KLONIPIN/CLONAZEPAM TAPER

[RUNNER55]

Dear Dr. Gould,
I have taken for almost three years, clonazepam for panic attacks.  One .25 mg in the a/m and one .25 mg. p/m.  I  notice so many times you recommend klonipin to taper off xanax.  Well,I'd like to know how to taper off  of this amount of clonazepam.  I no longer feel the need to take this drug, but I am like so many others who write in as far as being terrified of having a seizure. Especially since I live alone.  My doctor says, no way, the dosage has been too low.  (I've never had a seizure disorder) Can you give me your thoughts ,  and how you'd advise a taper schedule?  This medicine was very useful for me,  but I now feel I've resolved all issues and no longer wish to take it.  I also feel it's beginning to give me memory problems.  (forgetfulness).  I am on 25 mgs. of Zoloft which has helped greatly with all anxiety/panic problems.   Any advice will be appreciated.  Thank you.
R/55

[Peagee]

Have done a search specially for you (I'm more involved with SSRIs) and 'Klonopin withdrawal symptoms' came up with plenty of links, including this forum on Benzo..
http://benzo.proboards12.com

Hope that helps :)
All the best.
Peagee

[Dave38]

I am currently on 1mg/day of klonopin.  I want to taper off to 0.
Anyone in a similar situation?  What is a good procedure?  down .5/week,  .5/2weeks .25/week, .25/2weeks....etc???

Dave

[kevin22]

reading this board has made me very scared and alone. I have been on klonipin for about 2 months now-heres the kicker-they are 2 miligram tablets-not.2 but 2 miligram tablets-3 times a day-that is 6 miligrams a day-someone please tell me what I am in store for-is this stuff really addicting-it makes me sleepy and he actually gave it to me for chronic muscle spasms-please help.

[kevin22]

reading this board has made me very scared and alone. I have been on klonipin for about 2 months now-heres the kicker-they are 2 miligram tablets-not.2 but 2 miligram tablets-3 times a day-that is 6 miligrams a day-someone please tell me what I am in store for-is this stuff really addicting-it makes me sleepy and he actually gave it to me for chronic muscle spasms-please help.

[KickedIt]

I was on Clonazepam for 6 months and found it very difficult to discontinue. Every time I would reduce the dose too much I would suffer from withdrawel. I have found that the best way to taper is to crush the tablet and pour it into a measured amount of water (I used a measured 1 ML container that had each .1 measured on the side). After thoroughly mixing the tablet in water, I would drain off .1 ML ( ~10% ). I would maintain this level for 4-6 and then draw off another .1 ML. until I was about down to .5 ML and then I would cut the tablet in half and pour it into the full 1 ML container and begin the process again. You need to do this because if you continue to drain off .1 ML the percentage of the taper increases and the taper becomes increasingly harder to continue.
Good luck.

[RUNNER55]

Hello,
I just now noticed your comment to my clonazepam posting.  Would you mind telling how many mgs. you took per day.  How many years/months you were on the med?  And just what kind of withdrawl symptoms did you go thru?
Hope you see this posting, it's been so long ago that you wrote.
Thank you for responding earlier.
R/55

[al1]

I used to take clonazepam daily.  It was hard to withdraw.  I switched to valium to withdraw, but it still wasn't easy.  I don't think you'd have seizures from withdrawing - maybe anxiety, heart racing etc.  That's what I had.

Good luck.

PS It feels better to be off the drug, & my memory has definitely improved.

[RUNNER55]

I believe my question was mis-read.  I do not and never have, taken xanax. I simply menitoned it because the doctor recommends taking this when going off xanax.  What  I am taking is  .25 mg clonazepam in the morning and .25 in the evening. For the past 3 years.  The clonazepam is the drug that I would like some advice on as to how to safely taper/discontinue.  If any others out there have done this, or have advice, could they please post?
Thank you,
R/55

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Because of your low dose, you are not at much risk, but to eliminate all the risk, you should ask your doctor about starting klonopin o.5 mg, at night, and taper your xanax 25% each week...when you are through with that, do the same for klonopin.   That's about as safe as you can get...should be done under supervision of doctor.