New Member

[[Ja...]]

Due to high stress over the past five years (trying to finish my master's degree and high stress job coupled with perfectionist Type A personality) and my dad's recent death, I finally "fell apart".  The addition of heart palpitations added to the anxiety and panic attacks (I thought I was dying).  I tried to go without meds but eventually found I was barely functioning.  The PA put me on trazodone 50 mg. once a day and clonazepam 0.25 mg twice a day.  I didn't like the side effects of either so began tapering off the clonazepam after doing some research on this site.  I was done to 1/4 of a clonazepam pill once a day when I changed doctors.  Due to increased heart palpitations, the doctor wanted me off the trazodone (nasty long-term effects she said).  So I wouldn't send myself back into panic attacks, my doctor told me to go back on the full dose of clonazepam (0.25 mg twice daily) as she tapered me off trazodone.  I am now down to 1/4 of a 50 mg trazodone pill (for three weeks now) and feeling the tightness across my stomach and chest when in stressful situations (my job).  My doctor knows I do not want to be on the benzo either so her plans are to taper me off that once she gets me off the trazodone.  Hoping I can find lots of support here.  Have been faring fairly well until this week.

 

Edit: Removed member name from title

 

[Guest [Le...]]

Hello, Jakes mom  - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your efforts to stop clonazepam, and well done on tapering the trazadone down so far already! It's great that your doctor is helping you get off both of theses drugs. 

 

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 your questions (from above) 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 starting place for you.

 

  General Taper Plans

  Withdrawal Support

 

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 with 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.

 

Looking forward to seeing you on the forum!

  Leslie 

[[Ja...]]

Thanks for the information on the Ashton Manual.  I've looked it over and have based what I've done with the Clonazepam on it.  I'm probably tapering a littler faster than I should (1/4 of 0.25 mg pill at each tapering) but am allowing two weeks on the reduced dosage before cutting down again.  The worst part is the nausea I get in the early morning, about an hour before I normally take my morning dose.  It's accompanied with what feels like electrical zaps across my abdomen and chest and an uneasy feeling.  This dissipates after I take my morning dose.