Clonazepan for 25 years

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Hello. I´ve been taking clonazepan  2,5 mg/ml, 50 drops for 25 years. I want to stop. I´m 43 years old. I feel lots of dizziness, and very tired.  Is it possible? Could anyone comment if they actually made it after long periods of time? and how do I start? Thank you so much,

 

Edited February 12 by Guest

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30 years klon. Off almost 16 months. Still very out of shape and weak. Mind is clearing. Didn't realize how disconnected I was on the benzo. 60 years of age.

It was difficult but worth it. Go slow.

[[Co...]]

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

To clarify: 20 drops in 1ml, so 50 drops is 2,5ml - yes? And since there are 2,5mg/ml, that's 6.25mg of clonazepam per day. Is this correct? This is a large dose.

Many of our members have withdrawn from benzodiazepines after 25 years or more. And, from large doses too. Although I took clonazepam for only 4 years (plus a six month taper), I too was on a large dose (4,5mg).

Because of the way benzodiazepines work, a doubling of dose - for example - does not mean there is a doubling of its effects. So, there is very little practical difference between your dose of 4,5mg and my dose of 6,25mg.

The good news is that you taking an almost ideal benzodiazepine preparation for the purposes of tapering off. All you need do is reduce your dose by a drop every few days. We will help you determine what's an appropriate initial taper rate for you to follow. I write 'initial' because it is always a best guess given our particular situation - but we  then adjust our taper rate according to how we react as we go along.

You will probably reduce your dose (one drop at a time) more rapidly at first.* This is because of the relatively little additional effects of an increased dose at higher doses I mentioned above. Typically, you would allow more time between each reduction as your dose diminishes.

Please conform your dose. And, have you already attempted to withdraw? If so, how did it go?

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Thank you Evn! Disconnected I feel too. I´m taking propanolol 40 mg a day to take off the clonazepan. I was trying to taper it down sinde december and had last week benzo free, but my heart started racing and the my legs and arms were shaking, so the doctor precribed this to help. But I don´t know how to start tapering, epecially because it gives me dizziness when I take it. 

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13 minutes ago, [[C...] said:

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

To clarify: 20 drops in 1ml, so 50 drops is 2,5ml - yes? And since there are 2,5mg/ml, that's 6.25mg of clonazepam per day. Is this correct? This is a large dose.

Many of our members have withdrawn from benzodiazepines after 25 years or more. And, from large doses too. Although I took clonazepam for only 4 years (plus a six month taper), I too was on a large dose (4,5mg).

Because of the way benzodiazepines work, a doubling of dose - for example - does not mean there is a doubling of its effects. So, there is very little practical difference between your dose of 4,5mg and my dose of 6,25mg.

The good news is that you taking an almost ideal benzodiazepine preparation for the purposes of tapering off. All you need do is reduce your dose by a drop every few days. We will help you determine what's an appropriate initial taper rate for you to follow. I write 'initial' because it is always a best guess given our particular situation - but we  then adjust our taper rate according to how we react as we go along.

You will probably reduce your dose (one drop at a time) more rapidly at first.* This is because of the relatively little additional effects of an increased dose at higher doses I mentioned above. Typically, you would allow more time between each reduction as your dose diminishes.

Please conform your dose. And, have you already attempted to withdraw? If so, how did it go?

Hello, Colin! Thank you. I have tried to stop before, about 2 years ago. I had my arms and legs shaking, dizziness, and it was difficult to think straight. So I took the benzo, I guess I also had a problem with dependency, because i increased the doses. So I now am writing all down to start tapering correctly and have success. I tried to swich to diazepan, but I don´t know how to dose. I read  about doses in water, does this work for me?

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I needed the benzo just to think and do anything physical when I finally decided to get off. You are probably going to have to go very slow with the taper. 

 

 

[[Co...]]

9 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

Hello, Colin! Thank you. I have tried to stop before, about 2 years ago. I had my arms and legs shaking, dizziness, and it was difficult to think straight. So I took the benzo, I guess I also had a problem with dependency, because i increased the doses. So I now am writing all down to start tapering correctly and have success. I tried to swich to diazepan, but I don´t know how to dose. I read  about doses in water, does this work for me?

On the whole, clonazepam (especially the liquid form) is a good benzodiazepine to use for a taper. Substituting with diazepam is sometimes an option, but making any unnecessary change is probably best avoided, as unexpected difficulties are not that uncommon. My strong suggestion is to make only the changes necessary. If there should come a point where a different strategy is required, then tackle that then. The chances are that you will need to make no changes other gradually reduce your dose.

You are already using a liquid. Adding water can render the suspension ineffective (the clonazepam can fall out of suspension and no longer be evenly distributed in the liquid). Again, make no unnecessary changes is my suggestion.

[[dj...]]

[[Li...]]

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

I´ve been taking clonazepan  2,5 mg/ml, 50 drops for 25 years. I want to stop.

Hello @[Bi...].  Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

We’d be happy to help you develop a taper strategy but we need additional information from you to do so.

You’ve indicated your were benzo free last week.  Have you started to take the clonazepam again?

If so:

(1) What is the total number of drops per day you are taking?

(2) What is your daily dosing schedule?  How many drops do you take at what times?

(3) Are you using the calibrated dropper supplied with the clonazepam?

Does 1 drop = 0.1mg of clonazepam?

 

 

[[...]]

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

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

To clarify: 20 drops in 1ml, so 50 drops is 2,5ml - yes? And since there are 2,5mg/ml, that's 6.25mg of clonazepam per day. Is this correct? This is a large dose.

Many of our members have withdrawn from benzodiazepines after 25 years or more. And, from large doses too. Although I took clonazepam for only 4 years (plus a six month taper), I too was on a large dose (4,5mg).

Because of the way benzodiazepines work, a doubling of dose - for example - does not mean there is a doubling of its effects. So, there is very little practical difference between your dose of 4,5mg and my dose of 6,25mg.

The good news is that you taking an almost ideal benzodiazepine preparation for the purposes of tapering off. All you need do is reduce your dose by a drop every few days. We will help you determine what's an appropriate initial taper rate for you to follow. I write 'initial' because it is always a best guess given our particular situation - but we  then adjust our taper rate according to how we react as we go along.

You will probably reduce your dose (one drop at a time) more rapidly at first.* This is because of the relatively little additional effects of an increased dose at higher doses I mentioned above. Typically, you would allow more time between each reduction as your dose diminishes.

Please conform your dose. And, have you already attempted to withdraw? If so, how did it go?

Hello, Colin! Thank you. I have tried to stop before, about 2 years ago. I had my arms and legs shaking, dizziness, and it was difficult to think straight. So I took the benzo, I guess I also had a problem with dependency, because i increased the doses. So I now am writing all down to start tapering correctly and have success. I tried to swich to diazepan, but I don´t know how to dose. I read  about doses in water, does this work for me?

[[...]]

Hello Libertas. Yes, unfortunately, the suffering is too much to stop so suddenly. I´m taking a drop a day. At 13h. I know its very little, but I can´t stand the very loud noise I´m listening plus the dizziness. I wonder if that will stop. The dropper that I use is the one that comes with the medication, its not exact, the size of drops vary a bit. I don´t know if a drop equals 0.1 mg, the doctor says it does.

Edited February 12 by Guest

[[Co...]]

23 minutes ago, [[B...] said:

Hello Libertas. Yes, unfortunately, the suffering is too much to stop so suddenly. I´m taking a drop a day. At 13h. I know its very little, but I can´t stand the very loud noise I´m listening plus the dizziness. I wonder if that will stop. The dropper that I use is the one that comes with the medication, its not exact, the size of drops vary a bit. I don´t know if a drop equals 0.1 mg, the doctor says it does.

Hi. I am not clear on what is your present dose. Or, for how long you have been on this dose.

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The dropper is not calibrated, so i´m guessing a drop a day would be 0,1 mg a day so far.         I´ve been doing this for 3 days now.

Edited February 12 by Guest

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The doctor  never told me at what time to take it, not in the begginning, not now, so I used to take it before social events, but now just to function during the day. my withdraw at this point is more emotional. And I used to take 15, 20 drops 2 or 3 times a day. It beacame very irregular lately

Edited February 12 by Guest

[[kn...]]

I took both clonazepam and lorazepam for 30 years.  Tapering started with a crossover to 60 mgs. of diazepam over two years ago.  I did well coming down until the dosage fell into the teens.  I've reinstated twice twice since then amid much continued suffering and life changes.  My last reinstatement was on 2/6 of this year and I'll never make it to end without going to the liquid.  I'd definitely follow the advice given here, stay with the liquid of course, and just fine tune things in a consistent and safe manner.  The dizazepam crossover was my only choice initially.  My provider would not go for the liquid.  

[[Li...]]

3 hours ago, [[B...] said:

I´m taking a drop a day. At 13h. I know it’s very little, but I can´t stand the very loud noise I´m listening plus the dizziness. I wonder if that will stop. The dropper that I use is the one that comes with the medication, it’s not exact, the size of drops vary a bit. I don´t know if a drop equals 0.1 mg, the doctor says it does.

Thank you for the additional information, @[Bi...]. It sounds like the dropper you are using is calibrated to 1 drop = 0.1mg of clonazepam. 

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

I was trying to taper it down sinde december and had last week benzo free,

Am I understanding correctly that you were taking 50 drops a day (i.e. 5mg of clonazepam) until the end of November? Then from the beginning of December until approximately February 8 you reduced your dose from 50 to 0 drops?  That’s a large reduction of a potent benzodiazepine over a short period for someone who has been taking the drug for 25 years.

[[Co...]]

14 hours ago, [[B...] said:

The dropper is not calibrated, so i´m guessing a drop a day would be 0,1 mg a day so far.         I´ve been doing this for 3 days now.

First, I am still unsure of your present dose and your recent use.

But at the end of the day, assuming that you are on a high dose, but irrespective of your precise dose, the process is the same: reduce your dose by one drop every few days. You might start by reducing your dose by a single drop about every 4 or 5 days and track your progress. If this begins to bite, then hold for a few extra days and then allow more days between each reduction going forward.

Keep a record of your dose and how you feel. But a reduction of single drop from 50 drops (2%) is a small reduction. You might find that it causes no problem and you can even increase the rate of reduction. There is really no way to know in advance.

[[...]]

Good afternoon. Yes this was a very large reduction, and i´m still holding to a drop a day so far. I can´t stand the dizziness, and I´m functioning, Just very anxious and don´t known if it will work. Also taking 40 mg propanolol a day, that relaxes me quite a bit. If I am unable to work I´ll upgrade, but not yet, since I want to see if if I can manage. Thank you both so much. Wishing well

Let´see how that goes

[[Co...]]

Hi @[Bi...]. What was your dose until this very recent reduction? For how long were you on that dose? What is your present dose?

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Before the reduction I was taking about 50 drops a day, for 25 years. Now I´m taking one drop a day and 40 mg propanolol.

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I´m experiencing lots of sweat, some dizziness and nervous, and a very loud noise I keep hearing,  but going. I´m ok. The noise and the dizziness are much less than when I was taking lots of clonazepam.

Edited February 14 by Guest