Hello - Sad to say I'm here.

[[kk...]]

Hi.

 

I have panic disorder and GAD. 10 months ago I had terrible panic attacks daily after an illness. I had Xanax to use PRN and I was taking it but it wasn't controlling my situation. My psychiatrist prescribed 0.5 Klonopin 2x per day and put me back on Lexapro (initally 10 mg then up to 20 mg).

 

I started taking .5 Klonopin 1x per day and it was too much for me. So I took .25 once per day in the morning and have been doing so for 10 months. The idea was to get off when the Lexapro kicked in and that NEVER happened. I'm off the lexapro completely.

 

I found out I was pregnant (surprise!) with my 4th child three weeks ago. My psychiatrist wanted me to taper but my OB was okay with me being on it because he thought the stress of going off would be worse than my low dose. I decided to try the taper but I think I went too fast. Going from .25 to .0625 in 2.5 weeks (dry cutting) and BOOM! massive panic and withdrawal symptoms (insomnia, sweating, dizziness, fogginess, etc.). I had to reinstate my .25 dose + .125 (so .375 total) because it was so terrible. I would like to stabilize at either the .25 or .375 and then try again. I'm apparently very sensitive to medication so I'd like to try a liquid titration and need advise on how to do this. It may seem like overkill for such a small dose but I'm pregnant and I honestly think that a rapid withdrawal like I did would be more harmful for my unborn child than just taking this slowly. I am educated about the risk of using this drug during pregnancy and I'd actually be comfortable staying on it except that I feel like if I'm already having trouble coming off it will be worse in 9 months when I do it. I also feel like after the rapid taper I did, I need more of the medication to be stable so maybe I just need to start going down now before this problem becomes worse.

 

I am such a cautious person - I always took way under the dose I was prescribed to try to avoid this issue. I meditate. I do CBT and ACT Therapies with the help of a great Psychologist. I am all in on trying to treat my underlying disorder. I am so sad that this has happened to me. Thanks for your help.

[Guest [Le...]]

Hello, kkw123 - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your impending new arrival - that's great, even though you're in this difficult situation. I'm sure you and your new little one will be just fine. There are several recent members who are in this position, and some who have wrapped it all up and delivered healthy babies, so you're in good company. You've definitely come to the right place to figure out a more comfortable taper. 

 

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.

 

Based on the information provided in your introduction, the following links may be a good starting place for you to post your questions.

 

  General Taper Plans

  Withdrawal Support

 

When you have a chance, I recommend that you take a look at The Ashton Manual, which is an authoritative source on what to expect during withdrawal and recovery. 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, it is suggested that the dosage not be reduced faster than by 5-10% every 10-14 days, and some taper even more slowly than that. One exception: very short-term users of a few weeks or less may be able to taper somewhat faster. 

 

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