getting off clonazepam

[moosh416]

Am on  clonazepam  .5mg for the last  3yrs or so..My doctor is weening me off it.Half  in  the am ,half at night for 2 weeks .then just half in am for 2 weeks and then stopping. Is  this the best way to go with the least withdrawl side effects...cause am reading about going down to .25mgs should i consdier that.
It is confusing....I know it's a small dose compared to most  people,but am still worried about side effects.
       thanks,
            mike

[MrGreen]

Seems very fast to come off such a tablet. Normally it would be done over a longer period of time. Let your body adjust to the new amount. Not just for 2 weeks. Can be stretched out a bit longer. And tablets broken up even smaller. To lessen withdrawls. If nervous have a word with your doctor about how you would prefer to do things. I'm no doctor. He's the expert. But don't be afraid to ask him.

[amish1979]

Is it really just your doctor weening you off or is this a decision you have both made?  You should be allowed to take as long as you need to ween yourself, and that may in fact require more increments than just the one increment you are considering.  At the very least I would go from half in the am/pm (2-4 weeks), to half in the am/ half every other pm (2-4 weeks), to half in the am (2-4 weeks), to half every other am (2-4 weeks)

[Charlotterose]

what are the side effects?
i've been taking it for awhile now too.. so what should i expect when i stop?

[Jikan]

Namaste,

If this is the schedule your doctor has given you and you don't seem to be experiencing any withdrawal effects, I'd continue with what he recommended.

If however, you find yourself suffering from witthdrawal symptoms, you need to get with your doctor and adjust your schedule for discontinuing the medication.

Michael

[Ryan7591]

Mike,

Below is the "pain free" schedule for tapering off of 0.5 milligrams of Clonazepam.

But first, an introduction to how this drug works:

Clonazepam carries a moderate, mean half-life of 36 hours. When dosed at a minimum of twice daily, Clonazepam accumulates. Within two weaks of repeated twice daily dosing, Clonazepam accumulates to "steady-state". Once an additional two weeks have elapsed, the drug accumulates to 1.5 times that of "steady-state". What that means in plain English is that you have the plasma equivalent of 0.75 mg that has accumulated in your system upon repeated dosing.

You discontinue Clonazepam the same exact way. One must look at the drug's pharmacokinetics to determine how to discontinue it properly.

Firstly, the drug must be dosed at least twice daily to discontinue it. If it is not, it doesn't accumulate adequately, and there would be nothing to subtract from. Thus, the first step is to split the 0.5 mg daily dosage into two dosages of 0.25 mg each, which are to be taken every twelve hours. If you were not formerly taking the Clonazepam twice daily, you will need to take 0.25 mg in the morning, and 0.25 mg nightly for one month.

Once the dosage is split to 0.25 mg, b.i.d., the following schedule describes how to discontinue the drug:

Weeks 1-4: Take 0.125 mg of Clonazepam in the morning, and 0.25 mg of Clonazepam nightly.

Weeks 4-8: Take 0.125 mg of Clonazepam in the morning, and 0.125 mg of Clonazepam nightly. Hold this dosage for two weeks. The drug will reach a new steady-state plasma level.

Weeks 10-14: Take 0.125 mg of Clonazepam every second morning, and 0.125 mg nightly.

Weeks 14-18: Take 0.125 mg of Clonazepam every third morning, and 0.125 mg nightly.

Weeks 18-22: Discontinue the morning dosage of Clonazepam, and take 0.125 mg nightly.

Weeks 22-26: Take 0.125 mg of Clonazepam every other night.

Weeks 26-30: Take 0.125 mg of Clonazepam every third night.

Week 30: The Clonazepam is discontinued.

This is the "pain-free" way to discontinue Clonazepam (albeit, a long process). Not everyone has an issue discontinuing the drug quickly (I personally did not), but a fair amount have reported difficulties. It is the last 0.5 milligrams that is the most difficult to discontinue, and you only took 0.5 milligrams to begin with. There shouldn't be a mad rush to get off of it.

At the bare minimum, the dosage should not be reduced by more than 0.125 mg every four weeks. This compensates for the accumulation characteristics of Clonazepam.

If you find that your doctor's taper schedule provokes withdrawal symptoms, consider the above schedule. As with any drug discontinuation schedule, it is to be performed under the direct supervision of the medical doctor.

Ryan

[MissT49]

I have been on Klonopin for 10 years. I was on 4x 0.5 mg daily and went to 0.065mg twice daily in a period of 2 years, had relapses and severe withdrawals. I don't know what to do at this point, some tells me to use titration to reduce every two weeks others to take it every other day and my doctor tells me to up the dose again and stay on it because of the panic attacks and anxiety. I have had severe side effects from this medication in the past 4 years and would like to get off. Any suggestion at what to do next? Welcome any comments.
Natalie