Stuck in limbo between C and V

[[mr...]]

Hi friends,

 

Need help, advice on what to do since my family doc means well, but isn't very experienced.

 

History: A Sleep dr prescribed clonezepam 0.5 to 1mg for sleep (June 2016), didn't provide me with any warnings on how dangerous they are.  Was traveling overseas in Oct 2016 and didn't take it for 2 days, and felt horrible the whole trip. 

 

I've been trying to get off this darn drug since Nov 2016, and succeeded to about 0.265 mg.

 

Currently taking Ultram (a long acting version of Tramadol), and Lyrica for long term chronic pain.

 

Since I felt terrible I saw my doctor on Dec 15th, and he suggested 0.25 Clonezepam tablets ( was cutting 0.5mg to equiv of .265 mg).  Well that made me feel worse. Not sure if the cuts are just not precise (I am using micro K scale).  I was previously only taking it at night, but I think the smaller dosages just went through my system too fast.  There are slight variations in the weights of these generic drugs too.

 

What ever the reason, I tried that till I saw him Dec 27th.  He suggested a switch to Diezapam (2 mg tables 4 times a day for two weeks), till the first taper.  he only suggested staying on the Clonezepam for two weeks.  I still feel like crap, and don't know what to do next.

 

Please, please help!!

 

So currently taking .125 Clonezepam at 7 am, 0.125 Clonezepam at 3pm, and 4 mg of Diezepam.  This is as of Jan 8th.

 

Should I stick with the Diezepam and taper off the Clonezepam? 

 

Taper off both (slowly concurrently)?

 

Or use the Ashton guide, and introduce 0.0625 Clonezepam, and 1.25mg of Diezepam in the afternoon as a next step?

 

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

BTW, sorry for the long post, but my body seems quite sensitive to drugs.  It took me over 7 months to get off Nortriptyline.

[[Ju...]]

It sounds like you have been making a lot of changes and feeling pretty awful 

 

How much do you think your average daily dose was before you started trying to taper? If it was more like 1 mg and you went to 0.25 in a month or so, that could explain the way you feel. What you are currently taking is approximately the equivalent of a little less than 0.5 mg K. If your regular dose for several months was closer to 1 mg, then you might want to try adding another 4 mg diazepam to your evening dose and see how that feels after a week or two. Unfortunately crossing over does take time to do properly and let everything settle. If you felt better there for a while, you could then start crossing your 0.125 doses one at a time to 2.5 mg diazepam.

 

Hope that helps.

JKS

[[mr...]]

Thanks for the reply.  It means a lot.  I was mostly on 0.5 Clonezepam on average.  I would say I feel better in the morning, afternoon after taking the Clonezepam with my current regime, and feel worse in the evening.  I guess I should just tough it out? 

 

I feel a little better today, except for the brain zinging.  At least the nausea isn't as bad, nor the head aches.  Still feel sweats bad though.

 

I've been drinking ginger tea all the time, which helps (and I hate ginger) 

 

Also read that melatonine helps with benzo withdraw success rates, but no more than 3 mg at night 1 -2 hours before you want to sleep.

 

You wouldn't recommend just taking say 0.2 Clonezepam at night instead of the diazepam?

 

[[Ju...]]

People do successfully directly taper off klonopin but it is harder to make small reductions given the greater potency.

You might want to post here and see if others tapering klonopin have suggestions:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=163449.1260