The Klonopin Klub

[[Be...]]

I get this too. I think I'm sleeping but I'm really not. Sucks. I'm on Trazodone and it's not really working very well. I can't tell if I'm asleep or awake at night anymore. So weird. I thought it was the trazodone. Who knows maybe it is.

[[ja...]]

I'm also on Trazodone for sleep and it helps...every night I just chill and have faith in the process. And kind of offer myself and my soul to God for the night. 

 

jaxnj

[[kl...]]

I get this too. I think I'm sleeping but I'm really not. Sucks. I'm on Trazodone and it's not really working very well. I can't tell if I'm asleep or awake at night anymore. So weird. I thought it was the trazodone. Who knows maybe it is.

 

I'm sorry you're suffering from this too, but i'm glad someone knows what I mean.  It's so incredibly unrefreshing in the morning. 

 

When I first tapered completely off trazadone a couple months ago my sleep actually improved, for awhile at least.  The "fake" sleep crept in just the last couple weeks.

[[Be...]]

I didn't take the traz last night and I feel like I got better sleep. We'll see tonight. (Crosses fingers)

Hope your sleep improves 

[[ca...]]

I'm joining your thread. After 4 crazy months of nervous/physical symptoms, I had one good week. Now I'm back to changing symptoms all day from good to bad -- had that around month 10 I think. I'm at 12.5. After that good week around 60% feeling well, I'd hoped I'd turned a corner. Some people say not to expect that because I took 8 mg the last year on meds, so they don't think it's possible for me to turn the corner to manageable days of 60% or more every day until 2 years out. Any thoughts? I feel like my mental sx have healed lots, but these crazy nervous sx stuff can make me feel anxiety/nervous/stuff in my chest, etc.

[[ji...]]

Ok this time I made myself read all the previous threads before me  , but now I forgot what I read.

I have a question for those off completely. Was tapering just as difficult as when you were drug free or is drug free when things get worse? I'm still at over .5mg and feel like I'm in the home stretch, but still have a couple more months to go. Which is worse so I can worry more  . I've been tapering for over a year now! It feels like it is never going to end!

Wow Alan you are sure getting a ton done! I think I would have a melt down after all that activity. Yesterday grocery shopping and cooking dinner wipped me out.

Jax I'm glad to see someone else in a 12 step group. Yes it's completely frowned on to medicate. I just have not found anything to help with my GI issues. I'm not ashamed of it, but I don't bring it up in meetings as it is frowned on. I don't have the same relationship with it as I did with alcohol. I'm a rasta and think it's god given.    ... where is the smiley face with dreadlocks?

 

Welcome Genoa ( what a beautiful name!) Is that Italian? Welcome to the only people who understand. If I did not know others struggled with this as much as I have I would think I'm crazy. Now I know it's the medicine and what it did to my brain. Just knowing this has held me up through hard times.

 

I cut again on Sunday and think today it's coming to a head as I had nightime delirium with wacky vivid dreams and morning nausea. I'm starting to feel better now as the morning is wearing off. Off to try to accomplish something if only a load of laundry.

[[Pa...]]

Has anyone jumped from .25mg?

 

I was on 2mg a day for the last year and a half.  I'm down to .25mg in the morning and .5mg at night.

My next cut will be to .25mg on my night dose.

My plan was to jump off my morning dose at .25mg, and then jump off my night dose a couple weeks later.

 

I get terrible headaches after my cuts.  Especially my latest cut.  They usually subside in about 3 or 4 days.  My physical symptoms subside in about 1 week.

Mentally i'm torn up.  The anxiety comes in waves.

 

I'm trying to hold down a job as well.  I work full time as an e-commerce developer.  I'm pretty sure i'm going to have to take time off when i make my final cut.

Luckily the job keeps my mind off a lot of the symptoms during the day.

[[Be...]]

Hi

Yes I jumped from .25mg. I was on .5mg for 8 months. Went down to .25 for 2 weeks then jumped. My main symptoms are trouble sleeping.

[[Pa...]]

Good stuff.

 

i'll stick to the same plan.

 

thanks!

[[Be...]]

A lot of people say that it's too quick of a jump. It may be, but I just did what my doc told me to do. I'm off 3 1/2 weeks now. The insomnia is a bitch. It got better last night thank God.

 

Good Luck to ya 

[[Pa...]]

I've been doing .25mg drops since the beginning of my taper.  It seems like the rational option.  I'm able to handle drops of that size without losing functionality.  Hopefully the jump off won't be a whole new beast.

[[...]]

I have a question for those off completely. Was tapering just as difficult as when you were drug free or is drug free when things get worse? I'm still at over .5mg and feel like I'm in the home stretch, but still have a couple more months to go. Which is worse so I can worry more  . I've been tapering for over a year now! It feels like it is never going to end!

 

Hi Jillian, I was really worried about jumping since I'd attempted it at .5mg and felt like I was dying. It was WAY too big of dose to jump from and I learned the hard way. I ended up tapering down to .0187mg and jumped from there. It was annoying waiting that much longer, but I barely had any symptoms compared to jumping from the higher dose. So, for me, drug free was much better compared to my taper. But, if I hadn't reinstated from jumping at .5mg, drug free would've been hell compared to my taper.

 

This is why I'm all for taking more time to taper if it means a smoother recovery and smoother experience jumping. The few more months I had to stay on the drug was totally worth it in the end.

 

Good luck to you!!

[[Ve...]]

Hello!!!

I want to join the club!

It's so good to see I am not alone in this mess.

I am very tired, almost all the time, the fatigue is killing me.

My house is a big big disaster, dont manage to clean up, to do the laundry...I focus on cooking and that seems to be too much..

I was feeling so down about it because I didnt read about other members suffering from this and I was really relieved when I saw that I am not alone.

I stay at home most of the time wishing I could live another life.

It hurts that I cant go out there and simply enjoy life, it scares me that it passed so much time and I still feel this awful fatigue but I think it must be related to my fast taper.

I try to take care of myself, changed my diet, became sort of a health freak, eat mostly what I cook with fresh produce, I also juice every day, try not to get myself tired, to sleep as much as I can, when I feel good I walk a lot and do yoga.

Be patient with my english pls, its not my native language.

Anyway, I am really glad to be here!

[[Wh...]]

Hello!!!

I want to join the club!

It's so good to see I am not alone in this mess.

I am very tired, almost all the time, the fatigue is killing me.

My house is a big big disaster, dont manage to clean up, to do the laundry...I focus on cooking and that seems to be too much..

I was feeling so down about it because I didnt read about other members suffering from this and I was really relieved when I saw that I am not alone.

I stay at home most of the time wishing I could live another life.

It hurts that I cant go out there and simply enjoy life, it scares me that it passed so much time and I still feel this awful fatigue but I think it must be related to my fast taper.

I try to take care of myself, changed my diet, became sort of a health freak, eat mostly what I cook with fresh produce, I also juice every day, try not to get myself tired, to sleep as much as I can, when I feel good I walk a lot and do yoga.

Be patient with my english pls, its not my native language.

Anyway, I am really glad to be here!

 

Welcome Verona!!!  You are not alone anymore. 

[[Ni...]]

Random question here; reading a lot about klonopin and muscles... I started doing dumbell exercises yesterday and fell horrible a few hours after, also I usually feel very bad after moving heavy charges at work.. can it be related?

[[te...]]

It's related, unfortunately. Anytime I do anything partially strenuous and muscle related, such as moving a piece of furniture...feel fatigued, sore muscles all over and jerky muscle movements for hours afterwards. One of my BB friends, Benzohno, uses epson salt baths to ease muscle pain.

 

T2

[[wh...]]

Thought I may as well drop by and join the Club. Hope this finds you all as well as can be.

WO

[[ga...]]

Hello everyone,

 

Hbam, kindly sent me your direction.  I need to get off of klonopin as quickly as possible, as I want to return to

my career.  As you can see from my signature, I started out on ambien due to sleep issues following an accident.  I then in turn developed daytime anxiety and was prescribed ativan.  Soon I was changed to a longer acting klonopin.  I have been on 1 -2 mg of klonopin,  5 times a week for about 5 years.  I am having many symptoms and I wish to stop this medication.  I am only on klonopin,  not on any other medications or supplements.

Thank you for any advice or recommendations.

gabby

[[ja...]]

Hi Gabrielle,

 

I was on Klonopin and other Benzos for 20 years at the same dose as you, more or less. I pretty much went c/t under a doctor's care back in May and experienced terrible withdrawal symptoms for about 2 months. In the beginning, 2 months seemed like forever but I'm definitely out of the woods now.

 

I wouldn't recommend c/t, but on the other hand I see people suffering for the entire year they taper and I'm really glad I got it over with now. I'm in the minority with my opinion but that's just my 2 cents.

 

jaxnj

[[wh...]]

Hello everyone,

 

Hbam, kindly sent me your direction.  I need to get off of klonopin as quickly as possible, as I want to return to

my career.  As you can see from my signature, I started out on ambien due to sleep issues following an accident.  I then in turn developed daytime anxiety and was prescribed ativan.  Soon I was changed to a longer acting klonopin.  I have been on 1 -2 mg of klonopin,  5 times a week for about 5 years.  I am having many symptoms and I wish to stop this medication.  I am only on klonopin,  not on any other medications or supplements.

Thank you for any advice or recommendations.

gabby

 

Hi Gabby and welcome to BB's. I think it's really finding a way to get off this medication as painlessly as possible. As you well know c/t's are never recommended unless it is life threatening or the medicine is toxic to you. There is really no golden rule to this as most advice is taken from the Ashton protocol but in the end we are all different. You may want to post in the Titration taper thread or the general taper plan thread to get a plan for yourself to come off the kpin. I think the biggest thing is listening to your body as well as having a structure to your taper as there seems to be no "one size fits all," when it comes to this stuff. I have tried a slow cross over to Valium and couldn't tolerate it. Do you know how you would like to taper, dry cut, titration or cross over to Valium? If you can get crossed over to Valium it may suit you, if not I found out that by splitting my kpin dose to am and pm I was able to taper. I tried and tried to taper from just a pm dose and could not tolerate the cuts but when I split the dose things went more smoothly and I have been able to carry on with the taper by dry cutting. When things begin to get tougher, I believe I may try and do titration when I get to 1mg. Certainly sounds like you may be in Tolerance w/d, are you dosing once a day? Just my 2 cents. Good Luck!

WO

 

[[ga...]]

Thanks for your responses jaxnj and whiteoak.  I see you understand my dilemma, whether to try a rapid taper or a cold turkey off of this klonopin, or consider a prolonged taper.  I am a very strong person and having read so many of the pros and cons of this route, I may be able to attempt a rapid withdrawal.  I completely under stand the piece about seizure risk and protracted withdrawal issues. I see the difficulty that both the microtaperers and slow taperers are having, as well as those who rapid taper or cold turkey.  It seems to be such a divided issue, with good and bad observed from both sides.  I will start a blog sometime soon so that I can fill in the history, (mostly for myself) and objectively look at the way I decide to undertake this journey.  My goal is to restore my career and my life as soon as I am able.  My life has been put on hold way too long at this point and I know I must push forward in the most aggressive way possible.  It may hurt, it may not, and only time will tell.

Thank you for your input, everyone.

gabs

[[je...]]

Gabrielle... I did CT Klonopin.  I had to get off asap bc I had become severely depressed and etc... So I stayed on some xanax but basically just quit the Klonopin.  For me the first two weeks...PURE HELL.  I hav no idea how I continued to go to work and I dont remember most of it.  The second two weeks...Still in hell but, could drive a car more than a mile....That kept me going.  The second month had a few good hours here and there and the second half of the month....after stabalizing on about .75mgs of xanax per day... I had a good few days here and there.  Now I am doing a taper to get of the xanax and every cut brings back some sxs but, I would not wish a ct experience on anyone.  However, I should say I also do not regret doing it.  Best of luck, Jess

[[dr...]]

has anyone ever taken Klonopin on a PRN basis?  I took it on and off for about 3 months, and it was one hell of a roller coaster.  i would take it for like 3 days straight (0.25mg in morning and evening), then take a week off, and then start the cycle again (but with some irregularity).  I never took it on a schedule.  Everytime the medicine wore off a few days later, I would get terrible derealization, that made me take more klonopin because i believed it was due to my underlying problem (panic disorder), but now I know it was due to klonopin.  I no longer take klonopin and no longer get derealization.  what a terrible drug for PRN use.  but probably better than xanax, which made me feel like i was going to die (i.e. breathing difficulties) during interdose withdrawal. 

[[al...]]

Ok this time I made myself read all the previous threads before me  , but now I forgot what I read.

I have a question for those off completely. Was tapering just as difficult as when you were drug free or is drug free when things get worse? I'm still at over .5mg and feel like I'm in the home stretch, but still have a couple more months to go. Which is worse so I can worry more  . I've been tapering for over a year now! It feels like it is never going to end!

Wow Alan you are sure getting a ton done! I think I would have a melt down after all that activity. Yesterday grocery shopping and cooking dinner wipped me out.

Jax I'm glad to see someone else in a 12 step group. Yes it's completely frowned on to medicate. I just have not found anything to help with my GI issues. I'm not ashamed of it, but I don't bring it up in meetings as it is frowned on. I don't have the same relationship with it as I did with alcohol. I'm a rasta and think it's god given.    ... where is the smiley face with dreadlocks?

 

Welcome Genoa ( what a beautiful name!) Is that Italian? Welcome to the only people who understand. If I did not know others struggled with this as much as I have I would think I'm crazy. Now I know it's the medicine and what it did to my brain. Just knowing this has held me up through hard times.

 

I cut again on Sunday and think today it's coming to a head as I had nightime delirium with wacky vivid dreams and morning nausea. I'm starting to feel better now as the morning is wearing off. Off to try to accomplish something if only a load of laundry.

 

how ya doing.day 134 0ff still in misery.but still forcing the issue with the working out.i wanna be able to be close as possible to my old sexy smooth brother self when this pass.even if my face right now looks like someone stressed out my body dont have to.i have wacky vivid dreams stillplus the hot/cold,muscle tension and on and off gi issues.as i write this it feels like my head is in a vice.

[[re...]]

Thanks for your responses jaxnj and whiteoak.  I see you understand my dilemma, whether to try a rapid taper or a cold turkey off of this klonopin, or consider a prolonged taper.  I am a very strong person and having read so many of the pros and cons of this route, I may be able to attempt a rapid withdrawal.  I completely under stand the piece about seizure risk and protracted withdrawal issues. I see the difficulty that both the microtaperers and slow taperers are having, as well as those who rapid taper or cold turkey.  It seems to be such a divided issue, with good and bad observed from both sides.  I will start a blog sometime soon so that I can fill in the history, (mostly for myself) and objectively look at the way I decide to undertake this journey.  My goal is to restore my career and my life as soon as I am able.  My life has been put on hold way too long at this point and I know I must push forward in the most aggressive way possible.  It may hurt, it may not, and only time will tell.

Thank you for your input, everyone.

gabs

 

 

 

I did a cold turkey off of K. It was beyond something I can wrap my head around. I was in the hospital for a week. Could hardly walk. Mental stuff was unreal. Hallucinations etc.  I dont know how I managed to stay off.  I dont recommend this route to anyone if they can avoid it. I failed an 8 month taper that had me bed ridden a great deal of it. I felt I had to jump. I am 13 months out and far from healed. Getting better but a long ways to go.