The Klonopin Klub#2

[[Ul...]]

Hey all -

 

I am just 2 weeks into a taper of .25mg a day of klonopin. I have been on klonopin for almost 30 years. My new doctor (psychiatrist) recommended that I get off klonopin 1) because it is probably not doing anything for me anymore 2) bad side effects as I age.

 

I was lucky enough never to have any issues (that I know of) that I can attribute to klonopin use (guess I was very lucky). When I originally went on it decades ago, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. 

 

My Doctor recommended skipping my .25mg dose every other day. It has been a struggle. I have suffered small bouts of anxiety (not as bad as when I was first diagnosed), insomnia, hyper sensitivity/self awareness, headaches in the afternoon, and some tinnitus when I lay down to rest.

 

I am worried because I generally dont feel great/ have a 'foggy brain' and will be going back to work soon. 

 

Some questions for the klub:

1) are these symptoms all pretty normal?

2) do you think the taper was too aggressive/not following the Ashton Manuel?

3) 2 weeks in, should I just 'make the jump' and quit altogether since I am already feeling crummy? 

 

Thank you all.

 

Yep, Final Healing etc have given great advice. Skipping a dose every other day etc. is rough guidance. The doc is more than likely clueless, but find the best way to taper slowly (if that indeed is the answer for you). The goal isn't just to get off the drug, but to get of it healthy and feeling well. Rushing will only make things worse (again, for most people). Symptoms you've had are normal for most people on a taper, but everyone is different. Going slower will help. Don't cold turkey that bad boy! You'll do great.

 

[[bo...]]

anyone continue tapering despite having a wave, vertigo/ off balance and my vision is off/sore eyes, weakness/ body pain , can't count all...  feeling  awful, starting to lose it  :'(

[[Ul...]]

anyone continue tapering despite having a wave, vertigo/ off balance and my vision is off/sore eyes, weakness/ body pain , can't count all...  feeling  awful, starting to lose it  :'(

 

This boy holds when the sx get that bad!! Hang tough

 

[[De...]]

Hi everyone,

 

I am wondering if any one felt at lower doses that your mouth and teeth feel off. Kind of like dry and my two front teeth the backs feel rough and sticky then tight. I know it's strange. Plus, your eyes and in your nose feel burning and the cold air feels like menthol in your nose. I cant explain this. Just wo dering. I thought it was allergies itsxworse since I have the windows open and no ac on. Thank you for any thoughts 

[[Fi...]]

Hi Dedee,

 

I have had some tooth issues but mainly due to how Clonzapam dries out my mouth. I actually have had a few teeth cracked because of it.  Nothing painful but I know it's because of much this med dries me out.  My eyes get dry and my skin is dry too plus I think my muscles too.  I know it will shift as I get off. 

 

I see you lowered your gabapentin and Clonzapam and were doing ok. I hope that has continued and you are feeling stable. 

 

Final Healing

[[De...]]

Hi fh!

I feel like everything is dry too. This drug is terrible. My mouth bothers me the most. Gum helps a little. Water doent even help it. I feel ok. The gabapentin was rough but it's done. I feel like I did before I lowered it. My dr. Said it should be easy and mysx sound medical. The same old story. It amazes me. I try not to let it bother me but it does. Takes me says to recover from these dr. Appts. I hope you are feeling as stable as you can. We will get there, we've come so far already. Stay safe!!!

[[bo...]]

anyone continue tapering despite having a wave, vertigo/ off balance and my vision is off/sore eyes, weakness/ body pain , can't count all...  feeling  awful, starting to lose it  :'(

 

This boy holds when the sx get that bad!! Hang tough

[[ha...]]

Hi all, almost 2 months benzo free! Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night or have other anxiety, but I'm learning to deal with it. Today I found my last (empty, which I used for travel) pill container and recycled it. It felt great!

 

Hang in there, you can recover!

[[Fi...]]

So good to hear hear that you are feeling well.

 

Thank you for reporting back and offering the encouragement.

 

Can't wait to join you in the "off benzos" camp.

 

Final healing

 

[[De...]]

That's awesome!!! Congrats! 

[[Ul...]]

So good to hear hear that you are feeling well.

 

Thank you for reporting back and offering the encouragement.

 

Can't wait to join you in the "off benzos" camp.

 

Final healing

 

That "camp" does sound good, huh Final? I'm hoping I won't be too far behind you. How are you feeling/doing these days?

[[Fi...]]

So good to hear hear that you are feeling well.

 

Thank you for reporting back and offering the encouragement.

 

Can't wait to join you in the "off benzos" camp.

 

Final healing

 

That "camp" does sound good, huh Final? I'm hoping I won't be too far behind you. How are you feeling/doing these days?

 

I am doing all right.  I've been able to work more, which is good and I've been pretty stable on my taper.  I do have days where my cuts hit and I forget all the stability I've had.  But for the most part, the lower I have gotten on my dose the better I feel.

 

The main thing I'm dealing with now is just being super tired. I think the process of tapering is exhausting. I havw been walking more but I don't have a lot of spark. I hear it returns when we get off. 

 

I'm really grateful I've been stable.

 

How are you Jeff?

[[Ul...]]

So good to hear hear that you are feeling well.

 

Thank you for reporting back and offering the encouragement.

 

Can't wait to join you in the "off benzos" camp.

 

Final healing

 

That "camp" does sound good, huh Final? I'm hoping I won't be too far behind you. How are you feeling/doing these days?

 

I am doing all right.  I've been able to work more, which is good and I've been pretty stable on my taper.  I do have days where my cuts hit and I forget all the stability I've had.  But for the most part, the lower I have gotten on my dose the better I feel.

 

The main thing I'm dealing with now is just being super tired. I think the process of tapering is exhausting. I havw been walking more but I don't have a lot of spark. I hear it returns when we get off. 

 

I'm really grateful I've been stable.

 

How are you Jeff?

 

Hey, I'm glad to see the positive things in your post! I'm with you almost to a T. Super fatigue is an issue, but I'm glad to be able to move around. I was always really into exercising and staying active, but the exhausting taper over a 5+ year span has been pretty rough. I push myself extra hard on some days to exercise, but I know that I'll pay for it the next day by being extra super tired. I just miss all the activity! My stress from work is killer most days, but I'm just trying to stay positive and listen/watch something that's upbeat each day. We'll get there, Final. We're just saving the best for last

 

My hugs and best to you!

 

Jeff

[[Sc...]]

So good to hear hear that you are feeling well.

 

Thank you for reporting back and offering the encouragement.

 

Can't wait to join you in the "off benzos" camp.

 

Final healing

 

That "camp" does sound good, huh Final? I'm hoping I won't be too far behind you. How are you feeling/doing these days?

 

I am doing all right.  I've been able to work more, which is good and I've been pretty stable on my taper.  I do have days where my cuts hit and I forget all the stability I've had.  But for the most part, the lower I have gotten on my dose the better I feel.

 

The main thing I'm dealing with now is just being super tired. I think the process of tapering is exhausting. I havw been walking more but I don't have a lot of spark. I hear it returns when we get off. 

 

I'm really grateful I've been stable.

 

How are you Jeff?

Hi final healing

Glad to read your positive progress.

Forgive my cog fog.

Aren't you the one that is on solco & using a nail file & weigh fo4 your k pin to micro taper?

And you said you'd help me learn how to do that?

If so, I didn't understand how you explained it before, and I don't have an overall plan outlined. I need to taper both Xanax & klonopin. But 8m trying to start planning how I can do this.

If your still willing to help? I could sure use it, pretty soon.

I'm stabilizing, weaning caffeine, too, & other health issues. So My good moments aren't consistent. As far as planning to touch base. But hopefully we can come together, if your up to it still, sometime soon, when is good for both of us?

I do need guidence.

Much appreciated

Scaredie

[[Fi...]]

Hi Scardie,

 

I'm happy to share with you my method for tapering.

I can offer you support with the Clonzapam part but do not have experience with taking two benzos at once. 

 

Have you posted a question on the main withdrawal support page about tapering when you take two benzos and which one to taper first?

 

A few questions.

Do you have the Gemini 20 scale yet?

What dose are your Clonzapam pills?

What dose are you at now?

 

FH

[[Sc...]]

Hi Scardie,

 

I'm happy to share with you my method for tapering.

I can offer you support with the Clonzapam part but do not have experience with taking two benzos at once. 

 

Have you posted a question on the main withdrawal support page about tapering when you take two benzos and which one to taper first?

 

A few questions.

Do you have the Gemini 20 scale yet?

What dose are your Clonzapam pills?

What dose are you at now?

 

FH

I do have the scale.

 

No I Havnt posted that question, shall do so. My case is tricky, not straight forward. I'll come back & post link, about my current circumstances, if you care to read.

 

My clonazepam (Solco) Pill's are .5mg

 

I'm taking 1.5mg at bed

 

Oh this link might explain some things, but ignore if irrelevant to you.

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=246834.msg3141787#msg3141787

 

Much thanks final healing

SC

 

[[Sc...]]

Hi final healing. This is what I posted in direct simple tapers.

Could you share, Does this seem like I posted in right place & asked right questions.

Much thanks

SC

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=246849.msg3141974#msg3141974

[[Fi...]]

Hi SC,

 

It looks like you posted in the right area.

 

So it sounds like someone has suggested you taper the Xanax because it's faster acting.  I wish I could advise you on that but I just don't have the experience.  Clonazapam is longer lasting so it does stay in your system longer.  That doesn't mean you won't have symptoms tapering Xanax but the you will have another benzo in your system while you taper.

 

I'm going to share my tapering protocol with you for Clonzapam. 

 

I have .5mg of Solco. 

 

I weighed my Solco .5 mgs  pills on the Gemini 20 scale using the gram function. 

 

Each of my pills weigh between 200-203 grams.  Sometimes there are pills that weigh more than that but I try to use the ones in the range above. 

 

In order to figure out how many milligrams I was reducing by, I divided the .5mg pill by the pill weight, which is about 200grm or so. 

 

When I did that, it came out to 0.0025mgs.  So each time I reduced my pill weight by a small amount 0.001 grams, I knew how much I was reducing in milligrams. 

 

Every night, I get my pills ready for that evening and the next morning and afternoon.  Right now I am shaving down my night time pills and then on certain days, shaving either the morning as well. 

 

So if I was only taking Clonazapam once a day, I would start with the .5mg pill, that weighs 200grams on the scale and I shave that pill down to 199grams on the scale.  Then when I was ready to cut again, I would shave the 200gram pill on the scale to 198, then 197.  I just would reduce the pill weight on the scale lower and lower using a nail file.

 

I am micro tapering so I do that every other day except when I run into symptoms and then I hold.  That is my rate of speed but you may go slower that. 

 

I know you are taking a larger dose.  So you would weigh two .5mg pill on the scale using the gram function and once you know that number, you would then take another pill and split it and shave it till you had the equivalent of 1.5mgs.  So if the pills weighed 200grams each, you would be starting with 450grams on the scale for the pill weight.  That's two .5 pills and a half of a .5mgs pill.  You would then start shaving that total amount by 0.001.  So it would be 450, 449, 448grams, etc.

 

I hope this makes sense SC.  I'm trying to be as clear as possible but I know if can feel overwhelming. 

 

FH

 

[[Sc...]]

Thank you, Final!

 

So generous of you to take the time to share all of that.

 

Appreciate your thoughts on the 2 benzos & understand that you can't advise.

 

I've read your post & I know I'm going to have questions.

 

I'm going to have to come back to it, when I have a more alert, clear head.

 

I wanted to reply, for now, & let you know I saw it & am very grateful.

 

SC

 

[[on...]]

Curious, Klonopin taper here too.

 

0.001 daily micro dry taper would take forever (years).

 

I've opted to try 5% every 10-14 days, or as my body tells me.

 

Has anyone here found one method to be better then the other.  I want to do it right (whatever that means), but don't want to prolong it forever.  I'm not sure I have forever left in my lifetime.

 

Thoughts?

[[de...]]

Curious, Klonopin taper here too.

 

0.001 daily micro dry taper would take forever (years).

 

I've opted to try 5% every 10-14 days, or as my body tells me.

 

Has anyone here found one method to be better then the other.  I want to do it right (whatever that means), but don't want to prolong it forever.  I'm not sure I have forever left in my lifetime.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

Hi and nice to see you here.. I am not around often as I found that doing to much reading was not a good thing for me.

But the only way I found that was a smoother taper was the way you were saying .001gms everyday..and if you look at my taper which i stopped doing a long time ago thats from 4 yrs, ago..I also added more doses I went from dosing 2 times to 3 times to eventually 4 times a day. And you can also see where I stopped after that I got really sick and had to updose and i went from 1.86mgs to 1.95mgs but that didnt help and after losing down to 90lbs due to not being able to swallow foods.

 

I got SVT and ended up in the hospital and ended up leaving the hospital in a wheelchair where i stayed for 8 months i had no energy or strength from being malnourished . So i updosed twice once to 2.25 and then again to 2.75mgs and I had held there for 3yrs, I gained my weight back and i am totally functional now. I started a new taper which i said i would never do since i have been on k for 40 yrs. next yr. always just took my 4mgs never more and no other medications.

 

But with the world getting like it is i got nervous about being at that dose and maybe not being able to get it. So i started a new taper a few months ago..and dropped 20 percent my first month and then realized that was to much and held for a month. then went to .001 every other dose which was 10 percent and now i am doing .001 every 3rd day which was 7.5 percent. I have been holding for the last 2 weeks. I was started to get s/x's again and thought nope not going there again.

 

Today i will start again with .001gm cuts every 4th day...my aim is just to get to 2mgs and stay there. I am not trying to taper all the way off..as my husband says if something is not broke don't fix it and I function totally now and i have not had any problems all the time i have been on k.

 

But the difference i can honestly say helped me and some others are doing it now..is we own a construction company and my husband said one day hey what if you crushed the pills and stirred them around and then you are sure you are getting the closest of active ingredient possible. And i ordered pharmacy papers to use on my scale and did that and what a difference. We don't know where in the pill the active ingredient is so when we cut off pieces we could be getting more or less of it. And that's how I have done my taper since then and that was before i got sick. And he says thats how he gets the laborers to get the mix right for the stucco you have to mix it all up just like a cake mix or it wont be even or right.

 

Hope this helps heading out now for my 2 mile walk will check back later to see if you have any other questions or if i can help you feel free to pm me also if you do.

 

Have a great morning and hope this made since i feel like i wrote a book..lol

 

Pam

[[Ro...]]

Hi Pam!

I've red your signiture and your posts and I'm really feel for you because of your losses. You are really strong, I'm admire you, because you are here again. I have been on Klonopin for 14 years and last summer my doctor told me to stop it. I didn't know anything about the benzos, so I stopped. Nothing happened. Three monthees later I was in hell. I've tried reinstate, but it didnt work. I was on 1 mg and updosed to 1,75 mg. It was worse. Finally after a month I've switched 0,25 Klonopin to 5 mg Valium and started to taper. I was never stable and barely functional. I've two children. My son is in College in another country in this terrible covid situation and my daughter is here. She is 16. I have to stop this crazy thing, because I have to take care of my family. In a few weeks I'll be on 0,5 mg Klonopin and on 5 mg Valium. I want to CO for one benzo (I don't know wich one) and have to stabilize. If I CO back to Klonopin (I have had never any problem to be on it for 13 years), and take a long hold, or may be an updose and a long hold, do you think it's possible to stop struggling and stabilize? How long time was it for you to be normal again? I can't do this anymore. I have to change and try something, but I'm so scared now. What should you do? (Sorry for my english, it's not the best.)

Enikő

 

 

Hi Buddies,

 

Not sure how many of the old members are still on this thread as I joined back in 2014. Was on 4mgs on K.for 34 yrs Started out doing a dry cut and hold for a while but that didn't work out so well for me and had a lot of s/xs. So went to a dry micro taper using a scale and dropping .002gms a day alternating doses was dosing three times a day..then when I got lower stretched that to 4 doses a day. then had to start my drops at .001gms a day.

Then in july of 2015 i lost my oldest son and my mom within 9 days of each other. My primary wanted me to hold for a long while after everything i was going through but i didn't listen. So I got really sick jan of 2016..and lost down to 90lbs. from 130 i couldn't swallow food.

I was malnourished to say the least and i stopped my taper in march at 1.75mgs. By the end of june i had an SVT attack that ended me in the hospital and left in a wheelchair and was in a wheelchair until like march of 2017. during that time i updosed twice once to 2.25 and got a bit better and then again to 2.66mgs where i am at now.

I have gained my weight back and completely back to functioning i would say 99 percent. I walk 2 miles a day help run our construction company drive and do just about anything without to much trouble. Just have to be careful being in the heat doing physical things now that I have SVT.

Well with the world getting crazy more it seems everyday I got to thinking with the way its going what if i couldn't get my med well i would be in a really bad way. SO after much talk with my husband and also my best friend I decided to give it one more go at getting off. Something my husband and I had decided to just stay where i was the rest of my life I am 61.

They said its almost like your in a corner and need to try and see what happens..well today I made my first micro cut of .001gms off my morning dose. To say my mind is working overtime is no joke..its like all i can think about.

But I will not let my mind win this one.

 

The one thing i do as I don't know how many others do is I crush my pills..started doing that after my husband told me yrs ago when i was cutting them and weighing chips and we don't know where the med is and where the filler is. He said think about it..if you crush them up and then stir the powder then you are sure your going to get med in the dose. He said like mixing anything. So i started doing that and I never seemed to notice my drops...I went from 4mgs to 1.75..from june of 14 to march of 15 and only got sick in jan. from the loss of my family and still tapering.

So for the last 3 yrs i took a whole 1mg in the am..crushed my noon dose the .66mgs and then took a whole pill 1mg at night..but now i am crushing and weighing out .149 am .150 noon and .150 nite for today then tomorrow will be .149 am .149 noon and then .150 night..then will just keep alternating the powderd doses so they stay almost even.

 

So we will see how this works..sure did think about just doing a cut to 2.5mg and then start the taper but i thought long an hard and didn't want to see how sensitive i was to that cut.

 

I sure hope to see some familiar faces here and also get to make some new friends

 

Hang in there everyone and if I can ever help anyone or anyone has any questions that i can help you with please don't hesitate to ask and I will do my best to try and help you. This use to be the most active thread on the boards back when i was on here it looks like its a bit slow now.

 

Sorry i wrote a book but just wanted to give any new members some background of me and my journey to get to know me just a bit.

 

hugs to all

 

deep

[[Ul...]]

Curious, Klonopin taper here too.

 

0.001 daily micro dry taper would take forever (years).

 

I've opted to try 5% every 10-14 days, or as my body tells me.

 

Has anyone here found one method to be better then the other.  I want to do it right (whatever that means), but don't want to prolong it forever.  I'm not sure I have forever left in my lifetime.

 

Thoughts?

 

You'll be fine if you listen to your body. A "side effects" taper, so to speak. Personally, I love doing liquid because it's super user-friendly at low doses. Remember, the goal isn't just to get off the drug, it's to get off the drug healthy. Too fast just causes tons more problems.

[[on...]]

Curious, Klonopin taper here too.

 

0.001 daily micro dry taper would take forever (years).

 

I've opted to try 5% every 10-14 days, or as my body tells me.

 

Has anyone here found one method to be better then the other.  I want to do it right (whatever that means), but don't want to prolong it forever.  I'm not sure I have forever left in my lifetime.

 

Thoughts?

 

You'll be fine if you listen to your body. A "side effects" taper, so to speak. Personally, I love doing liquid because it's super user-friendly at low doses. Remember, the goal isn't just to get off the drug, it's to get off the drug healthy. Too fast just causes tons more problems.

 

 

 

At the risk of flip flopping my own thoughts and replies here...... has anyone found that 10% every 10-14 days or more, turned out to be too rapid??  I'm reminded of Goldie Locks who said, too cold, too hot or just right (badly quoted)

 

I don't want to rush, or have too severe w\d, or have to updose. 

 

It just feels like 5% can take up to a year to get off the Klonopin, and maybe that's OK.

 

Just interested in the results YOU have found using a 5% vs. 10% taper.  Or is all of this overthinking? 

[[Ul...]]

Curious, Klonopin taper here too.

 

0.001 daily micro dry taper would take forever (years).

 

I've opted to try 5% every 10-14 days, or as my body tells me.

 

Has anyone here found one method to be better then the other.  I want to do it right (whatever that means), but don't want to prolong it forever.  I'm not sure I have forever left in my lifetime.

 

Thoughts?

 

You'll be fine if you listen to your body. A "side effects" taper, so to speak. Personally, I love doing liquid because it's super user-friendly at low doses. Remember, the goal isn't just to get off the drug, it's to get off the drug healthy. Too fast just causes tons more problems.

 

 

 

At the risk of flip flopping my own thoughts and replies here...... has anyone found that 10% every 10-14 days or more, turned out to be too rapid??  I'm reminded of Goldie Locks who said, too cold, too hot or just right (badly quoted)

 

I don't want to rush, or have too severe w\d, or have to updose. 

 

It just feels like 5% can take up to a year to get off the Klonopin, and maybe that's OK.

 

Just interested in the results YOU have found using a 5% vs. 10% taper.  Or is all of this overthinking? 

 

My situation is really extreme since I was on a really big dose of k (along with dozens of other meds over the years), and I was on that amount well over two decades. Along the journey and talking to others, I've found that there is no real answer. Everyone is just so different, so we simply go as fast or slow as it takes. Personally, I've really liked a symptoms-based taper. I have only tapered as fast as my body allowed. Some months 5%, some months 10%, and some months 0%. It takes as long as it takes. I got started on the journey and made necessary changes along the way while trying to keep life as "normal" as possible. I'm confident that you'll find your niche. Hang in there!