20 year benzo user (prescribed), might be taping soon.

[[qa...]]

Hi guys,

So I've been on benzos for approximately 20 years now.  I'm 42.  Recently I missed a visit with my psychiatrist - and....he had a zero tolerance policy for this (he said because of my insurance he cannot charge me a no show fee) - anyway he terminated my care.  I thought my PCP/GP would give me a bridge dose until I could get hooked up with someone else, but she said to me that she was uncomfortable prescribing a benzo long term, and basically told me I could have a months' supply or I could stay with her after that and taper.  I haven't thought about going off my benzos for a long time because I am stable and.....I don't have the time to.....go through the hell I know that'd put me through.  I've not had my meds before and I know how bad it was -- but I've also seen many videos on people tapering and post-taper complications.

My first benzo was Ativan.  I've been on a few different ones - I was up to a 6 mg dose at my highest and now I'm on 2 mg of Klonopin  I've basically lowered my dose on my own because I had heard about some of the long term consequences of benzo use, but my previous psychiatrist was supportive about me being on it. 

I do believe it's being harder and harder to find doctors who will support long term benzos scripts, so....I'm worried I won't be able to find someone covered by my insurance to take me on and do it, AND ALSO, now that I've looked at this again.....I am worried about the long term effects and if I'm experiencing some long term effects from them.  Like in the past I've questioned if I've had early onset dementia, memory and focus issues....

So I'm kind of curious - What are my options for a taper first of all?  If I got my way and got to kind of do it on my own.  And lets say instead of eventually totally jumping off I got to a point - lets just say.... .5 mg of Klonopin (.25 mg x2 a day) - Might to risks of tapering to nothing outweigh to benefits of going from that low of a dose to 0?  I have 2 young kids and a serious job.  I can't turn myself into a disabled person.  And like I said, in general, I'm stable right now.  I originally got put on it for panic attacks due to dysautonomia.  I had symptoms similar to POTS many years ago.

So I'm also worried about implications of a taper on my autonomic system.  I'm willing to be uncomfortable a bit.  But the hell that some people (especially in my 20+ year, high dose) in my situation experience.....kind of doesn't seem worth it.

In the past......I went from 6 mg to 4 mg.  4 mg to 3 mg.  3 mg to 2 mg.  2 mg to 3 mg (accident - the pharmacy had kept my 2 mg pills, so for a month I actually was taking 4 mg when I thought I was taking 2 mg).  Then 3 mg to 2 mg again.  And this was years ago....and it was pretty easy.  I know once the levels of the drug get lower, there will be read pain.  I am willing again - to go through some of that.  would it make sense for me to taper slower than something like the Ashton system does (with the cuts after 1 to 2 weeks) and maybe double that time, and.....stop again - around something like .5 mg per day?  Surely it's better to take .5 per day than 2 mg per day?

Anyway, hopefully I can find a doctor who supports whatever I try to do.

 

[Guest [...]]

Hi @[qa...]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

We’re glad to have you here.

I think I would seriously consider taking up your PCP’s offer and tapering with her, regardless of what you decide to do further down the track. This will secure ongoing prescriptions for the time being as you taper and potentially seek another medical professional to provide you with ongoing scripts at a lower dose once you’ve tapered down, depending on decisions you make down the track… to taper off completely, or hold on a lower dose.

It’s generally recommended tapering 5-10% from each current total daily dose every 10-14 days, or follow a symptoms based taper, reducing as your symptoms allow. 

It sounds as though you’ve tapered without too many issues in the past, and, although it doesn’t guarantee a symptom free taper this time, it’s a positive sign that it may not be as difficult as other members you have read about have experienced. 

We are here to provide you with information, support and encouragement through your taper, so please, if you have any other questions, feel free to follow up on this thread. 

Again,

Welcome to BenzoBuddies! 
 

WS 

 

 

[[qa...]]

I already told PCP / GP that I'd take the month supply vs. working with her to taper.  I'm not comfortable she has any experience with a benzo taper and I fear once I agreed to it and I tried to get another doctor - I mean they very well look at it like, hey you were working with your last doctor on a taper lets keep doing that.  I don't want to formally agree to a taper.

Honestly, I'd rather make the decision on my own and do it myself.  In the past I've done it on my own and just told my doctors when I was done and comfortable with them prescribing the lower dose.  Like when I went from 3 to do 2 mgs, I told my doctor about 2 months after I had gone to 2....and knew I could handle it for sure.  

Right now I had my PCP saying we were going to do with the taper with a goal of being done in 3 months - there was no input from me on those goals.  I fear losing control, not being comfortable with the speed, or being able to handle a complete taper.  It means a whole lot more to me than my PCP who....I don't feel understands benzos and is going to worry more about her license (I'm sure that's what she means when she says she doesn't feel comfortable with a long term benzo script), than my health.  

As far as a doctor goes, I just want someone to blindly continue to the 2 mg script and I do whatever taper on my own.  I'm motivated to taper on my own, just under my rules and according to what my body says - I mean the doctor who just terminated me would have let me on them at that dosage until I died.  He saw no reason I should have to taper.  When I first started seeing him I mentioned a partial taper and he was like 'why would you want to do that'?  So....that's the care I could be receiving if I hadn't missed that appointment.

Ultimately though, neither of them have to live with the state of my brain for the rest of my life.  Neither one will be holding my hand in 5 years dealing with whatever I am.  It means the most to me and I alone I think completely care about the long term health of my brain more than almost anything else.  

I have a lot of responsibility and my own license.  Any major interruption with my health could cause me to lose not only my job, but my license.  I guess bottom line is I want to taper, but I want to do it completely under my own terms and I don't want to make that less likely going forward (which is why I didn't agree to start a taper under the care of the previous doctor).  Which also is why I was asking - I've seen other people talk about different kinds of tapers.  At my current levels I probably can just do the normal tapers - I wish I had 0.5 pills (which is something my doctor maybe could have helped me with, although I know the insurance normally wants to pay for as few of pills as possible, instead of more lower dosage pills).

Another question would be - I presumed it was easier at the higher levels, but maybe it's just me.  It wasn't too hard on me during any of my previous cuts.....just kind of assumed it was easier to start going from 6 to 4.....versus for me going from .6 to .4.  I saw stuff about milk, liquid.....jeweler scales.  

[[Ch...]]

What are you on 

[[qa...]]

18 hours ago, [[C...] said:

What are you on 

2 mg of clonazepam 1x per day.  Although in the past few days I've split it out to be about 12ish hours apart.

[[qa...]]

Sorry if that was unclear - I've made it 1 mg 2x a day.....about 12 hours apart.

[[Ri...]]

You can do this! I would try agree to the 3 month taper, if anything, going to the ER if things get out of hand will be your safety valve. Try taking your doses later in the day and cut 1/4 off a .5mg every week or 10 days. Again, try to take first dose later & later in the day. Just do it. When it gets to be 4,5 or 6 in the evening without a dose you’ll have more confidence and will not feel as bad as you think. Just one day at a time, cut another 1/4 every week to 10 days the next go around repeat..You got this!

Edited November 6, 2023 by [Ri...]
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