[earthangel1]

I have been on klonipin for some time and it has worked very well, except for the drowsiness. I have a new strict psychiatrist. (I moved in with my parents in the middle of nowhere Wisconsin so she's all I can get.) She says she doesn't prescribe any of her patients benzos. I'm starting to really not like her. She took me off Cymbalta too, saying it would cause mania. And the Cymbalta really helped! Any tips for coming off a benzo? Anyone else have the same situation?

[Wander]

I'm sorry you have a psychiatrist who won't prescribe you what helps. That is unfair.

As for coming off benzo's I recommend you wean off very, very slowly. What dose are you on? I have come off benzo's and it can be very unpleasant, even with weaning so I hope your pdoc understands that. If you are able reduce the dose by a quarter, sit on that for a week or so and then reduce by a quarter again and sit on that for another week and so on. I hope you don't get too bad withdrawals. Some can stop abruptly without many bad effects but others need to go slow. I hope you are one of the first. Maybe your new pdoc has some other meds in mind that will help. I really hope so. I wish you all the best.

[Bigmike727]

Good luck in coming off. I never do understand pdocs like that though. My pdoc considers K-pin one of the best kept secrets of psychiatric treatment. He prescribed it to me without hesitation, says it even acts as a short term mood stabilizer, which for me it does.

[Gray Rider]

I get that there's a risk of a habit, but anxiety can be so devastating.

bpenniman, did she design a "taper down" schedule for you for these meds or did she just tell you to stop them all at once? Because I take both of those meds and I have gotten very sick a few times after 2-3 days after not having them because of mess-ups of various types.

[raspberrytorte]

That sucks. That would actually be one of my worst nightmares in all honesty. Why does she want you off it? Any specific reason? And I don't understand why she would take you off your cymbalta if it's obviously not making you manic. That's just sucky. Does she have replacement meds? I understand some doc's are leary of benzos, but if you're not abusing it, what's the problem?

Do you off enough left to do a slow taper?

[earthangel1]

Originally Posted by jo_thorne

bpenniman, did she design a "taper down" schedule for you for these meds or did she just tell you to stop them all at once? Because I take both of those meds and I have gotten very sick a few times after 2-3 days after not having them because of mess-ups of various types.

yes she has a taper down schedule but it is pretty fast. She's probably the strictest psychiatrist ever. But when I lived in Kansas City, I had a psychiatrist that prescribed me 9 different medications and put me on 2mg of Xanax even though I told him one would be enough.

[earthangel1]

Originally Posted by raspberrytorte

That sucks. That would actually be one of my worst nightmares in all honesty. Why does she want you off it? Any specific reason? And I don't understand why she would take you off your cymbalta if it's obviously not making you manic. That's just sucky. Does she have replacement meds? I understand some doc's are leary of benzos, but if you're not abusing it, what's the problem?

Do you off enough left to do a slow taper?

She is doing a slow taper with me. I think maybe part of the reason is that I am fatigued all the time. She also just hates benzos. I feel trapped though because the other nearest psychiatrist is an hour away.

Well at least she's doing a taper. I totally understand what you mean about feeling trapped by having only one psychiatrist available. Maybe you can find a good primary care doctor to kind of give you some extra support.

I wish I could be off clonazepam!! I beg them to take me off it cos I HATE being on benzos daily and now have been for over 6 months which concerns me greatly. I got down to one mg last year then in hospital they put it back up to 4mg with 2mg prn and now I am on 2mg daily with 2mg prn (which I very very rarely take). I want to change it again but cant til I see my pdoc in 10 days or I might get that look of frustration from him. Im so forgetful and all over the place on it. I cant think straight, study or concentrate, Im on it for OCD which it works for but I dont want to be on it in the morning anymore.

[mtnannie]

Been there. Got a new pdoc. I realize you don't have a choice but here is where you have to advocate for yourself, even at the time you are weakest. I almost had a total breakdown with a pdoc who kept tellig me to increase my dosage of zoloft even though it was making me crazier. Fortunately I could get another one, but if you sign yourself into the hospital, the hospital pdoc will take over your meds, at least for a little while, and social services might help you find another pdoc, even if it is a distance away. Check on your disability transportation and intercity public transportation if you need to go further out. A goodpdoc is worth it!