Weaning off of Klonopin

I been on klonopin for about a year and have built up a tolerance from .5 mg to 1 mg of klonopin. What is the best way to go about weaning off of it. It just doesn't seem as effective anymore because of my tolerance. Any one with experience doing this ?

[mammo]

If you feel it's not working you need to contact your doctor and see what he suggests. It appears that you still need something for anxiety to notice that the Klonopin isn't working.  Always work closely with your doctor regarding your medications, nobody here is qualified to tell you how to wean off this.

[greenlydia]

The best and only way to wean off a benzo is under the care and guidance of your doctor. Period.
Don't let anyone tell you different.
Good luck!
Peace
Greenlydia

[bjfoste1]

ya i see him next friday.... I believe klonopin works great I just worry about withdrawls and and addiction after being on it for one year

[greenlydia]

I'm glad you're seeing your doctor about getting off the Klonopin rather than attempting it on your own. Your doctor will set up a slow taper for you that will gradually wean you from the medication. You will probably have a little bit of discomfort, but it won't last long, it's not dangerous and you shouldn't worry about it.
You are NOT "addicted." There is a huge difference between tolerance and addiction.
But I wonder, since you say you believe the Klonopin works great, why you want off it. Is it because of your concerns regarding w/d and addiction? If so, please have a very frank discussion with your doctor.
I also wanted to say that it is not unusual at all for those of us on antianxiety and antidepressant medications to occassionally need to have our doses increased as we do develope tolerance. This would also be a good subject to discuss with your doctor.
I wish you the best of luck
Peace
Greenlydia    

[bjfoste1]

Thanks greenlydia I appreciate your concern.

And yes I believe I worry about the withdrawal mostly because i have lowered the dose myself by
very small increments about .125 every 1 ½ weeks and then when I get to .75 mg I notice I get depressed and emotional which is not normal for me. Its not unmanageable but slightly uncomfortable. And yes I have also thought about increasing the klonopin dosage also because it is a wonder drug and it keeps me relaxed and not feeling anxious/self conscious/ panicky. I was just wondering if weaning down the drug and using it at a lower dosage if this is even possible.

[greenlydia]

You began Klonopin a year ago at .5mg and over the course of a year, you were increased to 1mg. The maximum dose of Klonopin is 20mg qd, so you were on a very small dose, which remarkably kept you relaxed with no anxiety/panic. If this dose was controlling your symptoms, did you just want to see if you could get by with less? When you got down to .75mg and noticed that you began to feel depressed and emotional, why didn't you go back up to 1mg?
It's very possible for some people to lower their dose of medication and still find complete relief, but in my humble opinion, they are the exceptions to the rule. You tried it, but your symptoms returned, so that proves that a dose of .75 will not control them.
All of us who are on psychiatric medications will hopefully one day be able to get off them, but we will all more than likely have to taper off, as the vast majority of these types of meds produce withdrawal symptoms. If done correctly and under the direct guidance and supervision of a doctor who understand w/d, it can be a relatively painless procedure that is nothing to be afraid of. Fearing the w/d is not worth living the panic.
And please do NOT mess with the dosages yourself. I can't emphasize that enough! Please always consult with your doctor about any dosage changes you want to make.
Peace
Greenlydia