New here

[[af...]]

Hi everyone. I am new here. I never thought I would search out something like this but here I am. I guess I'll give you the "short" story of why I am here...

I was given a prescription for Klonopin 1-2mg at night if needed for sleep about 3 years ago. I began with 0.5mg once a week or so and about this time last year was up to 2mg every night for sleep. I never thought to question the medication choice or research it. I  research everything...I just didn't research this! Ugh. Anyway, I began weaning myself off this medication about 3 months ago. I got down to 0.5mg with no problems. On March 17th, I forgot to take the Klonopin and I slept all night! Wow. I thought well that's that, no more Klonopin for me...two days later my world came crashing down around me and I thought I was dieing. I had no idea what was causing the anxiety, shaking, muscle jerking, extreme nauseau, dizziness, headaches, twitching, heart pounding, freezing,  etc etc etc. It only took another full day to figure it out...I started Googling Klonopin withdrawal and came across some frightening information. I found out that my body was dependent on the Klonopin. I do not trust the doctor that gave it to me so I went to another doctor. She suggested that I go back on the 0.5mg and taper off slower. By this time I hadn't taken the Klonpin for 6 days...but I was in bad shape! I felt like a complete failure when that night I took a dose of 0.5mg. But hey, at least I am still here. Still trying. I need help and encouragement from others that have gone before me. AND I want to encourage others as well. I am scared but I know we can all get through this. I need others right now that can walk with me in an understanding way. Thank you for letting me join. I look forward to telling my story of full recovery from this.

[[ma...]]

Hello afighter

Welcome to benzobuddies, Looks like you came off to quick, sounds like classic benzo w/ds

Have a look around others will be along shortly to welcome you, you will get a lot of support here

If you have any questions let us know

 

If you wish to add a signature: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=9432.0

Take care

Magrita

[Guest [Be...]]

Welcome.. I'm new also.  So sorry you had to find out the "hard" way what withdrawal feels like! Been there before.  Hopefully your taper from here on out will be a smooth as possible for you. 

[[fi...]]

Welcome aboard.  I am tapering from Klonopin too and came off way too quickly (due to two "medical detoxes").  I felt like I was dying and had to reinstate.  I go into the gory details on my blog.

 

At any rate, I am holding steady at 1.75 mg. of Klonopin until my body recovers enough so that I can make another small cut.  Glad you found us.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[pi...]]

Hello afighter,

 

You do sound like a fighter, strong and determined to get through this process. We are so happy you have found us.  This is a community of people with common goals: to withdraw and recover from benzo use.  There are a lot of great people here to encourage and to answer questions.

 

Slow and steady wins the race as far as withdrawal goes.  You might try to stabalize on your dose for a while before starting another reduction. Your second doctor was right to put you back on at .5 mg.  From there you can do a slow and careful taper, you might even consider titration.

 

Please feel free to ask questions.

 

pianogirl

[Guest [vi...]]

On March 17th, I forgot to take the Klonopin and I slept all night! Wow. I thought well that's that, no more Klonopin for me...two days later my world came crashing down around me and I thought I was dieing.

 

LMAOOOOO. just a month ago, my doc. cut my 0.5 mg clonazepam. i slept fine for two days and i thought to myself -- good riddance, man, i didn't have to suffer. the third day i found myself suddenly in HELL till my doc. reinstated it with chlordiazepoxide. clonazeapam has a half life of 18 to 50 hours...thus.

 

you know, benzos are the greatest drug invented by man. if you stay on them, you get depressed. if you come off them you get severely depressed. it's like win win. (nevermind that you were never depressed before starting the benzo.)

 

start tapering.

[[af...]]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am so impatient and feel like I am taking poison every night. I want off this stuff. I am taking the 0.5mg by cutting a 1mg tablet in half but being the impatient person I am I took a knife and started shaving a little bit off each night. I know it's not the most accurate way to do it, but I figured if I could just shave a little bit off and take a little less than 0.5mg then that's better?

I have three children at home and just want to be better fast. I am fortunate enough to be a stay at home mom but I feel such a strong desire to not let this interfere with me being a mom. I am so blessed to have found this group.

Can anyone recommend any reading on this group? It's so much information. I don't want to miss anything.

Thanks again for the support!

[Guest [vi...]]

fighter mom,

 

don't shave tablets. it's not clinically accurate and will result in a taper full of spikes and steep cuts -- totally counter productive. don't get excited. remain on the 0.5 mg dose. check with your pharmacy -- you get K in 0.5 mg dose. you want to be functional with 3 kids around during the taper. so it is important you do it very slow. and for that to happen, read all the info in the "tapering" section in this site. you can taper directly from K using liquid titration or you can cross over to valium.

 

if you shave, you might not notice anything in the first few few cuts and that will fuel your optimism. but one more shave and you run the risk of crashing which you don't want. crashing is no fun -- ER and reinstated at a higher dose.

[[af...]]

Thanks Vineet2.

This is all so overwhelming. I will get the 1/2mg tablets. I won't be able to cross over to Valium. Weird thing is I can't take even a small dose of Valium! I don't know how I've been able to take the Klonopin? The titration thing scares me. I'm afraid I'll do it wrong. I think I might have to stick with the dry cuts. But you are right...I don't want spikes and dips in my recovery. I'll be more careful to not be so impatient. I don't have a doctor that knows anything about this. The doctor that gave me the Klonopin always gives me a handful of prescriptions when I see her. I throw them away. I don't know why I ever filled the K one! "Sigh"

[[ha...]]

Hi,

Think you are doing it the right way. From what I gather, a slow taper allows you brain to heal as you go along. Lousy to have to go through that the way you did. Thank goodness you now have a doctor who will support you through the taper.

I have gone from 1.25 in Dec to .25 right now on k.  It has been really hard, but the cut before was way worse, so I am trying to be patient.

I, like you, never thought I would use an on-line forum - but honestly it is the best thing I have ever done. I get support, give support, learn. It seems to unburden my day to day life. It also reduces my seeking support in my day life.

Go well.

[[af...]]

Thanks Hanna,

I really do not have a doctor that "supports me in an understanding way" I was at my urologist with a bladder infection and I told her about the Klonopin and the effects the withdrawal were having on me. She is pretty anti-drug and I love that about her. She encouraged me that it had been 6 WHOLE days off of it could I just get through the next few? I told her I didn't think so. My legs were jerking, muscles cramping, shivering etc etc etc. She then suggested I just go back to what I was taking and taper slower...She really has no experience with this type of thing so I am kinda on my own medically speaking. I am so thankful for this forum and my family.

[Guest [vi...]]

Thanks Vineet2.

This is all so overwhelming. I will get the 1/2mg tablets. I won't be able to cross over to Valium. Weird thing is I can't take even a small dose of Valium! I don't know how I've been able to take the Klonopin? The titration thing scares me. I'm afraid I'll do it wrong. I think I might have to stick with the dry cuts. But you are right...I don't want spikes and dips in my recovery. I'll be more careful to not be so impatient. I don't have a doctor that knows anything about this. The doctor that gave me the Klonopin always gives me a handful of prescriptions when I see her. I throw them away. I don't know why I ever filled the K one! "Sigh"

 

fine fighter mom. don't cross over to valium. many folks here liquid titrate down from K so you are in great company. don't get frightened. it's easy once you dig into it. you are not scared of cooking something like chicken stroganoff, right? but i am for i know jackshit about it. but i'm sure if i dig into it i can cook a nice meal. liquid titration is no different from cooking with measured ingredients.

 

here watch this video to acquaint yourself with the idea: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQefn6JnP64

 

 

[[ha...]]

Afighter,

Can you get the doctor to give you a script for reasonable amount for a taper? That has been a godsend for me; just getting a compounding pharmacist to make the right dosages so I don't have to worry about the titration thing. My pdoc was not supportive at all. I have stopped seeing her. My GP is doing the scripts for the taper, seems to understand it, but really isn't in it with me for the journey, so to speak. Seems to be enough with support from this forum and a couple of friends whom I spend time with every weekend and who are supportive. I am not anti-docs totally, but was really blindsided with this one as I am usually so careful about checking meds before I get them. I can't believe I was on the equivalent of 60 mg of valium for years. Although I am having brutal sxs, I do find that in some ways my brain is way better than it has been in 15 years.

Hang in there!

[[ma...]]

Hi afighter

 

Your doing a great job so far, have you had a look at the titration threads just give you an idea.

 

Here is a link to the titration boards no harm in looking, its very hard dry cutting the lower doses.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=62.0Titration   

 

 

 

((hugs))

 

Magrita

[[Ca...]]

Hi afighter,

 

A warm welcome to our site. I hope we can encourage you on your taper.

 

I myself am rather inscure about the titration too but my chemist provides the right dosage. I am with hanna on this  .

 

Camille

[[Ma...]]

Hi just want to welcome you. 

 

I think there are a lot of people on here from the UK where it is easier to get help.

 

Does anyone know of a compounding, titrating pharmacy in the US?

[[fi...]]

You should be able to Google compounding pharmacies in your area or call a local pharmacy and see if they know of one.  Also, the phone book usually states if a pharmacy does compounding or not.

 

Lastly, your doctor might know of one, since that's how I found a compounding pharmacy for another medication I was on.

 

Sincerely,

 

fg

[[Ma...]]

Thanks fg