Jump to content
Please Check, and if Necessary, Update Your BB Account Email Address as a Matter of Urgency ×
New Forum: Celebrating 20 Years of Support - Everyone is Invited! ×
  • Please Donate

    Donate with PayPal button

    For nearly 20 years, BenzoBuddies has assisted thousands of people through benzodiazepine withdrawal. Help us reach and support more people in need. More about donations here.

Planning to wean off klonopin


[Su...]

Recommended Posts

I'm a 36 year old female.  I have fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and, despite treatment with tramadol, was housebound except for doctor visits and occasionally going to the grocery store from 2005 to 2012.  This was not due to depression, anxiety, or agoraphobia -- it was due to pain/energy issues and feeling over simulated by lights, sounds, smells, etc.

 

In Aug 2012, I was prescribed 2mg/day klonopin to help with the "tired but wired" feelings associated with these syndromes.  The klonopin helped so much!!  It helped with the pain and also dampened feeling over-simulated.  A year later (July 2013) my prescription was raised to 3mg/day (not due to tolerance, it was to help me get out more often socially, exercise, keep up with chores, etc). 

 

June 2017:  I am still prescribed 3mg/day.  I currently take .5mg upon waking and 1mg in the evening (it's not sedating to me, it just helps calm my mind, though I still have chronic insomnia).  As needed, I will take up to another 1.5mg in divided doses if I need to be physically or mentally active.  So my dose varies from 1.5mg to 3mg daily.

 

I have not reached tolerance, and still find klonopin to be the best treatment option.  HOWEVER, I am coming up on 5 years, and know the dangers of staying on this drug.  I also worry that some symptoms I associate with fibro and cfs may be caused by klonopin.

 

After much research and thought, I have decided to stabilize at 1.5mg per day (.5mg in am, 1mg in pm), and begin a very slow dry cut taper directly from klonopin.

 

I have not taken tramadol in months (it was starting to make me agitated due to its SNRI properties). 

 

I am weaning off baclofen and having a hard time with that (but likely will be off in a few weeks...down to 10mg/day from 80mg/day), so will not start my actual klonopin taper until I am completely off baclofen for at least a month.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi  :) Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

I am glad you found us today. The best time to tapering is before tolerance to the drug has been reached.  The recommended reduction rate is 5 to 10 percent every two weeks. A gradual taper really is the best way to try to minimize symptoms.

 

You might like to check out The Ashton Manual it is an authoritative source on what to expect in withdrawal and recovery.  Dr. Ashton is an expert in the field. 

 

Please feel free to post to any of the dedicated boards, we have a wonderful community of people here, who will give sound advice. Members have been through all aspects of benzodiazepine use and withdrawal and are more than willing to share their experiences.

 

General Taper Plans

Withdrawal Support During Your Taper

 

 

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

 

Again Welcome!  :smitten:

 

benzos-R-cruel

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the welcome, benzos-R-cruel!

 

I have read the Ashton Manual and have already been looking at a ton of stuff on BB!

 

I will post more as I get closer to tapering, as well as create a signature.

 

Sunny

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • [Co...]
    • [Ki...]
    • [Do...]
    • [ca...]
    • [Tr...]
    • [La...]
    • [No...]
    • [TH...]
    • [Bu...]
    • [SB...]
    • [Le...]
    • [Br...]
    • [PE...]
    • [...]
    • [Br...]
    • [PP...]
    • [in...]
    • [El...]
    • [Bl...]
    • [No...]
    • [wi...]
    • [Le...]
    • [bi...]
    • [Ja...]
    • [ch...]
    • [...]
    • [ne...]
    • [hu...]
    • [Lo...]
    • [Ne...]
    • [Ro...]
    • [je...]
×
×
  • Create New...