Tapering by skipping days

[[la...]]

I just saw a new psychiatrist and he recommended tapering klonopin by skipping every other day and then skipping every two days and so on. Is this method not recommended or has people have had success this way? 

[[Li...]]

@[la...]

Adele Framer, the founder of Surviving Antidepressants, has helped thousands of people taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, including benzodiazepines.  Here’s what she has to say about skipping doses:

“What is clear from our thousands of case reports: Never, ever, skip doses to taper. The drug blood level fluctuations from intermittent dosing are highly effective in engendering kindling reactions. As clinicians have long been aware that a forgotten dose can bring on withdrawal symptoms, it is unaccountable why skipping doses is at all recommended as a tapering strategy.” (p. 8 )

Citation:

Framer A. What I have learnt from helping thousands of people taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2021 Mar 16;11:2045125321991274.

 

[[st...]]

When I first tried to stop (after just 10 days use), one day of no K was very destabilizing, if not dangerous for me. Once I got my bearings, I reduced on average about 0.7% every day which adds up to 5% per week. Based on symptoms, I slowed down from there. I used a jewelry scale (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/AWS-Portable-Precision-Digital-Milligram/dp/B0012TDNAM?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1). In retrospect, I would not have told my doctor I wanted to taper because they didn’t know what they were doing and tried to rush me.

[[la...]]

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

@[la...]

Adele Framer, the founder of Surviving Antidepressants, has helped thousands of people taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, including benzodiazepines.  Here’s what she has to say about skipping doses:

“What is clear from our thousands of case reports: Never, ever, skip doses to taper. The drug blood level fluctuations from intermittent dosing are highly effective in engendering kindling reactions. As clinicians have long been aware that a forgotten dose can bring on withdrawal symptoms, it is unaccountable why skipping doses is at all recommended as a tapering strategy.” (p. 8 )

Citation:

Framer A. What I have learnt from helping thousands of people taper off antidepressants and other psychotropic medications. Ther Adv Psychopharmacol. 2021 Mar 16;11:2045125321991274.

Okay thank you this is good information 

[[la...]]

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

When I first tried to stop (after just 10 days use), one day of no K was very destabilizing, if not dangerous for me. Once I got my bearings, I reduced on average about 0.7% every day which adds up to 5% per week. Based on symptoms, I slowed down from there. I used a jewelry scale (like this one: https://www.amazon.com/AWS-Portable-Precision-Digital-Milligram/dp/B0012TDNAM?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1). In retrospect, I would not have told my doctor I wanted to taper because they didn’t know what they were doing and tried to rush me.

Okay, maybe I’ll buy a new scale. Thank you 

[[Bu...]]

Hi @[la...], I tried skipping doses when I first wanted to start tapering.  Neither my doctor nor I knew what to do.  I skipped half my morning dose (I took it 2 times a day) for about 4 days and it was awful!  I very quickly learned my lesson, went back to my regular schedule and then started a taper.

[[Ca...]]

Staystill -- did you reduce your taper rate at some point

[[be...]]

I made an account just to tell you that I have tried to get off benzos skipping days for 5 years. It does not go well, it will just sort of put your body in a state where it is experiencing withdrawal symptoms more often than feeling normal. It will put you through hell. 
 

[[...]]

Hi, @[be...]. Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

Thank you for sharing your experience and opinion. We appreciate it. Feel free to start your own thread, if need be. Good luck!

[[la...]]

10 hours ago, [[b...] said:

I made an account just to tell you that I have tried to get off benzos skipping days for 5 years. It does not go well, it will just sort of put your body in a state where it is experiencing withdrawal symptoms more often than feeling normal. It will put you through hell. 
 

Thank you . I definitely won’t go this route.