klonopin taper

[[na...]]

Hi, I've been on and off for about 9 months. My dose of klonopin is currently wavering between 0.25 and 0.125mg. Going through a lot so don't know if my anxiety is based in life situations or from the taper I am attempting.

 

Thanks, happy to be part of this community.

 

[[Br...]]

Hi narechan,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!  I'm glad you've made the decision to taper off of Klonopin.  You'll find a lot of good information here that will help you make decisions about how to plan the rest of your taper.  You'll also find a lot of support and encouragement from others who understand this process.

 

I'm sorry you're going through a lot. Have you been taking .25mg or .125mg based on how you're feeling each day? It's hard if not impossible to tease out whether the anxiety you're experiencing is due to your life situations or withdrawal symptoms from your taper but my guess is that it's both.  Please tell us more about the dosage you started with and what's been going on with your dose over the past 9 months. This will help us give you guidance. 

 

As you think about your taper going forward it's important to understand that benzos change the way our brains function and once we reduce the dose or go off them our brains have to adjust -this is where our withdrawal symptoms arise.  We generally suggest that you make cuts of no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days in order to minimize symptoms and give your the best chance of functioning as well as possible.  Some people make smaller cuts over a longer period of time.  It's often best to make cuts as your symptoms stabilize.  Since you're near the end of your taper you may want to make smaller cuts and make the next cut based on your symptoms - people often find it helps to slow down toward the end.  Please bear in mind, it's kinder to your central nervous system to hold to a given dose until the next dose. 

 

Here are links to get you started.  The Ashton Manual  is a terrific resource written by a leading expert in benzo withdrawal, Dr. Heather Ashton.  Check out chapter III for a discussion of symptoms.

When you're ready, please feel free to start a thread with questions on Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans) and Withdrawal Support (during your taper).

Other members who want to reply to your posts find it helpful to know where you are in the process, so here’s how to add your benzo info automatically to your posts: go to Profile, then Forum Profile, write your info (which benzo, dose, taper history) in the text box and save. Thanks! Let us know if you need help with this.

 

We're so glad you're here and happy you're now a part of this community.

 

Take care,

Brighterday