Stopped Klonopin - thinking getting back on

[[So...]]

So Friday I took my last dose of Klonopin - .125mg. Now having really bad insomnia, and my blood pressure is back up. I'm dazed, confused after sleeping 2/4/3 hours since Sunday (Saturday I slept fine and must have had some drug in my system still).

 

My hubbie wants me to tough it out. I also have these bad symptoms/side effects of dry mouth/throat and now burning chest. It seems I have this no matter what - on the drugs, and now off. It seemed to ease up this morning, but is now back. I will be seeing a doctor tomorrow to get this checked out as I am now thinking it is unrelated to the Klonopin withdrawal.

 

Should I tough it out and wait another night? Or get back on the drug wagon at say the .125mg level and taper again from there? Any taper advice?

 

I'm going to take Propanalol to try to get the blood pressure down first. Also that is supposed to help calm me down as I'm quite anxious today, what with all this.

 

Any advice appreciated.

[[JO...]]

Sonic,

Wow you have been through it from your signature line. Have you only been on benzos since January? Did you cross to kolonpin or just drop the Ativan and start the K? The reason i ask is you may be seeing some symptoms from both drugs . They are totally different benzos. i will tell you when i crossed slowly to Valium from Kolonpin and held I still got some mild symptoms from the K two months out. It was nothing to serious but still annoying . i have been on three benzos and for a much longer time than you so with that in mind. If I were you and the symptoms are tolerable I would not reinstate this is just my opinion. True healing will begin and you may have dodged a bullet in terms of a long duration of withdrawal. Keep in mind i am not a doctor and am not giving you medical advise just my opinion. Hope you feel better soon. Anton

[[So...]]

Sonic,

Wow you have been through it from your signature line. Have you only been on benzos since January? Did you cross to kolonpin or just drop the Ativan and start the K? The reason i ask is you may be seeing some symptoms from both drugs . They are totally different benzos.

...If I were you and the symptoms are tolerable I would not reinstate this is just my opinion. True healing will begin and you may have dodged a bullet in terms of a long duration of withdrawal. Keep in mind i am not a doctor and am not giving you medical advise just my opinion. Hope you feel better soon. Anton

 

Anton,

 

I have only been on benzos since Jan yes. I started on Ativan and then dropped that and started the Klonopin since the Ativan was giving me severe daytime withdrawal symptoms. Although a short period, the symptoms are still real.

 

Tolerable is relative. Little sleep is an issue. I am willing to go a few more nights with little sleep and then I will need to make a decision. I am not understanding why my body just doesn't sleep! I have a huge sleep deficit at this point. I still sleep a few hours, wake up, then find I am not sleepy at all. I've been doing the CBT thing - getting out of bed, breathing, relaxation exercises. Nothing.

 

I would rather not start another drug like Valium and my docs are not willing to issue an Rx for it. I'd have to find a doc willing to do that. Feeling so crappy today! Like a zombie and don't have the mental energy to make a decision either.

 

 

[[...]]

Getting off benzos is not easy. Some big bumps are inevitable.

 

If you "tough it out" you won't regret it. However, if it's too tough there's a danger of totally reinstating and giving up the fight.

 

The propanolol is a good drug for easing some of the w/d. The sleep loss you've experienced is "normal" for withdrawal. It's really a personal decision whether to re-instate and do a slower taper of the 0.125. But it's hard to predict how that will go.

 

This process is very hard because everyone is different, and have different demands in their life. If only there were a prescribed course we could be sure of  . . .

 

 

[[So...]]

Getting off benzos is not easy. Some big bumps are inevitable.

 

If you "tough it out" you won't regret it. However, if it's too tough there's a danger of totally reinstating and giving up the fight. ...

 

What does "totally reinstating" mean?

[[pr...]]

Sounds like you've done a pretty fast taper, but I have to agree, if you've just been on since January, you might be best off just hanging in there and getting through the withdrawal period.  Be prepared for it to take some weeks.  It will pass eventually.

 

If you do decide to reinstate the K to your last dose (0.125) and then taper down further before you jump off, well, that seems like a do-able approach too.  Just be aware that reinstatement doesn't always make the withdrawal symptoms go away.  It might make it easier to function though while you continue your taper.

 

If I were in your shoes I would probably take a couple of weeks medical leave and just tough it out.  But I am most decidedly NOT in your shoes (that I know of) and only you are the expert on You.

[[RM...]]

Sonic Stay Strong Please my advice to you is to look up ( im not sure if you believe in 'Gods medication' Herbs Which been on the planet since it was here..... i have some info on herbs that might help you out(Which are not addictive but will help with your problems you mentioned :

 

Passion Flower - helps with anxiety, sleep, prevents aging, good for heart, lowers blood pressure

Valerian Root - helps with anxiety , sleep(insomnia),muscle relaxant(helps muscle spasms and cramps)Helps pain and headaches (Don't take everyday longer then 2 months)

 

There is more that they help with as well.

That's just 2

 

 

I also have the dry mouth, idk what herbs help with that, but ill like to know

 

Stay Strong

 

[[re...]]

I'd reinstate to 0.125 and taper a while longer. Hold there a couple weeks, then cut to 0.1, hold a couple weeks, then cut to 0.0625, hold a couple weeks, then maybe jump - or jump gradually, by stretching out the intervals between doses.

 

I've just described the way I did it, back in December. I didn't find it hard to jump from that dose, especially since I was only taking it every fourth day by the time I jumped. Of course, there will still be some discomfort during the healing, but it should be tolerable. From my experience with clonazepam, I'd say 0.125 is too high a dose to jump from.

Evan

[[So...]]

Thanks all! You've made my confusing situation more clear.

 

I had  great session with a new clinical psychologist and we worked out a plan. Which is I'm going to try melatonin for one night and see what happens. Also since my blood pressure is up I'm going to do a small amount of Propanolol (5-10mg). If I don't get freaked about my racing heartbeat, I usually have less anxiety and calm down. This relaxes me and I can get more sleepy. That and maybe the melatonin should help.

 

I will reassess and then think about second option which is to reinstate to the .125mg Klonopin. I really need to get back to a level of functioning. I actually have until the end of March to get my act together, then I've got to get back to work in earnest. That's why I was willing to aggressively taper and risk a bumpy withdrawal, otherwise I would have done a more gradual taper. That and the awful sxs and/or withdrawal symptoms I was having.

 

It was suggested to me today that it is possible that the dry mouth/throat and burning chest may be totally unrelated to the Klonopin. One good thing I've learned from the c/t experience is that since I've been off it from last Friday (5 days now) those symptoms have not subsided. I am now going to visit a doc on Monday to get checked for something called Sjogren's syndrome. This also may be a function of wacky hormones - getting those checked too.

 

All of which takes time and until I can get more info, I need to get to some stable level and some of my life back. So Melatonin and then maybe reinstate. Trying not to think of this as a failure.

 

Life can be a real adventure!