Doctor prescribed taper-too fast?

[Guest [ha...]]

This is what my doctor has prescribed as a taper plan for me and I'm uncertain. I've been on 1 1/2 Clonazepam since April onf 2016; reduced to 1 mg last Sunday. He is calling for 25% every 2 weeks reduction and says that it can be made into a .5mg  for easier sizing.

 

[Guest [st...]]

Go slowly my friend. Make sure you are comfortable with your doc. Going too fast from all I have read and attempts I have personally made, lead me to believe that the tapering given by your MD, might put you into a very uncomfortable situation. If you are not comfortable with your doc, find another one.

 

I have been visiting the same MD for quite awhile. She gives me no true tapering guidance. I am visiting an Addiction Physician Monday to hopefully find better guidance.

 

I have no expertise, I too am new to my own process. Please speak to a doctor, before you make any changes to what your present doctor has recommended.

 

I was originally on 1.5mg 16 months ago. I am tapering down today to 1.125mg and hopes it goes well.

 

Good Luck

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you...I sincerely appreciate all advice. I definitely don't want to go so fast as to suffer unduly but I want off this horrendous medication

[[...]]

Enitially I started out too fast because I didn't know any better I was a mess for two months. I now cut 2% and hold for a few days, 3 or 4 to make sure I'm comfortable. Everyone's different but I'd be careful with what your doc suggested. Sounds too fast. Good luck🙏

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you...I really appreciate the input and advice; glad you're having a good experience with your taper.

[[Ch...]]

Enitially I started out too fast because I didn't know any better I was a mess for two months. I now cut 2% and hold for a few days, 3 or 4 to make sure I'm comfortable. Everyone's different but I'd be careful with what your doc suggested. Sounds too fast. Good luck🙏

 

This may work okay with Ativan because it's fast-acting.  I was able to cut Xanax every 3-5 days.  Clonazepam and Valium are long acting, so it takes around 2 weeks for it to fully come out of the body, so it's more important to hold the entire two weeks, in my opinion.

 

Hardtocope, did you start taking clonazepam in April of 2016, or are you saying 1.5mg is what you were taking in April of this year?  If you have only been taking it since April then a faster taper may be okay.  In fact, with short term use a more rapid taper is generally in order unless you are having trouble withdrawing.

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you and yes, I started in April of 2016 with his Rx being 1mg twice per day but I could only go up to 1 1/2 mg. I stopped the 1 1/2 mg last Sunday and have been on 1mg since that time.

[[Ch...]]

Thank you and yes, I started in April of 2016 with his Rx being 1mg twice per day but I could only go up to 1 1/2 mg. I stopped the 1 1/2 mg last Sunday and have been on 1mg since that time.

 

That's very good news!  Have you ever taken benzodiazepines of any kind before this?  Xanax, Ativan, Valium, or z-drugs like Ambien or Lunesta?

[[lo...]]

2 months is not long. you can try and reduce if needed.

This is what my doctor has prescribed as a taper plan for me and I'm uncertain. I've been on 1 1/2 Clonazepam since April onf 2016; reduced to 1 mg last Sunday. He is calling for 25% every 2 weeks reduction and says that it can be made into a .5mg  for easier sizing.

[[Ch...]]

I just read over your opening posts here.  I'm not a doctor, have no medical experience, but what you're describing sounds more like a paradoxical reaction to the clonazepam, which is when it works the opposite of how it is supposed to work.  It's not uncommon for this to happen.

 

If you've never taken benzodiazepines before, then a long taper is not generally recommended.  You can end up tapering much longer than you were on the drug to begin with, which only deepens any dependency that may be getting started.

 

In your position, I might try to get through your doctor's recommended taper plan.  I don't find that it's unreasonable for someone who's been on clonazepam for (at this point) about 45 days.

[[Ch...]]

I think it would be beneficial for you to do a signature, otherwise people are going to be suggesting slow tapers, crossing over to another benzo, micro tapers, titration and all sorts of other taper plans because they're going to assume you were on this much longer.

 

Here's how:  go up to Profile (above, next to Messages), choose Forum Profile, enter your clonazepam information and click Save Changes. 

 

Let me know if you need help with this.

 

 

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you...I'm appreciating all of the support and advice; terrible, terrible medication...and doctor still foolishly sings its praises, "People have been on it for years with no problems" and "Your side effects are just your anxieties speaking; you're reading too much about Clonazepam"

[[Ch...]]

Thank you...I'm appreciating all of the support and advice; terrible, terrible medication...and doctor still foolishly sings its praises, "People have been on it for years with no problems" and "Your side effects are just your anxieties speaking; you're reading too much about Clonazepam"

 

Such baloney.  And then when their patients tell them what's going on, they say it can't be the medication, it must be you and your problems.  Baloney again.  My doctor told me to stay on .25mg of Xanax 'for maintenance because you're an anxious type.'  Turns out I'm not an anxious type at all.

[[At...]]

Thank you...I'm appreciating all of the support and advice; terrible, terrible medication...and doctor still foolishly sings its praises, "People have been on it for years with no problems" and "Your side effects are just your anxieties speaking; you're reading too much about Clonazepam"

 

Obviously your Doc has never heard of or read Dr. Heather Ashton's work.  QUOTE: "Benzodiazepines: How They Work and How to Withdraw otherwise referred to as The Ashton Manual. It was initially written in 1999 and then revised in 2002. This manual is considered a world renowned medically approved document that provides detail information of the dangers of a drug once touted as non-addictive."

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you Challis and Locutus...I appreciate your sound advice.

[Guest [ha...]]

Thanks Atro66...I know; my doctor says he's read the studies, but he seems clueless as to withdrawal and taper times.

Challis...I'll try and figure out how to add my signature; thanks for the tips!

[[At...]]

Oooops, forgot to link it up for ya.

It's actually a great read even if you don't use her taper plans.

Gives a great account on how Benzos effect the brain.

Maybe your Doc should give it a whirl!!!

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

[[be...]]

I just read over your opening posts here.  I'm not a doctor, have no medical experience, but what you're describing sounds more like a paradoxical reaction to the clonazepam, which is when it works the opposite of how it is supposed to work.  It's not uncommon for this to happen.

 

If you've never taken benzodiazepines before, then a long taper is not generally recommended.  You can end up tapering much longer than you were on the drug to begin with, which only deepens any dependency that may be getting started.

 

In your position, I might try to get through your doctor's recommended taper plan.  I don't find that it's unreasonable for someone who's been on clonazepam for (at this point) about 45 days.

 

I was paradoxical to my kpin. It would have been really rough on me if I did not do a partial C/O to Valium. But now I have to slow down my Val taper as opposed to my K taper. *sigh*

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you Atro66 and benzogirl....I'm still at a loss about the paradoxical effect. I know that the Clonazepam did nothing for me...I'm afraid to try the cross over to Valium as who knows if I'm allergic...now, I've become fearful of meds altogether...wishing for an easier path for all..

[[be...]]

Thank you Atro66 and benzogirl....I'm still at a loss about the paradoxical effect. I know that the Clonazepam did nothing for me...I'm afraid to try the cross over to Valium as who knows if I'm allergic...now, I've become fearful of meds altogether...wishing for an easier path for all..

 

I too was scared, but the K gave me terrible anxiety. Once I made the C/O, the Valium has worked wonders for me. I guess after this benzo mess, we are all fearful of drugs.

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you for your vote of confidence...I may consider it. I'm thinking of tapering at the moment but it's going to prove difficult as my anxiety is already out the roof. I appreciate the continued advice and windows of hope

[[be...]]

Do you think that your kpin has turned its back on you?

[Guest [ha...]]

I'm not sure...I know from the beginning of taking it, I didn't feel right and communicated this to the doctor who only perceived it as worsening of anxiety and decided I should go up to 3mgs a day which thankfully, I didn't. What brought me to this doctor was physical problems of gastrointestinal nature. I'd seen him in a previous internal medicine practice before so I figured I would try again. He knew that I've always struggled with anxiety and have only once before been prescribed a med for it which I am no longer taking for years. He did some tests and found I had an enlarged spleen for which he could provide no answer but rather relied upon what he knew of me previously; panic and anxiety...out came the script and down went my life though I'm determined to get through this somehow.

[[be...]]

I'm not sure...I know from the beginning of taking it, I didn't feel right and communicated this to the doctor who only perceived it as worsening of anxiety and decided I should go up to 3mgs a day which thankfully, I didn't. What brought me to this doctor was physical problems of gastrointestinal nature. I'd seen him in a previous internal medicine practice before so I figured I would try again. He knew that I've always struggled with anxiety and have only once before been prescribed a med for it which I am no longer taking for years. He did some tests and found I had an enlarged spleen for which he could provide no answer but rather relied upon what he knew of me previously; panic and anxiety...out came the script and down went my life though I'm determined to get through this somehow.

 

Well, that's some story. I'm very lucky as I have one of the best pdoc's here. I really think your doctor is out of his league with benzos. I had terrible anxiety and I was given Xanax (by a different doc) and it worked wonders until it didn't. Then I went C/T (that was a long time ago, when there was no such thing as tapering) and it was so horrible so I was put on a high dose of kpin. That worked very well for years and then I googled it and was horrified to learn what it was. Then I began a slow taper. I didn't realize I became paradoxical to it because I was taking a very sedating AP but I didn't know what it was. Once I got off that I could not sleep for more than 3 hours per night for a year. That, was a bummer.

 

Once I got low in my dose the Valium really kicked in and then I was sleeping like a dream and got off kpin w/o any trouble. I think perhaps this drug is not your drug of choice for your body (kpin). I think, if it were me (and it was me) I would give Valium a try. Even tho it is also a benzo, I have not yet become tolerant to it and it got rid of things I hated to have. I also have pre existing anxiety but the Valium took that away. I live a normal life and my tapering off the Val is working out well. It's just a different type of drug so you have to taper it differently. Some don't like it as it makes them sedated and sometimes depressed, but not for me. I felt sedated at the beginning but that goes away after two weeks or so. I don't think you need to suffer needlessly. That's just my 2 cents and it's your choice of course. And you can always go back if it doesn't work out for you. Make sure to do the C/O gradually.  You will get through this, I promise you that. You can talk to me anytime. Also, giving a benzo for your spleen is not a good idea, IMO. To me internists (my dad is one) or GPs tend to know very little about a lot. I only see mine if I need ABs or a nasal spray. I prefer an addiction specialist psych. That's what they do. And that's what they know about. Good luck. Do what your gut tells you to do.

 

Bets

 

Bets

[Guest [ha...]]

Thank you. I'm glad you found recovery from these horrible medications. I'm in the process of looking for a new practitioner to oversee my taper; bring along the Ashton Manual. I feel very stuck b/c now I am petrified to take anything else. I'm tired of my life being on hold. Previous to his prescribing this in late April, I was managing with only a handful of panic and anxiety; on the precipice of graduating from a masters' program. Now I've had to backtrack, withdraw from school on medical leave and face this horrible taper process. I hope to be where you are again; it was only a short while ago I was feeling "normal".