Fioricet help anyone???????????

[Wishiwerenormalagain]

Does anyone have experience with fioricet?  I have recently been weaned off of fioricet after 5 years.  I have been off of them a week.  The doctor that weaned me off of them them gave me a script for klonopin .25 mg every 6 hours for 10 days.  I am on my 2nd day of the klonopin and I feel like a zombie.  He said this would help prevent seizures but that I couldn’t take the klonopin for more than 10 days (which is fine by me) but can anyone out there tell me what to expect when I quit taking the klonopin  and when I will get back to feeling normal.  I feel like a shell of a human being to say the very least.  

[vicki595]

Mary Beth~   I believe you'll be fine without the Klonopin. It's not called a downer for nothing!    A seizure after 3 months? I doubt it. You did an excellent taper and that helps raise your seizure threshold. Ask your doctor about it.

I was hooked after the first pill,also,I swear!!  It loved my brain and did things for me that others never experience. That's what made it the drug of no return for me!

I have no way of knowing if you need an antidepressant. Wait and see how you feel. I would try and see how things go for a month without ANY chemicals at all. That's really the best way.  Your brain needs to heal,Sweetie. And it will. It takes a few weeks. Try to be patient.

I really commend you for getting this far. It's tough and you feel like a noodle most days!
Better days are coming,I promise.  Start taking some vitamins. A good multi vit with extra B vitamins and C will help.

As far as therapy,it's up to you. I see a therapist now. I've attended meetings at AA. Very helpful!!  I've gotten the most from my therapist because I required more one on one therapy. I was quite stubborn!!  I do a few other things and you'll find what works for you. Ask your doctor for a referral to someone good in your area.

Exercise is really important. It's awful at first but gets much better.

Keep in touch!  How many more days on the Klonopin?

V.

[Wishiwerenormalagain]

Yes, I was on plain fioricet.  I agree we do take the pills for a reason and I will have to find out what mine is.  I didn't go looking for this but I swear I was hooked after the first pill, is that possible.  Can you give me some direction on what kind of a counselor to look for.  I feel like a fish out of water.  I am beginning to feel like I can't deal with anything.  Will that get worse when I am off of the Klonopin?  I can't focus, can't sleep and I have been isolating because I have been very nauseated. Also, I was told that you could have seizures for 3 months after stopping the fioricet, is that true?  Would an anti depressant help?  Sorry for all the questions but I am worrying a lot.

Mary Beth

[vicki595]

Hi!  Sorry about this!!    I think you'll feel better when you stop the benzo. It shouldn't get worse...10 days is not a long time to have been on it.

You were taking plain Fioricet right? Not the one with codeine?

You took a hefty dose. I know...I took that amount and more for a very long time.

You had an excellent taper!  It's just going to take some time to feel better. To be honest, it took me a month to get into a new routine and feel good about it. After 3 months I felt great. Now,after 6 months,I'm unstoppable!!  I will never touch that crap again. I'd rather swallow a bullet!!

Here's the important thing.  We take pills for a reason. You need to figure out yours. It
nearly impossible to do that alone. Get some therapy,go to some meetings,do something to progress your recovery so that you don't relapse. And for God's sake,don't isolate.

You have to "go after" feeling better. Get some exercise. Just force yourself!!  I swim because it's easy and it works for me.

Post back as to how you're feeling~

[Wishiwerenormalagain]

I wanted to post more but I have never felt this bad in my life.  I was taking 20 a day and had been for about 18 months.  The doc reduced them by one a week until I was on one a day for 7 days and then he gave me the Klonopin.  I cried no sobbed all day yesterday and I hurt all over like the flu.  I have forced myself to eat and drink and the first three days I was on the Klonopin  I got out and walked, I haven't been able to make myself do much of anything. Is it true that when I discontine the Klonopin things will get worse?  I really don't know what to expect.  Any information would help.

Thank you

[vicki595]

Take the med as prescribed for the next 8 days. You'll feel badly with or without it! At least you don't have seizures to worry about!

Do the best you can; this is a process. Be sure to take in a lot of fluids and eat properly.
Exercise is a great help. I weaned off Fioricet slowly over time and never took a benzo.
But then,I never told my doctor either!  I did THAT much later.

I'm also curious as to how much you took and how you tapered off...

Keep in touch!

[my_mayberry]

i don't know what you should expect. klonopin is a benzodiazepine whereas butalbital is a barbiturate. they have very similar effects and even work on many of the same receptors, however the WAY they work is different. your doctor is right in as much as it will help prevent seizures, however i'm not sure that you've even established a real theraputic dose for this purpose. generally klonopin needs to build up in your system...but perhaps this is just when treating anxiety.in any event, what i'm getting at is that obviously since it IS a different class of drug it will not make you feel like the butalbital makes you feel....but it will prevent much of the initial withdrawal anxiety at least until you've d/c'd the klonopin. what will happen then? i don't know. perhaps someone else here has used this route to withdrawal. i would GUESS that you'll still experience major anxiety...the klonopin is only postponing the inevitable. i would guess you'll feel incredible urges and have problems dealing with any kind of stress for a few weeks....and probably see sleep disturbances.

it's just not common to use klonopin for this. how many were you down to on the fioricet before you dc'd those? i'm not saying your doctor is wrong by any means, but i'm very curious to know more detail about how he has taken you off this med.