tapering off klonopin

[[Be...]]

Hi, Sweetpea.

 

I know it seems confusing right now.  Eljay said 3 mg (milligrams) was overkill, not 3 pills (1.5mg).  She even suggested you could increase the klonopin some to help you taper off of xanax. Of course, your doc would have to agree to that.  Here's what she said about that and also how much xanax to take:

 

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=8418.msg104210#msg104210

 

You said you took a whole pill last night. Is that .5mg or 1 mg?  You were taking.5 mg 3 times a day, right?  Have you changed that?

 

The dizziness and weird feelings in the head are all part of the benzo experience.  It will get better.

 

 

[[sw...]]

Hi,Oh no i was on 2 1/2 pills of 0.5 mg klonopin and 1 mg xanx..so dr had me up the klonopin back to 3 pills so think thats 1 1/2 mg of klonopin,,,i also have chronic sinusistis so im wondring if thats causing the weird feeling in the right side of my head amd right eye and my right ear and cheek and my neck,,im a wreck need to go pick up hubbys blood pressure med but to dizzy and scared right now,im so afraid going back up on the klonopin will put me more risk of a seizure,My pharmissit said to cut the xanax by half for like 10 days and then stop it,,,i dont know about that im so confused,,,,,,,,,,,i need the advice from all you that have been there aand done it..thanks sweetpea

[[Be...]]

also have chronic sinusistis so im wondring if thats causing the weird feeling in the right side of my head amd right eye and my right ear and cheek and my neck

 

Since the weird feelings are all on the right side of your head and face, I have no doubt they are sinus related.  I developed chronic sinusitis when I moved to Tallahassee and had to have surgery. I haven't had a sinus infection since then but can rememeber how miserable it made me.  Are you getting any treatment for it?

 

About increasing the klonopin:  You don't have to increase it if it makes you uncomfortable. However, increasing the klonopin would NOT cause seizures.  Benzo.s are sometimes used to prevent seizures so you definitely don't have to worry about that.

[[sw...]]

The reason my medical dr told me to go back to 3 pills is because my withdrawl from the meds was making me feel like my mind was leaving me,,,i dont know if going back to 3 pills will have  but i do know i have to get toff the xanx i dont know how long that will take and tehn taper off all the way off the klonopin...my right side of my head and face is driving me crazy i hope its not my brain...who knows what all these meds do to us...i know after being on them for 18 years im in for a rough time i took a tylonol i hope thats ok,,,,,,,,my anxiety is awful but my pshy feels i need off these meds and i need to learn meditation.........im hoping i havent had a stroke and thats whats wrong with my right side of my face..its so bad..would the klonopin cause this.............have u ever been on 2 benzos at the same time? I have stuff i need to do and i feel awful.I dont know if i can get off the xanax in 10 days like my pahrmisist said he said since im on the klonopin i should be able to...but i hear so much about seizures when tapering off these meds............its all so scarry..thanks sweetpea

[[el...]]

ok, I get it now. When you said 3 klonopin, I understood this as 3mg. You need to make sure you state mg or  pills. 1.5mg (three of your 0.5mg pills)  makes much more sense now.

 

To answer your pm, yes you must cut your xanax, as advised by your doc, and suggested here. This is the reason your doc has increased your klon twice now. To decrease your xanax. The last time you didn't do it, and now you are at a higher dose. So please, cut now. Cut by 0.25mg. (1/4 pill)

 

Stay on 3 klon ( 0.5mg)pills, and cut 1/4 xanax pill. 

[[tr...]]

Just for some information...My sinuses were constantly messed up while I was klonopin and in withdrawal.  It was all klonopin related, after going through the major part of wd my sinus are fine and I don't have to take anything for them.  One of the side effects of klonopin are sinusitis.  I didn't read that until after I was off and it explained a lot of things.

 

I was on xanax and klonopin at the same time at one point and I cold turkey'ed the xanax.  I don't know if it had an effect or not, I was in tolerance at them time so I don't know that it made things any worse but it didn't cause a seizure and there was no danger of one.  My dr. told me to stop the xanax and while he doesn't know much about wd, he would have been concerned about the possibility of a seizure.

[[sw...]]

Did u get this right sided head and face pain and neck pain....i have to ahve sinus surgey on julu 9,,,,,,,,,,,and im so scared and im going to have to go on predizone and a antibotic for 9 days before the surgery adn im afraid of pills............i want to have a cig but my head hurts to puff on one...i had that bad dizzy spell this mornign and my face and head have flet this way all day im hopin its not a tumor..........i had a catscan a few weeks ago and they said my head is fine ,but sometieme i hit my head becaus i was scratching it abit ago and it had a scab on it and i made it bled..i feel like i might die tonigh,,,,,,,,,do u think im bad today because i went back to 3 pills of 0.5 mg of klonopin like the dr said till im offf the xanax,,,as u can tell im a wreck my lips r numb too.im scared..sweetpea

[[sw...]]

u mean take only a 1/4 of a xanax a day.............do u have any idea why im so dizzy today and having right sided head pain and face numbness.im scared..i want to smoke but it hurts to puff a cigarette...

[[el...]]

u mean take only a 1/4 of a xanax a day

 

Sweetpea. Please listen to me. Take 3/4's of a xanax pill a day. You will be cutting out 1/4 of your pill every week or 2. That means you will take 3/4's of a pill during your first cut, and holding it for 1 to 2 weeks then 1/2 a pill for your second cut, then 1/4 pill for your third cut. YOu will hold each cut for  a minimum of 1 week.During this time you will not cut your kon at all.

 

 

[[sw...]]

I had to up my klono up a half a pill 2 nights ago,to taper totalyy off my xanax......evry since i up it i have had right sided head face cheek eye neck and ear apin could this be from upping the klonopin,,,i do have chronic sinusitis and have to have surgery but it has neveer hurt like this im getting numbness around my lips.im scared

[[Be...]]

As I've said before, Sweetpea, since all the pain is on the right side of your head and face it is likely that it is due to sinusitis.  I believe you reported this pain before you took an extra .5 klonopin and I've never heard of benzos causing physical pain so it surely isn't due to the klonopin.  The numb feeling around your lips could also be from the sinusitis but I'm not a nurse or doctor so this is only my opinion.  You have surgery sinus schedule for July 9th, right?  I haven't had a day of sinusitis problem since I had my surgery nearly 15 years ago.  It sure was worth it.

 

Try not to vary the amount of klonopin you are taking.  You need to take the same dose every day for at least a week while you taper off the xanax.

[[sw...]]

I called my sinus dr to see if there is anything i can do for the pain..he is 70 miles away he said maybe i need to go ahead on the antibotics and steroids i said well the pahrmacy here in my town isnt open and he started yeling at me and tols me maybe he wont do the surgery onme after all because of my emoitional status....and he was mad because i couldnt make it ove to the town where he is to get the medications...i asked him if he could just call tehm into my pharmacy in the morinig or i would just have to wait till tuesday when i see him preop,,,,he ws so mad....said i should not be going camping,,,,over the 4 like me and hubby planned..i read about the surgery he is doing on me Fess surgery and it has some bad risks...like it could cause spinal fluid leak because sinues are so close to teh brain....ai feel like crap and dont know what to do..Maybe its my anxiety they say it can cause all sorts of things....and my anxiety is bad...but my pshy wants me off meds and to learn how to deal with things with meditation...and the benzos are so awful and they dont help me anyways anymore,,,,,,do u know what all kinds of symtoms anxiety can cause.I was thinking about going to my er here to see if dr could do something..but they get so mad at me for showing up there i used to go there alot i dont know what to do and im so dizzy....anyadvice....i went to er dr ddi blood work says no infection and he exrayed my sinues and said they r fine..how can he tell by an exray..my ent has told me from mu last cat scan done early june my sinues have got worse since jan but ok i have cut back on the xanax and upped the klonopin back to 3 pills...0.5 mg pills and im feeling it i dont know how im going ot do this...so darn dizzy,irrriable afraid u anme it....please had anyone else went thru awful feelings..im sure s\u have i would feel better knowing im not having some strange disease and that theseare weithdrawla nd they will go away....i amy not make it thru this

[[sw...]]

im not feeling well very dizzy and anxious an still afraid of a seizure..tonight will be my 3 rd nite back on 3 pills of klonopin...is that whats making me feel yucky or cutting the xanax by 1/4..i wouldnt think that little bit would matter..i feel like im dying,,and i went to er today and i ahve no infection in my blood and he says my sinues are ok but thats not what the ent told me on june 5 and wants to do surgery i dont know who to believe.i need to know what i should expect that i might go thru getting off these drugs aftyer 18 years any ideas or ideas where i might find out,just to let me know if what im going thru is normal..thanks sweetpea

[[Be...]]

let me know if what im going thru is normal..thanks sweetpea

 

Yes,  how you are feeling is normal.  Whatever else is going on, like a possible sinus infection, the benzos make it seem worse. 

 

Why are you still afraid of a seizure after all we have told you?  You are doing a slow, sensible taper from xanax while still taking klonopin.  You are NOT going to have a seizure.  The next time that thought comes to mind, argue with it, shout it down, talk back to those bad thoughts.  You are in control. 

[Guest [Vi...]]

Hi Sweetpea, sorry you sound like you are really having a hard time with this.  It can't be at all pleasant cutting out one benzo and crossoving over to another and having surgery next week.  No wonder you are super anxious and feeling like you don't know if you can do it anymore, I'm not surprised you feel like you do, any one of those experiences is enough to make benzo sufferers feel terrible. I think you are being very hard on yourself.

Is it possible you could just stabilise until after your surgery on the last dose and type of benzo you were last relatively comfortable at?  I personally don't think its a good idea to be changing to another type of benzo or tapering down whilst you have surgery coming up. It would be much kinder to yourself to get well over the surgery before crossing over or tapering anymore.

 

Love to you

Vicky 

[[sw...]]

im afraid of a seizure because of being on benzos 18 years and how my head hurts and im dizzy and the klonopin and xanax are not helping my anxiety at all,,and none of the drs in my town will help me ,and now my lips are going numb and something bit me

 

im a total wreck how can i be sure i havent had a seizure they say it can happen..sorry to be a pain..my wyes are so blurry since that whatever it was bit me

[[el...]]

Honey, you are not being a pain. You are just scared and in WD.

 

Length of time on benzos has nothing to do with seizures. Seizures are caused by extreme tapers or cold turkeys. And even then it's not a guarantee that you will have a seizure. Nothing you have done recently will cause a seizure. Your symptoms are due to wd. All of them, honestly. 

[[sw...]]

what can i do to help the withdrawl im going crazy my lips r numb i feel like i cant swallow and plus the headache and thanks so much for caring...i am scared and the meds arent helping my anxiety how can cutting just that little bit of xanx do this to me i had a 1/2 of 1 at 7 this mornign and its 3 p.m. here and im wanting to take the 1/4 pill wish i was still on 1 mg...will it take my body awhile to get used to being bakc on 3 of the klonopin..i dont know how im going to make this  im falling apart and my dr is still gone

[[el...]]

what can i do to help the withdrawl im going crazy my lips r numb i feel like i cant swallow and plus the headache and thanks so much for caring...i am scared and the meds arent helping my anxiety how can cutting just that little bit of xanx do this to me i had a 1/2 of 1 at 7 this mornign and its 3 p.m. here and im wanting to take the 1/4 pill wish i was still on 1 mg...will it take my body awhile to get used to being bakc on 3 of the klonopin..i dont know how im going to make this  im falling apart and my dr is still gone

 

Your body just needs to adjust for a few days. You are not falling apart, it just feels like it. You are stronger than you know. Please try and relax, and trust your body, trust your mind. You will get thru this. The less you stress and panic over your symptoms, the easier it will be on you. Just know that these are sx of wd, and one of these days they will be gone forever.   

[[sw...]]

I so wnat to take a half a xanxa

its been since 7 am since i took the 1/2 mg should i take the 1/4 now or try to wait i have already had 2 klonopin and no relief

[[el...]]

I so wnat to take a half a xanxa

its been since 7 am since i took the 1/2 mg should i take the 1/4 now or try to wait i have already had 2 klonopin and no relief

 

Just wait it out SP.

[[Be...]]

Sweetpea -

 

Since several doctors have checked you out, I doubt that you have a strange disease or have had a silent seizure.  Anxiety can cause a lot of the symptoms you are having.  That's one of the bad things about benzos:  they can end up making anxiety worse when that usually the condition we were put on a benzo for in the first place. 

 

I think Vicky has a good point about holding at your current level until after your surgery.  You said the xanax and klonopin weren't helping you but maybe it is still making you more scared to be coming off the xanax right now.  I don't want to discourage you from continuing your xanax taper because I know you will ultimately feel better off of it, but only you can decide when is the right time.

 

Take care.

[[Se...]]

Hello everybody:

I have a question: Do a person  has to feel very well to restart tapering or wd sxs will always be present?. I have wd sxs but they are tolerable; also I had tolerance sxs before strting to taper. Should I continue with tapering. I am reducing the dose of klono by .125mg. Any suggestios are welcome.

Thank you very much.

[[el...]]

Sergio, it is not neccassary to feel very well before starting a taper. Most people don't. But it does help to feel tolerable.

That said, some people can never quite stabilize before beginning or restarting a taper, and need to just forge ahead anyway.

But it sounds to me like you are well enough to restart your taper. Just make sure you give yourself enough time between cuts. 

 

How long have you been holding now?

[[Se...]]

Hello eljey:

I finished with the last cut June 15, then I stay at that dose until yesterday, and restarted today.

Have a terrific day.