Hi, I think I'm addicted to Klonopin

[[Be...]]

I'm a little confused.  Do you have a 50ml cylinder like the one shown?  If so, that should work.

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

Yes, a 50ml cylinder with 1ml increments is just about ideal. I can certainly create a titration schedule to work with this cylinder.

[[su...]]

Ya, I have the one in the picture. One goes up to 100 and the other to 50. Sorry for the confusion. I can tell that just after 2 weeks of being on a regular schedule, I can barely have coherent thoughts. I can't taper yet. Yesterday and today I had to take an extra .25 between my 3pm and 11pm dose. I think it might be PMS kicking in which is what the root of my anxiety has been, the whacked out hormones. Or it could be the severe increase of stress I had the day before yesterday. Need to stabilize for a few more days, then taper.

 

My 8th grade science kit came in handy, wonders never cease.

[[su...]]

Oh, weird uncontrollable sugar craving, like painful. I might have gained a pound too

[[Be...]]

Ya, I have the one in the picture. One goes up to 100 and the other to 50. Sorry for the confusion. I can tell that just after 2 weeks of being on a regular schedule, I can barely have coherent thoughts. I can't taper yet. Yesterday and today I had to take an extra .25 between my 3pm and 11pm dose. I think it might be PMS kicking in which is what the root of my anxiety has been, the whacked out hormones. Or it could be the severe increase of stress I had the day before yesterday. Need to stabilize for a few more days, then taper.

 

Amazing that you had your eighth grade science kit much less were able to find it.  Maybe that's a good sign? 

 

Sugar, it's not a good idea to take extra doses "when needed".  It will really mess you up.  A one time thing like last night won't hurt but don't start taking extra doses a couple of times a week. 

 

It may take Colin a few days to get back to you with a titration schedule, so don't forget to post your information on the Titration Tapers sub-board (under Planning Your Taper).  I think I already mentioned the info he needs earlier and I'm in a hurry this morning so won't go looking for it myself.  I'll check on you later. 

 

Have a better day. 

[Guest [st...]]

Hi Sugarlily,

 

Beeper is so right about not taking/increasing your doses.  I was doing that for about 2 months and I was on a rollercoaster ride of my life.  It took a few days to feel better once I stabilized and then tapering was much easier.  You will be doing yourself more harm by fluctuating.  If I can do this, you can, too.  We just have to keep focused on the great ending.  I am following you and wishing you my love and best wishes.

 

Patty  xo

[[su...]]

Ahh ya, bit of adrenaline rush this morning. Ok, so I'm pretty sure it's the PMS because I've been dealing with this every month since November. How do I deal with the creeping uneasiness until my next dose? That's what I had yesterday and then the day before, full blown anxiety attack. Obviously the adrenaline is bc I took the extra .25.

 

I haven't posted in the taper section yet.

 

stonyco-ya you are right, I fluctuated for like 8 months. It wasn't pretty. I just had no idea it was even from the klonopin. Hard to fix something when you don't know the cause.

[[Be...]]

How do I deal with the creeping uneasiness until my next dose? That's what I had yesterday and then the day before, full blown anxiety attack. Obviously the adrenaline is bc I took the extra .25.

 

Dealing with anxiety is something we all have to learn to do because it won't end when we are through with our tapers.  I, for one, was using a benzo to control my anxiety for many many years until it started causing anxiety.  Now I try to practice some of the relaxation and breathing exercises found on this and other sites. There's an Anxiety and Panic subboard that you might want to poke around in for ideas.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=7386.0

 

There is also a good book by Claire Weeks recommended by eljay and others:  "Help and Hope for Your Nerves."It's old but available at the library or amazon. There are other books that could help you control your thinking which is the source of all our anxiety, such as this one:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=8931.0

 

 

No easy answers or "magic bullet" but it is possible to get better control of your emotions through practice.

 

 

[[su...]]

Mine is 100% caused by hormone fluctuations. I never had anxiety or any panic disorder until I wrecked my hormones from being on Mircette and then abruptly getting off of it. I cannot control my hormonal fluctuations that cause my anxiety. I intend on doing colon cleanse to hopefully rid my body of any residual synthetic hormones after I taper off of klonopin. There is no amount of thinking that will cause my hormones to stop being imbalanced unfortunately. I'm hoping that supplementing with the tincture that my healer sent me and kava/5-HTP will get me through my miserable PMS cycle. It's like serotonin stops pumping into my brain for a few hours and I feel icky.

[[Be...]]

I'm sorry. Those fluctuations must be very disturbing.  Even though you can't control the hormones, you can control how you think about what you are feeling when it happens.  It is very similar to dealing with panic attacks which can be caused by a surge of the hormone, adreniline.  Recognizing it for what it is, reassuring yourself that it will pass and no permanent harm is being done, may help you ride it out better.  Whatever works for you but isn't a benzo or opiate, I'm for. 

[[su...]]

I think I'm permanently scared it won't pass even though it always does. I don't have any opiates lol, I had to look up what that was.

[[Br...]]

Hi Sugarlily,

 

Read your thread and you have someone here who is right where you are right now.  Today I am tapering to 0.5 mg clonazepam.  I've been on the drug for over 8 years so I'm extremely excited to kick this to the curb.  I have a blog where I try to post with some frequency.  Come check it out if you're interested in my progress or if you just want to say Hi.  It's in the Buddie Blogs section.

 

We're fighting the same monster.  I'll help you in any way I can!!  I'm using liquid titration as well as dry cuts depending on where I'm at with my taper.  Starting today, I'll be taking .25 mg in the am and .25 mg in the pm.

I feel like I'M in control of the drug now instead of taking the drug as needed for so many years.  Looking back, the drug was always in control when I took it as needed.  Psychologically, I don't think it was good for me to take it on an "as needed" basis because it reinforced that I "needed" this drug.  This is what my extremely misguided GP  had led me to believe over the years: That I could quit at any time I wanted and that there were no physical addiction problems associated with clonazepam  .  I didn't realize that the severe anxiety that I was experiencing each time I tried to c/t quit our favorite drug was due to w/d.  Thankfully, I found these boards.  I think Benzo Buddies very well may change my life forever.

 

Good luck on your journey ,

Brad

 

[[su...]]

Well, my bf of year and I broke up. I feel like poop and I have my friend's memorial service to go to today. 

[[el...]]

Well, my bf of year and I broke up. I feel like poop and I have my friend's memorial service to go to today. 

 

So sorry Sugar. 

[Guest [st...]]

Sounds like you have a couple of stressors on top of everything else.  Sorry about your breakup.  You will have friends here to stand by you.

 

Patty  xo

[[su...]]

Ok, we're not officially broken up. We are going to talk and then make a decision. I might take a couple of days off. I think I started my period and I need a few days to stabilize again cause I'm depressed, weirded out, and overwhelmed. I'll be checking back.

[[su...]]

Ok, in major hypersensitive mode the last week from the PMS and my period. I wanted to start tapering tomorrow but as advised, I should wait till I'm out of menstrual cycle mode. I'm sort of at the point where I don't want to navigate around the forum much because even seeing threads titled with depression and anxiety, freak me out.  <<me. I think my healer has left me to fend for myself after I made a decision she did not agree with(understandably but I don't feel like I had any other options) so I feel alone. I'm also wondering if any of the women noticed changes in their PMS and actual menstrual cycle, cramps, etc. while on a benzo? I noticed that my PMS(which has been bad since I was 13) has increased to absolute PMDD levels and that my periods are much much more severe. I feel depressed today. Which is almost somehow worse than anxiety.

[[cr...]]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this...I can't believe I screwed up so bad, I honestly cannot believe I was so dumb to not read up more on how addicting klonopin is. 

 

    I have asked myself that same question so many times... especially because historically I have done a lot of reading up on just about every other psychotropic drug I have tried for treating my depression and OCD- but not this one.  I believe I figured out that the reason I  didn't research this drug is because I had nothing provoking me to do so - in other words, when I took it I didn't feel any uncomfortable side effects... it just helped me feel better!  It is a psychology thing I believe.  For example, who is more likely to go online and look for a place to post a review of something, the person who had a positive experience, or the person who had a negative one?  The person who had the negative experience.  Please remember that to as you read posts on this forum.  Rememeber that for every person whose story you read on here there are probably many many times more people who tapered off without much problem or whose withdrawal experience was not that bad.  Understand?

 

    Well, with that being said I wish you a smooth and easy taper!  You weren't taking Klonopin every day or too terribly much of it, so hopefully your taper will be easy.  But, it seems that there really is no science to who will have trouble and who won't.  Let us just hope you are one of the one's who doesn't!

 

    I came off Klonopin, 3mg a day, at the beginning of this June.  It had been incredibly hard.  Just know that this is a wonderful place to come with questions and for support.

 

      Best wishes. 

 

p.s.  I only read the beginning of your thread, so I am not familiar with how things are going now.  i will try to read more of it later.

[[su...]]

Hii, thanks for the support. Ya, I'm planning on doing a nice slow taper. I think klono and other benzo's attack the weak spots in the body, like my PMS and periods were already bad and klono made them worse. I'm so thankful that someone figured out that I was even addicted. I was telling my friend the other day about everything that has happened with the klono and she's like, so this drug is off the market now right? HAH.

[[su...]]

Oh boy, I had 1 drink last night, plenty of food, a TON of water and I feel like hell today. Woke up covered in sweat this morning. I think the klono has made my tolerance to alcohol to about 0. Lesson learned. 

[[Co...]]

Hi,

 

This is reported so often here at BenzoBuddies. We recommend that you stay of alcohol until you ahve completed your taper and have fully recovered.

[[su...]]

I'm so shocked that such a small amount could affect me. Yikes. 

 

eta-now my legs and arms are aching. I'm echoing Colin on this, don't drink, it hurts.

[[tr...]]

Oh boy, I had 1 drink last night, plenty of food, a TON of water and I feel like hell today. Woke up covered in sweat this morning. I think the klono has made my tolerance to alcohol to about 0. Lesson learned. 

 

It will certainly do that.   

[[su...]]

Umm, not sure about this. I feel sick, like I might have the beginnings of the flu, stomachache, really really tired. I can't figure out if this is a flu or side effects from the klon. 

[[Be...]]

Flu-like symptoms are common with benzos. If you don't have a fever, it's probably not the flu.  Of course, I'm no doctor so don't go by me. Yikes!