Hello I am new

[[Ma...]]

I am on 6 mg of Klonopin a day.  I have not yet started tapering as I am currently tapering off Lamactil and going through withdrawals with that.

 

I realize I will have to taper off the Klonopin and would like as much info and help as I can get.

 

I was recently switched to Klonopin after being on Ativan for about 10 years, starting at 1 mg ATivan and now here I am at 6 mg Klonopin, which is scaring me terribly.  I look forward to being able to post on the board.

[[Bi...]]

Mairin33,

 

Welcoming you to BenzoBuddies.

 

You will find plenty of support here.

 

If you have any questions, let us know.

 

If you wish to add a signature: Signature

 

Again, Welcome Aboard!

 

Billy.

[[...]]

Hi and welcome!  You will find a ton of information on the site as well as advice from the community.

Read Ashton's manual and ask a ton of questions.  Everyone has a different recovery, so don't be discouraged by some of the facts.  Remember,  everyone is different and we are here to lend support!

Skyy

[[jr...]]

Hi Mairin-You have come to the right place for support.  I was also on Klonopin, and have been off now for about 8 months.  I didn't taper, but most of the people on this forum have or are tapering, and I'm sure you will get a lot of information.  Just ask!  I wish you all the best.  Jenn

[[Ma...]]

Thank you for the welcomes.  I am still trying to get off Lamactil, and then will start on Klonopin.  I am so worried about it as I am on 6 mgs daily, for about 5 months.  I am trying to cut to 5 over the last week, while on the Lamactil.  Taking 6 is just scaring me terribly.  I have been doing this for 5 days, cut out 1 mg.  Last night I had a lot of chills.

 

I am really scared to death.  I have recently realized how bad these drugs are, a friend of mine died about 3 weeks ago, he was also on 6 mgs Klonopin.

 

I know going down 1 mg is a lot, but I am so scared of this drug. 

[[Fl...]]

Marin,

Hello and welcome.  Yes, Klonopin is a nasty drug, but so are all benzos. I too was on 6 mg Klonopin a day several years ago. When we break that down to a Valium equivalent, it comes to 120 mg Valium. Most doctors won't cross you over to Valium at more than 30 or 40 mg. So you'll need to reduce the Klonopin to 1.5 or 2, if you're  planning to do a cross over.

 

At these high doses, you can safely reduce 10% at a time over a period of a couple of weeks.  Or round down and reduce your dose to 5.5 mg a day. 

 

It's really important that you don't drink alcohol during this time. It could be downright dangerous for you.  Are you under the guidance of a benzo wise  doctor?

 

Don't be scared. You're in the right place. Just don't get in a hurry, OK. Slow and steady wins this race.

Im glad you found us! 

Flip

[Guest [de...]]

Despite your impressively high dose of K, the brain adapts to percentage cuts for the vast majority of the taper.

 

Many people think that their high doses mean much longer taper times, but that is not necessarily true. 10 percent is 10 percent whether tou are taking 6 mg per day or 1. So while it may take a little bit longer to get off 6 versus 1, it will not take 6 times as long. With a proper taper schedule you could hopefully become benzo free in 12 to 18 months. But I agree with the previous poster that you will have to direct taper off of K down to atleast 2 or 3 mg/day before you can crossover to Valium, should you decide that is the way to go. Going immediately from 6 to 5 may be a bit too fast. I would try going from 6 to 5.75 for a week and see how that feels. If you have no w/d sympyoms, then you may increase your cut by .5 decrements. As you get into the lower doses, you may find that you have to cut smaller absolute amounts to keep your dose decrement no greater than 10% every two weeks. If you get impatient and push cuts when you are still feeling w/d, you will be very unhappy.

[[Ma...]]

Can you direct me to other members who have been on such a high dose of Klonopin?  I am new and I don't know exactly how to make a "buddy" and follow them.

[[Be...]]

Hi there Marin,

 

Firstly welcome

 

Have a good read around and you will find people with similar stories. The way to get to know people is by maybe reading someone's story that you are interested in and then introducing yourself.  You are free to post on anyones blog in the buddie blog section, that is where a lot of people hang around to chat about their day and what is going on for them, w/d stuff too.  Questions can be posted in any area.. It's good to get stuck in an introduce yourself to others and encourage them as well. Also in the introduction section you will find people joining who are feeling like you.

 

Good luck and I hope you begin to feel at home very soon.

 

Hugs,

Betsy xxxx

[[su...]]

Hello Mairin33,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies. I see you are currently on 6 mg of Klonopin. I have been prescribed up to 5mg of Klonopin along with 3 mg of Lunesta. As you can see from my signature line, I have been doing a slow taper. If you are interested in how I am able to do a slow taper please let me know or post a question in "General Taper Plans". I see you are interested in going from 6 mg of Klonopin to 1 mg of Klonopin. Are you thinking about tapering to 1 mg or just dropping to 1 mg?

 

The best way to become free from a benzodiazepine is to do a slow taper.

 

I'm happy you found BenzoBuddies.

 

Love to you,

 

Summer

[[Ma...]]

No, I want to do the slow taper.  I am still getting of Lamactil.  I am really dismayed at the long road ahead, but trying to have faith.

[[He...]]

Hi Marin.  I am new here as well but have been tapering Klonopin since last May (I was on about 3 mgs at that time).  It took me two attempts to fully come off.  The first time was 4 months which brought me to mid-September 2011.  I waited 2 weeks and then started tapering Lamictal (100 mg).  I got too ambitious and went down to 50 within a few weeks.  My cns went into meltdown at that point and I had to go back up in dose and back on a small amount of Klonopin (.5).  So since early December I have been tapering the .5 and I just finished the taper 4 weeks ago. Like others have said, try to be patient .

 

So glad you found this forum! 

 

Karen

 

 

 

[[Ma...]]

Thank you Healing.  I have dropped the last 25 mgs of Lamactil 2 days ago.  Am hoping for a not too bad week.  Thank you so much.  Would like to be buddies.

[[Ma...]]

How does a person put the link to their buddie blog on their signature?

[[ma...]]

Hello Mairin33

 

 

How does a person put the link to their buddie blog on their signature?

 

If you have started a buddie blog: open your blog, at the very top of the screen in the address bar you will see benzobuddies . org/forum etc etc that is your address to your blog just copy and paste it in your sig line.

 

Magrita

[[ma...]]

Hi Again Mairin 33

 

I have brought you your Buddie link, just copy and paste it in sig

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=51062.msg688454#msg688454

 

Magrita 

[Guest [vi...]]

hi mairin,

 

deerslayer has said it very well. how high your dose is is not at all important. withdrawal symptoms to dose is not a linear equation. you won't have as much difficulty tapering from 6 mg to 1 mg to even 0.5 mg as you will getting off of that last 0.5 mg. and yes, there are a LOT of people here on your  dose level and some even higher and they have successfully tapered. you are not an exception (re: 6 mg). in other words, getting from 6 mg to 0 is as bad as getting from 0.5 mg (my dose)  to 0.

 

i've been on 1 mg in the past and cutting down to 0.5 mg was a walk in the park. but when i stopped 0.5 mg (in a detox), the park looked a bit different (OK very different) and i quickly went back on it.

 

but take it easy for now. recover from your lamictal withdrawals first and then start a benzo taper.

[[He...]]

Hi Mairin,

 

It would be great to be buddies.  I haven't tried to do that yet but will give it a shot.  How are you today?  I am having a couple of decent days after a horrible few weeks.  This is such a rollercoaster journey.

 

All the best,

Karen

[[Ma...]]

Hi thank you I figured out how to add my benzobuddie blog.

 

Today is day four Lamictal withdrawal.  I managed to get through almost two hours of selling girl scout cookies.  Was not at all easy.

 

No feeling to great today.  Drinking the herbal potion my holistic doctor suggested.  (scullcap, damiana and oat straw).  Had a pretty difficult morning.

 

I think the lamictal causes incontinence, I feel like I constantly have to go.  Hoping that will clear up.  Many things upsetting me today.

[[lo...]]

Hi Mairin,

 

You'll make it. Don't worry, you're in the right place. I can relate to the incontinence! It'll go away, just hang in there.

 

"When you're going through hell, just keep going." - Winston Churchill

[[Ma...]]

Hi Lost Dog   Were you on lamactil too?  I have been reading that is one of the side effects, incontinence.  I am really thanking God I put that last lamactil in my mouth 4 days ago.  I know it will be in my system for a while though, don't know how long.  I was only on it for a little over two months.

 

Started in January 2012, but realized around the end of Feb. that it was making me horeendously anxious and was not helping me at all.  Was so bad I dropped from 75mgs to 50.  Since the end of Feb I have been dropping 25 mgs about every two weeks.  I am no longer on it as of 4 days ago, am relieved to be off it but suffering somewhat.  How long did it take for the incontinence to go away?

[[lo...]]

Hi Mairin,

 

I took Lamictal for a while, somewhere in there, but didn't stay on it long enough to attribute the incontinence effects. I'm not exactly sure what caused mine. I was on approximately 4mg of Klonopin and 150mg of Tramadol when I first began having incontinence problems. Basically, I lost all control of bladder functions, which was the reason I started researching the side effects of both the drugs, and eventually came to the conclusion I would have to quit both to fix the problem.

 

Unfortunately for me, my first stop was the doctor. I went through a series of incorrect diagnoses and was getting ready to have surgery when I came to the conclusion it might be drug effects. I had asked a neurologist and two urologists about the possibility of the drugs causing incontinence and they both said no. In my case, the problem went from having to pee all the time to peeing without knowing it, to being unable to pee at all, to severe pain all the time. I was given three different drugs and told that my only option was surgery. Instead, I quit the Tramadol and then Klonipin and the symptoms slowly got better. In my case it took several months before I noticed significant improvement and it continues to improve although it has taken much longer than I expected.

 

Whether it's the Lamictal or benzos that caused your problem, it will get better. The important thing to know is that your system will recover completely. I kept worrying that I had permanently damaged my bladder nerves and would never recover. I was wrong. I did get better and so will you. Just take it slow and steady and keep coming here when you get discouraged. Everyone is here to help. You aren't alone.

[[Ma...]]

I just wanted to post this in hoped of connecting with someone who is going through or about to go through a taper from a high dose of Klonopin.

 

I am at 6 mgs.  Have yet to start as I am withdrawing from Lamactil, but I will start soon.

[[An...]]

Welcome to Benzobuddies Mairin

 

I am afraid I cannot help you with your question but there are many Klonopin users here and I am sure someone will be along shortly to respond to your questions.

 

Wishing you all the best with getting benzo free.

 

Angel

[[Ma...]]

Hi would love to meet others on high K doses.