Tapering after taking 1mg

[[Le...]]

Hello all! I’m new here. I am currently tapering off of 1mg of klonopin. I have been on 1 mg daily for the past 9 years.  My dr had me start taking 0.5 daily instead of 1mg. I feel increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, worrying about everything, headaches and muscle pains. Is this normal or something I should let my dr know? I am wondering if I went down too fast from 1mg to .5 instead of to .75. I have been on the daily 1 mg dose for 9 years. 
 

thanks for your insight! 

[[Br...]]

Hello @[Le...] and welcome to BenzoBuddies!  We're glad you found us.  

I'm sorry your doctor has had you reduce your dose by 50%.  We would agree with you that this is too fast.  The symptoms you describe are very common benzo withdrawal symptoms.  We typically suggest tapering with smaller cuts over a longer period of time.  This is the best way we know of to keep withdrawal symptoms to a minimum.

There is a new resource available on Amazon that I think would be very helpful to your doctor: The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines for Antidepressants, Benzodiazepines, Gabapentinoids, and Z-drugs  

The Maudsley guidelines are very close to what we generally suggest which is making cuts of no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days or longer depending on symptoms.  We encourage members to let their taper be guided by symptoms.  

You'll find warm support here from others who understand what this process is like, as well as good information to help you work collaboratively on a sensible taper.

We're glad you're here!  Please reach out for support and let us know how we can help you.

Brighterday

[[Le...]]

Thank you so much

[[Br...]]

@[Le...] - I imagine you'll have many more questions.  Please feel free to ask any questions you have!