Tapered many times, been on for 15 years + terrified of seizures

[[Je...]]

I’ve been on and off Klonopin a few times but on for the most part. I was completely off for over a year and had to reinstate due to crazy issues with my heart rate. I’ve been diagnosed with IST and POTS. My heart goes insane, I would love to taper as I’m currently on 2.5mg and would like to get down to at least one mg, I know I need to go insanely slow because of how sensitive my body is.. I’ve been trying to understand liquid titration and I mess up everytime I think I know what to do. Please if anyone can help and also anyone who’s been on for a long time and also been on or off anything that can help me not be so terrified of the torture I went through last time. So afraid of seizures!! I’ve never had one, some people use lamictal because it prevents the specific type of seizures that benzos cause, I’m just absolutely terrified

[[Ka...]]

JessicaxLynnx, I've asked one of our members to take a look at your post and see if they can help you.

[[Li...]]

To help us help you, would you please let us know:

 

Are you experiencing any withdrawal symptoms at your current dose? 

 

What is your daily dosing schedule (i.e., how many milligrams of drug do you take at what times)?

 

Am I remembering correctly that you currently have 1mg tablets?  Would your prescriber be open to prescribing tablets in a different strength (e.g. 0.5mg, 0.25mg, 0.125mg)?  Would your prescriber be open to prescribing a compounded liquid?

 

Re: seizures …

 

My understanding is that the risk for seizures is highest for individuals who (a) have been taking supratherapeutic (very high) doses of a benzodiazepine and then (b) abruptly and completely stop taking the drug (cold turkey).  Neither of these conditions applies to you — you are taking a therapeutic dose and plan to decrease your dose via a slow, gradual taper.

 

 

 

[[Je...]]

I don’t know if I’m experiencing withdrawal symptoms..: I was tapering fine 2 years ago I got down to 0.75mg and I was going super slow using a scale and next thing I know I was in an ambulance Bc I developed svt - now I have an extremely

Overactive nervous system constantly in fight or flight and I can’t do anything without my heart rate being in the 150’s-200s im

On propranalol and ivabradine for the heart. They say I developed POTS and IST. No I cannot get a liquid prescription, if I was a lower dose my doc would switch me to Valium and that I can get in liquid form.. but for now I take 1MG am 1 mg afternoon and .5 before bed

[[Li...]]

Thank you for the additional information, JessicaxLynnx. I’m sorry you are suffering.  I wonder if you have become tolerant to the clonazepam and are experiencing withdrawal symptoms?  (See definitions below.)

 

For your consideration, here’s one approach to a ‘Phase 1’ taper plan:

 

Stage 1

Morning: 1mg - hold constant

Afternoon: 1mg - taper to 0.5mg*

Bedtime: 0.5mg - hold constant

 

Stage 2

Morning: 1mg - taper to 0.5mg*

Afternoon: 0.5mg - hold constant

Bedtime: 0.5mg - hold constant

 

*Take 1/2 of your dose (0.5mg) in regular tablet form, use a liquid to make reductions in your dose. (Generally speaking, solid dosage forms are more stable than liquids plus your body is accustomed to the solid dosage form.  Also, accuracy of dose may be higher, depending on the type of liquid used.)

 

The goal of the above Phase 1 plan is three equal doses of 0.5mg each.  Although everyone is different, many of our members find it’s preferable to take equal doses spaced evenly apart. (A Phase 2 plan might be to reduce your three daily doses to 0.25mg each, again using a combination of regular tablets and liquid.)

 

If you are interested in implementing the above plan, let us know and we can provide more information.

 

PS It’s unfortunate your prescriber is not open to writing a prescription for a compounded liquid. Using a professionally formulated and prepared liquid can reduce some of the stress/anxiety associated with tapering.

 

Definitions

Tolerance: The process of neuroadaptation in which use of a substance over time results in the need to increase the dose of that substance in order to get the same effect as that seen when the substance is first started.

 

Withdrawal Symptoms: The process of neuroadaptation in which use of a substance over time results in a characteristic group of symptoms that occur when that substance is withdrawn.

 

Source: The Alliance for Benzodiazepine Best Practices at https://benzoreform.org/terminology/

[[...]]

Sorry it took so long to reply.

Please examine this video.

I think it is what you could use to go super slow.

 

[[Li...]]

Hello, JessicaxLynnx.

 

If you decide to make a homebrew liquid using water as shown in the video, might I strongly encourage you to use it in conjunction with the tablet-liquid combination approach outlined in my previous post?  This approach mitigates several of the risks associated with using a water-based homebrew liquid made with regular clonazepam tablets as the drug source. 

 

Let me hasten to add that we do have members who have used a water-based homebrew clonazepam liquid to taper.  The ones who are successful tend to follow additional risk-mitigation practices we can share with you.