Clonazepam taper .25mg

[[Ks...]]

I'm starting to get mad twitches in my neck and my feet. Should I split the dose into twice a day? And if I do so, will I be able to still exercise? I am an emotional and physical wreck right now...I need to be able to function. I don't have an appetite and I get 4 or less hours of sleep a night for the past 3 days. Help please!

 

K

[[Th...]]

I'm starting to get mad twitches in my neck and my feet. Should I split the dose into twice a day? And if I do so, will I be able to still exercise? I am an emotional and physical wreck right now...I need to be able to function. I don't have an appetite and I get 4 or less hours of sleep a night for the past 3 days. Help please!

 

K

 

K,

 

You mentioned in another post that you updosed to .50mg and you said that didn't help? What you are feeling are w/d s/x. I think you need to try to relax as your fear of these symptoms are feeding your anxiety. Try taking 4 deep breaths slowly inhaling through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth. I had severe neck and shoulder tension during w/d and used heating pad to help relax the muscles. Your muscles are waking up from being suppressed while taking the klono. I addressed your depression in another post, stating that if it is continuing and you are not getting better, you may want to consider talking to your dr about an anti-depressant. Exercising should help your w/d symptoms but don't over extend your muscles, easy stretching should help. If you have problems eating, try to drink high protein drinks. Hang in there, K.

 

T2

[[Ks...]]

Theresa,

 

Thank you so much for the advice  . I have noticed that if I get these bad w/ds then I am traumatized for the next week or so. I just need to keep the dose at .5 until I stabilize and then, when I feel better, titrate down.

 

K

[[Th...]]

Theresa,

 

Thank you so much for the advice  . I have noticed that if I get these bad w/ds then I am traumatized for the next week or so. I just need to keep the dose at .5 until I stabilize and then, when I feel better, titrate down.

 

K

 

K,

 

It sounds like you have a plan and you do realize that w/d s/x do seem to feed your anxiety. I find that drinking chamomile tea and Calms Forte by Hylands (otc sleep aid) helps with the anxiety. Many here use both and have found it calming. I purchased a book by Claire Weeks, "Hope and Help for the Nerves" it has some good advice in it to help cope with the anxiety. There is a passage under the anxiety forum from Joe Barry called "The Practice of Gratitude", posted by Eljay, I feel this passage has a calming effect. Have you read the other posts under anxiety and panic? I hope you are feeling better, hang in there, things will get better.

 

T2

[[Ks...]]

Now that I've crashed and burned (had to updose to .5mg to stabilize) I would greatly appreciate if you would make me another titration schedule for reducing off .5mg of clonazepam. Colin, I know you must be annoyed because you made one out and I went the compounding pharmacy route instead, but I now know that having total control will work better. I'm going to buy the necessary equipment and do this. Thanks for understanding.

 

Kevin

[[Co...]]

Hi Keven,

 

No problem. Let me know when you are ready.

[[Ks...]]

Colin,

 

When I titrate with Clonazepam at low doses, do I split them up during the day or take it once a day? Will I get interdosal withdrawals by taking it only once a day? Also, in your experience, what did you do?

 

Kevin

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

I was pill-splitting, dividing my daily dose into three smaller doses over the day, and when this became impossible at lower doses, I took it twice-a-day. At yet lower doses, I took it once-a-day, and suffered interdose withdrawal effects. I would recommend that you take Clonazepam at least twice-a-day, if not three-times-a-day.

[[Ks...]]

in your experience, does switching over to Valium work better for people who are on Clonazepam? Also, splitting the dose into 3 times a day is possible with liquid titration?

[[TP...]]

It worked really well for me, dude. But I've seen others who couldn't handle the crossover. For me it wasn't that problematical. Each person is different. I'm convinced that if one can successfully cross over to Valium though, it is easier to get off.

 

T

[[Sk...]]

Hey K

Im not saying cross over or not to...

I just want to add. IF you decide to cross over. Do it very very....slow. I read a few articles on people running into problems with there c/o because they did it  to fast.

Another thing. remember Anti Depressants are used to reduce anxiety, after the intial 30 days adjustment period. There not only needed for suicidal thoughts. The depression also can  generates intense anxiety. IMO couple that with bz w/d's and you have a handful... always your choice K    a/d or no a/d

Sk

[[Co...]]

A small number of people struggle with the process of substitution, and Ashton reports that the numbers were slightly elevated for those switching to Valium from Clonazepam. Maybe it was just a statistical blip, but I don't have the actual numbers.

 

You can split your daily titrated dose into as many doses over the day as you wish. If the volume of liquid indicated for the day is very small, take this amount from the cylinder and dilute it so that it is easier to divide.

[[Ks...]]

"the water titration is great but you can't do it on a contol release or slow release pill."

 

I read this on a forum. Is this true? How do I know if my pills are slow or control release? Thanks.

[[Co...]]

They would be labelled as such. Probably XR, SR or CR.

 

The non-use of slow release benzo pills is cautionary. We cannot be 100% sure if they are safe to split, so you will need to check with your pharmacist. The casing using in CR pills can also make them difficult to use, because they don't crumble very well.

[[el...]]

"the water titration is great but you can't do it on a contol release or slow release pill."

 

I read this on a forum. Is this true? How do I know if my pills are slow or control release? Thanks.

 

Kevin, reading your sig line, I'm sure your meds are not anything but immediate release. But you can always call your pharmacist to reasure yourself. 

[[Ks...]]

Colin,

 

I'm going to purchase all the stuff for this titration online. How do I mix the solution? Do I use a hand blender? I'm currently at .5mg now for about 2 weeks, but previous to that, I was quite stable at .25. Will I be able to dive back down to .25 now that I've been on .5 for ~ 2 weeks? If you don't think so, I could use the schedule for .5 mg then . Also, the .5 mg pills I get a different in physical size( The one I got this time is pink and has the numbers 33 on the bottom). I suppose if the pills I get are .5mg, then it shouldn't matter whether they are of a different brand or not (physical size, not dose strength) when it comes to crushing and mixing. Thanks much.

 

Kevin

[[hi...]]

  Kevin, Here is how I do it.

You get to feel like a mad chemist, so it can be kind of fun

 

I have a little wooden crusher( mordal and pestal) and I take the pill and crush it very fine.

Then I poor milk into the base and stir it with a little miniature stirrer that I got at Target

Next I pour the liquid into the cylinder and I take a long straw and mix it again.

Using an syringe I measure out the amount to correspond with what my titrating schdule says...usually 1mg a day

I toss the extra that I have poured out down the drain and drink right my dose from the cylinder.

I fill the cylinder up again with water and drink to make certain I got all the stuff.

 

Then I do the same thing the next day. It is very simple, and the whole process of doing it, measuring it, etc is psychologically positive as it empowers you to feel responsible for your own victory

 

 

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

Follow hitman's directions.

 

If you are changing brand, take the new brand for a week or two withoiut changing dose. Differnt brands can vary in bioavailability (strength, in effect), so allow this time ofr any possible adjustment. Then start your taper.

 

Get you equipment, and (if possible) decide upon a taper that has already proved to well for you.

[[Ks...]]

I'm buying the equipment tomorrow. Colin, previously you had made me a schedule for .25mg, can you make me a schedule for .5mg? I would really appreciate it 

 

Thank you Hitman for the instructions.

 

Kevin

[[Co...]]

No problem. List the deatils that I need like you did before.

[[Ks...]]

Colin,

 

I take .5mg of Clonazepam once a day at 5pm. I want to be off soon, but my body doesn't seem to agree. So a slower taper would be better for me...Thanks.

 

Kevin

[[Co...]]

What taper rate do you wish to follow?

[[Ks...]]

is a 1 or 2% daily reduction common? Is that considered slower?

[[el...]]

is a 1 or 2% daily reduction common? Is that considered slower?

 

Hi Kevin, yes this is a common taper amount for titration purposes. It adds up to 10 percent every 10 days, which is what we usually suggest when doing a direct taper.  But since you are making tiny daily cuts, rather than larger weekly cuts, you will have a much smoother time of it, rather than the roller coaster effect of a direct taper. 

[[Ks...]]

 

 

But since you are making tiny daily cuts, rather than larger weekly cuts, you will have a much smoother time of it, rather than the roller coaster effect of a direct taper. 

 

I like the sound of that 

 

kevin