Tapering off Clonazepam 0,5 while being pregnant

[[Wi...]]

Hello, my name is Will iam 32 years old and I'm using Clonazepam 0,5 daily for 4 months now for my tinnitus because of loud tinnitus.

it does help me alot, but I found out I'm pregnant (early stage) so I would like to taper off. My dokter told me I can stop anytime with such a small dosis like 0,5. But..... it's causing me so much stress: loud tinnitus, panic attacks, sleeping issues, numbness that I'm not doing this thing very well.  I did start with Mirtazapine 0.15 mg every evening tot replace the benzo. (Day 3 now)

can someone give me some tips! 

greets from the Netherlands 

[[Pa...]]

Hello @[Wi...], welcome to BenzoBuddies,

Congratulations on your pregnancy, but I’m sorry to hear about your tinnitus.  I understand benzodiazepines are often prescribed for this condition but they can also cause it so you might want to prepare yourself for an increase in it until you can recover from your use.  After that, you should go back to your baseline.

You’ve been on the drug for a short time so we’ll typically suggest reducing faster than someone who is on it longer but if your symptoms are too much for you, then a slower taper might be better.  We typically suggest reducing your dose by about 5-10% every couple of weeks but a symptom based taper seems to work better. 

Mirtazapine cannot replace a benzodiazepine, they’re two totally different medications.  it can sometimes help with symptoms, but not everyone can tolerate it.

I did want to say that no dose of a benzodiazepine is low, these are powerful drugs and .5 mg of Clonazepam is roughly equal to 10 mgs Valium so I’m glad you’re going to taper rather than quit cold turkey.

Pamster

 

[[he...]]

Hi @[Wi...],

I totally agree with everything Pamster said. The symptoms you are having definitely point to a physiological dependence on the benzodiazepine, so at this point you are correct in wanting to come off. Either filing and weighing tablets, making or sourcing a liquid formulation, or using taper strips (Netherlands-based tapering option) are the options to be considering. Currently the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC) in the US recommends tapering even more slowly than was previously recommended, between 5 and 10% per month. I would start slow, and if I handled it reasonably well, I would try a little faster the next time. I had success with microtapering (cutting small amounts daily), and it also allowed me to try speeding up occasionally without big fallout as I could course correct quickly.

We wish you the best in your tapering journey, and congratulations on your baby!

[[Wi...]]

Thank you both for your quick responds. 

[[Ch...]]

On 26/09/2023 at 09:00, [[h...] said:

Hi @[Wi...],

I totally agree with everything Pamster said. The symptoms you are having definitely point to a physiological dependence on the benzodiazepine, so at this point you are correct in wanting to come off. Either filing and weighing tablets, making or sourcing a liquid formulation, or using taper strips (Netherlands-based tapering option) are the options to be considering. Currently the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC) in the US recommends tapering even more slowly than was previously recommended, between 5 and 10% per month. I would start slow, and if I handled it reasonably well, I would try a little faster the next time. I had success with microtapering (cutting small amounts daily), and it also allowed me to try speeding up occasionally without big fallout as I could course correct quickly.

We wish you the best in your tapering journey, and congratulations on your baby!

Can you get the strips in US? 

[[Pa...]]

1 hour ago, [[C...] said:

Can you get the strips in US? 

No

[[he...]]

On 28/09/2023 at 19:06, [[C...] said:

Can you get the strips in US? 

But you can order them from the Netherlands. They often drop you too fast, so few people can really use them, unless they can tolerate bigger cuts.

[[Li...]]

On 28/09/2023 at 20:06, [[C...] said:

Can you get the strips in US? 

 

1 hour ago, [[h...] said:

But you can order them from the Netherlands. They often drop you too fast, so few people can really use them, unless they can tolerate bigger cuts.

 

Per its website (link below), Tapering Strips can be shipped to the United States as well as the countries listed below.

I agree with @[he...] that the ‘standard’ options for hyperbolic tapering regimens are a tad aggressive given current guidelines.  However, my understanding is that the compounding pharmacy will also work with patients and prescribers who wish to develop custom regimens. 

Link:
Tapering strip | Responsibly reducing your medicine intake
https://www.taperingstrip.com/

Countries:
Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States