Klonopin Withdrawl Hell

[dawnalia]

I have been on 4mg of Klonopin for about 8 years. I took a 2mg in the A.M. and another 2mg in the afternoon.  This is torture.  I've been tapering down for three months and at first I was completely manic. I didn't realize at the time that I was manic because I was tapering down.  The withdrawl is not getting better. I had no Klonopin left and I was going insane.  Physically I am barely able to sleep and my nerves feel like they are zapping? I am so Irritable!!!  I easily can get so angry.  I started to feel like everyone around me was evil. I know.....Crazy!  I shake so bad and it feels like my brain is bouncing off my skull.  It makes me dizzy and I even feel like my lips are tingling sometimes.  SO I couldn't take it anymore and I got some Klonopin from a friend.  Oh my goodness I felt back to normal.  Well I have to get off this med and I am so scared.  HELP PLEASE

[Cathyn77]

So sorry your experiencing WD ond or sx ~ its so true its like almost inevitable to Not get some Sx or Wd

I hope your taper gets smoother & make the tiniest cuts you possibly can ~ im hearing the slower the better

[Cassangel69]

Getting off a medication and dealing with the withdrawals even with tapering can be very hard. I am trying to taper off gabapentin at the current time and just feel purely awful - you are not alone. I agree with the other comments, try to get to a doctor and taper slowly.  Take care and keep us posted.

[Cathyn77]

Please try and get some help from a Dr ~ getting them off a friend may not always be available to you and your gonna dind yourself in the same predicament again

Im sorry & know exactly what your going through ~ I'll be starting a very slow taper off valium with the help of my Dr starting in April

Benzos are no joke to get off of & im not trying to scare you just rrying to be completly honest with you

Take care

[dawnalia]

Thanks for responding.  I'm not under doctors supervision anymore.  Ugh!!! I had to get some from a friend.  I was literally losing my mind.  This is horrible!!! I don't feel good at aLL

[Paxiled]

Ah so.

[nursegirl6572]

I was comparing the w/ds of something like opiates versus benzos, explaining that for most people, there are no actual acute risks in stopping an opioid medication abruptly, where in contrast, there IS a risk with benzos.

[Paxiled]

Not exactly true that withdrawals aren't harmful -- they can last forever, or for a long time.  Most of the research on protracted withdrawals as done with benzos in England, which is why it's now almost impossible to get them there.  So this should be done very carefully, as slowly as you need to.  And through your psychiatrist.  Going back on it is actually the right idea, and then taper off as slowly as you need to even if it takes a long time -- and it might.  And it might not -- we're all different.  But always better to be safe than sorry.

[nursegirl6572]

Hello and welcome, sorry you're having a rough time.

Are you tapering off the Klonopin under the care and supervision of your doctor?  I'm wondering, since you said you ran out AND got some Klonopin from a friend (never a good idea, btw) if there was a doctor involved at all at this point?

That's really the most optimal way to come off a med like Klonopin, by doing a slow and deliberate taper, with the help of your doctor.  Why are you coming off the Klonopin?  Did your doctor recommend that?  Or is this something you wanted to do?

Also keep in mind that while detox and w/ds for some meds (like opiates) are uncomfortable, they aren't typically harmful....however that doesn't apply to benzos.  There is a seizure risk, among other things, if stopped too abruptly, or tapered too quickly.  You must be ultra careful for those reasons, not to mention that the w/ds are just frankly rough if the taper is done too quickly.

It would be great if you could elaborate a bit for us in how you got to this point, why you decided to stop, if a doc is prescribing the Klonopin still, and if a doc is helping you with your taper.  Looking forward to hearing back from you....we're here to help in any way we can, even if it's just to be someone to vent to and talk to.

Hang in there!!