Helpful Suggestions for helping wife withdrawal from Klonipin(klonopin)

My wife is detoxing from Klonipin (klonopin) withdrawal.  She is probably at .25mg/day.  The question I have is I would like to know some helpful things I can be doing for her to help her off the drug.  Her temper is very short and it is mixed with rage and anger then right into sadness and frustration.   I never know where she is without asking but this makes her feel that she is all alone in trying to get off the drug since I have to ask.  This is why I would like some suggestions that I can do that would make the love of my life happy.  Her Dr. has just recently put her on Buspar. We just got the prescription filled yesterday.  So not sure of the side effects of this.  She wants to get off the benzo since we want to get pregnant and it is listed as a Class C.  But being off Klonipin (klonopin) means her GAD would be going untreated.  This is why she is not on Buspar.

Thank you for your help.


WJM

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

The most important thing you can do is to understand her and be as steady as you can while she goes through this transition, and trust that your steadiness( rather than over-reaction) will be appreciated in the end.

Instead of trying to ask her or guess at what she is feeling at any moment, I would try to talk to her and find out what is so sad and why she is so angry. Sorting out the rational from the irrational will be extremely helpful and calming.

[SBoat]

I can only give input into your question as a wife dosing down on Klonopin with a husband who is also very concerned and loves his wife. It's so tough to see someone you love "suffer" and not be able to "fix it". My advice is just to listen to her, let her vent, and remember, she may not really need you to give her an answer as much as faciliate her finding her own. Which means, just be open ended in your comments, be involved in helping her research, and stay involved with her day to day "stuff" (which I know you probably do already). I wish you all the best with this process. It does get better and you aren't alone in these situations... they're are plenty out seeing our way clearer to  clear also !!

[puma]

Dear mister,

All you can do is be very loving and patient. Her GAD will be rapidly intensified by the withdrawal symptoms, in other words over-exaggerated. She was used to being nice and calm and now that is taken away and she is experiencing her rage and anxiety all over again. She is lucky to be on such as small dose. She ought to quit cold turkey now since it is so low and the sooner the withdrawals will subside. Expect at least one month of instability though depending on how much she was taking and for how long. Klonopin is a real son-of-a-gun to detox from. I could not do it. You are supposed to cut 1 milligram a month so it will take me along time to detox provided the seizures are controlled.

I had such bad DT's for nearly three weeks last February and had hallucinations along with shaking and seizures when I was cut off for a time for drinking. I was on 10 milligrams though so your wife won't have to worry about any of that garbage happening to her while on such a low dose. I am back on the Klonopin now, but down to 8 milligrams for my GAD and siezure disorder. I wish you both well and successfull with the pregnancy.

Chatahan