Quote:
Originally Posted by EmbracingSelf
I am also on the withdrawal from clonazepam. I used to take 1mg on demand, sometimes more than that at once.
After years of using benzodiazepines on and off, my system has gotten used to them. I've tried alprazolam (Xanax), bromazepam (Lexotan) and the last one was clonazepam. Considering the high potency of clonazepam compared to other benzos, quitting it cold turkey is not advised. Well, actually quitting any benzo cold turkey is a bad idea. Withdrawal itself already mimics plenty of physical and psychological symptoms like you said, and quitting any benzo cold turkey is very dangerous, it could cause seizures, even death.
The best way is to taper off, using Diazepam (another benzo) due to its long half-life. It's a long-acting drug compared to other benzodiazepines.
I know how it feels, my body was having all sorts of weird symptoms from withdrawing from clonazepam. Three days into not taking it I had intense restlessness and agitation from within, as if I wanna scream out all the pain. I got irritable, had muscle jerks whenever I was about to sleep, and a sense of impending doom, as if death is around the corner. And the sleep apneas...Scary.
The withdrawals also manifest itself as symptoms very similar to fibromyalgia, and I suspect my acid reflux is the result of lacking of benzodiazepine (the required amount) in my body.
Well have you ever checked out the Ashton Manual? It is developed by a professor to help people getting off benzodiazepines and available online. Since I don't take benzo regularly, I now replace clonazepam with diazepam once a week. And gradually tapering diazepam off.
It's going to be a very slow process for you, since you've been taking Klonopin for more than 20 years.. still amazed that you've survived it cold turkey quitting. Very amazing.
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Yes it is amazing that I survived cold turkey. As Angelique stated, it is too bad that the nurse that took her off cold turkey did not read Ashton manual at all. I am truly appalled at the treatment of folks put on a benzo and then just put through the hell of cold turkey withdrawals for no apparent reason. No chance to taper at all. I have read conflicting data regarding the effects of taper vs. abrupt withdrawal. Medical professionals seem to have no or limited knowledge about the horrific effects and potential for protracted withdrawals. That makes no sense to me at all.
Full disclosure...I went to nursing school, became a RN and worked in hospital settings mostly, some home health. Never dealt with benzo prescriptions outside of acute care use. Was NEVER taught anything about withdrawals, only the small amount that is listed in drug information. A lot of pysch drugs state that the way the work or the mechanism of action is 'unknown'. There are a lot of unknowns when it comes to that category of medicines.
Being a medical professional did not even help me to avoid all this trauma. I had no idea that taking a benzo would have any long term effect. It certainly does, changing your brain chemistry.
Wacko as it may sound, out of desperation last night I had a 'talk' with my brain. I said, "you are NOT getting any more klonopin now or ever so quit trying!!!" Crazy as that sounds, I think it may work. The old brain cells seem to be trying to bully me into starting back on it and I do have weak moments that I really want to. I have to see if I am really going to heal like I have been told that I would. So a big loud NO to the dysfunctional and pathological brain cells! Not going to give you that 'fix' you want! Ha ha!
