Need help with taper

[[ml...]]

I took .5-1mg  klonopin back in 2012 for a year and a half for sleep after having my 3rd child. Was not pleasant coming off but mostly just experienced insomnia and anxiety. Then used prn from 2014-2021, maybe twice a month for sleep. January 2022 after having covid I began waking up with panic attacks and started taking klonopin every night again for sleep, .25-.5. Stayed at mostly .25 being a little more educated on how bad it is for you I tried multiple times to taper off, but cutting 25% each week and always ended up reinstating  due to insomnia within 7 days of stopping. I had no idea what kindling was. April 2023 I was experiencing extreme anxiety not knowing it was probably the inter-dose withdrawal and kindling, so my doctor started me on Paxil. 3 weeks in I felt better and was sleeping through the night and just stopped taking my klonopin. A couple days later woke up with a screaming in my ears that was unbearable. I assumed it was from the Paxil and stopped taking it and restarted the klonopin, but now I was taking the klonopin during the day to help with the tinnitus. Did .25 twice a day for a month and then got online and realized how screwed I was. Started tapering off again, my doc started me on Seroquel and Zoloft. Went through 3 weeks of hell thinking it was the Zoloft but most likely the k withdrawal. Stopped Seroquel and Zoloft and then decided to try the Paxil again. Had to reinstate .25 k when restarting the Paxil due to not being able to eat or sleep. 6 weeks into Paxil started to feel slightly better and then started the k taper again. Again went too fast and went .25-0 in one month. 14 days off and I was in hell. Constant muscle twitching, screaming tinnitus, rolling panic, no sleep, and was a skeleton. No one believes this is from my k withdrawal, my husband and p doc insisted I start k again. I stopped the Paxil and restarted .25 k. I have been on this for 6 weeks. Still in hell and not sure how to start a taper. So terrified I’m kindled to the point of never recovering. Need help with a taper plan.

 

i am a mom of 3 and currently still working part time but honestly don’t know how much longer I can do it. Keep looking at rehabs but know that is not the best way to handle this. But the idea of living in this hell and tapering for 5 months is unbearable. Thanks for your input….

[[Pa...]]

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

I took .5-1mg  klonopin back in 2012 for a year and a half for sleep after having my 3rd child. Was not pleasant coming off but mostly just experienced insomnia and anxiety. Then used prn from 2014-2021, maybe twice a month for sleep. January 2022 after having covid I began waking up with panic attacks and started taking klonopin every night again for sleep, .25-.5. Stayed at mostly .25 being a little more educated on how bad it is for you I tried multiple times to taper off, but cutting 25% each week and always ended up reinstating  due to insomnia within 7 days of stopping. I had no idea what kindling was. April 2023 I was experiencing extreme anxiety not knowing it was probably the inter-dose withdrawal and kindling, so my doctor started me on Paxil. 3 weeks in I felt better and was sleeping through the night and just stopped taking my klonopin. A couple days later woke up with a screaming in my ears that was unbearable. I assumed it was from the Paxil and stopped taking it and restarted the klonopin, but now I was taking the klonopin during the day to help with the tinnitus. Did .25 twice a day for a month and then got online and realized how screwed I was. Started tapering off again, my doc started me on Seroquel and Zoloft. Went through 3 weeks of hell thinking it was the Zoloft but most likely the k withdrawal. Stopped Seroquel and Zoloft and then decided to try the Paxil again. Had to reinstate .25 k when restarting the Paxil due to not being able to eat or sleep. 6 weeks into Paxil started to feel slightly better and then started the k taper again. Again went too fast and went .25-0 in one month. 14 days off and I was in hell. Constant muscle twitching, screaming tinnitus, rolling panic, no sleep, and was a skeleton. No one believes this is from my k withdrawal, my husband and p doc insisted I start k again. I stopped the Paxil and restarted .25 k. I have been on this for 6 weeks. Still in hell and not sure how to start a taper. So terrified I’m kindled to the point of never recovering. Need help with a taper plan.

i am a mom of 3 and currently still working part time but honestly don’t know how much longer I can do it. Keep looking at rehabs but know that is not the best way to handle this. But the idea of living in this hell and tapering for 5 months is unbearable. Thanks for your input….

Hello @mis4553, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I’m so sorry for your pain, what a medication roller coaster you’ve been on!  I agree with you, its the benzodiazepine and while I do believe you’re dealing with kindling, I know you can recover.

We suggest a slow taper, about 5-10% of your dose every couple of weeks but what is even better is to let your symptoms guide you, this can hopefully keep you functioning and working your part time job.

Will your doctor continue to supply you with enough to allow you to do a slow taper?

I’m sorry no one in your life understands what these drugs do to us, but we do and we’ll help you through this.

Keeping talking to us, we’ll help you all we can.

Pamster

[[ml...]]

Thank you so much for responding. Just having someone validate this for me is so helpful. Everyone in my life (my husband, mom, p-doc are all telling me I can’t be having this reaction to such a small dose)Yes, my p-doc wants me on .5 k 3 times a day which I refuse to do so he would give me whatever I ask for. I forgot to mention that I tried to reinstate at 2.5 mg Valium the last time and did this for a week but felt more nauseous and couldn’t eat anything so that is when I went back to the .25 k and where I have stayed for 6 weeks. So I think I want to just try and do a taper with the k and not switch to Valium. What is the best way to cut 5% of k. I just ordered a scale off Amazon and I have .5mg tablets that i currently break in half. Last time I asked my p-doc for a .25 prescription of k he said .5 is the smallest it comes but is that correct?

[[Pa...]]

Most members will taper from their current medication, I don’t suggest crossing to Valium unless someone is suffering from interdose withdrawal but Klonopin has a fairly long half life so you should do fine.  Valium takes awhile to build up since its so long acting, so its important to cross over to it slowly while reducing your current medication, if you didn’t do this then I can understand why you were miserable.

I’m glad to hear your doctor is willing to prescribe what you need, but sorry he lacks the knowledge to help you through this. .5 isn’t the smallest dose, there is an ODT (orally disintegrating tablet) thats smaller but for your purposes, the .5 will be fine.

I don’t have taper experience so I’m hoping someone will stop by to help you figure out a plan but I will say that being flexible and listening to your body is the best way to approach a taper.  Some people feel they must plan it out to the very end but life happens along the way and adjustments are needed from time to time.

A scale is a great start, but how do you feel, are you emotionally and physically ready to do this?  It’s best to start a taper from a stable place, being stable doesn’t necessarily mean feeling good, but able to take care of your daily tasks.  

[[ml...]]

Thanks so much. I am not sure I am actually ready to start the taper again. I am starting Accupuncture again and also working with a therapist. I think maybe waiting a few more weeks and getting to a better place is probably a good idea. I am also only two weeks off Paxil so there is still some healing there as well. I would really love to find a psychiatrist in my area who is knowledgeable in a taper plan to work with so I am going to post another topic in hopes someone can help me there.

[[Wa...]]

You’ve done a lot of stopping and starting with the benzo along with the pax and seroquel. Your body is just trying to find some equilibrium at this point. I would hold .25 til you stabilize and go from there. I would try to taper the K as well instead of switching. I would also highly avoid adding in any other medications at this time

[[PE...]]

I can relate 100% to all your symptoms and the kindling. 

I'm 10 weeks off and the tinnutus is better. I can even forget about it. I had my head under the kitchen fan to mask it. 

You found a good place here.

Good luck

 

[[Kh...]]

10 hours ago, [[n...] said:

I can relate 100% to all your symptoms and the kindling. 

I'm 10 weeks off and the tinnutus is better. I can even forget about it. I had my head under the kitchen fan to mask it. 

You found a good place here.

Good luck

Tinnitus gone?   That’s my dream hahahha.  Good for you!!

[[PE...]]

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

Tinnitus gone?   That’s my dream hahahha.  Good for you!!

No not totally. It's low enough for me to be able to forget it unless i reed about it. Like now lol.

 

 

[[ml...]]

The tinnitus is what got me with one of my attempts to get off. I was so distressed by it that I had to go back on, little did I know the symptoms I would soon be adding. Was your tinnitus really bad during your entire taper?

[[Kh...]]

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

The tinnitus is what got me with one of my attempts to get off. I was so distressed by it that I had to go back on, little did I know the symptoms I would soon be adding. Was your tinnitus really bad during your entire taper?

Mine has been Moderate to sometimes bad.   I can’t seem to figure out what sparks it.    I am about one month from quitting.   Hoping it levels outs at some point.  One thing I try to keep in mind….nothing stays the same forever- change is inevitable.  Keep your strength and faith.

[[ml...]]

Thank you!  I am really trying.  My tinnitus fluctuates a lot too, I think it is mostly around my anxiety levels and how much I am focusing on it.