fiance needs support, thanks all!

[[Co...]]

My fiance has been on .5mg 3 times a day Klonopin for 3-ish years. We've lost track of time!

He is/was a few weeks into the Klonopin to Valium taper via the Asthon method but is feeling down and discouraged. I am here looking for others in similar situations to offer some support that I can show him. I told him it took a long time for his body to get used to .5mg 3 times a day Klonopin and that it can't be undone in a few weeks. I told him he needs to do each week of the taper for 3 weeks at least! What do you guys think? Any tips or coping mechanisms?

 

he is 26 years old, social anxiety, slight ADD, a college student who just completed his associates degree (yay!) He will be starting a new college to finish his bachelors degree in Spanish, but might change to art. He works with kids, wants to be a teacher and currently babysits and substitute teaches. He has applied for some teaching assistant jobs.

 

He feels he will never be able to hold a job and will be on Klonopin forever and have bad anxiety forever. The other anxiety medicines that aren't benzos didn't help him because they made him feel weird so they were stopped. Perhaps he needs to try one again. One medicine he hasn't tried that I want him to try is Vistaril. He appears to be very sensitive to medicine. Awaiting GeneSight results.

 

Any suggestions or support is much appreciated! Thank you!

[[...]]

I would have him read the success stories on this site.

He will get better, it's not easy but complete healing does happen.

Rest, eat clean, remove stressors and move; walk, yoga, anykind of gentle

Exercise.  Cheering you on.

[[ne...]]

You are right, it can't be undone in a few weeks. I commend you on your support for him. It isn't easy for loved ones to deal with all of this. Benzos can often times make anxiety worse. So it's more than likely that if he can taper off with a sensible taper plan, he will heal and be able to live a "normal" life. Counseling/therapy can help him to deal with anxiety without meds. Staying on benzos, especially long term, can make things worse. As mena posted, read the success stories and there is help on here with setting up a taper plan. Also, stay away from the protracted withdrawal board. Those are the worst case scenarios. Well wishes to you and your fiancé.

[[Co...]]

What is protracted withdrawal?

 

thanks!

[[...]]

Don't get caught up with protracted, follow a slow taper plan and keep him distracted and occupied so he's not thinking of symptoms. He will completely heal.

[[Co...]]

No worries, I was just curious what it meant!

 

I took week 3 of the ashton method for his dosage of Klonopin (.5mg 3times a day) to Valium and made week 3 repeat for 3 weeks. Then week 4 repeat for 3 weeks, then week 5 repeat for 3 weeks. So 9 weeks, only 3 steps of the taper...does that seem suitable to suggest?

 

1/2 Valium is 5mg

Valium is 10mg

1/2 Klonopin is .25mg

Klonopin is .5mg

 

Example:

1/2 K, 1/2 V  (morning)

K (afternoon)

V , 10mg (night)

for 21 days

 

 

1/2 K, 1/2 V (morning)

1/2 K, 1/2 V (afternoon)

V (night)

For 21 days

 

 

V (morning)

1/2 K, 1/2 V (afternoon)

V (night)

For 21 days

 

 

 

 

 

[[...]]

*****

Someone with more experience please help with above tapering question. Thx

 

 

 

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Bump

[[Th...]]

Hi Countrey,  I came down from 1mg Klonopin and it seems my taper takes 4 months. I wasn't long time user so I tapered quite fast in the beginning. I did cross over to Librium but I think Valium is good as well. Typically Docs propose Valium and in some cases Librium. Your fiance has taken Klonopin longer than I did and comes down from 1.5 which means that that taper should be quite slow. I think Ashton is good basis to start with and then adjust the schedule based on the w/d symptoms. In the other words if he feels awfull, then hold/taper more slowly. Healing takes place already during tapering and there is lot of posts in BB saying that easier it is after last dose of benzo the slower someone did her/his tapering. You can check details how I did it by looking my signature. All the success in the journey!