Clonazepam taper

[[Jo...]]

Hi all. So I slipped up due to insomnia and got dependent on clonazepam this time.  I am working with my psychiatrist to taper off of a low dose dependence on clonazepam. He has switched me to diazepam but I am having issues with crossing over.  Was only using .5 clonazepam to sleep and .125 mid day for inter dose withdrawal.  Psychiatrist suggested taper as follows:
 

week 1 8mg diazepam

week 2 8mg diazepam 

week 3 6mg diazepam

week 3 6mg diazepam

and reduce 2 mg every 2 weeks so on and so on…
 

He is not against a slower taper if I prefer one and 1 mg reductions. My questions are I started the 8 mg diazepam and have felt really off ever since. Doesn’t feel like the heart pounding withdrawal I’m used to with clonazepam. It’s a constant brain foggy feeling and slightly blurred vision. I’ve read the Ashton manual and am wondering should I have overlapped the first 3-4 weeks switching from clonazepam to diazepam so using 1/2 clonazepam and 1/2 diazepam? And if not should I have started at 10mg diazepam for the crossover?  Thanks for any help.  

 

 

Edited November 18, 2023 by [Jo...]

[[pi...]]

Hello @[Jo...],

Yes, ideally it is best to overlap the two drugs instead of doing a sudden switch from one benzo to another. Additionally, each benzo is a little different. I found Valium very sedating and I know others have experienced this as well. It did ease up once my body adjusted and I started to taper.

How long did you take clonazepam? If it was very short term the plan suggested might be ok. Otherwise it seems very aggressive to me. 

[[Jo...]]

@[pi...] This time I was only using it for about 3 1/2 weeks but could already feel dependence starting so I want to start tapering now before it got out of hand. 

Edited November 18, 2023 by [Jo...]

[[pi...]]

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

@[pi...] This time I was only using it for about 3 1/2 weeks but could already feel dependence starting so I want to start tapering now before it got out of hand. 

@[Jo...], your previous benzo use and withdrawal has clearly sensitized you since you feel dependence starting. With just 3 1/2 weeks of use, you might be able to follow the taper plan outlined. Overall, the longer you stay on a benzo, the more entrenched dependency can become. I would likely try a quicker taper and see how my body reacts. Since your doctor is willing to support a slower plan, you can always reduce the amount tapered and lengthen the time between cuts.