Help talking to my dr

[[Ni...]]

Hello , I posted last week I think. I’m new here . So I’ll give my backstory again then I’ll ask my question . I started using Klonopin everyday in 2020 during the lock down 1 mg a day . October 2020 I checked myself into an inpatient because I was having troubling thoughts and more anxiety than ever . So the dr there upped my klonopin to 3 mgs ! So since October 2020 I’ve been on 3mgs until April/ may of 2023 when my NEW dr said he wanted to get me off of it so he began tapering me. I was told on my last post he is tapering me kind of fast . I went from 3 mgs one month , then 2 the next month , then 1 1/2 the next month , then 1mg the next month .. now in august I got down to .5mg. The first two weeks of the .5mg was horrible . I had TERRIBLE anxiety and I couldn’t eat anything . I was very nauseous. I lost probably almost 10lbs from not eating . So my question is what should I specifically tell my dr ? My appointment is this Friday . Should I ask to stay at .5 ? Should I ask to up dose - if so how much ? Or should I let him take me down from .5mg ? I’m not even sure what would be next from .5mg? Can anyone also tell me how the measurements of tapering down goes ? Sorry to ask so many questions , I just am so lost with no information on how to taper safely. All my dr is saying how “ I’ll be fine “ since we’re tapering down this way . But like I said it took a good 2 weeks to get use to 5. Mg and I’m so scared to go through this again .

 

thank you ! 

[[je...]]

If you feel you have adjusted to 0.5mg then you can stay there. It would be best to hold this dose for a couple of weeks. When you speak to your doctor you can tell him that you were non-functioning after the cut and you are scared of losing your job and these symptoms impacting your life for several months. I have shared two documents with you on your tapering thread to give your doctor:

 

On 01/09/2023 at 07:51, [[j...] said:

Oh gosh that's crazy. I think you need to go up at least 0.5mg. When's your next appointment?

Here's two resources you can share with your doctor:

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0285584

https://corxconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/Benzo-Deperscribing.pdf

The second link explains to doctors how you should taper. Your reductions should be no more than 5-10% of each new daily dose every 2-4 weeks. I think the document says reductions should be less than 5%. I suggest you print both documents, read the second one and advocate for yourself when you go. It would also be really good to read as much as you can on the forum about tapering. You want to have the knowledge and be empowered when you walk into that appointment. 

You're going to be okay! Good luck, let us know how it goes.

[[Ni...]]

2 minutes ago, [[j...] said:

If you feel you have adjusted to 0.5mg then you can stay there. It would be best to hold this dose for a couple of weeks. When you speak to your doctor you can tell him that you were non-functioning after the cut and you are scared of losing your job and these symptoms impacting your life for several months. I have shared two documents with you on your tapering thread to give your doctor:

The second link explains to doctors how you should taper. Your reductions should be no more than 5-10% of each new daily dose every 2-4 weeks. I think the document says reductions should be less than 5%. I suggest you print both documents, read the second one and advocate for yourself when you go. It would also be really good to read as much as you can on the forum about tapering. You want to have the knowledge and be empowered when you walk into that appointment. 

You're going to be okay! Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Thank you !!!! I will read now !