Under .125 Klonopin Club

[[Kr...]]

Kristin,

How did you go about finding a doctor who is sensitive to benzo withdrawal?  What types of bloodwork are you looking at to determine your next steps?

 

Circlestar

 

Hi Circlestar, it was luck, divine intervention, whatever you want to call it.   My mom actually found her.  During my mom's visit, she mentioned what I was going through and the doctor expressed an awareness of benzos as well as compassion toward those experiencing withdrawal. Honestly, that's all I needed to take the next step and make an appointment.  I was very conflicted to seek medical intervention of any type because I know how sensitive my system is, how conventional approaches are not what I want (like taking more drugs for symptoms), and how even alternative approaches and supplements that should be helpful have often had the opposite effect.

 

The bloodwork is looking for reasons for fatigue and nerve sensations (iron, b12, vitamin d, etc.).  We are looking at hormones too.  I have a lot of symptoms that indicate hormonal imbalances. We might do food allergy blood testing in the future.  I'm sure my system is out of balance due to withdrawal and am wary of taking anything to balance it, although I am not opposed, just cautious. For example I don't want to get huge B12 injections since that vitamin is low, but then have crazy withdrawal symptoms as a result. I told her about my reservations and she understands.  Nutrition is her first approach which is in alignment with my wishes.  It's just tricky because my diet is so limited due to GI issues.  This whole thing is like a big Catch22.  I need the proper nutrition to restore brain and body functions, yet I can't eat hardly anything due to food sensitivities that have developed.  Her approach is to go very slow and to keep communicating about what works and what doesn't.  This approach works for me and I feel very grateful.

[[Bl...]]

hi KristinM ,

I too found a Doctor who is willing to work with me as a team. I was a little skeptical to tell doctors about what I was doing, etc. My Psychiatric Dr (who prescribed me clonazepam) had a weird attitude last time I saw her, I told her about swollen gums (I work in the dental field) and told her about what I was going through and what I noticed from the drops she gave me (clonazepam drops). She was egocentric and told me that the reaction that I had "had never been reported" etc, we sort of got into a debate/argument, and she gave me tablets again (low dose tablets).

Since then I honestly didn't want to deal with Doctors anymore. But I started thinking that I couldn't do this alone, that I didn't want to end in the ER because of horribly high blood pressure, chest pain, etc.

So I remembered last time I saw THIS doctor he told me he could prescribe me my medication in case the other Dr wasn't avaliable (my psychiatrist).  I am having balance problems and ear problems, I did an appt with him on monday and will talk openly with him and show him Bob's direct dry taper method and see what he thinks about it, I also want to have some blood pressure medication in case it gets bad, and instructions when to take it if I have to.

I will also keep you guys posted and I am glad both of us can work with good doctors that actually care.

much love,

Blossom4

[[Kr...]]

Hi Blossom,

 

That is really wonderful that you have a doctor that will work with you.  I hope your appointment goes well and that he is open to Bob's dry taper approach. I agree that it is important to have a medical professional on your side to monitor your vitals and for peace of mind! I hope you feel better and that the balance/ear issues go away.

 

Take care,

Kristin

[[RE...]]

Hi everyone, I am SO glad that this group is thriving and going strong.  Bob, thanks for continuing to come around and hang out with the folks here.  I am now 6 months off.  Life has been way way better.  I have had some AMAZING windows that are just so rich and glorious and might I say, yummy.  I have also had some waves and am in one right now.  It's minor but I am in bed today since it's the weekend I figure I should rest as much as possible before the week starts again.  I am lucky that I can work from home if I need to and I have had to a few times. 

 

Lots of love to you all!

 

WW23

 

Wonderwoman,

I'm glad you're feeling much better.  I'm almost 5 months out and just came out of my worst wave.  It was so bad that I thought I wasn't going to make it.  when did you start seeing significant change?  will be following......

[[...]]

Hi everyone, I am SO glad that this group is thriving and going strong.  Bob, thanks for continuing to come around and hang out with the folks here.  I am now 6 months off.  Life has been way way better.  I have had some AMAZING windows that are just so rich and glorious and might I say, yummy.  I have also had some waves and am in one right now.  It's minor but I am in bed today since it's the weekend I figure I should rest as much as possible before the week starts again.  I am lucky that I can work from home if I need to and I have had to a few times. 

 

Lots of love to you all!

 

WW23

 

Wonderwoman,

I'm glad you're feeling much better.  I'm almost 5 months out and just came out of my worst wave.  It was so bad that I thought I wasn't going to make it.  when did you start seeing significant change?  will be following......

Isn't it interesting to have waves after months off Klonopin.  I have read other say, they reach zero Klonopin, things are going ok, but about the 4 to 6 month mark, get some waves.  Then the waves go away, hopefully for good.

 

[[ci...]]

Kristin-

I read your progress log post... you have come away from this with amazing insight.  Very powerful thoughts.  You did it!  6 days off now!! 

I’m struggling a bit here at .043k.  Physical sxs ramping up.  I reduced my daily taper rate to .0004/day 5 days ago.  Hope that will help the sxs.  So far, no change.  Will keep going another 5 days.  If not, maybe a hold?  What do you think?  What were your thoughts at times like these?

 

Thanks,

Circlestar

[[Kr...]]

Circlestar - Thank you for your kind words.  I really appreciate it.  I've been kind of quiet about it, didn't really tell those closest to me that I was done because I just didn't want to make a big deal of it.  It was kind of fun to let it slip when my mom wanted to know my current dosage and I casually said, Oh I'm done. Anyway, that long part of the journey is over and I'm on to the next. Onward!

 

I'm so sorry you are struggling.  I really hate how difficult this is for some people.  Hang in there. I never followed any schedule with tapering, and although I always had an idea in my head of what I wanted to do, I definitely took a more symptom-based approach. There were two things that kept me holding my dosage for longer: if I couldn't drive short distances to pick up my kids (due to dizziness/boaty head) or if I wasn't sleeping.  Oh, and extreme fatigue, but that went hand in hand with the other two.  I'd wait until I had 3 days in a row where I could do those things (drive and sleep) and then I'd cut again.  My other symptoms were always cycling through but didn't prevent me from being semi-functional.  When I got down to .03 in January, I went much faster and stopped the symptom-based approach because I felt the taper was just going on too long.  I was housebound for most of January though. 

 

Are you able to function with your symptoms?  Could you handle them getting a bit worse if you cut?  I guess those are things I would think about.  I hope that helps.  Best of luck to you and let us know how it's going.

[[Fi...]]

Well the month of February is over and while it started out pretty rough it was probably the month I've felt the best thus far.  I'm down to .04mg which is awesome, I'm super proud of myself. The cut down to .04 threw me back into a pretty nasty wave but I'll endure. Can't wait to be off this junk. By end of March I should be at .03 then I'll decide if I want to jump or take it all the way down to 0. I'd be amazed if I'm even absorbing much of anything from the speck that will be but withdrawal has been consistently surprising. I hope you all are hanging in there. We're all getting down there. Better days are coming.

[[...]]

Well the month of February is over and while it started out pretty rough it was probably the month I've felt the best thus far.  I'm down to .04mg which is awesome, I'm super proud of myself. The cut down to .04 threw me back into a pretty nasty wave but I'll endure. Can't wait to be off this junk. By end of March I should be at .03 then I'll decide if I want to jump or take it all the way down to 0. I'd be amazed if I'm even absorbing much of anything from the speck that will be but withdrawal has been consistently surprising. I hope you all are hanging in there. We're all getting down there. Better days are coming.

Keep it up - you are doing great.

I took 40 days to get from 0.04 mg to zero.

Best to you.

Bob

[[sn...]]

Hello,

 

After a lot of studying, I believe I understand the DLMT.  I know my body/brain would like the daily tiny cuts, thus not being slammed with w/d symptoms on day 5-10 (or whenever).

 

That said, a DLMT does not preclude needing to hold once in a while, does it?  After all, I have found that my tapers catch up with me eventually, somewhere down the road.  If one keeps doing these tiny cuts without stopping, it seems one's body/brain would be slammed with symptoms and withdrawal at the end of the taper, even if no w/d was felt during taper.

 

Any thoughts?  I am pretty sure I have kindled but am now at a place, after holding a very long time, that I know I must do something, and up-dosing or re-instating is not on my list of choices.  I do know this is going to be very difficult.  I will go as slow as I can.  I just want to know I can make progress, but I am starting from a place of instability and the only way to get stable would be to up-dose and that might even work and then I would have to taper the amount I updosed.  Seems like a lose-lose.  I have never been stable sans the few days just after being put on this poison.  Otherwise I have dealt with tolerance and a pretty dysfunctional life for over a decade.  I have been poly-drugged.  I have tapered one drug down 50% but I think it might have made the valium toxic.

 

Thank you.

[Guest [NM...]]

I think these very tiny, consistent cuts are what prevent us from getting slammed with symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you can certainly hold in a DLMT. 😊

[[ci...]]

Circlestar - Thank you for your kind words.  I really appreciate it.  I've been kind of quiet about it, didn't really tell those closest to me that I was done because I just didn't want to make a big deal of it.  It was kind of fun to let it slip when my mom wanted to know my current dosage and I casually said, Oh I'm done. Anyway, that long part of the journey is over and I'm on to the next. Onward!

 

I'm so sorry you are struggling.  I really hate how difficult this is for some people.  Hang in there. I never followed any schedule with tapering, and although I always had an idea in my head of what I wanted to do, I definitely took a more symptom-based approach. There were two things that kept me holding my dosage for longer: if I couldn't drive short distances to pick up my kids (due to dizziness/boaty head) or if I wasn't sleeping.  Oh, and extreme fatigue, but that went hand in hand with the other two.  I'd wait until I had 3 days in a row where I could do those things (drive and sleep) and then I'd cut again.  My other symptoms were always cycling through but didn't prevent me from being semi-functional.  When I got down to .03 in January, I went much faster and stopped the symptom-based approach because I felt the taper was just going on too long.  I was housebound for most of January though. 

 

Are you able to function with your symptoms?  Could you handle them getting a bit worse if you cut?  I guess those are things I would think about.  I hope that helps.  Best of luck to you and let us know how it's going.

 

Kristin-

I am able to function.  I drive, take art classes, take walks, socialize on limited basis on weekends.  For me it's a matter of not over scheduling myself.  Mornings are particularly hard.  And not sleeping gets rough. 

 

Last night I slept 5 hours!  That is encouraging!  So when I get closer to .03 I may want to bite the bullet like you did.  What was your rate of taper once you got to .03?

 

 

 

 

 

[[Bl...]]

Hi everyone, I am sorry to hear that some of us are struggling. I am currently holding at .125 but will start my taper at 5% reduction every week, I know it will take longer but I want to be at the safe side. Currently I am struggling with dizziness/ disequilibrium, I also have a little bit of ear pain and yesterday night I got tinnitus that went away, I know this is going to be hard, but I will try to hang on..

[[...]]

Hi everyone, I am sorry to hear that some of us are struggling. I am currently holding at .125 but will start my taper at 5% reduction every week, I know it will take longer but I want to be at the safe side. Currently I am struggling with dizziness/ disequilibrium, I also have a little bit of ear pain and yesterday night I got tinnitus that went away, I know this is going to be hard, but I will try to hang on..

Welcome to getting below .125 /  you are on your way to victory!

[[Fi...]]

Wow, the bottom has dropped out for me guys. I suddenly didn't sleep for 40 hours and got absolutely hammered with withdrawal symptoms I haven't felt since the very beginning of my taper. It was the jump from pill weight .0014 to .0013 and it has absolutely demolished me. I'm truly in the thick of it over here back to being unable to stand sound, light, moving anything, intense head pressure, insomnia, and paralyzing fear. I'm going to hold but I'm just astonished. Has anybody else hit a wall getting this low?

[[...]]

Wow, the bottom has dropped out for me guys. I suddenly didn't sleep for 40 hours and got absolutely hammered with withdrawal symptoms I haven't felt since the very beginning of my taper. It was the jump from pill weight .0014 to .0013 and it has absolutely demolished me. I'm truly in the thick of it over here back to being unable to stand sound, light, moving anything, intense head pressure, insomnia, and paralyzing fear. I'm going to hold but I'm just astonished. Has anybody else hit a wall getting this low?

That is rough.  Sleep takes time to heal.  Here are some things I do for sleep.

 

Sleep Help: 2pm take Magnesium Glycinate, Before Bed take Zinc, Vitamin B Complex,  (maybe Chamomile Extract and Aspirin/Advil).

[[Tr...]]

Wow, the bottom has dropped out for me guys. I suddenly didn't sleep for 40 hours and got absolutely hammered with withdrawal symptoms I haven't felt since the very beginning of my taper. It was the jump from pill weight .0014 to .0013 and it has absolutely demolished me. I'm truly in the thick of it over here back to being unable to stand sound, light, moving anything, intense head pressure, insomnia, and paralyzing fear. I'm going to hold but I'm just astonished. Has anybody else hit a wall getting this low?

 

Fox,

 

Stick at it. I hit a wall from .04 Klonopin to .035 and even into .03 too. It's like your brain no longer recognized the non-therapeutic dose at this mg. Once I held for a while, and then pressed on it got better. I've hit another wall at .01. Can you imagine how frustrated I am. I'm so close and yesterday I felt like I was recovering from an alcoholic bringer. I couldn't function at all and was truly scared. Sometimes we hit these walls or the floor drops, but it's out brain getting used to a low dose. I don't believe it will stay that way for you. Hold for a reasonable time (I don't believe in holding too long either) then make a small cut and repeat until you're back. You're not alone as this is common. You will heal. You got this.

[[mo...]]

Wow, the bottom has dropped out for me guys. I suddenly didn't sleep for 40 hours and got absolutely hammered with withdrawal symptoms I haven't felt since the very beginning of my taper. It was the jump from pill weight .0014 to .0013 and it has absolutely demolished me. I'm truly in the thick of it over here back to being unable to stand sound, light, moving anything, intense head pressure, insomnia, and paralyzing fear. I'm going to hold but I'm just astonished. Has anybody else hit a wall getting this low?

 

Stay strong and keep fighting Fox. You’re so very close. Holding sounds like a good idea. You are doing this for a reason and once you have this poison out of your system you’ll remember why. I have this same feeling sometimes and wonder if it might be easier to give up. But I am pressing forward. Even as we are holding we are healing and making progress. It’s part of the process. Pulling for you.

 

As for me I’ve been holding since January and I have some lingering symptoms, the worst is depression and anxiety. And fatigue. I almost called my son an idiot when he misbehaved this morning. I didn’t say it but he knew what I was about to say. I feel horrible. I have been pondering when to start back I think I’ll try Bob’s micro taper again at .0005 a day.With work I cant afford to hit a wall again. At that amount,  I think I may be done in about 6 months if I don’t need to hold again. Who knew I’d be tapering this long. I sure didn’t. Now all that matters is I fully heal. I don’t know if I’ll ever be my old self but maybe we will be better than we were after this?

[[ci...]]

Fox,

Sorry to hear you’re having problems here.  I’m right behind you at .042 and it’s been a rough patch since .05.  I slowed my taper a bit and it has helped the intensity of sxs.  So maybe you should hold a bit longer between cuts?

 

Best,

Circlestar

[[Me...]]

So glad I found this group- I keep thinking all the symptoms are in my head - hard to believe tapering at these low doses can be causing the extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle pains etc. My last cut was 4 days ago to .070 -today I could barely move I was so tired-  I wish I could talk to a doctor who has actually done research- Living in the Boston area you would think there would be someone that's expert on benzo withdrawal but even with my psychiatrist friends I can tell they don't really believe me- I think they are still prescribing these meds to patients.  Does anyone have a doc who actually commiserates regarding low dose symptoms? 

[[...]]

So glad I found this group- I keep thinking all the symptoms are in my head - hard to believe tapering at these low doses can be causing the extreme fatigue, headaches, muscle pains etc. My last cut was 4 days ago to .070 -today I could barely move I was so tired-  I wish I could talk to a doctor who has actually done research- Living in the Boston area you would think there would be someone that's expert on benzo withdrawal but even with my psychiatrist friends I can tell they don't really believe me- I think they are still prescribing these meds to patients.  Does anyone have a doc who actually commiserates regarding low dose symptoms?

It is amazing how such a low dosage can so much suffering-I’m here to tell you I think it’s true .

[[Me...]]

Thanks Bob- I sure wish I could find a doctor/scientist that is working on investigating this - My husband's a doc and I'm pretty sure he doesn't really understand - With not many scientific papers to confirm most docs will not believe it- sigh.

 

[[Bl...]]

Bob7, I read on your progress log about taking GABA for sleep, what brand are you using?

Thanks

Blossom

[[...]]

Bob7, I read on your progress log about taking GABA for sleep, what brand are you using?

Thanks

Blossom

I am currently using Now Foods Gaba pure powder but I don't like having to measure it with a spoon.  I only want to take about 100 mg so it is like 1/8 of a teaspoon.

I just ordered a 100mg chewable tablet version - see link here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B95J2QI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

I know it is helping me relax so people who say it doesn't cross the blood brain barrier must have a different brain.

 

 

 

 

 

[[Bl...]]

Bob7, I read on your progress log about taking GABA for sleep, what brand are you using?

Thanks

Blossom

I am currently using Now Foods Gaba pure powder but I don't like having to measure it with a spoon.  I only want to take about 100 mg so it is like 1/8 of a teaspoon.

I just ordered a 100mg chewable tablet version - see link here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B95J2QI/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

I know it is helping me relax so people who say it doesn't cross the blood brain barrier must have a different brain.

 

Haha totally agree, let me know how that brand and presentation works for you.

Blossom