Slow gradual withdrawl(withdrawal) from clonazepam

Why do some people believe to get to the root of a problem you need more drugs?  Our 16 year old has been having hallucinations, both auditory and visual, when she was put on Prozac 9 months ago and now again when she was put on Buspar and Clonazepam.  She stopped taking the Prozac 3 weeks after starting and had auditory hallucinations along with paranoia.  That went away within 3 weeks.  She was fine again except for the anxiety and insomnia.  The doctor then prescribed Buspar and Clonazepam. Again within a month she started with the paranoia and then went to the hallucinations.  She has been off the Buspar for 2 weeks and most of the hallucinations have subsided.   The anxiety and insomnia are more severe now than before. Her doctor wants to put her on antipsycotic meds plus up the clonazepam.  We find this unacceptable. We told him no to the anti psycotic meds and told him we wanted to wean her off the Clonazepam. He got upset and said, fine, just stop them, and come back in a week and let me know how she's doing then.  My point of question is-- shouldn't we slowly and gradually ween her off Clonazepam and then after she is through with her withdrawl (withdrawal), if she would happen to still have hallucinations then decide what to do, instead of just putting med on top of med to mask the problem?  She still is in therapy, and her therapist agrees with us.  She never had any of these problems before the meds.  Just anxiety.  what do you think?

[cj29]

How long has she been on the clonazepam? Has it been the entire nine months?  Is there another doctor you can talk to in the practice?   Benzos like this should never be stopped 'cold turkey.'  You said the doctor was upset because of your disagreement; do you think that factored into advising just to stop the clonazepam?  

I was on it six months and had to taper down slowly with the advice of my doctor.  I even went back and went on a slower taper because I did not like the withdrawals (It made it much more easier with the slower taper).  Another good resource in my opinion, is your pharmacist that fills your prescriptions.  

I thought clonazepam helped me, however, medications affect people in different ways.  It can be trial and error to figure which ones are a good 'fit.'   But using medication is a personal choice and some choose not to use them.  I believe the most important step anyone can take is seeking counseling through a good therapist that is willing to listen and work with you.  

[greenlydia]

Your first question is excellent and many of us have asked the same question.

Personally I believe it's because the vast majority of Western doctors are taught to treat symptoms rather than the whole person. The result, frequently and sadly, is the pharmaceutical migthmare your daughter is in.

Clonazepam, as I beleve has already been pointed out to you, should NEVER have been prescribed for your daughter in the first place. I believe the minimum age for treatment with Clonazepam is 18. And yes, she does need to be withdrawn slowly from this med.

I also belive it's been pointed out that your daughter could likely have an adverse reaction to the SSRIs and I have to wonder, in light of her frightening reactions, why her doctor continues to prescribe this class of meds. One could possibly understand trying something different after her FIRST bad experience, but when the same reactions occured, time after time, in my humble, non-medical and parental opinion, I would have insisted that ALL meds be withdrawn until it was thoroughly understood what was causing these reactions.

I also believe a number of organic conditions have been presented to you as possible causes of her original symptoms. Has she been tested for any of these?

I do not mean to second guess your choice of treatment for your daughter and I am not saying "This is what YOU should have done." This is simply what I would have done.

I would have gotten her to the nearest Childrens Hospital for an incredibly thorough medical work-up to rule out physical cuauses and if those tests came back negative, I would have gotten her in with the very best CHILD Psychiatrist the hospital could recommend.
The psychiatrist would first get her off any meds she was currently on........beginning with a clean slate, so to speak. He would then proceed to diagnose her with the correct condition. Once that had been established, he would have control over any and all medications she was given. He would follow her closely and monitor her reactions............stopping any medication the moment adverse affects began showing up. He would also, naturally, be working with her to find the root cause of
her condition.

Obviously I have no medical or pharmacological training, so that puts me squarely in the camp of people who second guess doctors. But I AM a parent, and we have something no doctor can learn in any medical school, and that is a gut feeling about OUR children. If she were my daughter, my gut would be screaming and I have a feeling you and your wife are experiencing that as well since you are writing to us.

I don't like her doctor, and feel he has put her through far too much already.
At this point I would strongly urge you to seek out a second opinion........one from doctors who deal with adolescents.

I would go back to the post in which Ryan responded to you. I would copy his reply and take that with you to your new doctors. If nothing else it would give you a starting point to ask why her original doctor just keep throwing stronger and stronger medications at her and never bothered to dig deeper.

I wish your daugther the very best.
Peace
Greenlydia          

  

[veryworriedmomdad]

THANK YOU AGAIN!!  I am glad to have found this site with good people like you who make sense of the world and who listen.  Thank you again.

Patty

[pepperpopper]

Hi there,
I hope your daughter is doing okay. i agree that drugs can mask and distort original problems. I found a lot of help with my insomnia through lifestyle changes with the help of my Cognitive Behavioral Therapist. I was able to taper off my clonazepam and still struggle with occasional insomnia, but after 10 years of drugs, I'm willing to settle for that. I have read your other posts, and yes, gradual tapering is the way to go. I did not find much help through my doctor with this either, as they implied I would just have to stay on it forever (yeah right). I understand how awful insomnia can be, and sometimes medication is the only alternative to the insanity it brings. Best of luck.