panic disorder

[ninau]

Hi im new to this community,I want to know if anyone can help me how long my withdrawal symptom last at max as I stopped taking clonazepam .25mg and paxil cr 25 mg cold turkey.I had panic attack twice almost a yr back n  I was hospialised and so I was put on those meds.im a person who dont want to be on meds for long so I stopped taking tose meds almost an yr after .that was a blunder I did as I didnt know anything of these meds withdrawal sideffects .im a 27 yr old guy .my sideffects didnt show up immediately when I stopped these meds but after almost 2 months later I started realising that even I feel asleep I cannot fall asleep ,now im starting to have severe irritations in my head as I study or watch tv .im in a very worst situation rt now coz at this age I should have been the one who should have been lookin after my parents instead im they are looking after me. I have to study  but I cant foccus due to these symptoms. Can anyone really help me  how long I'll be facing these,im really scared I dont want to take these pills im terrified of its sideffects and I dont know if these palpitaions will again come back.now I stay home all the time.I feel very sad when I see my friends and others doing whatever they want to do,not wanting to live anymore. Thought that meds would help me recover they did stop my palpitaions but their sideffects is something im not able to face anymore I havent slept for days now .this is the worst time in my life im scarred to sleep will these sideffect really stop plz someone help  

[Paxiled]

You should do one drug at a time.  When you've successfully tapered off one, then do the other.  I know, it's hard, it's long, but why fool around?  As for tapering schedules, that really depends on how you react.  If it goes easily, you can taper more quickly; if it's harder, you go more slowly.  A good psychiatrist should be able to help, but frankly, many of them aren't very good at this -- most people do okay or don't tell their psychiatrist they're having problems because nobody tells us when they first put us on these drugs that they're very hard to stop taking.  I would go buy a book called The Anti-Depressant Solution, and there are websites that are devoted to how to properly stop taking these drugs with protocols for tapering.  Avoid all disaster stories and just focus on the success stories, because most of the disaster stories are due to bad doctors.

[ninau]

Also should I only start klonopin or both ie paroxetine cr and how to taper both meds can u plz help me and im glad that there are people who really help others thanks to u and to cnote and all other people of this community plz help me to de tox these meds off me im really scared and struggling I cannot sleep coz these palpitaion sideffects wake me up do u have such sideffects sir

[ninau]

While tapering how can I know that this is the correct time to lower the dose from the previous dose. I mean how do one recognise the timing say if im on .25 of klonopin and im tapering how will I know that this is the time to taper to the next lower dose do u stop taking the pills and wait if the symptom occurs or not n if not then u lower the dose or do u take suppose the .25 dose for a month and then below that on the next month and so on I.e is it a monthly process or weekly process of tapering down or is itlike I took .25 for a month and on the next month I lowered the dose and witout any gap ie continuing and see if on the process I dont find any difficulties/sideffects during the process and likewise continue the process n if thats the way then atleast for howmuch time should I take the initial dose for a month or week plz tell me and what should be my initial dose after this break .25mg klonopin thats the only amount I used for one yr.and if I start from .25 what will be the next low dose .125 or.05.I also wnt ur story at present do u still have w/d symptoms for how long  

[ninau]

While tapering how can I know that this is the correct time to lower the dose from the previous dose. I mean how do one recognise the timing say if im on .25 of klonopin and im tapering how will I know that this is the time to taper to the next lower dose do u stop taking the pills and wait if the symptom occurs or not n if not then u lower the dose or do u take suppose the .25 dose for a month and then below that on the next month and so on I.e is it a monthly process or weekly process of tapering down or is itlike I took .25 for a month and on the next month I lowered the dose and witout any gap ie continuing and see if on the process I dont find any difficulties/sideffects during the process and likewise continue the process n if thats the way then atleast for howmuch time should I take the initial dose for a month or week plz tell me and what should be my initial dose after this break .25mg klonopin thats the only amount I used for one yr.and if I start from .25 what will be the next low dose .125 or.05.I also wnt ur story at present do u still have w/d symptomps

[Paxiled]

Now don't panic, protracted withdrawals are just long withdrawals.  They happen most often when people stop abruptly without properly tapering off, but they can happen with a taper as well.  I know because I have it, and because doctors and psychiatrists claim it doesn't exist and won't research it, you have to do your homework, which pretty much is in agreement that if a withdrawal is more than you can handle, play it safe, go back on the med, and taper off more slowly.  But again, it could go away tomorrow, I have no idea how your brain will react, I'm just advising you to play it safe.  I always advise that on here.  But you get to make the decision and whatever decision you make, don't panic about it, but don't let withdrawal get you either.  No matter what you do, you've learned your lesson -- never quit these meds cold turkey.  It's just not worth it.

[ninau]

Thanks for ur thoughts ,but if this is the beginning of protracted w/d syndrome then I dont know what will happen to me but how can u be so sure about that  I mean no disregards to u but have u seen any such case as mine if so plz help me. if I again start taking pills then how to taper off witout having these horrific symptoms im v v scared never faced anything like this before.I dont want to get myself trapped in protracted syundrome that will take months o god what kind of situation im in will these syndrome never go if I dont taper down r u very sure .can u plz tell me if I quit by tapering then will my palpitations go away for ever or will it start again after I quit them.these psychotropics were actually rx for my palpitations n now they r not letting me sleep can u share ur story plz

[Paxiled]

Okay, this isn't going to please you, but you have two choices:  suffer as long as it takes, and it could go away tomorrow or last forever, or go back on the medications and taper off one and then the other as slowly as you need to, one medication at a time.  Most people do come through okay, but you're suffering the beginning of something called Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome.  Both of these meds are as hard to quit as meds come, and since you're having a hard time with things you didn't have before, my own experience suggests you go back on them and stop taking them in a safe manner.  But again, it could go away tomorrow, that's just my opinion so it doesn't become something that lasts.

[ninau]

Thanks a lot yes I took benzo for 1yr continously for a yr and so .yes I was going through depression for long.I read a lot of articles about benzos and ssri's and after doing so im even more depressed .I dont know wether im clear of seizure risk but the thing im most worried about is the panic attacks they are too brutal to handle.I really feel now that being physically handicapped is not as worse as people suffering from panic attacks atleast they can go freely witout fear .I wanted to know from you that r u cmpletely free of palpitations if u had any ,do u sleep properly witout any attacks as u said that u made it through ur withdrawl from ativan .I asked u this coz as many people said that they cannot fall asleep I realized closely that we feel sleepy but its the attack that comes out of somewhere and cannot go to sleep the meds have done some wrong tuning in our brain chemistry that as u gonna fall asleep the attack will simultaneously hit u and after that no one is able to sleep,can u tell me that weening off slowly completely takes of all the w/d sideffects as u succesfuly tapered out do u face any  symptoms now .in my case by waiting out can it help me to be free from w/d symptoms.as about going to doc I dont know coz im pretty sure that to remove these symptom he'll def put me into those meds which im not sure of coz again taking the pills and again tapering down process then again the sideffects as I came to know from many that even after  gradual n slow tapering they had to face sideffects which I dont wanna go through

[cnote]

Hello,

     I feel your pain! Hang in there! Did you take Clonazepam .25mg every day for 1 year? Same with Paxil? Then just abruptly quit cold turkey???

If you take a benzodiazapine like Clonazepam for an entire year, every day, and then stop cold turkey, you are lucky you didnt have a seizure!!

Don't worry, you are in the clear of having a seizure now, since you are 2 months off, but cold turkeying any medication like that is INSANE!

I'm surprised you are just now having withdrawal symptoms 2 months out. BUT! IT CAN HAPPEN!

I went through a horrible withdrawal from Ativan. It is like Clonazepam, except a shorter half life. It was not fun. But I made it. But I also came off SLOWLY. I took 2 months to come off.


You probably have a few options.

1st, you need to let your Dr. know that you did this and are suffering.

2nd, if this is withdrawal, it WILL get better.

3rd, this could just be anxiety coming back again.

If this is withdrawal, some people need to get back on a stable amount, and then ween off slowly. I would think you are fine being off the Paxil though this long. The benzo is what I would be more concerned about.

If you do not want to get back on pills, then you can just wait it out. But I would highly advise you seeing a talk therapist while going through this.

There is a lot of information out there on the internet on withdrawal, and even support forums. And you can get through it.

I HIGHLY stress that you NEED to let your Doctor know that you stopped these meds cold turkey a couple months ago.

The symptoms that you are explaining COULD be withdrawal, but COULD also be the return of anxiety, since I do not know your background too thoroughly.

If you do not want to go back on medication, then you need to find another way to cope through this.

Hang in there. IT WILL BE OKAY. :)

Do you research on benzo withdrawal, and I would contact your Doctor if it were me. Okay? Let your Grandparents know.