Trying to taper off clonazepam

[[Ka...]]

I have been taking clonazepam for about 6 years. I take .5mg daily, .25 in morning and again at night. I want to get off so talked to my psychiatrist about it. I voiced my concern about withdrawals and how it can take a long time with bad side effects. He told me .5mg wasn't a big dose and wrote me a prescription for Librium. He told me to stop taking clonazepam and now to take 20mg of Librium for 15 days and then 10mg for another 15 days. Then I will be done.

 

My question is, is this a solution anyone else has used? Does Librium help? I know it's a longer lasting benzo. Also is that too quick of a taper? Thanks in advance!

 

 

[Guest [Le...]]

Hello, Kanra - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your decision to come off clonazepam! The plan your psychiatrist proposes is very rapid, so you may want to slow it down after you switch to Librium. But you've definitely come to the right place for support while you figure out a comfortable taper plan. 

 

I'm so glad you decided to join the forum - you'll find plenty of information and support here. Our members have gone through all aspects of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal, so you'll be able to connect with others who understand what you're going through and can tell you what has worked for them.

 

Please feel free to post to any of the specialized boards, which can all be accessed from the BenzoBuddies Community Forum homepage. Based on the information provided in your introduction, the following links may be a good place for you to start.

 

  General Taper Plans

  Withdrawal Support During Your Taper

 

When you have a chance, we highly recommend that you take a look at The Ashton Manual, which is an authoritative source on what to expect during withdrawal and recovery, authored by Dr Heather Ashton, who is an expert in the field. It provides a great deal of information that can be very reassuring during any stage of this process, including a list of common symptoms accompanied by helpful explanations.

 

For those who are currently tapering, we suggest reducing no faster than 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even slower than that. One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper faster than that. 

 

Please take the time to Create a Signature. This will allow members to see where you are in the process, so that they can better support you.

 

Again, welcome!

Leslie