Mermaid

[[me...]]

Ihi I'm new here I've been on clonazapam for 6yrs I'm 69 and I'm worried I've asked my gp to help me to come off it but she won't....I'm abit scared but I know I need to come off it I was put on it by the dental hospital for jaw problems but it doesn't work I'm on 0.5 X2 is that easy to do   worried

[[me...]]

Can any one explain tolerance withdrawal I think that's what I'm suffering from mermaid😥

[[Br...]]

Hello @[me...] - welcome to BenzoBuddies!

I'm sorry your GP hasn't agreed to help you get off clonazepam.  Please rest assured we can help you plan a sensible taper.  Do you think your GP will be willing to continue prescribing your current dose?  

The best way we know of to get off benzos like clonazepam is to taper slowly. This helps keep uncomfortable symptoms to a minimum.  Again, we can help you make a plan and you will find support here from others who know what this process is like. 

This is your thread so ask any questions you have.  We'll do our best to answer them. 

Brighterday

[[me...]]

Thanks brighter day yes my gp is regularly prescribing the clonazapam..I was on it once before for a short time and had a bad withdrawal it's nice that there is support here as there is none out there 😪

[[Br...]]

BB was a lifeline for me when I withdrew from clonazepam.  The information and support made a world of difference.

The fact that you were on it before makes it even more important to taper slowly with small cuts.  How did you get off before - did you taper?

[[je...]]

29 minutes ago, [[m...] said:

Can any one explain tolerance withdrawal I think that's what I'm suffering from mermaid😥

Tolerance withdrawal is when we are taking the dose we've always been taking but at some stage the drug stops working. While taking the regular dose we start experiencing withdrawal symptoms even though we haven't reduced the dose. Your body has become tolerant the dose you are taking and needs a higher dose to stop you from experiencing withdrawal symptoms. In this case you either need to increase your dose or start tapering. The problem with a higher dose is, once you've experienced tolerance, you will build tolerance to the higher dose again and you will continually need to increase the dose to stay out of withdrawal. Ultimately in my opinion, the best option is to start tapering, because getting off the drug will finally stop withdrawal.

Why do you think you have tolerance withdrawal?

[[je...]]

Hi @[me...]

I know it can be very scary and confusing when trying to get off. But once you start and you get the hang of it, it just becomes part of your life. The fear and trepidation will eventually get better. I was initially on 2mg Clonazepam and am now 9 months off (if you click on my avatar and go to "About me" you'll see my taper history. The average dose for Clonazepam seems to be 0.5mg. My doctor knew nothing about benzo tapering either. She was happy to let me taper how I wanted to. Everything I know about tapering I learned from BenzoBuddies. I was functional throughout my taper and withdrawal was/is bearable. It's not easy but I'm not suffering. 

We generally recommend cuts of no more than 5-10% of each new total daily dose every two weeks. That means you'll cut for example 5% of your 1mg which is 0.95mg . Next time you'll cut 5% of 0.95mg which is 0.90mg. And this is how you continue. Most people start off by weighing and shaving their pills. They use jewellers scales you can get fairly cheap from Amazon.

I know it's daunting but I promise you, you'll be okay. I've just given you basic information as I don't want to overload you. But we can provide more detail as you require. 

[[me...]]

Hi jellybaby because after I've taken my dose at night an hour later I'm having pain and cramps and insomnia and nauseas and I feel as though I need to take them earlier and earlier and they don't work anymore after 6years I've been wanting to come off them for 3years now I went to a drug advisory service but because the tablets are prescribed they said my gp had to get a psychiatrist involved which she wouldn't now I've got a bigger problem thankyou jellybaby for answering my post😊

[[je...]]

Hi @[me...]

If you feel you need to take your pills earlier, you could be having interdose withdrawal. With tolerance withdrawal, you'll have the symptoms pretty consistently. Do you feel the symptoms are pretty bad? If you are really struggling, then you can try dosing three times a day. 

[[me...]]

On 30/08/2023 at 01:04, [[B...] said:

BB was a lifeline for me when I withdrew from clonazepam.  The information and support made a world of difference.

The fact that you were on it before makes it even more important to taper slowly with small cuts.  How did you get off before - did you taper?

I was only on it two years and tapered myself but started having bad withdrawal and my gp told me to take an extra amitriplinevwhich I was on at the time. So I was able to attend my son's wedding😊

[[me...]]

On 30/08/2023 at 22:00, [[j...] said:

Hi @[me...]

If you feel you need to take your pills earlier, you could be having interdose withdrawal. With tolerance withdrawal, you'll have the symptoms pretty consistently. Do you feel the symptoms are pretty bad? If you are really struggling, then you can try dosing three times a day. 

Hi yes it gets to four o'clock and I have to take the pills but I feel worse after taking the whole 1mg so if I break them down to 3times aday would it be easier to taper

[[je...]]

3 hours ago, [[m...] said:

Hi yes it gets to four o'clock and I have to take the pills but I feel worse after taking the whole 1mg so if I break them down to 3times aday would it be easier to taper

I would suggest you start by taking it twice a day to see how it goes. It is still odd that you're feeling worse after taking the pills though. Your symptoms should get better after taking the pills.

[[me...]]

Hi jelly baby when I take the 1mg clonazapam.   It doesn't relax me and I'm awake all night..I can't think or focus right I'm exhausted all the time.perhaps it could be that since my accident..6years ago I've stopped morphine also tramadol and gabapentin....I'm now at the moment reducing sertraline and pregablin slowly for two months now my body feels toxic. I can't eat much and so exhausted. or maybe that's old age🥴🧓

[[je...]]

We generally don't recommend tapering multiple meds at the same time. Your symptoms could be from tapering the other meds. I'm sorry this is so difficult. 

I've just noticed you have another tapering thread as well. I'm going to lock this thread so you only have one thread as per this post:

On 19/08/2023 at 09:12, [[P...] said:

Please fill in your medication history, taper details and any other pertinent information so others can provide the best feedback for your situation. 

Profile => Edit profile (top-right of profile banner) => Add succinct use/taper/withdrawal history to 'History' text box => click 'Save' (bottom-right).

Also, please create and use just one thread for your taper planning and adjustment support requests.  This helps you and the members who contribute to your thread see what others have suggested plus keeps the suggestions in one easy to find location.  It also allows you and others to learn about your taper planning and adjustment experience from start to finish. 

Then you can continue your tapering advice on this thread: