clonazepam injuies

[[yo...]]

Reason for joining this forum is to find others that have had or having same symptoms and/or injuries as myself during tapering.

 

I have taken clonazepam for the last 24 years (almost half my life) and found out last year how bad it was for me.  At the time I didn't even know what a benzodiazepine was and started on a fairly low dose and later reached 10 mg a day for panic attacks as prescribed by my doctor.  The only thing I knew about clonazepam is that if you go off it you have to go slowly as it could cause a seizure.  I never anticipated this kind of hell.

 

I have been tapering for almost a year now.  The first 6 mg wasn't too bad.  It took me four months to taper from 10 mg to 4 mg with about a week of bad withdrawal problems in between each taper.  Then I would be totally normal.  I even went on a holiday after the taper from 10 mg to 4 mg and felt great.  At 4 mg it was like walking through a door into hell.  It has progressively gotten worse as I have tapered.  I am at .25 mg now and I can barely walk nor can I sit up or stand for more then 5 minutes.  I am so weak.  My muscles and nerves squeeze which is very painful.  The pain pulsates with my pulse.  It feels like I'm on a boat constantly and that the floor is falling through and the walls and floor are moving.  These are the worst of my injuries.  Many other symptoms come and go.  I am staying at .25 mg (for six weeks now) to wait for any repair to my gaba receptors and cns.

[Guest [ba...]]

Hi Yogabear!

 

Welcome to the forum.  We're glad that you found us.  I'm sorry that your symptoms have gotten so severe.  It sounds like you're doing a slow taper, but the end of the taper is often difficult.  I'm sure you will be able to interact with others who are where you are as well as those who made it through this rough patch.

 

If you haven’t already done so, please take a thorough look at the Ashton Manual.  It is an authoritative guide to benzodiazepine tapering and includes sections on what to expect during withdrawal and recommended tapering rates.  The manual can be found at this link:  http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual

 

Here's a link to the Withdrawal Support Group - Withdrawal Support (during your taper)

 

Please take some time to Create a Signature. This will help other members understand your history so they will be better able to support you.

Go to the top of the page and select Profile, then choose Forum Profile, insert drug history/timelines into the text box and click Change Profile.

 

Again, welcome!

[[Ho...]]

How long did it take you to taper from 4mg to .25mg?