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Going off clonazepam after 12 years


[Hu...]

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Hi, I am looking for advice on tapering off of clonazepam. I have been taking it for about 12 years. It was prescribed to me because of anxiety and hand tremor symptoms probably caused by PTSD. I originally took 0.5mg twice a day. I also took 20mg of Inderal twice a day along with it. After a few years I increased the dosage of the same pills to three times a day. Three weeks ago I stopped taking my midday dose and went to the original dose of 0.5mg of clonazepam twice a day and 20mg of Inderal twice a day. I had some symptoms I would call withdrawal: headaches, shakiness, strange "buzzing" feeling in my chest, gastro-intestinal problems, tiredness, overreacting, feeling angry. I don't know if the symptoms were related to the clonazepam or the Inderal withdrawal. Last week, the symptoms had subsided and I asked my doctor about withdrawing completely from the clonazepam. I am going to stay on the Inderal. So last week I cut my morning dose of clonazepam to 0.25mg. After a couple of days, I started feeling the same symptoms as before. They almost seem worse this week. I am thinking of cutting back the evening dose later this week, but I wonder if I am going off of this too fast. I have always felt that it was better to "rip the bandaid off" than peel it slowly, but this clonazepam withdrawal is a new experience for me.
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[e2...]

Hello, Hughfoy :) - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your decision to come off of Klonopin - as you've already discovered, trying to cut benzos too quickly can bring on a blizzard of unpleasant symptoms, but you've definitely come to the right place for support while you plan a more comfortable taper.  :thumbsup:

 

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 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  :smitten:

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