Wishing to taper off of .5mg klonopin

[[xo...]]

Hi, I was prescribed .5mg klonopin 3 times a day for the last 3 weeks. The first 10 days I was in the hospital and had to take all 3 doses after that I only drink one or two of the .5mg pills. Today my psychiatrist has prescribed me buspar 30 mg a day and I want to and have to discontinue the klonopin. I am looking for advice and support in tapering off and staying out of the use of benzodiazepines. I've used Ativan 2 mg in the past and then I was prescribed 2 mg 3 times a day after having a brain surgery. Please help me cope with anxiety and guide me through the withdrawals

[[pi...]]

Hello xoxo34,

 

Welcome to Benzo Buddies! I believe you are making a good choice to discontinue the use of klonopin.  While your initial dose was pretty high, 1.5mg per day, it seems you have been taking much less.  These types of drugs are intended for short term use, say 2-3 weeks, so you are right in that time frame.

 

You can likely follow a rapid taper due to your short time use.  Of course, it's important to listen to your body and adjust the reductions if necessary. You could perhaps cut your dose in half every 5 days.  Yes, this is going to cause withdrawal symptoms but it's far better to feel badly now, rather than risk tolerance withdrawal and potentially go through months or years of symptoms.

 

For those who have taken benzos longer, a slow taper is recommended. Just for your information, I'll give you  a link to the General Taper Plans for more information.

 

I'll also give you a link to the Ashton Manual, it is an excellent resource about these types of drugs and how to withdraw. It was written by Dr. Heather Ashton, an expert in the field.

 

I'm glad you've joined the forum. You'll get a lot of support here as you work towards being benzo free. Please feel free to ask questions, we're here to help.

 

General Taper Plans 

 

The Ashton Manual

 

pianogirl