withdrawl klonapin

[carla_jean]

i am having severe issues letting go of the klonapin i have been taking for several years.  no body told me this drug should only be taken for short periods of time otherwise it can cause withdrawl symptom for years after or even for life!!  i went cold turkey at first and i felt like i was going to die.  didn't sleep for 6 days straight.  not even so much as a 20 minute nap.  

taking my daughter to the pedicatrician one day i was shaking and lip smaking so badly i finally had to break down and ask him if i was doing the right thing.  he explained that coming off klonapin is dangerous and has to be done carefully.  so i had to go back on and ramp down just to get off.  i am able to go for week or two with no prob.  but then i will have an 'attack' (usually panic or the same withdrawal feelings) and get nearly suicidal.  so in an effort not to kill myself, i take a klonapin to just 'get by'.  this scares me but i don't know what else to do.  feel like i have been seriously overmedicated over the years as i think it is much easier for a doc to write a script instead of getting to the root of the problem.  

please let there be some way of getting thru this for good.  i can handle the occassional need for some relief but everytime i take that little pill i am scared to death to start back over with the god awful withdrawl.  i take cymbalta and am also on percocet and zanaflex for a torn disc in my lower back.  these meds are toxic when used long term and i want off this merry go round!  help and prayers PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[carla_jean]

the only prob i have with the zanaflex is the muscle twitches or jerks.  you'd thingk that wouldn't happen with a muscle relaxer.  but i have decided to get off that completely.  there's nothing like trying to sleep and having an arm or a leg jerk so violently you startle youself awake.

i am not taking the kloapin 2x a day as i was.  i have been able to cut back considerably.  i got really out of control about 2 months back an ended up in the hospital after taking 6 2mg klonapin at a time just to get relief from the severe anxiety i was feeling.  i realize now that the anxiety was caused by all the steroids i was getting.  had to take a kloapin this morning just to calm down a bit. i feel that if i don't let myslef have one occassionally when its needed i am going to get desperate again and do something stupid.  make sense? this really sux.  and i wish i never had started the stuff.  it was prescribed along with ambien to help me sleep.  and after years on the ambien i find out that ambien causes anxiety so its avicious cycle.  what a mess!!!  oy vey!

[avisg]

The zanaflex is safe.The percs are very addicting or you off the klonapin or back on it .your doctor was right ya have to taper off of benzos if you dont you could have sezuires that could be life threating .Do you want off the percs as well.