Need taper plan for Klonopin - or at least advice!

[[li...]]

I'm working with a compounding pharmacy to get to the smaller doses of the K, hoping that my w/d will not be too bad.  I need to function through the summer with the kids home and am wanting a new game plan.  I want to taper at 10% of PREVIOS dose instead of going at the rate of 10% original dose.  It will take longer, but I'm hoping less painful! 

 

If I do the 10% previous dose, this next cut will take me from .625mg K to .563mg K.  How long is it best to hold this dose and then to taper down?  Considering that if I were to stick to my initial plan, I would be going down to .5mg.  I'm looking at it at the new plan ending maybe sometime in October, but that's cutting the 10% previous dose every 3 days.  Is this too fast or too drawn out?

 

Opinions???

Thanks!  Lisa

[[Pa...]]

I'm not sure I'm understanding what 10% previous dose means?

[[Be...]]

I do think that cutting every 3 days is way too fast for most people, Lisa.  Many people do not feel the effects of a cut for 3-6 days afterward.  I would allow at least a week betweeen cuts.  That's my opinion anyway. 

[[xe...]]

I think she means recalculating each cut so it is 10% of the new dose, rather than having each cut be bigger and bigger % wise than the last as the total dose drops.

 

No matter what you cut, holding for 2 weeks if you want to be functional is probably a must. Some people get by with a week, but I feel this will probably catch up to you. Even if your brain could catch up in 3 days, your blood levels probably wouldn't even be stable for it to be able to do so.

[[...]]

Good for you to get off this poison and move on with life. But be warned that even with careful dosing there may be some sleep issues.

 

I agree with others who said every 3 days is too fast. I personally recommend cutting the same day each week, either every 1 or 2 weeks. Keep a diary of your symptoms. It will offer a small measure of predictability to your efforts. It will also help you look back at your progress, giving your encouragement to keep going.

 

I also commend you for going slow because of your life demands. When this is all done, you will be much stronger (and happier).

 

Are you taking one or two doses each day? I took two equal doses of klonopin each day throughout my taper.

 

There is really no reason why you cannot dissolve your klonopin in water to create the dose you want. If you dissolve 1 mg klonopin in a liter of water, shake it and drink whatever dose (if 0.625 a day, then drink 312 ml in the a.m. and 312 ml in the p.m.).

 

Does that help at all?

[[li...]]

Thank you everyone.  I had seen where someone was cutting by very small amounts under the .5mgK, and the calculation was 10% of the previous dose, and not 10% of the original dose.  The original cut can initially be 10%, but as time goes on the percentage increases and I wonder if that's why people have a really rough time near the end.

 

Well, I'm sorry and very sad to say that I couldn't even stabilize after 2 weeks at the .625, and I've sadly gone back to my original dose.  I've not wanted to post anything about this because I only want people to read positive stories and not failures like mine.  I think a lot went into this failure.  Back in September or October I started to go off of the K by either having one or two of my .5mgK.  I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA that this had been making me sick until March when I was reading Julia Ross's book The Mood Cure.  I right then and there did a cold turkey to get the poison out of me.  When that failed 6 days later, I went back to my 1 mg K and 5 days later decided to taper with .125mg being cut.  I think my poor body has not been stable for so long, that it's fighting me going down on this maybe even more.  I've not done my taper in the best way either.  After laying in bed for 3 days while my children have been home for the summer and not wanting to eat for over 3 weeks and wasting away to nothing, I decided I had to go back on it and try the taper another time.  I don't know when that will be.  But now that I know what I will be up against, I will have a much better plan and mindset.

I feel like I've disappointed my BB here.  I'm sorry.  I still don't feel okay and no appetite back.  Does anyone have any idea of how long that should take (about) for the appetite to come back and to feel better after reinstating to the original amount?

 

Thanks everyone and next time I'll go much slower with smaller cuts.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of you - you've been amazing!

 

Lisa

[[...]]

Lisa, You can only do what you can do. I did my taper not having a job or children at home (mine are grown). I can't imagine what that would be like.

 

Everyone who tries to get off a substance of addiction stumbles. Be kind and forgiving to yourself. When the time is right you will be successful.

 

When that time comes, be sure to set up lots and lots of support. Especially with children, you will need strong support. I let my good friends know, and asked them to contact me to offer strength. I have gotten involved with 12-step meetings. They have been an incredible source of strength. I also worked with psychiatrist to help me taper. If insurance allows, seek out a physician who specializes in addictions, or a psychiatrist, to help you design a good taper and support you along the way. In the meantime, take good care.

 

 

[[li...]]

Lisa, You can only do what you can do. I did my taper not having a job or children at home (mine are grown). I can't imagine what that would be like.

 

Everyone who tries to get off a substance of addiction stumbles. Be kind and forgiving to yourself. When the time is right you will be successful.

 

When that time comes, be sure to set up lots and lots of support. Especially with children, you will need strong support. I let my good friends know, and asked them to contact me to offer strength. I have gotten involved with 12-step meetings. They have been an incredible source of strength. I also worked with psychiatrist to help me taper. If insurance allows, seek out a physician who specializes in addictions, or a psychiatrist, to help you design a good taper and support you along the way. In the meantime, take good care.

 

 

 

Thank you so much for the kind words, yram.  I'm still feeling as if I'm tapering, so I feel like crud - no appetite, no energy, barely able to care for the children.  All the positive words I can get mean the world to me - thank you.  Lisa

[[Be...]]

I'm disappointed for you, Lisa, but not in you.  I didn't have to take care of anyone but my dog when I was tapering off; I can't imagine how hard it must be to feel so bad and have small children to take care of.  If and when you decide to have another go at it, BenzoBuddies is here for you.  Take care. 

[[xe...]]

4/20/11 .875, 4/26/11 .75K, 5/6/11 .625K, 5/8/11 .5K

 

This is an extremely fast taper... you didn't lose much. I hope your reinstated dose brings full relief and your slower pace next time brings an easier ride to benzo freedom.

[[Li...]]

hi lisa!  please don't feel too bad about your situation.  I totally understand where you are right now and am actually in a similar situation.  After 28 days of being completely off and managing the situation well, though not comfortably, things actually got to a point where I had to make a decision of whether or not I wanted to be functional and live my life (in my case, go to europe for a planned vacation) or lay in bed and waste away.  I reinstated klonopin at .5mg (after an initial dose of 1.5mg so I could get on the airplane) and am hanging in at this dose for awhile.  I will wait until I am ready psychologically to put myself through another attempt at withdrawal and I am in no hurry.  I have to admit to a little bit of PTSD (although fear is probably the more accurate and less dramatic way to put it) about the whole process as my last day before reinstatement I am still not sure what happened to me.  That day I couldn't move and had a hard time even walking across the room.  I had extreme left sided numbness and tingling and to this day am having a little of that.  My husband thinks it sounds like a stroke and wants me to have an MRI.  Anyway, my feeling is that I want to be alive.  I feel better right now on .5mg and I refuse to feel guilty about it.  We absolutely must pay attention to our bodies and in addition to that we must be able to be there for our children and families.  Hope you feel better.  Don't view yourself as a failure and enjoy your summer!

 

oh...also...for appetite...it took me about two weeks to get my appetite back.

[[li...]]

Thanks Liberation!

 

I am feeling more functional, not 100% though.  I do better the last half of the day.  I actually ate dinner with the family last night - first time in maybe a month.  But today I have no interest in food once again.  I can't figure it out.  It's been maybe 8 days since I've been back at the 1mg, so maybe here soon it'll return.

 

You are right, we do need to listen to our bodies and our families.  It's so hard tho, because I don't want to feel like what I've been through was for nothing.  At least you are at a lower dose than you started tapering at - not me!  But ya know what?  I had to do what I had to do.  My kids needed me and I didn't know what else to do.

 

Everyone here has been supportive.  I just get to live with my w/d sxs now and hopefully as the summer goes it'll get better.  I will taper again, but like you - afraid and not sure if I have it in me now.  that's why I figure I'll give it a couple of months, get my appetite back, get more of a support system, and go from there.

 

Good luck to you.  It sounds like things got scary there for a bit - but maybe better now.  I'll keep you in my thoughts to heal faster.

Take care - lisa