At what point is it safe to jump off Benzo's?

[[Fi...]]

I'm currently at .375 Mg's per day of Clonazepam. At what point is it safe to jump off Benzo's?

 

At my next taper I expect to be at .3125 Mg's., per day.

The following taper at .25 Mg's., per day.

The next taper at  .1875 Mg's., per day.

The following taper at .125 Mg's., per day.

 

Is it considered safe to jump at the .125 Mg. point?

Can I jump sooner?

 

I know the determining factor is how I feel at the time,

but I'm asking more for a general answer...

to what is commonly considered a safe enough jumping off point?

 

Thanks a million *Kathy

[[Mi...]]

If it were me, I think I'd make at least one more reduction from .125 mgs Klonopin, since that is the equivalent of 2.5 mgs Valium.

 

Hopefully others who tapered directly from Klonopin will weigh in.

[[...]]

I would definitely try to make at least one more reduction from the .125. That is 1/4 of a .5mg pill, so still quite a bit of K to just jump off of even though it seems like such a small amount by the number. Maybe you can try titrating the rest to make it an easy and smooth transition? Just a thought...

 

Great job on getting down to .375!  :thumbsup:I'll be joining you there soon

[[Na...]]

almost 5 weeks ago I "jumped" from .25mg of Clonazepam.  Actually, if you count the .25mg I dropped from the previous 5 days, then that would almost be a jump from .5mg.  If I had to do it all over again, I would have done it slower.  I know that when you are getting near the end of your taper you want to just end it quikly, but you must be careful.  I didn't go back to my medication over the past 5 weeks (poured them down the toilet to be exact), but I have suffered the consequences of jumping from to high a dose.  I would say that jumping from .125 at minimum.  Don't do it from any higher than that or you are setting yourself up for a crash landing.  I never experienced the type of withdrawal during my taper that I experienced for the past 5 weeks, and I thought my taper was rough!  You will make it, just be patient and don't let your concious talk you into something.  You are making some great progress so hang in there!  Thoughts are with you!

[[Co...]]

Most of our members would cut from 0.375mg, to 0.25mg, and then to 0.125mg Clonazepam before quitting. That's what I did.

[[Li...]]

I jumped off at .125 and am at 19 days out.  My previous two failed tapers I did more slowly and ...I failed.  This time I tapered a little more quickly and jumped off sooner and I am not going to fail.  As you said, it is different for everybody and I also think it depends on what is going on in your life.  Whatever you decide, congrats on getting this far! 

[[xe...]]

If you are asking as to whether the withdrawal will be life threatening, it almost certainly already isn't. But you aren't going to get a definitive answer from either this board or from a doctor -- doctors would probably all tell you something different. I'm not sure anyone knows for sure. My pdoc, who deals with benzo w/d patients in the ER of the psych ward, says she's never seen life threatening symptoms from under 1mg K and that she wouldn't be concerned at all for my life if I got fed up and jumped off, as I voiced that concern.

 

There's always the risk of suicide though as well.

[[xe...]]

Most of our members would cut from 0.375mg, to 0.25mg, and then to 0.125mg Clonazepam before quitting. That's what I did.

 

Sorry for the double post, but people can really generally tolerate that? I can't imagine that feeling anything but near-c/t bad for me personally.. or does it get easier to make those huge cuts when you get down that far?

 

I'm asking because I'm headed there now and still can't get any real good answers on what to expect.. 1mg to 0.45mg has been miserable. I tried it fast, I tried it slow, pretty equivalent in miserable, though. Doing a slower taper for me isn't to do anything but to avoid more severe symptoms and I guess to have a few good days here and there still. Today ain't bad, the past 3 days have been awful.

[[Co...]]

Hi Xenofears,

 

As you know, most people quit benzos without recourse to a benzo forum or website such as BenzoBuddies. The vast majority of these people must quit by pill-splitting. Even within our membership, I estimate that the majority quit by pill-splitting. When tapering Clonazepam, this usually means a taper schedule of 0.5mg; 0.375mg; 0.25mg; 0.125mg; 0mg. This is what I did. I really struggled, but i didn't realise that there were other options. Some of members will manage this OK, while other will prefer to switch to Valium or titrate. Members will do what best suits them.

[[Fi...]]

I want to thank all of you for your well thought out answers! It's very reassuring to hear a variety of responses and stories to weight options. It seems sticking it out as long as possible is the best answer.. argh...

[[...]]

I agree with a lot of the people that have responded on here.

 

I went all the way down to .25, and then broke that down to .0625, then jumped off.

[[da...]]

Hi,

I was a very long time Clonazepam user.

Tapering is a slow process, that requires a lot of patience.

I believe stopping the pills before you are ready will not quicken the process.

You will do this.

 

I am free from those pills since September 13, 2010

[[te...]]

Hi Fine Artist, I saw your post about Clonazapam and noticed you are doing/did a slow taper. That is my desire. Would you let me know how you are feeling? Did the slow taper limit the withdrawals significantly? I'm on .125 a.m. & .24 in the p.m. I have made .125 cuts and the withdrawals were unbearable. Thanks so much and congrats! Oh, and I'm very interested in the binaural beats cd. May I ask the title and where it was purchased?  :)T2

[[fi...]]

I just want to say that I have a tremendous amount of respect for all of you who can deal with tapering at a slow rate like that and stick it out . I was not fortunate enough to know about benzobuddies when I decided to come off. I came off 4mg of K in 8 weeks and when I found this forum several weeks ago and started seeing all the posts about tapering I started wondering if I would feel better if I had slow tapered.  Looking back at it though I cant really say that I would have done it differently than I have. I have read a ton of posts where people sound just as bad off as I did and they are in a slow taper and havent jumped yet and then I read posts of people who are doing fine and have done the slow taper.

 

I personally dont believe that jumpimng from that dose you would have any life threatening problems or siezures but thats just based on my experience and it very well could happen to someone else jumping from a lower dose. I also think on top of asking yourself is it safe to jump at this point you should ask yourself, if I jump at this point can I handle feeling worse than I do now if the s/x's get stronger.

 

One thing I have seen most everyone agree on is the fact that dropping a higher dose does make the s/x's worse and stronger for those who have experienced it both ways so I look at it as a trade off. Taper slower = safer + s/x symptoms may not be as bad or  Jump = your off the drugs but run the risk of more severe s/x's. I think its more of a personal choice based on who you are and what you want. Some people are patient and have the ability to slow taper and stick it out (I envy you all). Other people like me are impatient and want immediate results..lol.. Not a good personality type for benzo withdrawal.  So I congratulate you on your ability to stick out your taper and making it this far and your almost there 

 

[[Fl...]]

I came off 4mg of K in 8 weeks and when I found this forum several weeks ago and started seeing all the posts about tapering I started wondering if I would feel better if I had slow tapered.  Looking back at it though I cant really say that I would have done it differently than I have. I have read a ton of posts where people sound just as bad off as I did and they are in a slow taper and havent jumped yet and then I read posts of people who are doing fine and have done the slow taper.

 

Same here. My taper would probably have been considered "improper" by most people's standards, but I managed to get off the drug in 3 months and now that I have been off for 7 months I am very glad that I didn't spend 6 or 8 months or even a year trying to get myself off the stuff. If I had I am convinced that I would be in much more pain than I am today.

 

I also think on top of asking yourself is it safe to jump at this point you should ask yourself, if I jump at this point can I handle feeling worse than I do now if the s/x's get stronger.

 

Exactly.

 

I feel really bad for people who are sitting in the middle of a long taper who are already experiencing serious WD. I can understand the desire to minimize the pain...BELIEVE ME I CAN....but at the end of the day most people who experience WD are going to have to face the benzo monster sooner or later, and I haven't heard anything that would suggest to me that a super long taper will significantly reduce the length of time you will have to suffer. The intensity MIGHT be greater with a shorter taper, but to me the tradeoff is worth it if you can reclaim your life that much sooner.

[[Ki...]]

On 7/6, at .3333 mg of K, I started titrating with milk at .0025 mg per day.  Not being the patient type, I wasn't all that thrilled about titrating, but I didn't want to suffer a lot and going down very gradually made a lot of sense.  At first it was a bit of a hassle--crushing the pill, measuring out the milk, eliminating the mixture with a syringe, dividing it into three little bottles.  I started to get used to it, though, and now it's fast and easy.  I get a lot of satisfaction knowing that I'm ridding myself of the drug on a daily basis, too.  I view it as just another small chore I'll be doing for the next four months--no big deal.  And I'm doing ok, able to function at work, have a social life, read, lift weights, run a few miles every other day, etc.    Hope it keeps up this way.

 

Kip

[[fi...]]

I came off 4mg of K in 8 weeks and when I found this forum several weeks ago and started seeing all the posts about tapering I started wondering if I would feel better if I had slow tapered.  Looking back at it though I cant really say that I would have done it differently than I have. I have read a ton of posts where people sound just as bad off as I did and they are in a slow taper and havent jumped yet and then I read posts of people who are doing fine and have done the slow taper.

 

Same here. My taper would probably have been considered "improper" by most people's standards, but I managed to get off the drug in 3 months and now that I have been off for 7 months I am very glad that I didn't spend 6 or 8 months or even a year trying to get myself off the stuff. If I had I am convinced that I would be in much more pain than I am today.

 

I also think on top of asking yourself is it safe to jump at this point you should ask yourself, if I jump at this point can I handle feeling worse than I do now if the s/x's get stronger.

 

Exactly.

 

I feel really bad for people who are sitting in the middle of a long taper who are already experiencing serious WD. I can understand the desire to minimize the pain...BELIEVE ME I CAN....but at the end of the day most people who experience WD are going to have to face the benzo monster sooner or later, and I haven't heard anything that would suggest to me that a super long taper will significantly reduce the length of time you will have to suffer. The intensity MIGHT be greater with a shorter taper, but to me the tradeoff is worth it if you can reclaim your life that much sooner.

 

 

I definetly feel the same way as you do. Again I think its a personal choice based on so many factors but I can honestly say that for me I wouldnt do it differently than I did. Right now I am at 6 months. 2 months of a taper and 4 months since my last dose. Reading the Ashton Manual and listening to the taper plans I would just now be finishing my last dose and then going into the healing process which could take another 6 months to a year.

 

When I read posts like this I hate giving advice on what people should do because the advice you give is based on your experience, your dose, your life, your stress, your will, all the way down to your genetics. You could take two people on the same dose, same amount of time, same taper, and have two completely different outcomes.  Just like this post she asks is it safe to jump off this dose and my answer to that is yes but at the same time Im no professional and im basing that off of the fact that I didnt have any life threatening problems or seizures from the amount I dropped.

 

I am in total agreeance of being safe about tapering to avoid life threatening complications or seizures but I also feel that tapering super super slow can be just as agonizing and painful in its own way. 

[[Ni...]]

This is an interesting thread, I know you all have been speaking of Klonopin, but I'm currently at .75mg of Xanax, dry-cutting, and it doesn't look like I will be able to c/o to Valium. Do you think the same strategies would work for Xanax?

[[Fl...]]

Right on firefly.

 

I just hate to see so many people here in agony while tapering. I didn't feel good during my taper but it was over in 3 months and it was bearable the whole way through. It wasn't until I was a few months off that I got spanked. I can't help but wonder how many of the long taper folks are going to endure months on end of agony even before they get off the drug, then still have to deal with roughly the same amount of healing time they would had they sped things up.

 

Like you said though, this was my personal experience and who knows how anyone else is going to react? My big thing is that I haven't seen anything that would convince me that a long taper is beneficial, and there are quite a few people out there who have gone this route and seem to be miserable even during the taper.

 

Hopefully someone will eventually compile enough data that will allow future WD sufferers to see in black and white how they might react to certain taper plans based upon people that have gone before them.

[[fi...]]

This is an interesting thread, I know you all have been speaking of Klonopin, but I'm currently at .75mg of Xanax, dry-cutting, and it doesn't look like I will be able to c/o to Valium. Do you think the same strategies would work for Xanax?

 

Im definetly no expert but from what I know and understand, Xanax is tough because its half life is only 6-12 hours compared to Klonopin whose half life is 18-50 Hours and then Compare that to Valium's half life of 20-100 hours. Thats one of the big reasons that you try to c/o to Valium because the drug stays in your system longer making it somewhat self tapering. From my understanding and anybody jump in if I am wrong, Xanax and Klonopin are the same strength based on Ashtons Equivelancy Chart but I would venture to say that coming off of Xanax feels worse because of the half life. I would post your question in a new topic and Im sure one of the members who has been on Xanax will jump in and give you some advice. I only know about Klonopin and what I read but to answer your question yes I think the same strategies apply or at least they do for me other members whole heardtly disagree which is great because thats what this forum is for, to help us see this from all angles and make the best informed decision we can.

[Guest [Si...]]

I notice many people wanting to cross-over to valium or mention it.

I was titrating Klonopin, I was very functional and everything until I got to 2.25mg and became sick, very very sick.

So, I c/o to Valium at 45mg and that worked (For me). I noticed the Valium was more sedating than Klonopin, it covered many withdrawal symptoms, but the valium loses sedation, I lost the sedation mostly at 8-9 months on it.

The valium is no walk in the park to taper, so keep that in mind, and also valium can make one depressed and lethargic, well kind of lethargic.

I'm not against a valium taper, but it comes with its own set of w/d's.

 

[[fi...]]

Right on firefly.

 

I just hate to see so many people here in agony while tapering. I didn't feel good during my taper but it was over in 3 months and it was bearable the whole way through. It wasn't until I was a few months off that I got spanked. I can't help but wonder how many of the long taper folks are going to endure months on end of agony even before they get off the drug, then still have to deal with roughly the same amount of healing time they would had they sped things up.

 

Like you said though, this was my personal experience and who knows how anyone else is going to react? My big thing is that I haven't seen anything that would convince me that a long taper is beneficial, and there are quite a few people out there who have gone this route and seem to be miserable even during the taper.

 

Hopefully someone will eventually compile enough data that will allow future WD sufferers to see in black and white how they might react to certain taper plans based upon people that have gone before them.

 

Again when I first got on this forum several weeks ago I thought I made a huge mistake in dropping my dose that fast and Im not going to lie it was pure hell what I went through and the w/d hasnt been easy. But after all the posts I have read It amazes me that time and time again I read posts of people who are tapering really slow and they sound just as bad as I did and like you I feel extremely sorry for them. I admire them for the fact they are strong enough to continue a taper while feeling that way because I know I would just be like "Screw it if I am going to feel like this might as well just be off the damn drug" but thats me. I know of one post I read where the member has been tapering for 14 months??? Thumbs up to you for having that kind of discipline but I cannot see how a taper like that can be beneficial in any way especially when the member is complaining of severe symptoms.

 

 

 

[[Ni...]]

This is an interesting thread, I know you all have been speaking of Klonopin, but I'm currently at .75mg of Xanax, dry-cutting, and it doesn't look like I will be able to c/o to Valium. Do you think the same strategies would work for Xanax?

 

Im definetly no expert but from what I know and understand, Xanax is tough because its half life is only 6-12 hours compared to Klonopin whose half life is 18-50 Hours and then Compare that to Valium's half life of 20-100 hours. Thats one of the big reasons that you try to c/o to Valium because the drug stays in your system longer making it somewhat self tapering. From my understanding and anybody jump in if I am wrong, Xanax and Klonopin are the same strength based on Ashtons Equivelancy Chart but I would venture to say that coming off of Xanax feels worse because of the half life. I would post your question in a new topic and Im sure one of the members who has been on Xanax will jump in and give you some advice. I only know about Klonopin and what I read but to answer your question yes I think the same strategies apply or at least they do for me other members whole heardtly disagree which is great because thats what this forum is for, to help us see this from all angles and make the best informed decision we can.

 

Thanks for your reply Firefly...maybe I will post a question about that....and I agree, it's great to look at this tapering business from all angles. I was asking because I am wondering about the half-life issues with Xanax, but at the same time I'm not sure I want to go on a new drug and experience new sx's. 

[[fi...]]

I notice many people wanting to cross-over to valium or mention it.

I was titrating Klonopin, I was very functional and everything until I got to 2.25mg and became sick, very very sick.

So, I c/o to Valium at 45mg and that worked (For me). I noticed the Valium was more sedating than Klonopin, it covered many withdrawal symptoms, but the valium loses sedation, I lost the sedation mostly at 8-9 months on it.

The valium is no walk in the park to taper, so keep that in mind, and also valium can make one depressed and lethargic, well kind of lethargic.

I'm not against a valium taper, but it comes with its own set of w/d's.

 

 

Please do not think that I was saying that it was a walk in the park by no means. I have no idea what its like to c/o to Valium because I never did it so I wouldnt dare think to speak of what that w/d is like. I was just referring that people switch over to Valium because of the half life. Essentially if you do the math when you c/o to Valium your actually uping the amount of benzo in your system because of the half life. So as you taper down there is more in your system compared to K or Xanax.  None of it is a walk in the park by no means and Im sure that different benzo's have different effects on the body. Good job on coming down that much from where you started.

[[fi...]]

Thanks for your reply Firefly...maybe I will post a question about that....and I agree, it's great to look at this tapering business from all angles. I was asking because I am wondering about the half-life issues with Xanax, but at the same time I'm not sure I want to go on a new drug and experience new sx's. 

 

Well I can give you a heads up about posting that question you will definetly get alot of responses. A similiar post was made last week and it went kinda viral..lol.. Alot of people are very passionate about not jumping and sticking with a taper plan and get pretty upset when people make comments about possbily jumping off like I have. But its so hard to advise people on what to do because just like you every decision is so hard and your so worried about jumping off and a new drug and a new s/x. My personal belief for your situation is that if this were me doing it knowing what I know now from this forum I wouldnt cross over to a different benzo at this stage I would continue to make cuts like you are now to a lower dose and then jump off.