Klonopin Tapering Off

[walleyeman79]

I will try to keep this simple: I was on Paxil (40mg in the morning) for about 10 years (since the age of 15) and was doing fine (diagnosed with clinical depression and anxiety disorder). Then, in fall of 2003 I came down with what doctors finally diagnosed in December of 2003 as viral spinal meningitis. Either the recovery of the meningitis took a long time (highly unlikely they said), or it threw my meds off to a high degree. For 10 years no problems, and then out of the blue, I started the original symptoms of the meningitis with fever, chills (my wife came home to find me under all the blankets in the house), nausea, headaches, and my wife says she remembers me having a stiff neck--hence, viral spinal meningitis. Those physical symptoms subsided, but mental ones took over, such as mass anxiety and panic attacks, extreme tiredness (Paxil can cause tiredness by the way, as many antidepressants can), feelings like I wasn't there (derealization some call it), and feeling like I was confused all of the time, along with being dreadfully scared and maybe even a little paranoia. After trying me on Wellbutrin, Lexapro, and back on Paxil, they seemed to get me to a level of Paxil that worked. What did stupid me do--I felt things were going well and the Paxil was making me gain weight, so I messed with my Paxil and came down from 40 to 30 mg. My symptoms all started coming back last July '06 and it got the point where they switched me to Effexor XR and Clonazepam (I was hospitalized while they really upped the dose for about 5 days, including the weekend). I had been taking 225mg of Effexor XR in the morning, along with 2 mg of Clonazepam in the morning and another 1 mg around noon or 1pm. That had been my regiment since last November/December and I have done pretty well.

Well, my psychiatrist, not wanting me to be on the Klonopin too long, has taken me down by 0.50mg to 2mg in the morning and 0.50mg at noon. That was 3.5 weeks ago. I have had increased anxiety and tiredness, as well as feeling not here and confused. I was wondering if this is normal, and if it is more likely contributed to my generalized anxiety disorder and me psyching out about changing my meds or if 0.25mg can make this big a change in my physiological makeup. I don't want to be on meds forever, but I need them, I need them, but I hear terrible things about Klonopin. Please let me know regarding this. Thanks ahead of time.

Also, my wife and I wish to start trying on a child this fall.  Do I need to be off of the Klonopin before we start trying.  I have heard the bad things about Klonopin and do not want any chance of something happening with our child.  Will my being on Klonopin have a chance of any negative effect in our child.  If there is even a chance, I will not be on it.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Yours is a complicated case and I have to be careful because you and your doctor know best, but in general I can tell you the following.  It is unlikely that that change in dose had that much effect so soon, and it is more likely that your general fear of changing doses caused the anxiety.  Have you ever tried psychotherapy counseling? It would help.  Re klonopin and pregnancy, to the best of my knowledge it would have no effect on your sperm, but you may want to do some more research to be absolutely certain.

[jimmycsayz]

Hi

The only thing I know for certain is that breast-feeding while on benzo's like Klonopin can be harmful to the child.  Try switching to something with a better half-life like Valium, and wean off very slowly.

The doc will have better information, but I just wanted to share that piece with you.

Good luck.

[fearfactor]

Your being on Klonopin won't affect your future child.  Klonopin could affect the child if the mom were taking it, but not the dad.  Good luck tapering off!

[mattie625]

Hi I see that your situation is very tricky. I have had anxiety my whole life but never had a anxiety attack before. In December of 2005 3 months after me haveing my second child, I couldn't sleep, eat, or even breast feed...because I wasn't sleeping or eating and staying up all night because my new baby had BAD reflux). I then woke up in the middle of the night and experienced my very first anxiety attack...I didn't know what was going on and was freaking out! They started me on Effexor, but it made me worse. So I ended up in a hospital for 5 days due to my depleted body and my severe depression and axiety issues. Since January 2005 I have been takeing Wellbutrin XL 150 mg, Klonopin (clonazepam) 2mg., Zyprexa (antispychotic to clear my mind) 1mg, and Remeron 30mg. The Remeron and Wellbutrin are both antidepressants. You know what the Klonopin is for. Anyways during the day for about a year and a half...I would take 0.5 mg of Klonopin in the morning, 0.5 mg in the afternoon, and 1 mg at night. This has been WONDERFUL and keeping me steady.

All of a sudden a week ago my doctor wanted me to taper off the Klonopin because it is HIGHLY addicting and a "controlled substance" If you just stop takeing it cold turkey no matter how long you have been takeing it for....you will have MAJOR side efffects! My body is so addicted to this drug that if I miss a dose...I can start to feel an anxiety attack comeing on, even if there is no reason for one! Just withdrawal from the medicine. Sorry, my point being is that he all of a suddenly wanted me to go from 0.5 in the morning to 0.25 in the morning, 0.25 in the afternoon, and 0.5 at night before bed. I tried it for about 3 days and had MAJOR anxiety issues and have been feeling like an attack is going to happen. So basically he just cut it in half! I was freaking out when he told me to do this. I ended up going back to my regular doesing before he changed it...Now I feel fine, "back to normal". So there is no way for me to get off this med unless takeing another anxiety med while getting off this one. That would mean me takeing a "non-habit forming anxiety med". My body is so addicted to this Klonopin and I don't even take as much as you do. I would end up back in the hospital without it (if I just stopped it). So yes I say Klonopin is not good. If you can get on something that isn't a controlled substance...find alternatives. I was freaking out majorly when I had to change doses!

I was tols to NEVER get pregnant on the neds I am on because I would have to have an abortion due to the effects it would have on the baby (negative ones). But as far as males go...I am not sure. You shoudl definately just tell your doctor whats up and what you are experiencing. He/She needs to get you on the right track and hopefully you can get off the Klonopin! I am going back to see my doctor next week because I don't know what to do myself!

Dang sorry this is long! LOL It is just nice to see that someone else is on the same drug as me! It is a hard one! I wish you the best and I know how it feels to have anxiety issues, but it isn't anything you can control...or at leats thats what I have been told. Sucks because I want to get off these meds too! I send my love...:-)

[mgma143]

Iam 22 years old and i need help with my addiction to klonopin. I started taking klonopin 1 1/2 years ago. I started at taking 1 mg 3 times daily. I am now taking 8-9 mgs daily. My doctors have told me i have to get off of them and go into treatment but iam to scared to enter treatment because they will not give me anything for my panic attacks. I have no idea what to do. I do not want to go through the withdrawals. I was already on effexor and i cant imagine going through withdrawals like that.  Please someone help.  Thanks

[jimmycsayz]

8-9mg is a considerably high dose, respectfully well beyond the average dosage threshold, and the reason you got there is the simple concept of 'tolerance' building.  With benzos, the body will typically build tolerance levels every couple months to a year, depending on your body.  I'm on the brink of W/D too, but I am taking my time.  

My opinion, at that dose is that you should consider inpatient treatment for this.  Whatever you do, do NOT cut anymore than 0.25mgs per week.  What kind of doctor are you seeing?  I can't believe a doc would actually let you even get half way to that level, unless of course you are abusing it.

Please seek help, and don't go chasing after withdrawal fears.  Even at that high dose, the brain can heal as gradual dosage reduction occurs.  And when I mean gradual, I mean 1/4mg every 2 weeks.  Yes, this means about a 2 year taper but this is the safest way.

I'm in the same boat as you, just on a lesser dosage, but everythings relivant.  You just will need to spend much more time and patience than a typical withdrawal patient, and do NOT do it by yourself.  At your dosage, you need professional supervision indefinitely.

Don't go to those anti-benzo sites (benzoisland.org) like I did looking for answers, because all you will get there are horror stories that will just put more fear in your head.  I would suggest reading the Ashton Manual at benzo.co.uk, which is a very informative document by Professor Ashton.  She is the queen of benzo withdrawal.  Don't go any further than that though.

Good luck to you partner.