Help! w/d symptoms haven't changed in 2 mths since I've been holding

[[Su...]]

I put a hold on my tapering in Nov as psychiatrist wanted me to increase Mirtazapine which caused more anxiety.  Ended up going back down but my w/d symptoms are still the same.

 

I feel unwell most days - anxiety every morning as soon as I open my eyes with sweats - takes a good hour to get rid of but anxiety is underlying most of the day;  nausea;  stomach aches;  off/on insomnia;  depression;  chills;  memory problems.

 

I only started Clonazepam in Aug/14 at .75 mg and started tapering in Oct.  It's very difficult as I'm dealing with a husband diagnosed Apr/14 with a cancerous brain tumour (terminal).

 

Psychiatrist now says to hold for another month because she thinks I'm overly anxious about tapering.  This doesn't make sense to my as yes, I'm very anxious about tapering especially because she's using the .125 mg every 2 wk method.  I did convince her to compound the .125 mg to .100 mg & she's also agreed to compounding .075 mg.  But both the doctor and pharmacy think I'm neurotic.

 

My question is after holding this long at this level should the symptoms have subsided?

 

Please, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  I feel very alone and wonder if I'll make it through with the weight of trying to help my poor husband in decline.  It's just too much!!!

[[dr...]]

You can be in tolerance and no matter how long you hold you can have symptoms.  A cut of .125mg is also a big cut every two weeks.  You may want to slow that down.  It is the equivalent of 2.5mg of Valium which can be no problem at a higher dose but once you are lower it is a big cut.  Unfortunately, many dr's and pharmacists have no clue how sensitive we can be.  My dr. said I could stop 3mg of K in a few weeks.  It took me two years!   

[[Is...]]

I would go very slow with the taper. I'm wondering if maybe you really aren't stabilized yet from the cuts you've made thus far. Also, I am very sorry to hear about your husband.  hang in there.

 

Isee

[[Su...]]

I've read of lots of people doing small reductions on this site using scales etc. but I have no way of doing this myself, my brain just isn't working.  She did agree to compounding .100 mg caps & .75 caps so my next taper would be

.100 mg (am) .125 mg (pm); then

.100 mg (am) .100 mg (pm); then

.075 mg (am) .100 mg (pm); then

.075 mg (am) .075 mg (pm); then I'd be left with 1/4 of .25 mg so approx .06 mg would be the lowest I could do.

 

Have I done damage from the tapering I've done so far?

 

I'm so afraid with these awful sensations.  The psychiatrist wants to put me on something else. I tried several SSRI and imipramine which didn't work, she's now suggesting an antipsychotic even though I'm not psychotic.  She says my anxiety is not going to disappear once I'm off the Clonazepam, which seems almost undoable at this point.  It's true my anxiety will probably still be there but I don't want all these other symptoms that have come about since starting the drugs.  My brain feels odd and I'm certainly not myself.  I'm trying so hard to stick it out but life is almost unbearable.

 

I don't know who people can turn to when the dr. won't listen to you about going by the Ashton manual, and you're suffering.

[[la...]]

I am sorry to read about your Husband. You don't need a scale to slowly taper Clonazepam. It can be dissolved in whole milk and you can make small cuts from the milk.This is a titration section here:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=62.0

 

I am tapering with milk and taking daily tiny amounts out myself.

 

I hope this helps.

[[co...]]

Hi Sunny

 

I am so sorry to hear your husband condition, and yours off course.

I returned to my initial dose about 2 - 3 weeks due recurrence panic disorder after 1.5 month taper down program, in my case. No.

Most, of the w/d sx is still persist such head and neck tenderness (which is very annoying), and eyesight problem. You might be in a tollerance or inter-dose withdrawal.

I suggest you to taper down slowly your clonazepam. You can prepare some meds to overcome your w/d sx.

 

I pray for you and your husband health.