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Help with "weaning" off clonazepam...

I would like to know a safe way to wean myself off of clonazepam.I know about the ashton mannual and I don't want to do that.I've been taking 1mg-clonazepam for a year and a half.Only 1mg a day.How do I do it??   (I'm not on anything else)Thankyou....
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Avatar universal
I don't know any thing re this Ashton manual. But Valium Is a benzo too -- not sure wanting off another benzo by taking a different one makes sense. Decreasing dosage slowly. Never too fast. We all go though stressful periods in Our lived yet some cannot handle without medicine. ESP if you're prone to panic attacks like I have all my life. But it's true. They work well but you build tolerance to and I've ended up in worse shape when my doc decides okay you can do without. Pros and Cons-/ weigh them. I had no choice as I was shaking not eating not sleeping and panicking - embarassing. I'm 45 been Off on benzos regardless which One, and the younger I was the easier to stop I now see looking back. I get so anxious I can't sleep and when quality of my life is effected by all symptoms I've described I'm older now and know the only relief I'll find is with, I take Xanax. They're all addictive -- discuss why you need how long and your now concerns.
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Avatar universal
Don't take either.They will mess you up!!!!!!!Go to the web sites I posted and you'll see what I mean or go to the post at the bottom here,I described what happens while your on this ****.!!!
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Avatar universal
Wow.. after reading all of the posts, I'm afraid to take Clonazepam, which I was just prescribed yesterday, along with Zoloft. I'd hate to become addicted.
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Avatar universal
  I can't beleive that you would actually recomend me to wean that quickly? Over 3 weeks??? Are you kidding me???  1mg of this **** is = to 20mg of valuim.How about tell the next person to just slit their throats??  It's been a little over a month now and I've been dry cutting a 1/4 off of it for 2 maybe 3 weeks each cut.This will take me 3 to 4 months.Why would you tell me towards the end to take it every other day then every 3rd day??  You would have me going back and forth through withdrawal.  Hey doc. Why don't YOU go to benzo.org and paxilprogress.com and see the HELL that ALL of these people are going through because their doctors told them the samething that you told me.Or just take the meds. yourself and you'll see what I mean!!!
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Avatar universal
I meant a doctor from here.
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242532 tn?1269550379
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
My reccomenndation is to do it slowly over a three week period, each week lower the dose and the interval, so that in the second week you are taking it every other day, and in the third week every third day before you start.  Since there is  still some slight risk of withdrawal effects, you might ask your doctor to cover you with an antiseizure medications for the week when you stop.
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Avatar universal
hi, debaser ... i do hope that benzo therapy continues to work for you and that you do not develop a tolerance to it ... i think that would really and truly be an awesome thing for you ... will look around for you in about 6 months or so and see how you're doing ...

i'm not dissuasive just for the fun of it ... believe me, i could think of a much better past time than to being labelled as an alarmist ... of course, i don't consider that label as a bad thing, but i surely do consider benzodiazepines as a very very bad thing ...

tolerance can build up so quickly in many many instances that sometimes, one doesn't realize that they're in tolerance and are convinced that instead of it being tolerance, that they are bi polar or have a severe case of anxiety and are put on more, senseless meds ... it's a sorrowful position to be in ... very sorrowful ...

again, i would try alternative methods as opposed to drugs ... had i known then what i know now ...
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193245 tn?1189989722
Well, I didn't see anything here that I didn't already know, and I still think you're something of an alarmist.  

I know a LOT of people who have been helped by benzodiazepines.  Not a few.  A lot.  

I'm sorry you had a bad experience with them, but talking to some doctors and pharmacists doesn't make you an authority on the subject.  What you should be doing is telling people to research and consider their options carefully.  Saying that benzos should be illegal is silly, and if the wrong person reads those kinds of comments they may not take a medicine that's capable of improving their life.

I was no more than a day from checking myself into an insane asylum before I finally broke down and took my Clonazepam.  I'm glad I didn't read any of your posts during that time, or that's probably where I'd be.  Instead, I can eat.  I can sleep.  I can go out with friends.  I can go to work.  I'm myself again.

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Avatar universal
i truly and honestly hope that the doctor's advice is a very educated one ...

i've interviewed quite a few doctors, including drug rehabilitation doctors who specialize in benzodiazepine weaning, who support the Ashton Manual ...

i've also interviewed quite a bit of pharmacists, in person who agreed that the Ashton way is the safest way ...

but hey, maybe this forum doctor knows something that these hands-on experienced doctors don't know ...

i will agree, everyone is different in the way they react to benzo w/d, but for long term users (longer than a month or two) out there who obviously have a very tough time of it, the Ashton is proven to be the safest way to go ...
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Avatar universal
I thought that an actual doc. was going to help and I thought that's what I paid for???? I don't even trust my own doc. so I would not want to hear from one here anyways!!
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Avatar universal
i'm so glad to see you in here, posting and hopefully opening your mind to some very valuable information, debaser ... as you can see from people like myself who've been there, done that, benzos are nothing fun to play with ... as my very educated psychotherapist (who's also "been there, done that") says:  benzodiazepines should be taken off of the market and written into law as illegal ... i concur!

i surely hope that your wean off of clonazepam is still going well ... please keep us updated, okay?
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Avatar universal
and maggie, if you need any kind of support, just holler, okay?  again, please keep us updated ...
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193245 tn?1189989722
So, you have to pay to ask questions in this forum?  You asked yours on 2/20 and still haven't received an answer?  Did you get you money back?

In other sections of this site, questions seem to be answered in reasonably timely manner.  What's different with this one?
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Avatar universal
It's been 2 weeks now since I've tapered and I'm fine....Had a little headache on day 2 but I have about 1 or 2 a month anyways.Thanks
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Avatar universal
I believe you can still wean off without the valium. I say this because I am. My doctor was willing to give me valium, but I had already started my weaning and was doing well. Just cut slowly. I assume the meds are in tablet form (I sometimes had mine in powder in a bag, that's why I ask). If they are, you can pick up a pill cutter. Start by reducing it to 0.8 and see how you feel. Once you feel comfortable, take a little more off. If you start feeling really really ******, then add that little bit back in for the moment, but don't stay on it.

If you can't get valium, then that's that. It's going to be a hard trek regardless of the meds. I am also weaning off clonazepam, from 5mg down to 0.25 over a year. This last little bit is proving to be a ***** though.
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Avatar universal
Well then find a DR that will. I had to go to 4 different Dr's until I found one. You are ultimately going to do what you want, I am just giving you advice on what I did. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and I am still recovering.

Good Luck.
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Avatar universal
ummmm ....did you not read my 1st post about the ahton manual??? are you going to give me valium?? my doc. won't
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Avatar universal
The Ashtom Manual is the way to go. I had to get off of Ativan and I only took it for 6 month. You have got to withdrawl slowly. I tried to do it on my own and had severe ear ringing that almost made me crazy. Most DR's think you can just reduce the amount over 1 week. You will do so much damge to yourself if you do this. You were given this drug probably because you were having emotional issues, and if you just casually get off it you will have issues you can't imagine. I beg you to look into the Ashton Manual, it saved my life. It is the way to go. Your gaba receptors are now addicted to the benzo and they want it all the time. So now you are building up a tolerance which is also goint to increase all your symptoms you were trying to get rid off. To just deprive them of it at a rapid rate is going to really make you feel crazy and make all the symptoms go through the roof. It is a very long road to get off this ****. It took me over a year and I still have the anxiety/panic disorder, but I am in therapy. I want nothing to do with meds. I wish you the best of luck, and I know what you are going through. Take care!!  
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Avatar universal
I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Avatar universal
So I paid 5$ for nothing ....thanks
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