Question about last 0.5 mg clonazepam tablet

[[At...]]

Hope everyone had as nice a Christmas and NY as possible.

Ive tapered down from 3  0.5 mg tablets of clonazepam to one 0.5mg tablet. Ive stayed there now for 3 weeks. I plan to stay here for at least another week.

So, would ⅛ of a tablet every 3 weeks be a reasonable taper for this last clonazepam? Or ⅛ tablet ever 2 weeks?  Faster or slower? Maybe stay on last 0.25 mg for longer? 

I admit Ive had quite a bit of anxiety coming down at a rate of ¼ tablet every 2 weeks and even sone depression with the last cut. Thats why I've stayed at one 0.5mg tablet for the last 3-4 weeks. I've been on this drug for 25 yrs and the decision to come off it was mine. It's time. I'm also on Buspar at 20mg 3x a day. Max dose but it's not a benzo. Acts more like an antidepressant. Staying on it. Also on Paroxatine ( paxil) 60 mg a day and Buproprion ( wellbutrin), 150mg twice a day. 

 

Your thots on my idea for a ⅛ of a tablet every 2-3 weeks for this last 0.5mg tablet of clonazepam? Too fast, too slow? 

[[PE...]]

Hi.

Yes it sounds reasonable. 10% every two weeks says Ashton. And hold when needed so it's up to you and coping.

Good luck and well done 

[[je...]]

I suggest you let your symptoms dictate your taper rate and see how it goes after each cut. I would not have been able to make such big cuts, especially at the lower end of my taper. 

[[At...]]

Thx Jelly Baby.  I have slowed down in this my last tablet, to ⅛ reductions instead of ¼ and am looking at 3 weeks if necessary instead of 2.  I was on it 25 years and I have to admit it's one of the hardest things I've ever done! Fortunately, for me days 4 through 8 are the reeeally difficult ones then it eases back.  Worst symptom  by far is anxiety while my brain re- learns how to make it's own 'Gabba'. Overall I am guessing that the whole process will have taken about 6 - 7 months.  I took a 3 week break from further cuts when I had the flu. I don't mind if it takes a year. 

[[je...]]

4 hours ago, [[A...] said:

Thx Jelly Baby.  I have slowed down in this my last tablet, to ⅛ reductions instead of ¼ and am looking at 3 weeks if necessary instead of 2.  I was on it 25 years and I have to admit it's one of the hardest things I've ever done! Fortunately, for me days 4 through 8 are the reeeally difficult ones then it eases back.  Worst symptom  by far is anxiety while my brain re- learns how to make it's own 'Gabba'. Overall I am guessing that the whole process will have taken about 6 - 7 months.  I took a 3 week break from further cuts when I had the flu. I don't mind if it takes a year. 

Yes, the best approach is not to put a deadline on it. I think it took me about a year to taper 0.5mg. But I had Long Covid, so I had to slow my taper down. Just keep in mind if you keep making 1/8 reductions, the percentages will keep increasing the lower you go. Generally we recommend cuts of no more than 5-10% of your total daily dose every two weeks. Maybe you'll be fine with these cuts, who knows, but I wanted to point out what happens with linear reductions. You can hold longer between cuts if you need, but if the cuts are big, the symptoms will be tough. That's why we advocate for smaller cuts every 2 weeks.

[[Gu...]]

On 03/01/2024 at 14:18, [[j...] said:

I suggest you let your symptoms dictate your taper rate and see how it goes after each cut. I would not have been able to make such big cuts, especially at the lower end of my taper. 

I agree