Five weeks (total) on Ativan and now Klonipin. New here, and seeking taper.

[[Je...]]

Hello, I'm new here.

 

I was put on these drugs for GAD after a gallbladder operation; I had some PTSD symptoms and pretty bad insomnia. I want to be free of them, and though I know that 5 weeks might not seem even remotely hardcore, my anxiety has been. I feel like a bit of a zombie, even on half of a .5 in the morning, maybe a small nibble of a quarter of a .5 when I am in bed, and a small nibble under my tongue in the afternoon. The only time I ever take another nibble is when I go to see my therapist, because talking about my life and all of the trauma I have survived is extremely painful; I am a domestic violence, child abuse survivor, and former homeless woman in NYC.

 

In the first two weeks of my benzo use, I was on at least twice as much as I am now. I have noticed that if I go too long without my dose, I get a tummy ache, and I also wake up from my sleep freaking out and gasping.

 

I would like to know how to safely taper off of this amount of Klonopin. I know it takes a lot of bravery to do this sort of a thing, and I know I am a serious noob. No disrespect to anyone who has been on them for much longer. I have never before been on these drugs, and honestly, I am scared. Please help.

[Guest [ba...]]

The idea is to start with some known amount that you have been taking regularly (even if regularly is for 5 weeks).  I don't know exactly how much you are taking (that's information that you should probably put in your signature).  Let's say for the sake of example that you're taking 0.5 mg of klonipin daily.  You would then make a small cut in that dose.  A small cut would be something on the order of 5% or as much as 10%.  You can cut that amount off of a pill, but you'll need a scale to do it accurately (a fair number of folks have purchased a small gemini scale from Amazon for a little over $20).

 

Then you take that lesser amount for a week or two (or longer if necessary).  Hopefully, you won't encounter strong withdrawal symptoms, and whatever symptoms you might experience will hopefully resolve (at least mostly) in that time period.  Then you make another small (5% or 10%) cut, take that dose for a week or two, etcetera.

 

There are alternatives to dry cutting.  Some people do a liquid taper by dissolving their pill in a liquid.  Whole milk is commonly used.  You crush up the pill, dissolve it in some milk (e.g. 100 mls), remove/discard a small amount, and drink the rest.  If you do it this way, you can reduce pretty easily each day by (e.g.) 0.5% or so.  You need some sort of measuring device for this.  Some people buy a 100 ml graduated cylinder.  Personally, I think any standard measuring cup will work just fine.  You just have to crunch the numbers to figure out how much to withdraw/discard each day.

 

No method is perfect.  Dry cutting usually occurs in jumps and each jump can bring about symptoms.  Liquid tapers are theoretically smoother.  However, it requires some mixing and measuring and some people feel that the medicine isn't absorbed with the same efficiency that they experience when they take the pill with a glass of water.  It's possible to have a pretty smooth ride through your taper by either method.  It's also possible to have withdrawal symptoms by either method.

 

Again, I can't give any specifics without knowing more about the amount of klonopin that you are currently regularly taking.

[[Je...]]

I'm curious, why milk and not water? I can't handle the lactose, and the lactose free milk gives me mucus.

[[be...]]

 

 

After short-term use, it is generally better to aim to get off as soon as possible, as dependency develops with extended use. Most people have developed little dependency after 8 weeks of use, though a small number of people do have problems quitting by this stage.  After short-term use, it is generally better to attempt an accelerated withdrawal schedule, lasting no more than a few months (and probably less). However, this is a rule of thumb - mileage varies, as the time taken to develop dependency varies.

 

 

 

[Guest [ba...]]

Why milk?  Because the fat in milk helps to keep the klonipin in solution longer.  Some people have used vodka.  Water will work, but it's more of a hassle.  You have to grind the pieces really fine, mix it really well, and use it immediately.  Else, the drug will begin to settle out of solution.

 

I agree with BRC that it's usually best to try to get off as quickly as possible for short-term users.  That could be c/t or a rapid taper.

[[Je...]]

Thank you, Badsocref.