helping my son get off Klonapin so he can go to a sobriety home

[Cindy255]

Our 24 year old son is an opiate addict,he was addicted to oxycontine in his early 20's (never prescribed it -obtained it from dealers). He went to detox and rehab about 11/2years ago and tho no longer using heavily, he has relapsed occasionally. Although bright and athletic in high school ,he became depressed in his junior or senior year and also described feeling very anxious. He also was diagnosed with seizure disorder,after an apparent grand mal seizure at 19 yrs.of age (both his family doc and neurologist believe it unrelated to drug abuse). He takes Depakote but still was having troubling auras and a sense that a seizure was oncoming (which it did at least twice) so he was prescribed Klonapin 2mg daily (by a mental health nurse NP) and the auras are less common. He also takes Celexa for the depression. Since he has been relapsing living with us and in the community that he abused in, he has agreed that the best plan would be for him to leave the area and go to a good sobriety home to practice healthy living skills. This puts us in a "Catch-22"-as no facility will take him on the Klonapin and yet it is prescribed to control auras and, ultimately, seizures.We're waiting for him to see his neurologist in June-but wonder if there are any ideas for other medical regimen to control his epilepsy so that he can be medically stable and enter a sobriety group home-thanks for answering -we're feeling so 'stuck'   Cindy

[Cindy255]

Thanks for the support.-just started reading re: Klonapin withdrawl on this and some other sites. I didn't know it was SO challenging-

[TysonRed]

It really sounds like your son may need to find a different medication to control his epiplepsy(auras), if the goal is to get him off the klonopin. Im assuming that he has been abusing the klonopin to some degree and needs to find a different med that isnt addictive and have the potential for abuse like benzo's do. Its really a question to ask his doctor at his upcoming visit, he should be able to give you the best advice about what alternative meds that can be used without potential for abuse. I wish you and your family all the best, let us know how things go, take care.

[Cindy255]

Hi Ella, no-my son never tried Neurotin (he did try Keppra and Lamictil both which gave him bad side effects)-but i've heard of it and could read up on it. Thanks for the suggestion and getting back to me -have you heard good things about it? Cindy

[Ella789]

Hi Cindy

  Has any of his Dr.s  said anything about Neurotin?  Or has he tried it before for seizures?  


Ella