Quitting Clonazepam cold turkey

[[Ma...]]

Hi,

I've been taking Clonazepam on an off for several years, on an as-needed basis. It has been rarely more than .375 mg per day.

In the past 6 months, life got very difficult (as did my anxiety and depression). I have been taking approximately .25mg per day, almost every day.

It has been 8 days since I stopped completely. I cannot tell if I am experiencing withdrawl symptoms or not because of my regular stressful life situation, anxiety, depression, etc. But I knew that I needed to stop, because 6 months is too long to be on it.

My general doc, who prescribed it, said I shouldn't have a problem quitting .375/.25.

I have a psychiatrist, who won't chime in, since she's not the prescriber.

But I feel horrible. 

Not looking for tapering suggestions. I am well aware that I screwed up by going cold turkey. But I am in it now. Might as well keep going with the hell, I guess. 

Wondering if anyone knows when I might start feeling better. Looking for support, not added fear. 

 

 

 

[[ma...]]

 

Hello Mark3275 Welcome to Benzobuddies

We don’t recommend a cold turkey  it can bring on some very severe withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazepines should be tapered off slowly.  If your symptoms become unbearable, you could reinstate, and slow taper.   You will eventually start to feel better.   We can't really say when that will happen,  the withdrawal symptoms are dreadful and can take quite a while to ease off, but these symptoms do eventually go.   You will get plenty of support and encouragement here to help you through this. Please post questions, our members are very helpful.

Check out The Ashton Manual,  It is a great resource for understanding the effect benzo’s have on our body, Chapter III reassured me that symptoms are temporary.

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha03.htm

 

Here is a link to the Ashton manual

https://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzsched.htm

Magrita

 

[[Je...]]

@[Ma...] If I were 8 days out, I'd keep going. Yes.

I haven't quit from 0.25 mg, but I have made cuts that large, and my last cut of 0.125 mg (33% - not recommended) has landed me at 0.25 mg. (So close.) Generally, I start feeling w/d symptoms between Day 5 and Day 11 after a cut. (This is to give you an idea ... Maybe.) My last cut was July 12 and by Monday, July 24th, I was feeling pretty good. I'm actually pleasantly surprised that I'm doing so well because the last time I tapered in 2015 I felt substantially worse. This site was an absolute Godsend.) 

I read a white paper on Pub Med, where the researchers tapered Clonazepam doses by 0.25 mgs every two weeks. They noted that most patients were feeling better three months after their last dose, which would be the same as yours was.

Everyone is different, though. I don't think we see much of the people who have just gotten of their benzo without issue because they would never look for help. I had a friend who was like that. She was taking Clonazepam in medical school and then just stopped. No problem.

I hope you feel better soon. Truly.