Klonopin taper. Could somebody help?

[[Sa...]]

Yes, Libertas, I agree. I was just referring to what Koko lee was saying and that she was not sure about the ashton manual regarding the withdrawal process. I agree that ,as everyone is different, everything must be tailored on each need (sorry, keep in mind that English is not my mother tongue and I apologize if what I write could sound perfect to me and maybe it could not be correct).

Anyway I will start tonight depressing by two marks in my evening dose. I hope everything will be ok. I hope I will be free. I am tired of doctors talking about mental illness and throwing pills

[[Li...]]

Most excellent, Salazar77.  I am sending all good thoughts and best wishes your way for a successful taper.

[Guest [ba...]]

Ashton's an excellent resource, but don't get rigidly attached to it.  She recommends reducing the afternoon rate first because that's often the easiest one to reduce.  That may not be the case for you.

[[Ko...]]

Hello badsocref.  I don't know if I could find it here but I will try to check if I could. I am trying to figure out how to do this process and even though it seems i am not that bad calculating things, I still find It hard to proceed with proper tools and understanding how to work things out so, even if i could look dumb, I would really need a very accurate explanations

 

Badscocref's suggestion to use a micropipette is fun and intriguing. 

 

Alas, it looks impractical, requiring: 

1)  A cash outlay of at least $35 (a fair price for the device, if you can afford it),

2)  Periodic calibration using an analytical balance (not a mere jeweler's scale) and assorted laboratory glassware

     

3)  Practice.  Delivering precise amounts of medication would depend on developing a consistent technique.  With volumes as

      tiny as the ones called for in this situation, even minuscule deviations could significantly impact your dosage.

      https://www.dutscher.com/data/pdf_guides/en/UG_020-Impact-of-pipetting-techniques.pdf   

 

I ve checked again the ashton manual and it clearly says (after the substitution of klonopin with diazepam) to tackle the afternoon dose first, then the morning one and then the evening one. But i will do as suggested earlier.

 

Ashton's guidance for withdrawing from Diazepam--the longest-acting benzo--doesn't necessarily apply verbatim to benzos with shorter half-lives.  My partner claims to have had interdose withdrawal while dosing clonazepam only twice daily--but everyone's different.  Advice from others, even from Ashton, may not always work for you, so schedule your doses according to what resonates with you logically and experientially.         

 

Regarding moving some drops in the morning I remember, when I was on 0.5mg per day, that the morning dose was the one that caused me a lot of problems with nausea and lack of balance. I don't think it would be a good idea, given Aldo the fact that i could have withdrawals

 

From what I'm told, it's not easy to correlate particular klonapin doses and with their responses, due to its longish half-life.  Observing a uniform dosing schedule helps maintain a more consistent amount of klonapin in your system. 

 

BUT...rearranging your dosage during tapering will make it impossible to tell which changes are responsible for whatever side effects you experience.  So that's a compelling reason to leave your schedule as-is.     

 

[[Ko...]]

Salazar, just want to reassure you that your English is outstanding!  Ours is a weird, inconsistent language with Romance and Germanic roots--a complete hodge-podge peppered with bewildering idiomatic expressions thrown in to confuse people.  I'm completely in awe of how well you convey your thoughts, so please don't feel any need to apologize. 

[[Sa...]]

Ok, so the micropipette won't do good for my limited knowledge.

I ll stay with the original plan (I  started today reducing my evening dose by two marks) and I ll continue for one month like this. If everything will be easy and smooth I will reduce by another 10% the following month with more confidence. I will go on like that until my syringe won't be Suitable anymore to reduce by 10% monthly (if I was correct that will happen when I will be down at 7 or 8 marks. But I noticed that maybe I could reduce by one mark every month (always till I will reach the 8th mark). Then I will have to apply the other method you explained clearly yesterday (by that time I will study it properly).

Thank you for your complinents and thanks to all of you guys for what you are doing. It is priceless

[Guest [ba...]]

I've seen them for $25, but the tips will cost a few more $$.  They arrive calibrated and are good for at least a year.  It doesn't take much instruction or practice to use one properly.

[[Sa...]]

Hi everyone. Just a weird question here... is the healing process starting even while tapering or is it only taking place when the benzo is completely out of the body? For example: a guy takes 2.5mg mg klonopin per day. He tapering down to 1 mg per day. Is he healing or is he still feeling all the problem regarding the gaba downregulation? Is he getting better or does ge have to wait till his body is totally benzo free?

Thanks

[[Sa...]]

Other question: which would be worse? A paroxetine withdrawal (which I already experienced and it was awful with symptoms that are still there after one year) or a benzo withdrawal?

I also wrote to an italian forum telling my story and the answer was: tale 125mg of zoloft, 1.5mg of klonopin and then take it off in 4 years... they said it is impissible to taper from klonopin without an ssri... no comment

[[Pa...]]

Hi everyone. Just a weird question here... is the healing process starting even while tapering or is it only taking place when the benzo is completely out of the body? For example: a guy takes 2.5mg mg klonopin per day. He tapering down to 1 mg per day. Is he healing or is he still feeling all the problem regarding the gaba downregulation? Is he getting better or does ge have to wait till his body is totally benzo free?

Thanks

 

The less drug you provide your brain the more it has to step up to the plate, once you rid your body of the drug it will have to do the entire job of reestablishing normalcy but you're healing all the way along.  Once benzo free it's all on you and your brain is looking forward to doing what it knows how to do without the interference of the drug, even though it hurts, its a good time.

[[Sa...]]

Thank you Pamster. So, in a way, I am already healing hopefully(if I got that right). Given the info you all guys gave me here and my schedule plan I guess I could be benzo free in two years maybe. I am tackling the evening dose now and I hope the process of reduction won't be as painful as it was like when I reduced 0.8mg in 40 days because I thought I was going to kill myself and I remember having showers multiple times per day with cold water trying to stop that burning feelings like ants in fire crawling under my skin and trying to come out, and drinking milk trying to stop vomiting. I hope this process won't be as hard as it was back in those days because I was going mad. No relief whatsoever, no one to guide me through it, no one who believed what I was going through. I really hope it will all be smooth and that I won't end up starting to think that I NEED benzos to function... I guess benzos play tricks on the brain. I think all psych meds do. How I wish, back when I was younger, I knew what I know now. How I wish I had known how to cope with my anxiety without getting benzos and, later, antidepressants. How I wish it was going to be easier to get rid of all that stuff (paroxetine) and how I wish I had resources on how to do it with no harm. I had to do that by myself, all alone. With no family around, with no doctor helping. The one I talked to back then said it was impossible I was experiencing all those withdrawals from paroxetine and he said I was making things up.

Now I still have to get rid of this relatively low dose of klonopin and my brain (and subsequently my body) is suffering but I need to think this is healing rather than a damage. I need to think these are the steps to hopefully be free one day. I hope I won't be bedridden and that I won't lose my job (I can only work part time because of this). I had the dream to come to the States to find a new life but, given what I am experiencing and my age, this won't happen.

What you guys are doing here is priceless. I guess everyone who come across this forum would feel instantly validated in his suffering. There is a huge gap in modern medicine and I don't think things could change.

Sorry for my long reply. I just had random thoughts of how life is difficult if you experience this things and even though I had a tough life (I won't bother you with what my life has been) this is by far the most painful experience ever. Thank you again, guys. I will read some success stories here in the forum and some suggestions on how to make things easier for me during the taper process( like integrators, herbs and anything that could help, though di guess that the only things that could help are time, patience, acceptance and faith in ourselves).

I will use this place as a resource in these dark times.

How I wish I will be back to baseline in maybe three years and that I won't experience anything like this anymore.

Have a good Sunday, everyone.

[[Sa...]]

Hello everyone. So I am proceeding with the two mark reduction dose with my syringe. It seems ok though I have some symptoms which I don't know if they are related to the reduction itself or to the fact that I am anxious for the situation I am in and for the long road I still have to walk through. I had depressive episodes, I cried twice, my heart was bumping in my chest and I was sweating heavily. I guess I had some rebound anxiety symptoms and the worst of all is the impending doom feeling and the hopelessness, that I am trapped and that I will never get better. I also threw up twice (I now know that gaba receptors are everywhere in the body).

I also have vividi nightmares and when I wake up in the morning di feel some terror. I hope I won't end up disabled. Thanks for reading this.

I was able to explain to some friends and my gf what I am experiencing and they are there for me but of course this is something I have to go through by myself. The only one who is with me 24/7 is me. Quite scary.

[[Sa...]]

I also have another million dollar question  I would like to post here. I'll do that later as I am collecting my thoughts. Of course feel free to answer in the most honest way.

[[Ko...]]

Hi Salazar!

 

I think of you often, wondering how your taper is going. 

 

Sounds like you've had a rough time this week.  I hope you reduce by only one mark next time.  Was it Aug 20th that you began this taper step?  You still plan to hold for a month, yes? 

 

I'm glad that you explained to your friends what you're going through and that they are supportive.  The more that people are informed of the dangers of these medications, the less likely they are to become dependent on them.       

 

Thanks so much for the update!

Koko Lee 

[[Sa...]]

Hello Koko Lee. Yes, I started the 20th and I will stay like that till the 20th of september.  Then I will reduce by one mark per month. It will take ages to finish this journey but rushing things up is not an option. I just want to take it easy. Though I hate benzos, as I said, I have to deal 24/7 with myself,  as everybody does (because this is a lonely journey) I don't want to rush and risk my health. It is nice you were wondering how my taper was going. The most important thing is to avoid what I felt in May because I was in a dark pit of despair, Burned Alice.

Here's my million dollar question  : i know everybody is different so it would be hard for you to answer and everyone's journey is different but, based on your experience, is there a time when things get worse? Or reducing by 10% per month should be a safe enough procedure to reach freedom ? And, once i will be there ready to stop with klonopin, once i won't take any benzo anymore, will I experience something really bad? I know that once approaching the finish line one should slow down even more and of course I won't rush, bit what will happen when I will eventually finish my taper? My gaba receptors will act like crazy or the gradual taper will allow them to upregulate smoothly month per month?

I know it is a very touch question for you to answer but as I guess you have a lot of experience here and in real life with this stuff I was just asking if there s something similar to everyone. I am worried about the Cns damage and how long it would take for it to repair itself. I am just hoping it is already doing it while I am reducing my dose.

Thanks for your patience in Reading this.

[[Sa...]]

Another "stupid" question. Did you guys experience cases where some people actually needed benzos and antidepressants? I mean... given the side effects of these drugs most people want to taper and many do it successfully. But what if there are some people who actually need to stay on meds? That's another fear I have, similar to the withdrawal symptoms. What I want to say is that I am scared that, once the withdrawal will be over, I wouldn't be happy or full of life anyway and that I was wrong tapering. I think this could be a recurrent idea that many have. I guess I will have to wait to judge if my symptoms will be the "reemerging pathology" or still withdrawal. Aaahhh, how I wish I I could go back in time and talk to my younger self about what it was going to happen.

Koko Lee,how is your tapering going? How are you?

[[Ko...]]

Hi Salazar!

 

I don't know if this will answer your question, but take from it what you will. 

 

First of all, to be clear, I'm not tapering.  Never have.  The only benzo I have ever consumed is half of a so-called Xanax bar at a party 20 years ago.  I didn't even feel it. 

 

The reason I joined BB was in hopes of helping my partner.  We've been together 27 years.  He had a nervous breakdown in 2008.  He was prescribed 1-3 mg clonazepam (as needed) and an antidepressant.   

 

I won't bore you with the details of his psych drug odyssey and how I came to the awful realization that, taken exactly as directed, benzos had turned a strong, vibrant, creative, communicative, brilliant 55-year-old-man into a stumbling, mumbling, dazed, glassy-eyed, taciturn, perpetually-nauseated, chonically-constipated, agoraphobic 65-year-old insomniac.

 

Nor will I bore you with our struggle to persuade the doctor to assist with a taper, and the doctor's thoroughly reckless approach to dose reduction.  But feel free to check out my signature line. 

 

What I will tell you is that, after cutting his benzo dosage by 65% in less than a year, my partner is once again recognizable on his daily dose of 1.75 mg clonazepam.  Will he ever be able to stop taking benzos completely?  We don't know.  He has had a bitter enough experience with WD symptoms that he is terrified to continue tapering, and I don't blame him.  At his current dosage, a truly slow taper will take at least 5 years by my reckoning, with the possibility of a year or more of recovery/healing.  Does he want to spend the rest of his life in WD and recovery?  Stay tuned.... 

 

I don't know how old you are, but I think you're quite a bit younger than my partner, and you're on a much lower dose of klonapin.  I won't lie--a truly slow taper will take you at least a year, maybe two.  After that you may spend another year recovering.  But if you go slowly, and if you're careful not to muddy the waters with repeated updosing, you should emerge from this without lasting consequences.  Then you'll be able to live the rest of your life without this monkey on your back. 

 

Are you taking an antidepressant right now?  (If not, the time to decide to take one is not when you're in the hardest part of a 7% klonapin cut!) Understand that an AD cannot do the work of a benzo.  Only a benzo can replace a benzo.  In addition, understand that SSRI and SNRI antidepressants cannot be abruptly discontinued.  To avoid WD syndrome, they, too, must be tapered at a slow rate like the rate used for tapering benzos.  I don't know if that's true of other ADs, such as TCAs and MAOIs.  But I do know those ADs have other downsides.  You can read more about ADs on the excellent website survivingantidepressants.com.  But for the love of God, please do your homework before deciding to take any additional psych drugs. 

______________________________________________________

 

Now, as for the "million dollar question" you posted previously, you first asked, "Reducing by 10% per month should be a safe enough procedure to reach freedom?"

 

Your most recent cut was (0.05mg/0.7mg) x 100 = 7.14% from your previous dose.  I was worried that cutting by two marks was biting off more than you could chew, and you're now experiencing how a cut of that size affects you.  Can you imagine how a 10% cut would have felt?  Do you really want to go there? 

 

The worst effects of this cut should be over in a few days, so please try to hang on a little longer before making any hard-and-fast decisions.  Your next cut (1 mark) will be much smaller, at (0.025/0.650) x 100 = 3.84%.  Should be easier to tolerate than this one has been.

 

I hope you can make peace with the idea that, going forward, cutting 5% or less and stabilizing between cuts is the best way to minimize your WD effects.  That doesn't mean you won't suffer--but at least you will be doing everything within your control to prevent avoidable suffering.

 

You also asked, "Is there a time when things get worse?"

As you now know, I don't have enough personal experience to give you a credible answer.  From what I understand from my partner and others, things get more difficult as your dose is reduced.  This is why some members cut by much less than 5% as their taper continues. 

 

If you can just get through the hard part of this cut, you can hold as long as you need to.  Try not to dwell on reasons to give up.  Just focus on getting through the next minute, the next hour, the next day.   

 

   

Koko Lee 

 

 

[[Sa...]]

Thank you very much, Koko Lee, for taking your time to answer my questions. I thought your signature was referred to your journey but now I know it's your partner's one (I haven't read the first liner of your signature). Well, first of all, I think he is lucky to have you by his side, supporting him and fighting with and for him. That is a great thing. I am sorry he is struggling but also glad he is doing better and of course you two will evaluate what will be better for him in the future, if going on reducing the drugs or give a rest to that journey. Yes, I am younger (43 years old) and no, I am not planning to take an antidepressant. I was on a nasty one, Paxil, and getting off was brutal. My doctor told me to taper in one month from 20mg per day. I felt so sick, so hopeless. I then decided to do it my way tapering in 9 months, though i only later discovered it was too fast anyway. Infact I developed post acute withdrawal symptoms from Paxil and I did nothing but waiting for that to subside, drinking rooibos, trying some copying techniques, trying to do sports and basically trying to re-learn everything again, after being dulled by it. My main mistake was trusting doctors. I always thought "well, who would know better than a doctor" and that is why I went on klonopin (I used delorazepam occasionally before) in order to ease my withdrawal from paxil. At least that was my doctor's idea. At that time I knew nothing and I didn't know that of course you can't alleviate the withdrawal of some serotoninergic, norephrine or dopaminergic drug with a benzo and viceversa. They act in a different way. I am of course disappointed by doctors because they suggest me to take an ssri to help me tapering from klonopin. I laughed at them replying "and then what? What will you give me to get rid of the ssri when I will be benzo free? Will you give me another benzo then? Just to repeat the same story over and over?". I left the room and they didn't stop me. That is when I knew I had to do everything by myself and I found this precious forum. It is sad to see how many here are suffering but it also validates my struggle. You answered my question saying that your partner is feeling better even if he is still on klonopin. I was on 1.5mg per day and then I reduced to 0.7mg in 40 days(doctor's advice)... that was a rollercoaster through flames an horror. I don't know if this was worse than the paxil withdrawal but they were/are the worst experience of my life(and I don't want to bore you but my life was overall really tough from day one).

Given my young age I hope I will be free. With a rough calculation I know that if everything goes well I will be benzo free in a couple of years and then I will probably suffer for another two years, more or less. Do I want this? No. Am I ready? No. Do I HAVE to do it? Yes. I don't want to be a slave anymore. I already spent too many years on psych drugs. I need to know I can do it without those nasty pills. I need to repeat to myself "I love you, you are a valuable person" and I have to find a way out. I don't know if I will belong to the group of guys writing here their success stories, but I will do my best. I am doing it. I need to believe there s hope. Even yesterday I threw up and I said to myself "listen, you already know this is withdrawal. Try to push forward". I am pretty sure that this is the worst thing to deal with.

I am really doing my best, Koko Lee, because I want to be free and I dont want to risk my life .

I ve read what happened to jordan peterson and I hope I will be better sooner or later.

I hope I will make it. And I will have to do it by myself and with the help of a forum like this. I will never ask a doctor again. They know nothing about this stuff. And, along with this, i strongly believe that the older you get, the less they care. When you are young you are still considered full of potential. Growing older you are not of any interest. That is sad...

Anyway I really hope I will be free.

[[Sa...]]

And, after the umpteenth painful night and awful awakening, I will follow your advice for sure... I'll hang there at this dose till I stabilize myself and then I will reduce by one mark when I will feel better. Of course I won't rush it but I don't have to slow it down too much because I can't stay on this drug for too long. I want my old self back. It really seems like we live in a different place and a different time than anybody else, don't you agree? You are not experiencing yourself but you can see how this has affected and is still affecting your partner. Coming to realize that the doctors know nothing or are not interested is a huge slap on one's face and it hurts. Being advised to do as they said just to find out that this was like being thrown in hell is a harsh lesson I will never forget.

 

[[Ko...]]

Hi Salazar,

 

Thank you so much for your kinds words and for showing such empathy regarding my partner's situation, even in the midst of your own suffering.  Words can't express how much your support and encouragement mean to me. 

 

I always thought "well, who would know better than a doctor" and that is why I went on klonopin (I used delorazepam occasionally before) in order to ease my withdrawal from paxil.

I am of course disappointed by doctors because they suggest me to take an ssri to help me tapering from klonopin. I laughed at them replying "and then what? What will you give me to get rid of the ssri when I will be benzo free? Will you give me another benzo then? Just to repeat the same story over and over?". I left the room and they didn't stop me.

  "And then what?"  Indeed!  Good for you, standing up for yourself like that!  I hope your words made them realize the absurdity of alternating ad infinitum between ADs and benzos. 

 

That is when I knew I had to do everything by myself and I found this precious forum.

Even when you're lucky enough to have excellent doctors, you're your own best advocate.  I have reached the point of questioning practically everything.  That usually annoys them, and of course, the last thing they want to hear is, "I read on the internet...."     

 

I need to repeat to myself "I love you, you are a valuable person"

I'll second that!  I love you and you're a valuable person, Salazar77!   

 

Koko Lee 

[[Sa...]]

Of course, Koko Lee, I feel for both of you. I can understand your partner's struggle as I am feeling similar things (though of course we are all different) and I feel for you because I can see how you care about him and my thoughts go to my partner and her sadness in seeing me suffering. I am trying to do my best to protect her and we are not living together yet because I want to spare her my darkest hours. I don't want her to see me shaking,  trembling, throwing up and all the things related to withdrawal. I want her to see my best though maybe she will see everything... I want to spend my life with her and I don't want her to wait too long to Seattle down with me. I had to explain to her what I am experiencing. As a matter of fact it was because of her that I decided to quit paxil and to walk through that hell. She gave me the strenght I needed. But then, as I didn't Learn my lesson(stupid me), I found a doctor (I won't tell his name because he is known worldwide and your jaw would drop knowing that it was him who put me on klonopin) hoping for the best. I was wrong. Now I am Aware I have to trust solely in me and I just have to listen to my body and my mind. I won't care telling doctors that I am searching on the internet. Yes, they get mad but I just said, once, that if so Many people gathering on forums like this one, with similar symptoms, they can't be wrong. There is something wrong in the medical community and I don't know how things could change.

It is good we are sharing our thoughts and if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have known that one mark reduction was ok. So thank you for supporting me. I can understand that your partner is maybe tired of planning another taper. Who wouldn't be? I m not here to tell him or you to just go on and do it. Who am I to say this? Maybe he just want to take It easy for a while, to relax and maybe in the future he will gather all his will to do a very very slow taper. In my opinion a very slow one is better than nothing but of course people could think about that differently. Whatever he will decide he is lucky to have you by his side. And maybe he will fight again in the next future. A 65% reduction in less than one year is a lot so he must be proud he made it. It takes guts to do that.

It is late night here in Italy and I guess it is mid afternoon where you live in the U.S.

It is time for me to try to sleep. I wish you and your partner a good afternoon and evening.

I hope to hear from you soon.

[[Sa...]]

I would give everything I have in order to be able to sleep, to have good nights of sleep... I know there is nothing much to do for it though 

[[Ko...]]

Hi Salazar 

...my thoughts go to my partner and her sadness in seeing me suffering. I am trying to do my best to protect her and we are not living together yet because I want to spare her my darkest hours. I don't want her to see me shaking,  trembling, throwing up and all the things related to withdrawal. I want her to see my best though maybe she will see everything... I want to spend my life with her and I don't want her to wait too long to Seattle down with me. I had to explain to her what I am experiencing. As a matter of fact it was because of her that I decided to quit paxil and to walk through that hell. She gave me the strenght I needed.

Once you get through this, you have years of health and contentment to look forward to.  I'm glad your partner is a source of inspiration while you taper.  It's not easy to explain what you're going through to someone who has not been through it themselves.  Who could guess that seeking medical/psychiatric relief would result in a treatment that isn't necessarily helpful and, in fact, can make the original symptoms look tolerable by comparison? 

But then, as I didn't Learn my lesson(stupid me), I found a doctor (I won't tell his name because he is known worldwide and your jaw would drop knowing that it was him who put me on klonopin) hoping for the best. I was wrong. Now I am Aware I have to trust solely in me and I just have to listen to my body and my mind. I won't care telling doctors that I am searching on the internet. Yes, they get mad but I just said, once, that if so Many people gathering on forums like this one, with similar symptoms, they can't be wrong. There is something wrong in the medical community and I don't know how things could change.

Some researchers are beginning to doubt that depression and anxiety are caused by neurotransmitter imbalances at all.  So maybe the strategy of taking a pharmaceutical sledgehammer to people's neurochemistries is beginning to lose favor.  Meanwhile, perhaps the focus should shift to what else could be making so many people depressed, anxious and sleepless.  As my partner says, given the state of the world, who wouldn't be depressed and anxious?  The complexities of life seem to be increasing exponentially, and we're poorly prepared for so many of those challenges.   

It is good we are sharing our thoughts and if it wasn't for you I wouldn't have known that one mark reduction was ok. So thank you for supporting me. I can understand that your partner is maybe tired of planning another taper. Who wouldn't be? I m not here to tell him or you to just go on and do it. Who am I to say this? Maybe he just want to take It easy for a while, to relax and maybe in the future he will gather all his will to do a very very slow taper. In my opinion a very slow one is better than nothing but of course people could think about that differently. Whatever he will decide he is lucky to have you by his side. And maybe he will fight again in the next future. A 65% reduction in less than one year is a lot so he must be proud he made it. It takes guts to do that. 

Because he cut so much so quickly, he was advised (on this forum and by the doctor) to take a couple of months off from tapering clonazepam.  Meanwhile, he decided to try slowly tapering from 40 mg down to 30 mg of citalopram because, due to potential cardiac side effects, 40 mg is twice the recommended dosage for patients over 60.  (We just realized this about a year ago--the doctor never mentioned it, of course.)  Aside from occasional chills and brain zaps, that taper is going alright so far.   

 

The biggest problem we encountered lately is that, a couple of weeks ago, he forgot to take 0.25 mg (14%) of his daily 1.75 mg clonazepam dosage.  Three days later, he was a complete mess-- benzo belly, benzo flu, mood swings--he was absolutely beside himself!  That finally passed after 11 or 12 days. 

 

He turns 69 years old next week.  In a perfect world, he'd taper off of both drugs, but I can understand not wanting to spend the next 7 years (possibly the rest of his life) in withdrawal and recovery.  At least at his current dosage, he can carry on a conversation, is less prone to falling, can digest his food properly, and finds pleasure in doing small tasks around the house.

 

It is late night here in Italy and I guess it is mid afternoon where you live in the U.S.

It is time for me to try to sleep. I wish you and your partner a good afternoon and evening.

I hope to hear from you soon.

 

I would give everything I have in order to be able to sleep, to have good nights of sleep... I know there is nothing much to do for it though 

Hi Salazar!

 

You sound exhausted.    I hope you can get some sleep today.  Have you been able to eat properly, keep your food down, and stay hydrated?

 

Please update us when you feel able. 

 

Koko Lee 

[[Sa...]]

Yes, Koko Lee, you are right about that... I am exhausted. Unfortunately I have always suffered from insomnia, even before going on delorazepam in my 20's. I expect I will experience insomnia again even after stopping clonazepam. Now I cannot properly sleep. I think I can just sleep 4 hours per night. And when I wake up and there is still time to stay in bed I am awake, and my muscle spasms keep me awake. I think I will have to get used to sleep poorly, though I have read somewhere that sleep deprivation is really bad for the health of the brain. But what should I do? I have searched everywhere but there is nothing really helpfull around for those in this situation. Yes, I drink rooibos, warm milk and sometimes chamomille tea (though I have heard this is no good because it interfere with gaba, though mildly), but for those suffering I guess that patience and time are the only help.

I eat healthy, a lot of vegetables, fish and nothing heavily processed. I drink up to 2,5 liters of water per day. I listen to theta waves sometimes. I guess I will have to try to make sport on a regular basis, to get my body tired.

I am sorry for your partner for that 0.25mg clonazepam... it is crazy how such a small amount could affect so much on someone's health.

After I will stabilize at 18 marks of my syringe I will reduce by one mark per month till I will arrive at 8 marks (if I am correct I could do it because the reduction won't be too much) and then I will use another method to reduce it.

"Funny" thing... a relative told me to go to a rapid detox center to get clean instantly. When I told him it is not a good idea he said "then listen to your doctor... how come you are so weak you can't follow his advice? Just stop taking klonopin and you will be all right"... I am saving my energy and I didn't even answered to him... 

[[Ko...]]

Hello, Salazar!

 

Oh my--I'm sure your relative meant well, but they simply have no idea, do they? 

 

Glad you're eating properly and drinking enough water.  Yes, more activity might reduce your insomnia, though the thought of exercising on only 4 hours of sleep probably isn't too appealing.  But you don't have to do anything strenuous.  In fact, some BB members report reacting badly to vigorous exercise while tapering.  Maybe just a brisk walk once or twice a day? 

 

Aside from insomnia, do your symptoms seem to be settling down at all?  It's been about 12 days.  Maybe the worst is over for this taper step?  I hope so.   

 

Koko Lee