getting off of clonazepam...

[HaleyDawn]

Well to start off my name is Haley. I had been on clonazepam for almost 7 years. I was taking 0.5mg 2x a day. Well to make a long story short today is my 11th day with no meds. I quit cold turkey. I started taking it for extream anxiety a few months after I had my daughter. I just recently decided it was time to get off I want my life back.

At first the medication helped quite a bit not so much anymore. Its a habbit now. So no real reason for me to be taking it. Little did I know how extreamly mind testing this ordeal was going to be. I have hope now but a few says ago is a different story.

I am having the worst withdrawals. I was just wondering weather anyone had any advice for me or could offer a helpping hand in this time of sever despeartion and need. I feel hopeless sometimes and others I feel like I'm going to go absolutely crazy. Can anyone tell me how long this is going to last? Did I make it through the worst of it or should I still expect worse?

[Pointman]

, i know you must feel awful,  i went  cold turkey my self severlayrars ago , it tokk me 30 days, to feel alive againe, I wa staking alarger amount of meds than you,so perhaps yors wont be as long. I wish you well and you wil be asronger person for yuor strength you have showed.
may God Bless and Help  you.

[cha737]

im taking my .25mg of rivotril in two months period due to my anxiety. i thought that i can handle myself with out my medicine.how to tapper-off on it.

[barfer]

Please go to your profile page and click on messages.  I sent you two about 9 hours ago.  At the bottom of my messages to you, you will find an area where you can respond.  I look forward to hearing from you on that private way of messaging.

[HaleyDawn]

Did you get the chance to read my latest post? I answerd the questions that you ask.

[HaleyDawn]

Did you get the chance to read my latest post? I answerd the questions that you ask.

[HaleyDawn]

Well thank you again to everyone. I'm not really sure if I am doing this whole responce thing right but hey I'm trying. Lol. Really thank you to everyone that takes the time out of their day to help me mentally. Everyday get a bit easier for me. I wake up feeling good and the withdrawals hit me at around 12 or 1. To answer your question barfer the things I have experianced are slight numbness of the face, hands, and feet. Pretty good head aches. Confusion. Sensitivty to light and sound (getting better). Sadness. Every emotion you could have really. Muscle twitches. Let me say too that I am only 22 so this is really testing my strenght. I have a lot of hope for the days to come. To be completely honest I'm not to sure weather I'm to fond of the idea to start the medicine again so I'm going to try everything that I can to avoid that right now. I'm not sure if that's me being too stubborn. I don't know how to get to ryans page. I have no idea how to get around on this site. I thought that I was doing pretty good for how long I have been off of the medicine. Should I not be? Thank you all once again.
Haley

[nursegirl6572]

I agree that a slower taper process would have prolly been the best bet...but at THIS point, if you've been without a pill for 11+ days....you're pretty much out of the woods as far as "danger" goes with the risk of seizure, etc..  The w/d symptoms unfortunately will take a while to resolve.  I would DEFINITELY contact your doctor and ask for a face to face...just to check your blood pressure and discuss the rough time you are having with it.  I'm glad you knew not to just abruptly stop....I just think a slower taper would have minimized some of your symtpoms.

Another thing to remember...even with a slow, gradual taper....experiencing some level of w/d's is pretty common.  Another suggestion I have for you is to stop by the Substance Abuse (Addiction) forum for some tips on managing w/d symptoms.  Not that you are "addicted" (meaning you were taking more than prescribed, inappropriately etc)...but you were dependant for sure.  There are some awesome people there that have some great ways to make you feel a bit more human while going through this.  Just be sure to check with your doc before starting any supplements.  

At this point...almost 2 weeks later..I doubt whether re-starting the med to continue a taper would be advised, but you're best to run that by your doctor.  In actuality...it may prolong the w/d's due to the fact that you jumped off pretty fast.

You'll begin to feel better gradually...I know the w/d's are very rough....so please get a once over with your doc...check the addiction forum for some ideas...and let us know what's what, okay?

[MrGreen]

A doctor suggesting cold turkey method? Jasus, shoot the doctor. Even though it is doing nothing for you, the right method is a slow withdrawl. Bit by bit. Breaking the tablet down and getting used to the new amount. Even doing it that way you would have still felt some anxiety. But it could have been managed. As it is you are putting yourself at risk. You may end up worse off than when you began. Sad reality. I can only hope things work out for you in the right way come the end of the day. But if it was me I would hop back on the tablet. Odd as that sounds. To reduce the withdrawls. The start all over again. I can only imagine what you must feel like. No idea how long it will last. But there is the right way and there is the wrong way. Your doctor gave you bad advice.

[barfer]

I am so surprised that your doctor agreed with the rather quick reduction.  This stuff takes a long time to get out of your system especially having taken it for so long.  The reduction process should have been much longer and then you wouldn't be in the pickle you are now.  Ryan's forum name is RCA7591.  You should really try and get in touch with him and if you can't reach him, then look at his postings on the weaning process for clonazepam on his profile page.  

You need the support and you are going to get it.  Let me know if you hear from Ryan and/or if you find the information about weaning of clonazepam.  My heart goes out to you because I sure wouldn't want to be feeling the way you do right now.  Please contact me and let me know what is/has happened.  I'm off to bed now because it is 2:00 am here, but I will check this forum first thing in the morning to see if you have posted me.  You will get through this!  I'm here to help any way I can.

[HaleyDawn]

First of all let me say thank you to you and everyone else's advice. Let me also stress that this was not a decision that I made on my own. I did talk to my doctor and she said that I would be fine going cold turkey. I never thought that I would ever be able to funtion without this medicine but I now realize that I wasn't functioning while on it. It took away that part of my life. I did do a couple days of tapering but not many. I myself thought that I had been on it too long to just quit taking it. I went down to 0.25 mgs a day for 5 days. And by the 5th day I felt good enough to decide that my doctor was right and stoped taking the medicine. In no way was this ever a decision that I just made one day when I woke up. I had been talking to my doctor since january of this year about it. My reason for wanting to quit then being pregnant. I had a complications and wasn't able to carry the baby and didn't quit. It wasn't until recently that my daughter opened my eyes to reality. She said "mommy... you sleep all the time, you don't ever play with me anymore" that made me finally decide to quit. Everyone that I have talked to has told me that I am doing a fantastic job concidering the amount of time I was on the medicine and how many days I have made it without having taking it. My pharmasist that has filled my medicine for 3 years now told me that I will be fine and am doing a great job too. I don't know what to think now. I'm a little confused. Please write me back and let me know what you think about this please. Thank you once again. It is very apprechiated. You really have no idea. I need personal support.
Haley

[AJWS6]

Hi barfer,
Hope your week is going well.  I try to support anyone I can, and hopefully able to help.  No, I haven't visit the agrophobia thread yet, but will get around to it.  

[barfer]

I'm so glad you answered this post from Haleydawn.  It is important that she has information from someone who has gone through it. The dangers you mentioned are so real.  

On another matter, have you looked at the agoraphobia post lately?  There was an interesting posting  from JSGeare today...

[AJWS6]

You should never cold turkey Klonopin, espcially taking it 7 years.  You should slowly reduce dose, allowing your system to adjust with each reduction, to prevent seizures, convulsions or severe withdrawals.

Consult with your doctor that prescribed the med and have em, provide you a schedule to taper off the med.    

I did a .5mg reduction every 7-10-14 days, crossover to Valium allowing my system to stabilize between each reduction.  Valium is recommeded, because of it's longer half life, stays in your system longer, to reduce withdrawal effects.  

Withdrawals vary from person to person, so there is no estimated time a person will ever know when withdrawals stops.  Good luck.    



  

[barfer]

Hi HaleyDawn,  Your doctor should have mentioned that if you ever want to go off of a drug like this, you have to do it gradually.  I urge you to contact your doctor and let him know what you have done.  I don't know if you can restart the weaning process now, but Ryan on this forum is an expert on how to wean off of med. especially clonazepam.  If you had followed a weaning programme you would have had a lot less problems with going off it.  I can't stress enough the importance of seeing you doctor about the fact that you stopped it cold turkey.  It could be very dangerous to your on going health.  On this forum you can find a weaning programme that Ryan set up.  You will have to go into his profile page or look up clonazepam or klonopin weaning under the search at the top of this page.  If you can't find it, let me know and I will see what I can do to find it for you.  If Ryan is on the forum right now, I hope he sees this post and contacts you.