Back after a year hold :)

[[Br...]]

Hello everyone! Just donated because the folks that run this forum are doing the work of angels and I don't even believe in such a thing! lol

Anyways, I am back because my primary care doctor just left the practice and so I got jump scared into maybe not having access to this evil fucking medication again, yay. I found another doctor who was weary but willing to prescribe it. It seems like this is just going to get harder and harder to get because people are realizing how poisonous this shit it. 

So yeah, I couldn't find a beginning taper I submitted in archives, just a lot of me freaking out stuff, which is exciting (irony). Anyways, I was suicidal and didn't wanna be alive anymore so I held my taper and just never picked it back up because I was like that for half a year or more. I am doing really well now, I don't think I have any symptoms really, none that I can think of. I am still mentally ill so I still have that shit sometimes of course. 

Anyways, here I am again, at .25mg of Klonopin daily as well as 25 mg of zoloft. You can see in another post that I just bumped about my fear of going off of an anti-anxiety that is essentially there to counteract the anxiety that comes with an anti-depressant, before the anti-depressant. They feel so linked but it feels horrifying and impossible to taper off both simultaneously. So yeah, last time I went from .5 to .125 in like 2 months? That's what fucked me up obvi. So now I am looking for all of your sage advice! How long should I do this, I am in no rush at all!! I mean I wish I wasn't on this shit ever but I am. 

Let me know all of your thoughts! I am going to ask about how to best be, health wise, in another thread.

Thank you!

[[Br...]]

I do really need help, maybe I was too sunny in my opener? 

[[Tr...]]

Hello @[Br...],

Compliments for donating and coming back for advice how to taper! 

Imho the buddies who have developed dependancy should start their taper with a reduction of 5%-10% per 14-28 days and if needed adjust to a slower or faster rate depending on the wd sxs. 

If you have two doses, always taper off both doses simultaneously to avoid interdose withdrawal. I found this the hard way. 

I will quote some useful information below from two great buddies. 
 

Feel free to check my History for more helpful stuff like references of books, etc. The Maudsley deprescribing guidelines - available on Amazon.com, can be of great help. You can read the chapter on Clonazepam and follow the slow taper.

I hope and pray that you will have a smooth taper.

 

Edited 3 hours ago by [Tr...]

[[Tr...]]

On 24/08/2024 at 14:11, [[R...] said:

Hi @[th...],

     Sure.  I'd be happy to give you my thoughts.  My taper of 1 mg clonazepam lasted about 19 months.  For your reference, I have my taper schedule laid out on my About Me tab of my Profile.

     I remained functional and stable throughout the process.  "Stabilization" means, for me, a condition where symptoms are manageable and not changing.  It doesn't mean zero symptoms.  There were times that I felt discomfort during my taper, but it remained straightforward and I could forge ahead.

     I followed the general guideline of a 5 - 10% taper and generally stretched each hold period to 14 days, even if, as I often experienced, a long period of leveling off of any symptoms.  The main bothersome symptom I had was bloating of my G.I. system.  I also had increased food sensitivities, especially involving broccoli and tomato-based foods.  I had hyperacusis and would be startled by such noises like an automatic garage door going up or down.  I had tinnitus in both ears.  Now almost 9 months off, I still have those, but they have diminished and are even more manageable.  I still battle with fatigue, though.

     I did a dry, cut-and-hold taper to .024 mg.  I tried to be as precise as possible with my weighing.  Although sometimes tedious, I looked at my taper as a challenge.  I put my metal nail file to good use on every cut.  I slowed down a little closer to the end, even though I hadn't sensed any increased symptoms or symptom intensity at lower dosages.  Going to zero before jumping was never my goal.

    In addition, I did moderate exercise.  I didn't want to take chances with a vigorous routine as I was afraid it might ramp up anxiety, something I was able to keep at a low degree throughout my taper.

     Look at tapering Clonazepam like you would landing a plane.  Unless there's short use, paradoxical reactions, or unbearable side effects, every step during a taper can be done gradually.  Since you have fortunately reduced your dosage, don't be afraid to slow down.  The 5 - 10% recommendation for cuts is not written in stone.  At .5 mg of the drug, I did a one-time reduction of 3%, as I had never in my 7 years of using clonazepam gone below .5 mg.  It was uncharted territory.  I also kept my a.m. and p.m. doses equal.

  Hopefully, I have answered your questions.  I wish you much luck in your taper.  While the mantra goes "we're all different," I spent a lot of time on BB, checking to see what worked and what didn't work for others, and helping out when I could.  Keep pushing on!

 

[[Tr...]]

On 26/08/2024 at 13:55, [[C...] said:

As @[Ro...] suggested, it is best to use a .001 g scale. When using this scale, your taper is based on pill weight. When you start, you first need to determine the average pill weight of 10 of your pills. I am tapering using .5 mg Clonazepam pills, and my average pill weight is .175 g. For my taper, I reduce by 5% so here is how I calculate the pill weight for my first reduction — .175g X .95 = .166 g (pill weight). I use a nail file to reduce my pill to this weight and hold at this weight for 2 weeks. After that, I calculate using my current pill weight — .166g X .95 = .158 g (pill weight). I hold at this pill weight for 2 weeks. With each hold, I journal my symptoms and adjust my taper rate as necessary.

Since reductions are based on pill weight in grams, I calculate my current dosage of active ingredient as follows. 
0.5 mg/0.175g = x/0.158g

x = 0.5/0.175 X 0.158 = 0.45 mg active ingredient 

Best wishes on your taper, @[Sa...]

Please check my calculations, @[Ro...].

 

[[Br...]]

Thank you Triny! That is all very helpful. Do you or someone you've seen had experience with tapering off of klonopin or another benzo when they were taking an anti-depressant (mine is zoloft, 25mg) that they needed to get off of too? And if you were to suggest an ending klonopin amount for me, if im starting at .25, would it be like .01 or something?? just so i can map out my life a bit.

Edited 1 hour ago by [Br...]