Please help my dad taper off Klonopin!

[[VC...]]

My dad (66 m) has had two ischemic strokes. He also has neuropathy, enlarged prostate and suffers from insomnia. About 6 months ago he was prescribed 0.5 mg Klonopin at night to help him sleep. It seemed to help in the beginning but he totally lost motivation to do anything. He used to get out for walks with my mom (even though he walks very slow after the strokes), he used to have desire to live. After the pill he started being depressed and angry all the time. He also has constant need to urinate and feels like he can’t leave the house because of that. He’s been laying down for months now. He’s muscles are getting so weak and his vision is getting so blurry. He lays down all day and stares at one point. It’s like he just gave up. My parents live in a country where health care system is horrible. Doctors are misdiagnosing people left and right and prescribing drugs that they shouldn’t be. Prior to the strokes my dad was so active. He actually used to work at the best hospital in a much more developed country for years. He is so disgusted by our health care system that he refuses to go see a doctor anymore. He’s had several neurologists here that prescribed him really bad drugs before this one. He’s tried everything and when the Klonopin managed to put him to sleep he thought he finally got prescribed the correct one. Well the pill is no longer available in my country so my mom mentioned that to the neurologist and he said “so what’s the problem ? I’ll just switch him to Xanax or something”….Well he still has some of his Klonopin that he keeps taking but his condition is getting worse and I see that the side effects make him a completely different person. It breaks my heart! I try to explain that it’s the pill that does that to him and he keeps freaking out that if we no longer have the pill he will not be able to sleep and he can’t go back to that. However, that 0.5 mg seems to not be working “as good” anymore so the last couple of nights he woke up within 5 hours and took another 0.5mg. We want him to actually start tapering off but my mom and I just can’t tell him because he will never agree. I was thinking of starting to slowly cutting his pill and Gradually lower the dose but I know that if he can’t fall asleep he will freak out. I’ve read stories of people here that taper off by adding some Valium so it helps them with withdrawals. Just not sure if that’s the right way to go. Honestly, we can find more information here than asking any neurologist in this country. So I kindly ask the once who have any advice to please share it? I’m so determined to help my family. They are old and desperately need my help and I need yours. Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and good health to all!

[[je...]]

Hi @[VC...]

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

Thank you for your care and love for your dad. It sounds like you're in a very precarious situation with your dad. I understand your concern if the pills will soon not be available. But ultimately it's really important that the person themselves is willing to taper. Forcing a taper on someone is extremely difficult. The journey of benzo tapering and withdrawal is gruesome and most of the time involves a lot of suffering. If your dad is not on board I think you're fighting a losing battle. In my opinion your dad has to not only consent to the process, but has to really be motivated to get off these pills to stick to a taper plan. 

35 minutes ago, [[V...] said:

We want him to actually start tapering off but my mom and I just can’t tell him because he will never agree. I was thinking of starting to slowly cutting his pill and Gradually lower the dose but I know that if he can’t fall asleep he will freak out. I’ve read stories of people here that taper off by adding some Valium so it helps them with withdrawals.

I'm not sure if you're suggesting starting a taper without him knowing about it? I would strongly advise against it. Once symptoms are setting in, it is extremely scary and not knowing what is causing it, is very distressing. Considering his medical history, I would also not advise tapering without the support of his neurologist. Substituting one benzo for another is also not advised.

I can see that you deeply care for the wellbeing and health of your dad, and you clearly love him a lot. He might just not be ready for it right now. It doesn't mean he won't be ready to taper in the future. I think right now the best you can do is to educate yourself with as much knowledge as you can, so you know what to do when he is ready for this. That would be my recommendation. I hope others will add their input as well.

[[Bu...]]

Hey @[VC...],

I am sorry for everything that your family is going through.  I know what it's like to watch your parents make damaging, unwise decisions regarding their health.  My father is in a somewhat similiar situation as yours, as he is stubbornly refusing to make changes that would significantly improve his health and my mother is enabling him.  There is nothing more that I can do right now to get them to change and it breaks my heart. 

But @[je...] is right.  We can't make them change.  And in the case of benzo withdrawal in particular, the person taking it must be on board with tapering.  Withdrawal can be brutal and it would be terrifying for your dad to not know what is happening and what to expect.  Often our withdrawal symptoms are difficult to put into words and he will need the knowledge and support of people who have experienced it to offer him reassurance and hope during the process.

I think that what jelly baby said about educating yourself, and possibly your mom, so that you can keep talking with your dad is a great idea.

[[Bo...]]

I’m so sorry. Maybe take a look at Mark Horowitz’s new deprescribing book with your mom and then maybe yall csn try to bring it up with your dad to see if he’s willing to come down and off.
https://www.amazon.com/Maudsley-Guidelines-prescribing-Prescribing/dp/111982298X

It can be a very challenging road and agree with others he needs to be in the loop and wanting try. Going slowly can be very helpful in keeping stable and letting the brain heal some as someone comes off. Take a look there and on Dr Josef’s website…. Also maybe see if your mom will read or listen to Dr Jenn’s videos /blog.https://benzowithdrawalhelp.com

https://m.youtube.com/@taperclinic
 

[[VC...]]

Thank you so much everyone for the responses. My dad is mentally not okay. He is okay with his brain in a way. We can have a normal conversation but then he switches and it’s constant yelling, negative thoughts, complaining, cursing etc. He doesn’t stop. He wasn’t like that before these pills. He has neuropathy and his body is in pain on top of everything else. They live in a third world country where health system is pure hell. His neurologist thinks that you can just switch from one benzo to another no problem. He told them to buy the 2mg klonopin and cut it in 4 pills of 0.5. His dose is 0.5 a night. Well, my mom is old, she doesn’t see well, she cuts it with a knife and it’s not precise (you know how it works). I haven’t been home in a long time so now that I’m here and watch everything first hand (plus all the info here) I see that he has days where he is like a crazy person with withdrawals. The reason is the fact that he’s technically not taking the exact same dose every night. You guys talk about cutting 0.003 for example and staying on that for two weeks before lowering again. Well, my country doesn’t sell pill cutters or scales. I had my brother order one from overseas which I pray to God comes as soon as possible. Technically he’s taking a different dose every night because a lot of the pill gets “lost” in the cutting process. It sucks watching him like that. Today is a very scary and difficult day and my poor mom is so confused and crying because all she was doing was what the neurologist told them. He never explained anything serious about this pill. He technically talked about it like a doctor would talk about aspirin. If I don’t do something now, my dad is going to a very bad place and so is my mom. I tried talking to him but it’s like talking to a person with withdrawals who also has had a bunch of strokes and other health problems. I’m just thinking that if I do it with a scale and take away very very little he may not feel such severe withdrawals which he is technically experiencing here every other day because of uneven cuts. I’m just very scared and feel so helpless in a country where “the best neurologist” treats such a strong and dangerous pill like an aspirin. 

[[je...]]

I understand your concerns about both your dad and mom and your frustration with the healthcare system. Most of us have not been informed about the consequences of these drugs, so we get it. It's a huge shock when you first realise the implications of what these drugs can do.

If your mom is not splitting the pill accurately but he still gets the same four pieces of the same pill within four days, the inaccuracies should cancel each other out. 

I can see your dad is clearly in a bad place. I can see you and your mom are struggling. It is heartbreaking. The only thing I can offer you is my experience and opinion. If it were me, I would not want someone to choose withdrawal for me. I have already not had the option to consent to taking these pills and if someone else then decides to push withdrawal on me without my consent (even though I might not seem to be in my right mind) I would feel betrayed, alone and lost.

Once you start tapering you need to track the severity of symptoms to determine what type of reductions he can manage. You won't be able to do that without communicating with him about tapering. If his symptoms get worse, how will you manage that? I don't know what other options your family has in this situation but I don't think the answer is to start tapering him without his knowledge. 

[[VC...]]

Hi Jelly baby. Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it! It’s helpful. Thank you! 
I am just lost and don’t know how to help and I want to so badly….

My mom cuts several pills at the same time in order to prepare them ahead of time and puts them in a bottle. So I think sometimes what happens is that he doesn’t take even dosage in 4 days. Some are larger parts from the next pill that get mixed in that same bottle. I never thought of that before so I really appreciate your answer. I am going to have her only cut one pill in 4 and not mix it with cuts from other pills. 
And see how that works. Thank you so much @[je...]

Edited February 17 by [VC...]

[[or...]]

On 14/02/2024 at 14:52, [[V...] said:

My dad (66 m) has had two ischemic strokes. He also has neuropathy, enlarged prostate and suffers from insomnia. About 6 months ago he was prescribed 0.5 mg Klonopin at night to help him sleep. It seemed to help in the beginning but he totally lost motivation to do anything. He used to get out for walks with my mom (even though he walks very slow after the strokes), he used to have desire to live. After the pill he started being depressed and angry all the time. He also has constant need to urinate and feels like he can’t leave the house because of that. He’s been laying down for months now. He’s muscles are getting so weak and his vision is getting so blurry. He lays down all day and stares at one point. It’s like he just gave up. My parents live in a country where health care system is horrible. Doctors are misdiagnosing people left and right and prescribing drugs that they shouldn’t be. Prior to the strokes my dad was so active. He actually used to work at the best hospital in a much more developed country for years. He is so disgusted by our health care system that he refuses to go see a doctor anymore. He’s had several neurologists here that prescribed him really bad drugs before this one. He’s tried everything and when the Klonopin managed to put him to sleep he thought he finally got prescribed the correct one. Well the pill is no longer available in my country so my mom mentioned that to the neurologist and he said “so what’s the problem ? I’ll just switch him to Xanax or something”….Well he still has some of his Klonopin that he keeps taking but his condition is getting worse and I see that the side effects make him a completely different person. It breaks my heart! I try to explain that it’s the pill that does that to him and he keeps freaking out that if we no longer have the pill he will not be able to sleep and he can’t go back to that. However, that 0.5 mg seems to not be working “as good” anymore so the last couple of nights he woke up within 5 hours and took another 0.5mg. We want him to actually start tapering off but my mom and I just can’t tell him because he will never agree. I was thinking of starting to slowly cutting his pill and Gradually lower the dose but I know that if he can’t fall asleep he will freak out. I’ve read stories of people here that taper off by adding some Valium so it helps them with withdrawals. Just not sure if that’s the right way to go. Honestly, we can find more information here than asking any neurologist in this country. So I kindly ask the once who have any advice to please share it? I’m so determined to help my family. They are old and desperately need my help and I need yours. Please, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and good health to all!

I've been reading about your dad, and I relate to quite a bit of what he is going through.  I'm 71, and took Clonazepam/Klonopin for 35 years, and am now almost a year of tapering a very little bit at a time. My heart truly goes out to all your family. 

I'm up right now with insomnia and at first it scared me, freaked me out. I was also depressed for years after taking Clonazepam.  I couldn't function and had lost pretty much everything, my family still keeps their distance, and not many people I can be around but I'm healing and doing better and better after almost the year of tapering.

What I wanted to suggest is if he is willing and able, ask him if he would read some of the stories of others that have struggled to recover from benzos.  If he's like me, he may not be able to focus on long "reads" so just short bits of stories at a time.  Maybe you or mom could read to him.

I'll see if I can find something here that you could read to him, or if he would look at it.  Just baby-steps so to speak in showing/reading to him.  Here's the website I found @[VC...] If he can hear something he can relate to, it may help.  You know him, and the situation best, so you might see something you think might help him, oregonlady, sending hope and prayers, ♥️♥️♥️

PS Maybe everyone here can help me find some other folks that are more VCynthia's dads age would help?? I'm going to flag a couple of people that I know have been here a long time, that might have recommended stories for older folks who that are getting off benzo's or gotten off them completely??

@[Pa...], @[Co...], @[Fa...]

 

 

[[je...]]

56 minutes ago, [[V...] said:

Hi Jelly baby. Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it! It’s helpful. Thank you! 
I am just lost and don’t know how to help and I want to so badly….

My mom cuts several pills at the same time in order to prepare them ahead of time and puts them in a bottle. So I think sometimes what happens is that he doesn’t take even dosage in 4 days. Some are larger parts from the next pill that get mixed in that same bottle. I never thought of that before so I really appreciate your answer. I am going to have her only cut one pill in 4 and not mix it with cuts from other pills. 
And see how that works. Thank you so much @[je...]

I understand it is hard when you feel your hands are tied, I really do.

It will be better if your mom can use a pill splitter. This is the one I used. But until you get this one or the scale, if she can give him the same pill quarters in 4 days, it will probably be the best solution for right now.

Are you sure the symptoms your dad is experiencing are due to the Clonazepam? If the healthcare is as bad as you say, could it be that they might be missing something? I'm not saying it is not caused by the pills, but it's very difficult to distinguish between benzo related symptoms and other illnesses. This happened to me. I had symptoms that mimicked withdrawal and I thought it was related to benzo's, only to later discover it had nothing to do with benzo's. It could also be a combination of benzo's and something else. Just something to consider. 

[[VC...]]

Hi @[or...]

Thank you so much for the concern and sweet message. It’s so comforting to see that other people care even though we don’t know each other and might be worlds apart. 
I am so sorry to hear about your story but I’m also so happy for you that you’re on the way out of this. It’s crazy to think how meds can affect a person’s life. What were you prescribed Klonopin for and what was your dosage when you realized it’s not doing you any good? 
Im proud of you for the decision you’ve made to taper off! That’s not easy! 
Unfortunately, my dad doesn’t speak English, he won’t sit and read, I can’t make him do normal tasks like brushing his teeth or taking a shower (it’s getting that bad). My mom doesn’t speak English also and I’m the only one who can sit and translate which I would gladly do. He just wouldn’t want to hear it. He’s not there yet. And he wants things to happen right away. I tried talking the last few days by making baby steps and explaining but he gets terrified of the fact that he won’t be able to sleep because that’s the only time “he feels ok”. He wants to switch to something right away that will make him feel ok and help him sleep and he doesn’t understand/nor wants to hear it that this is not how it works. It’s a very sad situation….

I was reading what another member here said in response to me because I said I’m afraid he takes uneven dose due to the fact my mom splits the pills with a knife. The person made a point that if she cuts one pill in 4 pills of 0.5mg in 4 days they basically even out. However, my mom cuts a lot of pills ahead of time and puts them in a bottle so I think what happens is he always looks for the larger cut and this way he takes uneven dose’s different days. He is always messed up. Some days calm. Some days he acts like he has big withdrawals. So first I’m going to make sure she only splits one pill at a time and doesn’t mix it up with other ones. As a matter of fact I’ll be splitting them. 

I will definitely read him stories once I see that he feels a bit better several days in a row and I will keep coming back here to look for support and stories from members as this is all I have now. I will quit work if I have to and stay with my parents till I’m able to help. I realize this is a scary and long process.

I am very happy for you and your improvement with time. Never give up! You’re a wonderful woman and you can do this! Glad you found support here too! So very important! Blessings to you! ❤️

[[or...]]

Hi @[VC...] I was given Klonopin by a neurologist in 1988, and I got into what's called Tolerance Withdrawal not very many months after that.  I've only ever used 1 mg Tablets.  One time a doctor recommended more but I was too shy of pills even back then, so I just stayed on 1 mg Klonopin.  Here's my history link here on BB Oregonlady's Klonopin/Clonazepam history if you want to see it.

Edit: I forgot to tell you why I was prescribed the K, and that was because I have something called Spasmodic Torticolus, and I've heard it called Cervical Dystonia.  My head pulled the left and down towards my shoulder.  That has healed since '88, but I had bad anxiety and so doctors kept me on the K.

I do hear you saying your dad isn't wanting to taper at all and when that's the case, I think it's best to let them make their decision themselves.  We can't force someone to do what we think, or know is best for them   If you've ever heard the term "hit bottom" that's what each of us have to do, is hit some sort of bottom that makes us decide we want to quit the benzo. 

 

I know you want to protect him, from himself, but honestly, there's no way I would allow anyone, except a doctor which I wouldn't have a choice, force me to taper if I hadn't been ready to do so.  I know you love him but some of his anger/rage/anxiety could be his lack of control for his own .5 mg.  And he's not been on too terribly long, 7 months right?  I just firmly believe it has to be him calling the shots, not you or your mom. And also as much as his doctor will allow, oregonlady

 

Edited February 17 by [or...]

[[kn...]]

I can relate to much of what you and your family are going through.  Some of the same has happened to me and friends as well.  I'm a 72 yr. old male who has had prostate cancer and follow up radiation treatments.  I've been in remission for years, but the urination problems he's experiencing may be due to his prostate problems.  It's very typical.  The rest is a much harder call.  If I'm honest, I would have to say that I'm much more stubborn, closed to advice and disgusted with most everything in the world at this age.  So much so that I've just felt like giving up many times. Pain and physical suffering make it all much worse.   Your dad may be in the same boat.  That line of thought creates apathy, anger, and communication problems.  I know it has for me.  I also have neuropathy.  Feet and legs are numb and standing and walking are difficult.  It also carries a lot of muscle and nerve pain.  Standard neuropathic treatment is usually Gaberntin.  I've tried to take it 3 times and given up.  The side effects for me are brutal.  If your dad is on this stuff...you might take a look at that.  Unfortunately, that med also has withdrawal problems of its own, but they don't last anywhere near as long as the benzos. I  transferred to Diazepam (Valium) before I started to taper off Klonopin.  The pills are larger, easier to chop up, and taper.  This medication does make me sleepy, but I'm still able to function pretty well.  I do walk with a cane and have to register for handicapped assistance when it's available.  Let me know how things progress. I wish you all the best.  Stay in touch.  @[kn...]

[[VC...]]

@[kn...] Thank you so much for your response. I truly appreciate the time you took to share your story and I’m sorry for all you’ve been and are going through. I wish you better and brighter days in future! You sound like a sweet man! 
I understand where my dad’s problems are coming from and a lot of it is exactly the way you described it. I literally just witnessed him getting so aggressive towards my mom and I am actually still shaking writing this. He tried to hit her and threw things at her. He looked like a crazy person, not really my dad. He’s never been aggressive or violent before and I haven’t lived with my parents the last several years so I didn’t really know the severity of this situation until I came here. My mom just shared with me that this is constant and I am actually starting to get really scared for her life. If I wasn’t here he could’ve done something way worse. I am heartbroken because I want to help him so much and I feel so sorry for him seeing him suffer so much. He cries and hates his life. He doesn’t want to live. But I am also extremely scared for my mom and I don’t know how I could ever leave her here with him knowing how crazy he gets. I understand he is angry and he hates his life but what do I do in this case? How do I help? He will never go to a psychiatrist. I could never even mention it in front of him. 
I never thought things will get that bad. 
I apologise for even sharing this. It just happened and I’m still under the influence of all these emotions.

My dad was prescribed Neurotin for his neuropathy which is basically Gabapentin. From what my mom tells me it didn’t really work for him so he stopped taking it. It wasn’t making him feel okay. What do you take for your neuropathy that you find helpful? 
Also, did you just switch from Klonopin to Diazepam or you had to lower your dose of Klonopin first so you can make the switch? And if you just switched - how did it make you feel? Do you find Diazepam to make you feel more calm? Has it been working better for you?My dad suffers from insomnia and he gets crazy if the Klonopin doesn’t put him to sleep. I’m wondering if Diazepam would be helpful for him at night. 

I am so sorry for all these questions…I am so lost. Thank you for everything. You don’t know how much it means…God bless you! 

[[kn...]]

I was taking 4mg of Klonopin, and had been for 30 years, before switching to what my doctor determined to be an equal amount of diazepam and I started down from there.  There were no physical signs, at least for me, in making the switch. I am more tired now, at all times of the day and have to lie down every two to three hours.  I've always had trouble sleeping at night.  I asked for, and was prescribed a sedative called Trazodone.  It has helped a lot.  I don't know if it's available where your parents are living, but you may want to give it a quick internet search.  Nothing that I've ever taken has helped much with my neuropathy.  Sadly, I've just had to muck my way through it.  Coming to the truth of being a senior and having to make compensation for debilitating conditions, could make your dad's frustration and anger much worse.  My own dad passed at 93 about ten years ago.  Toward the end he appeared to have some sort of combination of dementia and mental health problem.  I was working in the mental health profession at the time and asked one of my co-workers in ER to evaluate him.  My suspicions were verified and he was assigned to the behavioral health section of the hospital.  Prior to this time, I had to stay with him almost 24/7 in his home.  I lived close by and usually went home to sleep at night.  He did have 'psychotic breaks' while I was gone and threw around chairs, the TV, etc. during the night.  He also left the house during the night and the police called me to complain and said that I should be providing around the clock care for him.  Naturally, he would have none of it.  I finally acquired what in the US is know as a Power of Attorney and a guardianship.  He spent his last days in an assisted care facility.  I don't know if any of these things are available to you where you and your parents reside.  But, if you have commitments elsewhere and will need to leave the household shortly, you'll have to enlist the help of any agency that works with the elderly.  He will fight all of this, but before something serious happens to your mom, it's a decision that has to be made. 

[[VC...]]

Dear @[kn...],

Thank you for taking the time to share your story. It’s really helpful knowing that people care even though across the ocean, and are willing to offer advice. I’m sorry to hear about all the difficult times you went through yourself and with your father. It’s never easy especially when it’s a dear person. 
My mom is going to try to find a different psychiatrist that she can talk to because I see that we can’t handle this on our own and at home. I believe mu dad’s medicine needs to be switched to something else, or something needs to be added, I don’t know but his condition is getting worse. He’s suffering from a severe depression and can’t seem to find motivation in anything. I am afraid what each new day will bring. His mood swings are bad. The worst is the depression and aggression. The depression is constant. The anger is 70% of the time. And I do understand him. He’s all day laying on his back so he doesn’t sit because that makes him go pee constantly. He can only lay on his back because of his neuropathy pain. He doesn’t go anywhere and his muscles and mental state are deteriorating. I don’t have big hopes for the doctors here but we have to try. His biggest fear is of not being able to sleep at night. So my question to you is once you switched to Valium and added Trazodone to your meds were you able to sleep? Are the two ok taken together? Did you need to also add other medication to keep you calm during the day or do you take Valium during the day as well?

Thank you for your help and encouragement. People like you make a difference! Really! Thank you! 

[[kn...]]

If your dad has not had a physical examination where they check blood pressure, etc. for a long time, that would probably be the best place to start before dealing with the psychiatric end of things.  Once you're satisfied that there isn't something amiss there, it's time to address the mental health side of things.  The two should be taken into consideration at the same time, as the urination and physical problems he's going through are, no doubt, adding to his mental problems.  I take the Trazodone one hour before bedtime in addition to 5mg of Melatonin.  The combination of the two enables me to sleep for up to 7 hours (perhaps more or less).  I take the Valium (diazepam) once daily, in the morning.  The pills do come in a number of sizes (dosages) so it may be possible to divide things up and have him take it at regular intervals during the day.  Best wishes in all of this.  I'm really concerned about you folks. 

[[VC...]]

Thank you @[kn...] I appreciate all the valuable information and concern.

My dad’s condition is such that he refuses to go to doctors so we can’t even make him go to do his physical. It’s just impossible. He becomes like a crazy person the minute we mention doctors. At the same time he doesn’t stop complaining about his pain and about how much worse he’s getting. It’s so hard  because he is an intelligent person. Doesn’t have any memory loss or anything like that but he’s just a different person when it comes to doctors. That’s what hurts. And he keeps saying we can’t help him and we doesn’t know what it is to be in such pain but the minute we mention doctors he freaks out. I don’t know if it has anything to do with his stroke or it’s his stubbornness but it’s out of control. 
He does have high blood pressure which we’ve managed to control with the help of his medication that was prescribed a year ago when he was feeling better. He needs to go to see a urologist but he’s refusing which is crazy considering the fact that he has a problem with that. My mom went to the psychiatrist today just to share what’s going on with him. They’ve been to that psychiatrist once before so the lady remembered my mom. She told her that it seems that his 0.5mg Klonopin at night is not enough and she suggested that he starts taking 1mg in the morning and 1mg at night. Then she said “let’s get him stable with that and then we can lower the dose after two weeks if needed”. I’m just confused. I would’ve thought If anything they’d suggest that he starts taking another 0.5mg in the morning but not more than that. Get him used to the high dose for two weeks and then give him less?! From everything I’ve read here and different forums that just doesn’t seem right. Unless I’m completely wrong about this whole thing. I was talking to my mom and even she said she prefers to give him another 0.5 in the morning but definitely not 1mg in the morning and 1mg at night. And here I am thinking that they should switch him on a different pill. I know you said you’ve been on 4mg Klonopin before for a long time but how long did it take you to get to that dose and what was the reason you had to switch to Valium? I’m just scared and I’m not sure if we should look for another opinion. He has a lot of health problems and unfortunately I know he doesn’t have a long life ahead of him (hurts to say it) but if he got used to 0.5mg over the course of 7 months and it’s not enough, it makes me wonder if we’ll have to give him more and more all the time. It’s all just confusing to me and I guess I just wanted to share since you’ve been so nice and supportive in this.

I always appreciate your messages. Wish you all the best and most of all - good health!

[[kn...]]

Don't lose heart, it does sound like you guys are making some progress.  I moved to 4 mgs. of Klonopin nearly 25 years ago as I was continuing to have major issues with generalized anxiety and was teaching school, raising our own children and trying to remodel our home all at the same time.  I only switched to diazepam (valium) when I started my WD taper.  Reason being that the pills have a much longer 'half life' and are larger and much easier to chop up and lower the dosage.  If your dad won't go to the urologist, make sure that you buy him some male 'guards'.  I hope they're available at a grocery or pharmacy in your area.  They have an adhesive on them that allows the urinary pad to adhere to his briefs.  Most of the urination that he experiences is probably a trickle or so.  He may feel like he has to keep going to the bathroom, but if he'll accept this kind of thing, it'll give him much more freedom.  I use them myself every day.  He may be having prostate problems.  An enlarged prostate pushes on the bladder, thereby making urination necessary more often.  Best of luck with all of this and thanks for taking the time to update me.  I'm really hoping for the best.