ashton Manual about benzodiazepine withdrawal.

 

Please include your benzodiazepine information in your posts.  To make that easier by adding it to each post automatically, you can go up to Profile, choose Forum Profile, write the information in the text box and click Change Profile.

 

Glad you're here, Summer. 

 

Take care,

Challis

 

[[Cl...]]

Hi Summer!, I agree with Challis suggestion, wait for a while Before tapering from Xanax. I did a rapid taper and it awful, but you will be better, just let time to pass

[[ea...]]

I agree. And make sure that the taper is nice and slow.

 

I was on Klonapin for 12 years straight, and before that, other benzos. I went cold turkey, which Im glad you aren't going to do! Benzos affected me in ways I really didn't see until after I was off them. On benzos, I became depressed, more anxious, I developed several health problems and all of these things vanished once I was off benzos! I am now 64 years old, and my health hasn't been this good for many years.

 

I wish you all the luck in your journey. You are right - its isn't easy. But, with the support you will find here, you can do it.

east

[[be...]]

welcome  I am so glad you found us. This is a wonderful place for support as our membership understands exactly what you are going though. It sounds like the symptoms you are experiencing now are a result of stopping the clonazapam too quickly. Withdrawal symptoms can get pretty severe if benzodiazepines are stopped too rapidly. You have been on them for many years. In my opinion a slower taper can greatly reduce the chance of severe and/or prolonged symptoms. The recommended reduction rate is 5 to 10 percent every two weeks. One can always adjust from there.