Unsure what to do

[[Cs...]]

Hello All, 

I’m new here as of today.  I was started on k back in 2020 after my then doctor tapered me off of Paxil 40mg for 24 years in 6 weeks. While doing so, I was given Prozac 10mg and increased up to 60 mg in 6 weeks. Given Ativan for only 2 weeks then was taken away c/t.  Long story short, I was a direct threat to myself and requires 30 days in the hospital.  Turns out, the taper was extremely too quick and I was allergic to Prozac.  I was released from the hospital with several anxiety medications as I was now dx w/severe panic disorder, PTSD, trauma, Major Depressive Disorder.  Medications were abilify (caused a direct threat to myself again), buspiron, Effexor XR 75 mg, klonipin 2 mg daily.  I weaned off of buspar and abilify.  Felt better, but after a month I had very intrusive thoughts and excessive worrying to the point my brain wouldn’t shut off.  I wasn’t sleeping, eating, curled up in the corner.  I was placed on seroquel 100 mg for sleep.  Fingers crossed I’ve been fine since. 
Fast forward to today, I’ve been dx with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis and will need to take an immunosuppressant every week. Starting in a few weeks after all my vaccs are done.  
I have been thinking over the last year that I wanted or should come off of K.  However, as life would have it there were two traumatic deaths in my family, my family imploded, and I take care of my 90’year old father now at his house and come home on the weekends. I honestly know I need to come off K as I have been able to come down 1 mg over a year ago.  
 

My major concern is doing this at the same time I need to start the chemotherapy drug.  Idk if I should wait a while and revisit.  I will wholeheartedly tell you I’m literally scared to death about coming off of K.  It’s kept me out of the hospital for 3 years.  My prescriber since 2020 has been excellent with my care and weaning off meds.  I guess what I’m trying to say is what if I have that horrible experience as before with the Paxil/Prozac?  I am hypersensitive to many medications.  Reading all these stories has me in a state of sheer terror.  
 

I know Admin and all can’t tell me what decision I should make as it’s a personal preference .   I just don’t know what to do.  Is there any one who can help me think this through.  I know this forum is not doctors but I’m stuck. I can tell you my anxiety was so bad I had almost given up years ago.  
 

There seems to be such a stigma on benzos in the medical community especially if you need to go to the ER. They look at you like you’re an addict (please absolutely no offense to anyone on here at all). 
 

Any insight from this forum would be greatly appreciated. 
 

Thank you, 

Carol

[[Co...]]

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

Hello All, 

I’m new here as of today.  I was started on k back in 2020 after my then doctor tapered me off of Paxil 40mg for 24 years in 6 weeks. While doing so, I was given Prozac 10mg and increased up to 60 mg in 6 weeks. Given Ativan for only 2 weeks then was taken away c/t.  Long story short, I was a direct threat to myself and requires 30 days in the hospital.  Turns out, the taper was extremely too quick and I was allergic to Prozac.  I was released from the hospital with several anxiety medications as I was now dx w/severe panic disorder, PTSD, trauma, Major Depressive Disorder.  Medications were abilify (caused a direct threat to myself again), buspiron, Effexor XR 75 mg, klonipin 2 mg daily.  I weaned off of buspar and abilify.  Felt better, but after a month I had very intrusive thoughts and excessive worrying to the point my brain wouldn’t shut off.  I wasn’t sleeping, eating, curled up in the corner.  I was placed on seroquel 100 mg for sleep.  Fingers crossed I’ve been fine since. 
Fast forward to today, I’ve been dx with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoarthritis, Osteoporosis and will need to take an immunosuppressant every week. Starting in a few weeks after all my vaccs are done.  
I have been thinking over the last year that I wanted or should come off of K.  However, as life would have it there were two traumatic deaths in my family, my family imploded, and I take care of my 90’year old father now at his house and come home on the weekends. I honestly know I need to come off K as I have been able to come down 1 mg over a year ago.

Hello @[Cs...]. Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

It seems that you've had a rough run of it over the past few years. How do feel within yourself now? 

I would not be concerned about your past 'cold turkey' withdrawal from Ativan a few years ago after two weeks of use. Benzodiazepines are sometimes prescribed for some weeks when first starting antidepressants because it typically takes a month or two for the antidepressants to take effect. If Klonopin was prescribed for these kinds of reasons, then you might discuss with your doctor about possibly tapering off. You mentioned reducing your dose of Klonopin by 1mg a year ago; what is your present dose?

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

My major concern is doing this at the same time I need to start the chemotherapy drug.  Idk if I should wait a while and revisit.  I will wholeheartedly tell you I’m literally scared to death about coming off of K.  It’s kept me out of the hospital for 3 years.  My prescriber since 2020 has been excellent with my care and weaning off meds.  I guess what I’m trying to say is what if I have that horrible experience as before with the Paxil/Prozac?  I am hypersensitive to many medications.  Reading all these stories has me in a state of sheer terror.

What is driving you to consider quitting Klonopin? And, particularly at this time? Yes, there are problems associated with long-term use of benzodiazepines. Just as with any other medication, there are side effects, potential problems, but benefits too. And apart from these more general considerations, withdrawal from benzodiazepines can be fraught with difficulties, including some rather difficult and often protracted withdrawal effects. I would suggest that you need to factor these risks into your calculation. I also (strongly) suggest that you discuss your concerns and desire to quit with your doctor. A fully considered decision is even more imperative given that you have so much on your plate at this time.

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

I know Admin and all can’t tell me what decision I should make as it’s a personal preference .   I just don’t know what to do.  Is there any one who can help me think this through.  I know this forum is not doctors but I’m stuck. I can tell you my anxiety was so bad I had almost given up years ago.

Of course, you are correct: we cannot make this decision for you. But by talking it through with us and your doctor, this will help you arrive at what is probably the best course of action for you at this time.

I should caution you that there is a very good chance that your anxiety will become worse during withdrawal. It is more of an open question if Klonopin is still helping you with your underlying anxiety after extended use (its anxiolytic effects tend to become less effective over time). But even assuming that Klonopin is not (much) helping after years of use - we cannot be sure about this - there would remain the real possibility of a large spike in your anxiety symptoms during withdrawal and your recovery (which can be lengthy). This is why I am striking a cautious note and advising that you talk with your doctor.

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

There seems to be such a stigma on benzos in the medical community especially if you need to go to the ER. They look at you like you’re an addict (please absolutely no offense to anyone on here at all). 

Any insight from this forum would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you, 

Carol

Prescribing habits have almost turned on their head. Twenty years ago, you probably would have no problems obtaining prescriptions for benzodiazepines. Whereas now - in many countries, and probably especially in the US - GPs often force their patients off benzodiazepines, even after many years of use, and often without any consideration of the life circumstances, concerns and feelings of the patient.

I'll ask you again: what's driving you to consider quitting Klonopin at this time? When you identify this, this might help you arrive at your decision.

Take care, Carol.

Colin.

[[Cs...]]

Hi Colin, thank you for responding to me.  The reason I want to come off Klonipin is because I’m worried I’ll have to at some time or another updose my prescription.  I’m starting to have a little anxiety which shouldn’t be on klonipin. 
 

I feel as though I’m becoming numb to my self.  I don’t laugh, joke, smile, I just feel very numb to my senses.  It scares me, what scares me more is withdrawal from this med.  

I will have an appointment w/my prescriber in two months to discuss daily dry micro tapering or maybe wet idk.  I was going to try a cut/hold for a month and take my time over a year but I think it will be pure horror. 

I do have a tremendous amount of stress going on right now.  But when is a good time. When am I never going to have stress.?  
I just need help I really don’t know what to do.  My prescriber has said if I want to come off and I feel like all is good we’ll do it.   But I can’t just take .125 off the top and not have a reaction.  
I need a solution that will have little side affects as possible.  
I am hypersensitive to medication. I went into anaphylactic shock, my heart was barely beating when I got a tetanus shot in the hospital.  
 

Idk Colin, any suggestions or help you could provide would be great.  I did join Facebook benzo withdrawal.  
 

thanks 

-C

[[Co...]]

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

Hi Colin, thank you for responding to me.  The reason I want to come off Klonipin is because I’m worried I’ll have to at some time or another updose my prescription.  I’m starting to have a little anxiety which shouldn’t be on klonipin.

Yes. The chances are, to obtain the same therapeutic effects, you would need to up your dose at some future date.

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

I feel as though I’m becoming numb to my self.  I don’t laugh, joke, smile, I just feel very numb to my senses.  It scares me, what scares me more is withdrawal from this med.

I think these are legitimate concerns: bother the emotional numbing, and possible withdrawal effects. Though, one of these seems certain (you are experiencing it now); whereas the possible withdrawal effects are largely unknown. They might be very pronounced, or they could be very mild.

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

I will have an appointment w/my prescriber in two months to discuss daily dry micro tapering or maybe wet idk.  I was going to try a cut/hold for a month and take my time over a year but I think it will be pure horror.

Perhaps your doctor will prescribe liquid clonazepam (Klonopin) for you. I believe it is available in 1 drop = 0.1mg formulation. But given that you have stated (below) that reductions of 0.125mg are too high for you, perhaps you doctor will prescribe a compounded formulation at something like 1 drop = 0.05mg. Though, these will be considerably more expensive than off-the-shelf formulations, and much more expensive than tablets. Maybe you could enquire at a compounding pharmacy about the price before seeing your doctor.

Another approach is to do it yourself, using jewellers' scales (with increments at 0.001mg). You would crush up a pill into a fine powder and remove a proportion equivalent to the dose reduction you require. We can help you with the maths. The scales can be bought for about $20-25 USD at Amazon.

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

I do have a tremendous amount of stress going on right now.  But when is a good time. When am I never going to have stress.?  
I just need help I really don’t know what to do.  My prescriber has said if I want to come off and I feel like all is good we’ll do it.   But I can’t just take .125 off the top and not have a reaction.  
I need a solution that will have little side affects as possible.

As I detailed above, there are ways to make smaller reductions. And having a helpful prescriber is great advantage. You first need to decide if this is what you wish to do, and then if you are ready for it now or feel it would be better to postpone - no one here can decide this for you.

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

I am hypersensitive to medication. I went into anaphylactic shock, my heart was barely beating when I got a tetanus shot in the hospital.

That's an allergic reaction to a specific ingredient in the shot. You already take benzodiazepines - you will not develop an allergic reaction due to withdrawal of Klonopin. (I know you know this - I am just trying to reassure you.) Try to avoid conflating one thing with another. These are two unrelated items.

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

Idk Colin, any suggestions or help you could provide would be great.  I did join Facebook benzo withdrawal.  

thanks 

-C

I cannot make the decision for you. But I hope my comments on alternatives to pill-splitting (0.125mg) reductions has helped you. If you decide to go down a liquid or scales route, we will help you.

[[Bl...]]

Hi @[Cs...] how are you doing? Sorry to hear what you are/have been going through. I know making decisions on what you mentioned above isn't easy. Hopefully, you have made some progress in this process and as a result, can feel some comfort. Again, hope you're doing fairly well.

[[ns...]]

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