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Addiction (Expert Forum)
Quitting Klonopin Cold Turkey-No Psychiatric Help
Answered by
Jeffrey T Junig, MD PhD - Psychiatry, Addictions, Chronic Pain Treatment, Anesthesiology, Buprenorphine
Fond du Lac Psychiatry
Fond du Lac - WI
Questions in the Addiction forum are answered by a medical expert.
Quitting Klonopin Cold Turkey-No Psychiatric Help
by wschoops, Mar 11, 2009 08:58AM
I have been on 6-10 mgs per day of klonopin for the past four months and just recently ran out of my supply. When I talked to my psychiatrist, she said that was way too much (can cause seizures when mixed with Lamictal). She won't write me another prescription in fear that I will start taking too much again, but I've been off it (cold turkey) for two days now and I can't sleep, my heart races, my anxiety is back, I have uncontrollable deep muscle spasms, feel like I want to rip my skin off and can't stop pacing all night. How is this good for me? I don't know what to do, especially because she won't write even a script for half mg pills and I feel like I'm going to die. I don't want to go back on that high of a dose, especially now that I know how close I came to killing myself. I just want to be able to stop the detoxing side effects. How long will this last?
Doctor's Answer
by Jeffrey T Junig, MD PhD, Mar 17, 2009 11:29PM
, Mar 17, 2009 11:29PM
You are at serious risk, stopping that much clonazepam 'cold turkey'. There are three substances that have potentially fatal withdrawal; alcohol, benzos (clonazepam, xanax, valium, etc) and barbiturates. The main problems come from seizures, that can come without warning while you are driving down the highway, or from 'DT's', where the person becomes delirious and confused to the point of not caring for himself.
The proper treatment would be to taper you down over several weeks. I suggest going to an ER or detox or psych facility and explaining the situation. It can be done outside the hospital, often using an anticonvulsant to avoid a return to high dosing by the patient.
Another way to do it that I have used is to give the patient a prescription for clonazepam for only two days, with 5 refills... or a series of prescriptions with 'fill after' dates, each with a lower dose. Your doc took the easy, and dangerous, way out-- and in my opinion is responsible for anything bad that happens related to your withdrawal. But don't let that keep you from getting yourself taken care of.
The proper treatment would be to taper you down over several weeks. I suggest going to an ER or detox or psych facility and explaining the situation. It can be done outside the hospital, often using an anticonvulsant to avoid a return to high dosing by the patient.
Another way to do it that I have used is to give the patient a prescription for clonazepam for only two days, with 5 refills... or a series of prescriptions with 'fill after' dates, each with a lower dose. Your doc took the easy, and dangerous, way out-- and in my opinion is responsible for anything bad that happens related to your withdrawal. But don't let that keep you from getting yourself taken care of.
Member Comments (1)
by Paulina7770, Sep 29, 2009 01:47AM
A related discussion, 1 mg. per day for 1 month was started.
