Cold turkey after only two months of being on clonazepam

[[Jo...]]

I was given a two week prescription at the ER for 1 mg Klonipin. I don't like taking pills so after the first few days I started cutting them in half. Well those lasted me about a month until I went back in feeling very anxious again and was given another two week does. Which again I split up to last another month.

 

3 days after stopping I felt awful like much about what I've read here. My doctor has given me Citalopram and Vistiril as of a few days ago but I'm still feeling "out of it" and awful.

 

Could I be withdrawing so badly after 2 weeks of stopping? I can't sleep, have no appetite (although my stomach is always growling), and I'm chainsmoking like a fiend.

 

Can anyone help?

[[Pr...]]

Hi Johnnie,

 

Welcome to BB!

 

Unfortunately the answer to your question is yes, you could still be in withdrawal. It is usually advised not to use benzos beyond 2-4 weeks after which physical dependency can develop. Once a person develops a dependency, it can take a while to recover completely. However since you are a short term user, I hold great hope for a speedy recovery for you.

 

One thing to consider is that many people report that starting an antidepressant while in withdrawal actually heightens their anxiety, at least for a while. Did you notice an increase in sxs after taking the lexapro?

 

-P-

[[Gr...]]

Hi Johnnie,

 

I don't know what Vistiril is but I do have some experience with Citalopram. I was prescribed Citalopram for anxiety a few years ago (pre benzo days). It was the only medication I was taking and it really heightened my anxiety for the first couple of weeks while adjusting to it. After 6 weeks I balanced out and felt like it actually helped me out quite a bit. Other have had a tough time on Citalopram in general. We are all unique in our experiences. I think it must be very difficult to be in withdrawal and adjusting to Citalopram at the same time. I also think it's great that you found this site a couple of months into benzo use as opposed to years...

Hoping the best for you.

 

Grace

[[Jo...]]

Thank you all for your replies. I'm having a minor window right now. Breathing exercises really help. I don't know how this grabbed me so hard. It was only 2 months. I'd taken it in the past (short term) and one here or there if I needed one.

 

And I've only been on the citralopam for a few days. Can I just go ahead and cut that out as well? I want to be drug free. I'd rather breathe through an attack or be depressed than to go through this again.

[[Pr...]]

If it were me, I'd simply drop it. Hopefully you have not been on it long enough to warrant a taper. If you feel worse, you can always reinstate and do the slow route.

[[Jo...]]

I think I'll stop the Vistiril and the Citalopram. I don't need all these chemicals running through me right now. When I get better, I'm dropping that doctor like a bad habit.

[[Pr...]]

Lol! Well the Vistiril is just an antihistamine. I don't know much about it but some people here use the occasional a/h for anxiety OR they use them for allergies and as an added bonus the anxiety might ease. What I hear is that they can be okay so long as you don't over use them (too frequently)

[[Jo...]]

I had taken a citalopram on Saturday and had the worse anxiety ever. I haven't had one since then so I'm thinking I'll be o.k. I tried GABA today one 750 at 1pm and then another at 4pm. I can say it took the edge off. I actually smiled once. I feel like those people who come out of a coma only to go right back into one. It really is day by day and hour by hour. I can't wait until I can be me again.

 

For my lack of appetite I've been drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast. I hadn't realized it earlier until talking to my wife that I had gone from drinking 4-5 cups of coffee a day to almost nothing about two weeks after the first attack hit back in January. I read up on caffeine withdrawal and found some bad side effects so I'm drinking some tea to try and rebalance that.

 

I'm still drowsy from lack of sleep these past two weeks but between the GABA, C.I.B, and tea, I'm almost myself again.

 

Does anybody recall feeling worse before they got better? I think as the windows stay open longer, when the symptoms come back, I get scared again.

[[Jo...]]

Took another 750 mg GABA last night around 10. Was able to fall asleep by 11:30-12:00 after a bit of tossing and turning. Woke up right around 5am again unable to go back to sleep which had been usual the past few months anyway. Took another GABA 750 around 6am to help the nerves. Right now I just have this discomforting brain buzz, lack of concentration, and tension but it's not debilitating. I'm able to write this and talk on the phone.

 

As of 8:00a.m I've eaten a bowl of oatmeal, had a couple sips of coffee(don't want to get too jittery with my nerves the way they are) and taken a 300 mg Fish Oil.

 

Funny story: Yesterday afternoon during a bit of a panic I called my insurance company to find a mental health doc in my area. They asked me if I wanted a counselor or a psychiatrist. I thought that a psychiatrist would be better because they are well trained in listening to people and deciding on the right course of treatment. Boy was I wrong. Apparently the counselors do the listening and the psychiatrists simply dose out the pills. So 8 years of schooling as a psychiatrist makes them nothing more than a glorified prescription pad with a degree. The operator told me that they take on so many patients that they only have a few minutes to diagnose each person and then write out a 'script with a followup to raise the dose, lower it, or change it completely.

[[Jo...]]

Went grocery shopping today which was a big no-no. An hour in the megamart did not do me well. Legs were feeling rubbery like I was hungover. My wife kept asking my opinion on things and I had nothing to say. I just wanted to be in bed. Tried eating a bowl of broccolli cause my system had been so empty for the past few weeks. Not feeling so great atm. Very tired and ready to be over this...