About tapering off a 35 year 2 X 1.5 mg = 3 mg a day Clonazepam prescription

[[GO...]]

The Psychiatrist that started me on 2 X 1.5 mg = 3mg a day prescription for Clonazepam for General/Social Anxiety 35 years ago has retired, I am a 60 year old male

My new young Psychiatrist, who looks to be the age a High School student told me it is poison, even though I never had a issue with it, and wants me off it ASAP

This has caused me a great deal of Anxiety thinking about withdrawal symptoms , rebound Anxiety and Seizuring out, of of course the return of General/Social Anxiety, the whole reason I started taking it in the first place, as nothing else works, and just makes me sick, to many to list

I don't why the rush to go off it, as I will probably be dead is 5 to 10 years anyway from old age, and I have been taking it for 35 years with no issues, and she is not replacing it with anything

Has anyone taken this much long term and quit , and what was your tapering schedule? I would be most grateful if you answered

Not looking for Medical advice, just personal experiences

She want's me to reduce .5 every 2 weeks to zero, telling me I wont even miss it, and this what I am facing, as it is set up with the drug store now

The gutless Pharmacist won't give an opinion and says listen to your Psychiatrist, as they don't want me to go back and tell her what they said, best guess

I have done a ton of research debunking this fast tapering schedule, that quiting a 35 year 3 mg a day Clonazepam schedule in 3 months is way to fast

Getting a new Shrink is impossible, as most people will probably respond with that answer

Thank you, and be well

Sorry for being long winded, old people do that for some reason

 

[[Re...]]

 

Hello @[GO...], Welcome to BenzoBuddies, 

I am terribly sorry you have to through this. Quite often medical personnel has little knowledge about benzodiazepines and tapering, your case is not unique, sadly. 

I am not sure why your young psychiatrists wants you to get off and why so rapidly, this rate is way too fast. The general recommended taper is detailed in the work of a British professor, the Ashton manual, this manual is good as a starting point, some even find this fast. 

I am certain your psychiatrist knows The Maudsley book series. In 2024, a new book was published, detailing how to deperscribe psychiatric drugs, including benzodiazepines. This book is The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines (emphasis is on the Deprescribing). 

Rapid tapering is not without risk, there is a risk of protracted withdrawal, which might occur after long term use. With long and gradual tapering, this can be most likely avoided. 

The recommended taper is 5-10% of your previous dose every 2-3 weeks, but your symptoms may require an even slower taper. 

Please let us know how we can help you. Do you think you could find common ground with your provider with the help of these publications /information? 

RR

 

[[Ta...]]

I think you would be better off staying on the Benzo, if it isn't causing you any trouble. This is only my own opinion. I was on lorazepam for 20 years, and I wish I had just stayed on it looking back.

Where do you live? Maybe another doctor could be found.

Wishing you all the best!

[[Re...]]

Yes @[Ta...], this is very well a possibility, too, as @[GO...]mentions he had no issues on them. The question is the prescriber...

[[...]]

OMG

If another pusher is out of the question. You had better get an Ashton manual to her.

And get a lawyer.

[[kn...]]

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

I don't why the rush to go off it, as I will probably be dead is 5 to 10 years anyway from old age, and I have been taking it for 35 years with no issues, and she is not replacing it with anything

@[GO...]These were my thoughts 2 and a half years ago when I began this whole insanity process myself. I was 70 then and am now 72.5, but feel at least 80.   I had been prescribed 4mgs of Klonopin and 1mg of Ativan for the past 30 years, they took my anxiety out in a heartbeat and never gave me any problems.  Then my prescriber retired and I was assigned to a new Dr.  He didn't give me any choice in the matter, told me that he would only prescribe more on a withdrawal basis and that I needed to get off the benzos now.  Now meant a rapid drop that has left me pretty much non functioning since.  Since you don't want any medical advice, I won't offer any.  But, suffice it to say that your post has been mine in the past.  Find out what this guy's agenda for you is and ask a lot of questions.  Once started, there's no turning back.  

[[Ri...]]

I find it ironic that my psychiatrist is a professor at UCLA and teaches pharmacology and has be tapering at .125 every 2 weeks to moths. He also reminds me the dose patients with seizures up to 20mg. I would show your new doctor all the medical documentation that indicate a slow taper. The medication saves lives and will always be on the market due to the fact it works!

[[GO...]]

7 hours ago, [[k...] said:

@[GO...]These were my thoughts 2 and a half years ago when I began this whole insanity process myself. I was 70 then and am now 72.5, but feel at least 80.   I had been prescribed 4mgs of Klonopin and 1mg of Ativan for the past 30 years, they took my anxiety out in a heartbeat and never gave me any problems.  Then my prescriber retired and I was assigned to a new Dr.  He didn't give me any choice in the matter, told me that he would only prescribe more on a withdrawal basis and that I needed to get off the benzos now.  Now meant a rapid drop that has left me pretty much non functioning since.  Since you don't want any medical advice, I won't offer any.  But, suffice it to say that your post has been mine in the past.  Find out what this guy's agenda for you is and ask a lot of questions.  Once started, there's no turning back.  

I only wrote no medical advice as I thought people wouldn't be able to reply, but I will take all the advice I can get, Thank you

[[GO...]]

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

I find it ironic that my psychiatrist is a professor at UCLA and teaches pharmacology and has be tapering at .125 every 2 weeks to moths. He also reminds me the dose patients with seizures up to 20mg. I would show your new doctor all the medical documentation that indicate a slow taper. The medication saves lives and will always be on the market due to the fact it works!

Thank you

[[GO...]]

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

I find it ironic that my psychiatrist is a professor at UCLA and teaches pharmacology and has be tapering at .125 every 2 weeks to moths. He also reminds me the dose patients with seizures up to 20mg. I would show your new doctor all the medical documentation that indicate a slow taper. The medication saves lives and will always be on the market due to the fact it works!

 

Edited March 17 by [GO...]

[[GO...]]

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

Hello @[GO...], Welcome to BenzoBuddies, 

I am terribly sorry you have to through this. Quite often medical personnel has little knowledge about benzodiazepines and tapering, your case is not unique, sadly. 

I am not sure why your young psychiatrists wants you to get off and why so rapidly, this rate is way too fast. The general recommended taper is detailed in the work of a British professor, the Ashton manual, this manual is good as a starting point, some even find this fast. 

I am certain your psychiatrist knows The Maudsley book series. In 2024, a new book was published, detailing how to deperscribe psychiatric drugs, including benzodiazepines. This book is The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines (emphasis is on the Deprescribing). 

Rapid tapering is not without risk, there is a risk of protracted withdrawal, which might occur after long term use. With long and gradual tapering, this can be most likely avoided. 

The recommended taper is 5-10% of your previous dose every 2-3 weeks, but your symptoms may require an even slower taper. 

Please let us know how we can help you. Do you think you could find common ground with your provider with the help of these publications /information? 

RR

Thank you

[[GO...]]

7 hours ago, [[R...] said:

Yes @[Ta...], this is very well a possibility, too, as @[GO...]mentions he had no issues on them. The question is the prescriber...

Thank you

[[GO...]]

[[GO...]]

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

I think you would be better off staying on the Benzo, if it isn't causing you any trouble. This is only my own opinion. I was on lorazepam for 20 years, and I wish I had just stayed on it looking back.

Where do you live? Maybe another doctor could be found.

Wishing you all the best!

Thank you

[[GO...]]

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

 

 

Edited March 17 by [GO...]

[[wo...]]

I read your post, saw you asked for some personal experiences and wanted to reply with mine.

I've been on 3mg/day for 28 years and am almost 50.

I found myself in a situation very similar to yours last year when my last doctor retired - I was faced with finding a new provider and once I did so every single one of them that I talked to had the same reaction that you received.

I’m just as baffled as you are about all of the hoops that are in place now in order just to titrate off clonazepam, much less maintain and I do feel that it is those of us who were originally prescribed in the early/late 90s and then just kept on filling our prescriptions and seeing the MD/Psychiatist and living life that have gotten a bit of a raw deal as medicine has improved and the medical communities group opinion on long-term benzidine news has been solidified.

i’ve gone from 3 mg a day to 1 mg a day over the last year. It’s been difficult. I’m not one to complain, but it has been one of the most uncomfortable experiences, physically, and emotionally that I have dealt with and I managed some pretty brutally traumatic incidents that seem to pale in comparison. All that to say: don’t let anybody minimize the process you’re about to go through.

I’ve just now found this for him, so unfortunately, my experiences with providers are all that I can offer.