The Klonopin Klub#2

[[th...]]

Hello,

I am new here. This is my first post since my introduction post. You can see in my signature I was on Xanax XR 3mg for about 9 years. New doctor is tapering me off by switching me to klonopin until we get down to zero benzos. I'm currently at 1.5 mg of klonopin every morning. I take a 1mg pill and then cut one in half for the .5 with a pill cutter.

I keep having nightmares every night and feel like I am not sleeping well. It's 8:44am here currently, I got up at 7 and have had 3 cups of coffee along with my vitamins and meds and I am so fatigued! It's very frustrating. Exhausted and I feel like I cannot think through this brain fog.

I'm also taking 20mg Abilify and 150mg Wellbutrin XL.

I don't know if I am asking for anything, just wanted to put my experience out there.

Exhausted,

 

thoughtform

 

Hi Thought! I'm new to this support group too but wanted to welcome you.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I have nightmares and fatigue too. I think a good portion of the people on this forum do.

 

I was on 1.75mg of K at the start and if I could go back and do it over again, I would have tapered at only 5-10% to start and get a reading on how my CNS reacts and only proceed with further cuts based on my level of stability.  That way, you can try not throwing your CNS into chaos and try to stay under the radar as you slowly withdraw the med. Just my 2 cents 

 

Hey lilpea, thanks for replying. I thought my post got lost or wasn't going to get a reply.

today is rough. i lost my last attempted job dec 31st. i had panic attacks during work and was forced to resign. i haven't really held a job since end of may 2019 now. I'm 46 years old and scared that i can't work again. i'm just a burden on my wife. we talked about it last night. very upsetting. super depressed today.

 

thoughtform

[[li...]]

Hi Lilpea!

 

How are you now? Is there any changes? My main symptoms are anxiety, chest pain, depression, fatigue, stomach problems, sedation, brain fog. How do you plan to continue? After two months holding I'll try another 5% decrease. I'm scared...

 

Enikő

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Rozalinda,

 

I'm sorry you're feeling so bad. I'm feeling maybe 5% better. Just trying to stay as calm as I can.

 

I am a believer in holding as long as I need to and following my gut feelings. I'm going to hold my current dose until I feel more stable. I want to try switching over to liquid but it scares me to mess with another change.

 

So you're going to cut 5% even though you feel bad?

 

 

 

[[li...]]

Hi Klonopin Klub,

 

I'm new to this group and really scared and spinning out of control in my looping thoughts about my taper method because I've been holding for two weeks on the same dose and feeling worse and worse - I dry taper and scrape one side of the pill with a razor blade and use a scale.

 

Can you all tell me what your taper method is? I feel so alone and would feel some comfort exchanging tapering method info.

 

For instance:

 

If you're dry tapering, are you crushing the pill into a powder and weighing it or just shaving the pill? Do you shave it from one side or break it up and shave from the middle?

 

If you're doing liquid, are you using milk or alcohol? I read on the forum that klonopin doesn't dissolve as well as the other benzos. What has been your experience if you're doing liquid? Is it working well for you?

 

Welcome (kind of)!! I'm a weird and kind of extreme case, but I've been using liquid titration just about the entire time of my k taper. Before starting my k taper I got off other meds I was taking just by gradually backing off them, shaving pieces, etc. It was a nightmare, but I had no clue about tapering methods, how to do them, and so on. K has been my last med to get off of, and it's been a wild ride. A good friend of mine once told me to be careful about "shaving" pieces off of tablets because the drug usually isn't spread evenly throughout a tablet. We may be shaving off filler only and not any of the actual med, or we may be shaving off a ton of med and not even no it. Everybody's different, but I decided to go to liquid and that made a world of difference. Just follow your gut feeling and you'll do what's best for you. Get good and stable, then move forward with whatever plan you go with and don't look back. I use about 2.5 mL of vodka to dissolve my tablets, and no problems with that over the taper. I hope to take my last dose within a couple of months, so stick with it! Long-haulers like me just have to keep at it until the day comes when we finally stick benzos in our rearview mirrors. Hang in there!

 

Hi Ultra! Thank you so much for responding. You mention exactly the point that had me worried. That the shaving of the pill could be inconsistent; shaving more filler sometimes, or shaving more medication sometimes.

 

But these anecdotal stories of what works for people whether it be dry or liquid gives me some reassurance that maybe it can be done either way.

 

I keep reading about liquid titration but scattered throughout the forum, they talk about how klonopin is different than the other benzos in making a reliable "homebrew".  I needed to hear stories like yours that it is possible to make an alcohol based liquid K that is uniform enough that you've been able to stick to it for awhile now.

 

Your story is not weird imo. I plan on being at this for a long time. I've read through some of the LongHoldSupportGroup thread. Especially old member, Valley Um's,  theories, and that group makes a lot of sense. You've been doing the long haul and it looks like you're in the home stretch and in good condition. I'm so happy for you.

 

Sure thing, you'll just pick what method resonates with you and go from there. I think the body just adjusts to things and then moves on. So, I'm sure dry-cutting is hunky dory for some, and liquid taper is dandy for others. Everybody that's been in my group since the get-go has been using the liquid method (everyone else is either completely finished or is about to be). It's so hard to predict what's best for people. We each just kind of need to see what's out there and then go for it, hold when symptoms get out of control, use some common sense, then move ahead again. You'll make it!!!!

 

Hi Ultra!

 

I love your positive energy.

 

So for your liquid taper, do you do the throw away method? Is your solution a 1ml of solution = .1mg of med if you are doing the throwaway method? How do you know the mg of medication that you are at? I know I should ask in the taper forum but you seem to be the only one around lately of the long timers on liquid klonopin that isn't doing a compounded liquid.

[[li...]]

Hello,

I am new here. This is my first post since my introduction post. You can see in my signature I was on Xanax XR 3mg for about 9 years. New doctor is tapering me off by switching me to klonopin until we get down to zero benzos. I'm currently at 1.5 mg of klonopin every morning. I take a 1mg pill and then cut one in half for the .5 with a pill cutter.

I keep having nightmares every night and feel like I am not sleeping well. It's 8:44am here currently, I got up at 7 and have had 3 cups of coffee along with my vitamins and meds and I am so fatigued! It's very frustrating. Exhausted and I feel like I cannot think through this brain fog.

I'm also taking 20mg Abilify and 150mg Wellbutrin XL.

I don't know if I am asking for anything, just wanted to put my experience out there.

Exhausted,

 

thoughtform

 

Hi Thought! I'm new to this support group too but wanted to welcome you.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I have nightmares and fatigue too. I think a good portion of the people on this forum do.

 

I was on 1.75mg of K at the start and if I could go back and do it over again, I would have tapered at only 5-10% to start and get a reading on how my CNS reacts and only proceed with further cuts based on my level of stability.  That way, you can try not throwing your CNS into chaos and try to stay under the radar as you slowly withdraw the med. Just my 2 cents 

 

Hey lilpea, thanks for replying. I thought my post got lost or wasn't going to get a reply.

today is rough. i lost my last attempted job dec 31st. i had panic attacks during work and was forced to resign. i haven't really held a job since end of may 2019 now. I'm 46 years old and scared that i can't work again. i'm just a burden on my wife. we talked about it last night. very upsetting. super depressed today.

 

thoughtform

 

Hi thoughtform,

 

I know how you feel about the work thing.  I also understand the black hole of depression. I know we're all scared.  We've got to keep hope alive. You're still young.  Let's fight through this and get back on our feet. You're so fortunate to have a spouse. I wish I had a husband/partner lol. Please know there's a future for you.

[[Ul...]]

Hi Klonopin Klub,

 

I'm new to this group and really scared and spinning out of control in my looping thoughts about my taper method because I've been holding for two weeks on the same dose and feeling worse and worse - I dry taper and scrape one side of the pill with a razor blade and use a scale.

 

Can you all tell me what your taper method is? I feel so alone and would feel some comfort exchanging tapering method info.

 

For instance:

 

If you're dry tapering, are you crushing the pill into a powder and weighing it or just shaving the pill? Do you shave it from one side or break it up and shave from the middle?

 

If you're doing liquid, are you using milk or alcohol? I read on the forum that klonopin doesn't dissolve as well as the other benzos. What has been your experience if you're doing liquid? Is it working well for you?

 

Welcome (kind of)!! I'm a weird and kind of extreme case, but I've been using liquid titration just about the entire time of my k taper. Before starting my k taper I got off other meds I was taking just by gradually backing off them, shaving pieces, etc. It was a nightmare, but I had no clue about tapering methods, how to do them, and so on. K has been my last med to get off of, and it's been a wild ride. A good friend of mine once told me to be careful about "shaving" pieces off of tablets because the drug usually isn't spread evenly throughout a tablet. We may be shaving off filler only and not any of the actual med, or we may be shaving off a ton of med and not even no it. Everybody's different, but I decided to go to liquid and that made a world of difference. Just follow your gut feeling and you'll do what's best for you. Get good and stable, then move forward with whatever plan you go with and don't look back. I use about 2.5 mL of vodka to dissolve my tablets, and no problems with that over the taper. I hope to take my last dose within a couple of months, so stick with it! Long-haulers like me just have to keep at it until the day comes when we finally stick benzos in our rearview mirrors. Hang in there!

 

Hi Ultra! Thank you so much for responding. You mention exactly the point that had me worried. That the shaving of the pill could be inconsistent; shaving more filler sometimes, or shaving more medication sometimes.

 

But these anecdotal stories of what works for people whether it be dry or liquid gives me some reassurance that maybe it can be done either way.

 

I keep reading about liquid titration but scattered throughout the forum, they talk about how klonopin is different than the other benzos in making a reliable "homebrew".  I needed to hear stories like yours that it is possible to make an alcohol based liquid K that is uniform enough that you've been able to stick to it for awhile now.

 

Your story is not weird imo. I plan on being at this for a long time. I've read through some of the LongHoldSupportGroup thread. Especially old member, Valley Um's,  theories, and that group makes a lot of sense. You've been doing the long haul and it looks like you're in the home stretch and in good condition. I'm so happy for you.

 

Sure thing, you'll just pick what method resonates with you and go from there. I think the body just adjusts to things and then moves on. So, I'm sure dry-cutting is hunky dory for some, and liquid taper is dandy for others. Everybody that's been in my group since the get-go has been using the liquid method (everyone else is either completely finished or is about to be). It's so hard to predict what's best for people. We each just kind of need to see what's out there and then go for it, hold when symptoms get out of control, use some common sense, then move ahead again. You'll make it!!!!

 

Hi Ultra!

 

I love your positive energy.

 

So for your liquid taper, do you do the throw away method? Is your solution a 1ml of solution = .1mg of med if you are doing the throwaway method? How do you know the mg of medication that you are at? I know I should ask in the taper forum but you seem to be the only one around lately of the long timers on liquid klonopin that isn't doing a compounded liquid.

 

Yes, I throw away what I don't use. Typically I'll mix up a batch and then make quite a few days doses with that batch. One pill makes a ton these days since I'm on such a tiny dose (thank God!). And no, my solution isn't 1mL=.1mg. It's closer to 1=.01, but I don't really even pay attention to that anymore. A long time ago I started just looking at the total volume of solution each time I made a batch, and then I would remove a certain amount to make my doses, then throw away the rest...next time, remove a tiny bit extra, make my doses, and throw away the rest (all based on my symptoms at the time). It's basically setup to where I just have to move my decimal point over two spaces to get my # of milligrams of med that I'm on. That probably doesn't make much sense, but I wanted to get to where I could focus on volume rather than a particular amount of med. That "amount of med" at the beginning was just too hard to face everyday because it almost made me feel hopeless and like I would never get off such a high dose. This whole process started in the beginning with me putting a 1mg k tablet in 2.5mL of vodka, dissolve, then add 97.5mL of water to get my solution. Clear as mud, right?? It all works in the end. We all get to zero, and you will too!!!! Have a sane and awesome day

[[li...]]

Hi Ultra, thanks for taking the time to explain all that! I know it's tedious to type out.

 

You've been very helpful and have given a great overall view of how to do this. The throwaway method sounds the easiest and just knowing you're doing it successfully gives great hope.  I'm sure once I get this going I'll get into the  flow and realize it's an easy routine.

 

In the meantime, since I'm totally paranoid about keeping the math straight in the beginning, I better go dabble in the tapering forum and stop pestering you here!

 

You see, I'm using .5mg pills and need to calculate the solution for that and how much to draw up in ml to hold my dose for a few months at around .471mg for my daytime dose.  I'll go bug someone else. Would you happen to know who the liquid math guy is these days?

 

Oh how wonderful it must be to be at such low doses as you are! You've earned it. 

[[Ul...]]

Hi Ultra, thanks for taking the time to explain all that! I know it's tedious to type out.

 

You've been very helpful and have given a great overall view of how to do this. The throwaway method sounds the easiest and just knowing you're doing it successfully gives great hope.  I'm sure once I get this going I'll get into the  flow and realize it's an easy routine.

 

In the meantime, since I'm totally paranoid about keeping the math straight in the beginning, I better go dabble in the tapering forum and stop pestering you here!

 

You see, I'm using .5mg pills and need to calculate the solution for that and how much to draw up in ml to hold my dose for a few months at around .471mg for my daytime dose.  I'll go bug someone else. Would you happen to know who the liquid math guy is these days?

 

Oh how wonderful it must be to be at such low doses as you are! You've earned it. 

 

Hi, sweet lady! Well, I know a guy named Bob7 on the forum who has done amazing things for people that dry taper. Maybe he does guidance for liquid tapers too. I'm not sure, but it may be worth tracking him down. Anyway, I've always done 1mg k tab into 100mL solution. This makes 1mL of liquid = .01mg of k. I just kind of started with that. Obviously, 1/2mL would then = .005mg, etc etc. That's pretty easy to taper from. So, putting your .5mg tablet into 50mL would give the same ratio... 1mL of liquid would then = .01mg. You could then take your 50mL of liquid solution and then throw out 1mL of solution to give you a remaining solution of 49mL or .49mg, etc. I did that forever, and then I cut that process in half to get a smaller cut, yada, yada, yada until I got down to where I am currently. It's a really flexible plan, easy to hold when needed, easy to prepare multiple days in a row, and so forth. There are people out there that swear by the dry taper method, so to each his/her own. Whatever floats everybody's boat...the end result is the same (benzo-free!!!). Gotta go, but have a fun, sane, and clear-headed weekend!

[[li...]]

Thank you Ultra! I see, I get the math now and how to tweak it to my situation...yada yada yada 

 

Hope you're having a great day. 

[[Ul...]]

Thank you Ultra! I see, I get the math now and how to tweak it to my situation...yada yada yada 

 

Hope you're having a great day.

 

Bless your sweet heart!! It's really not as difficult a process as I was led to believe when I first started. Stay in touch. I'll be happy to help in anyway I can. I don't get on this site every singe day because it just depends on what's happening at work, but I try. Take care!

[[bo...]]

Hi Ya'll , I'm In a low dose 0.145  and having weird aches  like I'm limping, tendon in my front thigh pain like it gets stuck, neck and back pain, also nerve sensation and  hip pain from sleeping on my side but I'm doing  so exercises anyone else  have it harder the lower you go?  :'(

[[Ul...]]

Hi Ya'll , I'm In a low dose 0.145  and having weird aches  like I'm limping, tendon in my front thigh pain like it gets stuck, neck and back pain, also nerve sensation and  hip pain from sleeping on my side but I'm doing  so exercises anyone else  have it harder the lower you go?  :'(

 

Anything and everything goes! Some get better as they go lower, and some get worse. I'd say I'm a mixture. I'm definitely better than a couple years ago, but there are still significant challenges and sx. Doesn't matter. Next!!

[[De...]]

Hi,

I had it too. Most is gone at this point. Still a couple sore areas.  I walk and stretched. Im sorry you have it too. Same as ulta said. You will be ok.

[[Lu...]]

I forget how to make a liquid suspension of clonazepam using oraplus.  Do I use a few ml of water to break up the pills into a slurry than add the a oraplus / orasweet to get the appropriate mg to ml ratio?

[[De...]]

Hi everyone, I am doing a liquid taper. Do amy of you get these like quivering sensations in your legs. I get them if I fall of to sleep then heart palps, then sick to my stomach. Now it happens in the middle of the night. It comes with b a depressed hopeless feeling. This drug stinks.  Tia

[[Fi...]]

Hi Klonipin Klub,

 

I'm happy to post that I am now completely medication free.

 

 

I took my last dose of Clonzepam on Feb. 5, 2021 and have been feeling all right.  I have felt a little spacey and at times vulnerable because of what I have been through but I am really okay.

 

I did a 22 month dry cut micro benzo taper using a scale and nail file to reduce my pills. I started out very slowly at the beginning because I was really scared but was able to pick up the pace as I got used to tapering and gained confidence.  I was one of those people who felt better as I got lower and better.  The less medication that was in my body, the more functional I became and that helped me get through the tedious process of tapering.  I started at .625 mgs of Clonzepam and stepped off at 0.0150mgs, which is equivalent to .25mgs of Valium.

 

I want to encourage everyone still tapering that it is totally possible to get off medications. I was pollydrugged and on benzos twice and here I am.

 

You can all do it.

 

Final Healing

[[li...]]

Hi Klonipin Klub,

 

I'm happy to post that I am now completely medication free.

 

 

I took my last dose of Clonzepam on Feb. 5, 2021 and have been feeling all right.  I have felt a little spacey and at times vulnerable because of what I have been through but I am really okay.

 

I did a 22 month dry cut micro benzo taper using a scale and nail file to reduce my pills. I started out very slowly at the beginning because I was really scared but was able to pick up the pace as I got used to tapering and gained confidence.  I was one of those people who felt better as I got lower and better.  The less medication that was in my body, the more functional I became and that helped me get through the tedious process of tapering.  I started at .625 mgs of Clonzepam and stepped off at 0.0150mgs, which is equivalent to .25mgs of Valium.

 

I want to encourage everyone still tapering that it is totally possible to get off medications. I was pollydrugged and on benzos twice and here I am.

 

You can all do it.

 

Final Healing

 

Congratulations Final! Thank you for sharing your journey and giving details.  It helps so much and gives us hope that we can do this.

 

Wishing you a smooth and happy post taper life. -lilpea

 

[[Fi...]]

Hi Klonipin Klub,

 

I'm happy to post that I am now completely medication free.

 

 

I took my last dose of Clonzepam on Feb. 5, 2021 and have been feeling all right.  I have felt a little spacey and at times vulnerable because of what I have been through but I am really okay.

 

I did a 22 month dry cut micro benzo taper using a scale and nail file to reduce my pills. I started out very slowly at the beginning because I was really scared but was able to pick up the pace as I got used to tapering and gained confidence.  I was one of those people who felt better as I got lower and better.  The less medication that was in my body, the more functional I became and that helped me get through the tedious process of tapering.  I started at .625 mgs of Clonzepam and stepped off at 0.0150mgs, which is equivalent to .25mgs of Valium.

 

I want to encourage everyone still tapering that it is totally possible to get off medications. I was pollydrugged and on benzos twice and here I am.

 

You can all do it.

 

Final Healing

 

Congratulations Final! Thank you for sharing your journey and giving details.  It helps so much and gives us hope that we can do this.

 

Wishing you a smooth and happy post taper life. -lilpea

 

Thank you lilpea.

Its  hard to believe when benzos muddle your thinking but you can do this. 

[[De...]]

Congrats fh! That is great news!!!!! 

[[Fi...]]

Congrats fh! That is great news!!!!! 

 

Thank you DeeDee.  It definielty has been a journey and required a lot of determination. 

 

I hope you are doing all right on your taper.

[[De...]]

I definitely does! I'm doing good today. I cant wait to be free of this drug. Glad you are having mild systems. You did it!!!

[[Ul...]]

Hi Klonipin Klub,

 

I'm happy to post that I am now completely medication free.

 

 

I took my last dose of Clonzepam on Feb. 5, 2021 and have been feeling all right.  I have felt a little spacey and at times vulnerable because of what I have been through but I am really okay.

 

I did a 22 month dry cut micro benzo taper using a scale and nail file to reduce my pills. I started out very slowly at the beginning because I was really scared but was able to pick up the pace as I got used to tapering and gained confidence.  I was one of those people who felt better as I got lower and better.  The less medication that was in my body, the more functional I became and that helped me get through the tedious process of tapering.  I started at .625 mgs of Clonzepam and stepped off at 0.0150mgs, which is equivalent to .25mgs of Valium.

 

I want to encourage everyone still tapering that it is totally possible to get off medications. I was pollydrugged and on benzos twice and here I am.

 

You can all do it.

 

Final Healing

 

Rock n' roll, superstar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You da best! I'm sincerely, truly, honestly, and mega-happy for what you've accomplished. Run for president now. You deserve to feel gooder and gooder, and I wish you nothing but even more healing beyond your final healing. Man, that's just awesome!!   Jeff

[[Fi...]]

I definitely does! I'm doing good today. I cant wait to be free of this drug. Glad you are having mild systems. You did it!!!

 

You can do it Deedee. 

[[Fi...]]

Hi Klonipin Klub,

 

I'm happy to post that I am now completely medication free.

 

 

I took my last dose of Clonzepam on Feb. 5, 2021 and have been feeling all right.  I have felt a little spacey and at times vulnerable because of what I have been through but I am really okay.

 

I did a 22 month dry cut micro benzo taper using a scale and nail file to reduce my pills. I started out very slowly at the beginning because I was really scared but was able to pick up the pace as I got used to tapering and gained confidence.  I was one of those people who felt better as I got lower and better.  The less medication that was in my body, the more functional I became and that helped me get through the tedious process of tapering.  I started at .625 mgs of Clonzepam and stepped off at 0.0150mgs, which is equivalent to .25mgs of Valium.

 

I want to encourage everyone still tapering that it is totally possible to get off medications. I was pollydrugged and on benzos twice and here I am.

 

You can all do it.

 

Final Healing

 

Rock n' roll, superstar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You da best! I'm sincerely, truly, honestly, and mega-happy for what you've accomplished. Run for president now. You deserve to feel gooder and gooder, and I wish you nothing but even more healing beyond your final healing. Man, that's just awesome!!   Jeff

 

Thank you Jeff!  I do feel like a bit of a superstar, one who has run a marathon! 

 

I so appreciate your words and enthusiasm.  I've been tapering for a stretch as you know and to be completely med and benzo free is a great feeling.

 

Look forward to cheering you on as you cross the finish line.

 

FH

[[De...]]

Thanks fh!!!! You are a superstar!!!

[[Mo...]]

Final,

Just wanted to step on and say congratulations for making it off this poison!  I know it's all been a long road for you but you are an inspiration.