What would YOU do?

[[Sa...]]

Sorry in advance. I posted several times here and I know nobody except me could make a decision. I will only asking what you guys would do in my situation.

To make it short i tapered down to 0.4mg klonopin daily and I am stuck at this dose since september. Why? Because since july a lot of new symptoms struck: all the related head symtoms, plus nausea plus dizziness, in addition to the ones i already had, mainly psychological.

I thought it would be better to hold on to stabilize but i never really did. An acupuncture doctor told me to just get rid of one drop for one month because he says that this stuff is poison. I agree but i did a liquid microtaper. I couldnt just get rid of 0.1mg. Other people say to hold, other to throw everything in the bin.

Of course it depends on me but you guys.... what would you guys do in my feet, given the symptoms and knowing all we know about these drugs?

Needless t say, no doctor is helping me, except for refilling.

I really dont know why these new symptoms occurred and if i should take them as a sign that i should just go on tapering rapidly

[[Sa...]]

Reading here and there,  there is noone who held this long 

[[dr...]]

For me I crossed to Librium. If you did that now it would be a very small amount but in even milligrams. You are so close to the end. It might change your mood and/or symptoms.

 

Good luck whatever you do.

[[Sa...]]

For me I crossed to Librium. If you did that now it would be a very small amount but in even milligrams. You are so close to the end. It might change your mood and/or symptoms.

 

Good luck whatever you do.

 

Thank you for your reply. I tried a crossover to valium and I failed but thanks for your response. It is appreciated

[[Ap...]]

I have read that the true deep healing for us begins after the jump, but that is of course easier said than done. And I would agree with you that a hold since last September is quite long, but of course this decision will be yours. However, all the literature seems to indicate that whether you continue to hold for a bit longer or jump now, you will in the end heal from these symptoms. That is the Good News!

[[Pa...]]

I wish we could help you out Salazar77, you sound like you're in a lot of pain.  You ask what would I do, well, I'd start reducing again and get off of it.  But this is me, I'm terrible at moderation, I've always been kind of an all or nothing person but age has mellowed me a bit.  I couldn't go back up in dose because I couldn't lose the ground I'd already gained and I couldn't hold any longer because it doesn't seem to have worked.  I'm not advocating this approach just telling you we're all different and no one has the secret to this terrible experience figured out.

[[Sa...]]

Thank you for your replies. What you both say make total sense. Given the fact that the actual presence of klonopin in my system never really helped and that my body never appreciated it i guess i should get rid of it. What stopped me from going further were those symptoms but, as they are still here, i am starting to think that i wasted my time all these months trying to stabilize. They are awful though and they add to the already present ones (also sexual)

Other lesson learnt: healing starts after we jump. I naively thought it could start even while tapering. I guess i was wrong... i m living proof.

In your opinion, and i repeat, feel free to say whatever you want, do you think that these symptoms are due to klonopin presence, its absence or just withdrawal? There will never be an answer to this but i d like to hear what you think about it as it makes me feel less lonely. Plus, i have no one to talk about this to (of course not even doctors who could guide me)

[[...]]

Thank you for your replies. What you both say make total sense. Given the fact that the actual presence of klonopin in my system never really helped and that my body never appreciated it i guess i should get rid of it. What stopped me from going further were those symptoms but, as they are still here, i am starting to think that i wasted my time all these months trying to stabilize. They are awful though and they add to the already present ones (also sexual)

Other lesson learnt: healing starts after we jump. I naively thought it could start even while tapering. I guess i was wrong... i m living proof.

In your opinion, and i repeat, feel free to say whatever you want, do you think that these symptoms are due to klonopin presence, its absence or just withdrawal? There will never be an answer to this but i d like to hear what you think about it as it makes me feel less lonely. Plus, i have no one to talk about this to (of course not even doctors who could guide me)

I’m sorry about your symptoms and dilemma Salazar. I constantly face similar frustrations and fear makes it worse. I believe also the final healing starts when we are off the medicine. We acclimate to lower doses as we taper but I agree with the final healing being free from the drug. It’s just my opinion. As to your wd that’s hard to answer. I know for me my cns is sensitized such that even minor life stressors are magnified. Also I don’t know your background but cud there be other things pre-benzo playing into this. All those things aside, IMO holding for long periods I think can bring tolerance to the the drug. When I crossed to Valium I held for 2 months for my daughters holiday visit and I noticed my symptoms and stability worsening and found some improvement once I started tapering. But again my own opinion and experience. There are others that believe long holds are better but we are all different. I also believe taking it is furthering our dependence and wd. I never feel better after dosing and most times worse. Is part of this psychological?  maybe don’t know for sure. I struggle every day wondering if I should go off and start healing or taper slower and lower thinking symptoms will be more tolerable. It’s very hard.

Ultimately I’d say getting off the drug sooner than later is the best thing. For me the fear has kept me from doing this but I will eventually have to jump and face what will happen.

My opinion if I were you I would try to continue your taper and see if anything changes. You can do it conservative and follow the 5-10% every 2-4 weeks.

I don’t know if this really helps at all, just know that you are not alone in this horrible struggle and at some point we all will heal. Prayers and best wishes for you

Joeb

 

 

[[Pa...]]

I believe without any scientific proof that we do heal as we taper.  The drug has disrupted how your brain function so to me it makes sense that as you withdraw the drug, your brain is forced to regain those functions, of course, full recovery can't take place until the drug is finally removed.

 

Your hold doesn't seem to have given you any greater stability, we can guess at the reasons, tolerance, reducing too fast, reducing too slow, stress levels, other medications so that leaves one direction to go in.

[[Sa...]]

Thank you for your long and articulate answers. I answer to all of you in one post. I was put on klonopin to couteract what was believed a paws of paroxetine which i tapered previously, but i was also on delorazepam and a doctor made me cross suddenly from it to klonopin, so, altogether, i used benzos for 20 years. It sll started for insomnia, than later i developed sone anxiety and later psnic attacks (were they a result of the already dependecy from benzos? Who knows).

Anyway i guess there is something else playing some part in my situation as i am an anxious person, i ve always been. But all those symptoms coming out of nowhere from just one day to another terrified me. From just one day to the other i started with headaches, dizziness and so on and also it was all so unpredictable i couldnt do nearly anything in my life, i couldnt do sports, going out fo dinner gexauswall of a sudden booom, some symptoms stroke. I came to the conclusion that holding is not helping though and i myself i feel sick after dosing. Everytime i take my drug i feel sick so of course it is doing nothing positive for me. I m just scared my symptoms could worsen as i will start tapering again (sooner or later i will have to start again. I m not planning to stay on this forever). I guess i will go back with a liquid microtaper. I will do my best to not rush things up but i m not good in maths. I guess it could take one year or more to finish my taper. I guess that with a daily microtaper it could take 3 months to go down to 0.3mg. If it was for my i would just throw everything in the bin but if i had one advise from doctors (who usually dont say anything) it is to avoid that approach.

[[dr...]]

I went inpatient for 7 days at the start and reduced 40% of my dosage, and it gave me confidence and saved me months of tapering. They monitor you and reduce based on daily meetings. My symptomology did not go as I expected at all. I would think it never does. They won't let you die under their care anyway. But then again I crossed to a benzo that was slow as molasses right after the stay, and I was on medical leave for 20 months after.

[[Sa...]]

There s no such a procedure here where I live (italy). I tried to check for a hosputalisation but they do it with public health care only if you are abusing benzos and they use flumazenil to counteract benzos. Or you can go privately to a hospital but they add more meds (usually antidepressants or similar) before rapidly detoxing

[[jo...]]

Sorry in advance. I posted several times here and I know nobody except me could make a decision. I will only asking what you guys would do in my situation.

To make it short i tapered down to 0.4mg klonopin daily and I am stuck at this dose since september. Why? Because since july a lot of new symptoms struck: all the related head symtoms, plus nausea plus dizziness, in addition to the ones i already had, mainly psychological.

I thought it would be better to hold on to stabilize but i never really did. An acupuncture doctor told me to just get rid of one drop for one month because he says that this stuff is poison. I agree but i did a liquid microtaper. I couldnt just get rid of 0.1mg. Other people say to hold, other to throw everything in the bin.

Of course it depends on me but you guys.... what would you guys do in my feet, given the symptoms and knowing all we know about these drugs?

Needless t say, no doctor is helping me, except for refilling.

I really dont know why these new symptoms occurred and if i should take them as a sign that i should just go on tapering rapidly

Rapid tapering is NOT advised, it will make you worse.

You do not say how you are tapering, are you dry cutting or using daily liquid titration, which I find best.