3.5 months post Jump from Clonazepam

[[Th...]]

Hi Folks, I was here about a year back confused lonely, and desperate for some information that would help me help my wife off of a Benzo she was prescribed for a medical condition called Hypnic Jerks.  It took just 2.75 months for us to begin her taper, and 3 weeks to recognize that the Clonazepam was wreaking havoc on her body.  We thought there would be no way it would take over 3 months to taper off of 0.5mg of clonazepam after only taking it for the same amount of time. We thought my wife was young and healthy enough to just get on the other side without issue. We were wrong. 

Our 3-month taper plan ended up becoming a 12-month taper plan. The skipped Dose Taper plan that got my wife to reduce 50% of her dose within 4 weeks caused a serious delay in her healing in hindsight, I wish we had gone with a slower taper from the beginning and if we had, it would have taken her less time to finally jump off of her benzo.... But we can't focus on the regrets, all we can do is accept the missteps we made and recognize that most of them were thanks to an inadequate healthcare system that focused more time on gaslighting my wife into believing it was her fault than in giving good advice on how to taper off of her medication.  

All of that is in our rearview mirror and those days when my wife and I thought she would never finish her taper are also over. All of those days waiting for a success story to read and give my wife hope. The days of fear that my wife wouldn't heal because there were so many bad stories behind us.  My wife IS HEALING. My wife is doing much better than we may have thought. The days of eating by her bedside, giving her hope, and coaxing her into going outside are behind us.  I'm here to tell you that there is healing after tapering your benzos safely and slowly. I'm here to tell you that patience in this process can pay off as it has for my wife.  

 

If you have ever felt any of these while withdrawing: 

• A hearing sensitivity.
• Blurry Vision.
• Unexplained Psychotic Episodes.
• Irrational Anxiety and fears.
• Agoraphobia.
• Severe Nausea.
• Muscle Spasms
• Restless Legs
• Hypnic Jerks
• Anhedonia
• DP/DR

I can tell you that my wife did as well and many of those symptoms either went away towards the end of her taper or are much better than they were. You are free to read my posts in the group to gain an appreciation for what my wife went through. 

We avoided many pitfalls thanks to many contributors in this forum. For example

• My wife's doctor suggested she Cold Turkey her Clonazepam after ramping up a GabaPentin Prescription he gave us... Fortunately, some kind, nameless souls in this forum warned us against GabaPentin or this strategy.
• My wife had the urge to go to a detox center who were promising to get her off in 2 weeks.... Fortunately, some of you threw your hands up and confirmed my fear about this approach. 
• An Osteopath we visited promised to get her off of her clonazepam through a very expensive NAD IV Treatment..... Fortunately, a woman who was injured from a similar treatment warned me against this strategy. 

Thank you all for helping me save my wife.  If you have contributed to my posts and answered my questions, or just got on here to give me support, you know who you are and I will be forever thankful for you for helping me save my wife's life.  I wasn't sure if I'd ever see my wife the same and as my wife has continued to heal I am forever grateful to you all.  

If you are doubtful of your healing or are losing hope, I can tell you my wife is much better and you can be as well.  

Love you all and Keep your hope alive. 
 

[[Co...]]

Wonderful news, TSAR! I am very happy for you and your wife. She was very lucky to have you as her support system, voice of reason and advocate. It is great you did not let her be gaslit even more or fall for even more issues or false promises. Thank you also for helping me a year ago back in acute. I am unfortunately not so lucky as your wife is. My symptoms are many more and my healing has been incredibly slow. But I quit the poisons at the end of 2023. I can speak and walk again and I do not vomit anymore. Sometimes I can cry. I laughed twice the past week. There is nothing out there that gives relief or is helping me gain some quality of life back. I am trying to get through it one day at a time. I am so disappointed my family did not support me beforehand in my cortisone injury in just helping me find a good psychologist and some time away from work but I can also only plow through and hope that one day I will have my brain back to a livable extent. I hope to one day be able to let go of this feeling of my father's obsession with sleep and his impatience stealing my life. I don't know if I will. I wish your wife a continued speedy recovery. 

[[Ma...]]

That is great, I’m so happy for you and your wife.  I’m currently tapering Clonazepam too, on 0.4 right now and wondering if my symptoms will start to get better at some point.  It’s encouraging to hear some of them started to get better towards the end of her taper.  I’ve already had one crash from tapering too fast but doing better now.  Some people seem to have nightmare stories about after they jump so it helps to hear stories like this.  

[[Ro...]]

Wonderful and positive news.  I'm happy for both of you.  I've read many of your posts and noticed that my taper and your wife's taper were on the same timeline.  I too am 3.5 months post jump.  I hope there comes a time when all of our symptoms have vanished.  Your success story was very well-written and helpful.

[[Li...]]

Thank you for returning to share this happy ending to your wife’s benzo story, @[Th...].   She was indeed fortunate to have you by her side on this journey. 

[[Nu...]]

This is wonderful to hear! So happy she's improved and thank you for being her support.

[[je...]]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful news. I am so happy for the both of you!

[[ji...]]

This is great news to hear!   So happy your wife is doing well.   God bless both of you!

[[re...]]

This is a HUGE success story to me!!!!!!!!! Big big congrats. A  I am so impressed that you had discernment and common sense in all of this when the medical world had none and you just KNEW something wasn't right with them. It is so commonplace.

My main problem was extreme hypnic jerks from an Emergency Room error and delayed care almost 2 years ago. This led to multiple seizures and coma and then heavy poly drugging of all kinds of drugs with many head meds AND antibiotics anti nausea, etc. which led to ICU stay.

Post stay I developed these hypnic jerks so extreme and not one freaking doctor would mention the bomb of drugs that even possibly could of caused this condition. 

Them returning like they were initially has been my biggest fear. I have been having better sleep some nights than I have had in YEARS And I have many many nights without the jerks as I get lower in my 1 year taper from a measly 5 mg Diaz. I started a DLMT at 4mg and now I am on 1 mg  and having many many windows, but I am terrified of the jump. I am going to do .01 per day I think all the way to either a .30 or zero jump

What did your wife jump at if you don't mind me asking?

 

[[re...]]

I am eating TONS of high tryptophan foods and especially in the evening and combine them like protein and carbs together to push them in and it does seem to be helping for some reason. I also do pretty intense exercise weather biking or hiking/power walking and this too seems to be rewiring my brain for the better. Like I yawn alot more these days which I like that tired feeling. And some mornings are actually calm when I get up. Not all the time and sometimes I wake up with huge ringing ears and high energy terribly as well.