[jadedbutterfly]

I have been taking 1mg 3xday for over 5 years now. I must admit there are times when I take an extra dose when things are going badly, or if I know that I am going to be in a situation that will trigger my anxiety/panic attacks.
In the past I would only take 2 doses when I was home when things were "quiet", so I actually have at least 1 full prescription in a drawer (I know not a good thing to hold onto )... but now I am used to taking the 1mg 3x a day.
Last visit to pdoc, she suggested I get off of the schedule, only take when needed.
How I am supposed to do this? she didn't talk me through how to taper down! when I search for answers on the internet there are conflicting approaches .. but all with icky/terrible side effects.
I do not see her until December , so suggestions needed from people who have had to taper down on Klonopin would/will be much appreciated.
thank you

[sunrise]

Here is a taper schedule to get off 3 mg daily clonazepam:

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw, Prof C H Ashton DM, FRCP, 2002

Good luck.

[sewerrats]

Just tighten your seatbelt the ride gets bumpy.

[splitimage]

Wait to talk to your dr. and have them give you a taper schedule. Don't let them talk you into going any faster than a reduction of 10% every 10 days or so. It's a hellish drug to come off of.

splitimage

[jadedbutterfly]

Originally Posted by splitimage

Wait to talk to your dr. and have them give you a taper schedule. Don't let them talk you into going any faster than a reduction of 10% every 10 days or so. It's a hellish drug to come off of.

splitimage

I am going to take your advice and wait to talk with my pdoc... this is gonna suck.

[LostNAngry]

As of I think, about a week and one day ago, I was on 8mgs of Klonopin every day for the past 6 years. My doctor cut me to 4mgs overnight at my last appointment. I argued until my face was purple wouldn't budge. I said what you are doing sick and wrong. Its rough let me tell you please if you have a good doc get some good advice because mine didn't give me any at all. Yes, as you said it does suck....Its sad that a doctor would do that to someone without tapering off. Good luck to you. Take care of yourself the best you can.

[sewerrats]

you are in fact lucky he left the 4mg , if he had took the lot you would really be in trouble , you have a comfort zone in the 4mg some shrinks do that has they did me without a care for there patient at all. I thought about a law suit for near on killing me , and a solicitor said you carnt take on the mighty NHS specially has a mental patient, they would destroy you.

[LostNAngry]

Sewerrats- Im am not wanting to come off as being ungrateful for you input- But no I do not feel "lucky" the first things I asked when I switched to this new doc is I am on 8mgs of Klononpin is this going to be a problem they reassured it wouldn't be then boom it was a problem...I pay them $150 for 10 minutes of their time. I am extremely pissed. Im glad doctors will say anything to get you to pay them and not give a ***** what is going to happen to you mentally or physically. I walked out of there feeling very upset and like I wasn't being seen as a human being that matters.

[LostNAngry]

Any new news JadedButterfly? I hope you are doing okay!

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by LostNAngry

Sewerrats- Im am not wanting to come off as being ungrateful for you input- But no I do not feel "lucky" the first things I asked when I switched to this new doc is I am on 8mgs of Klononpin is this going to be a problem they reassured it wouldn't be then boom it was a problem...I pay them $150 for 10 minutes of their time. I am extremely pissed. Im glad doctors will say anything to get you to pay them and not give a ***** what is going to happen to you mentally or physically. I walked out of there feeling very upset and like I wasn't being seen as a human being that matters.

sorry but I don't see how any doc could script that many mg long term, its like holding a gun to your head , ITS GOING TO GO OFF SOME TIME . Has I say im the highest Benzo user in my 8 GP SURGERY 4 mg of Ativan a day that's a quarter your intake on 8mg, when I was on 12 mg not scripted that still not no where near your med 8mg klononpin 120 mg to your 160mg I was stopped 120mg you have been stopped 80mg in strenth terms, I was given back 4mg by my gp so now I take like 80mg and you still take 160mg in strenth terms a very big big benzo intake, someone screwed up badly they no it ,so there clawing them back an don't care about you

[fortin]

Originally Posted by jadedbutterfly

I have been taking 1mg 3xday for over 5 years now. I must admit there are times when I take an extra dose when things are going badly, or if I know that I am going to be in a situation that will trigger my anxiety/panic attacks.
In the past I would only take 2 doses when I was home when things were "quiet", so I actually have at least 1 full prescription in a drawer (I know not a good thing to hold onto )... but now I am used to taking the 1mg 3x a day.
Last visit to pdoc, she suggested I get off of the schedule, only take when needed.
How I am supposed to do this? she didn't talk me through how to taper down! when I search for answers on the internet there are conflicting approaches .. but all with icky/terrible side effects.
I do not see her until December , so suggestions needed from people who have had to taper down on Klonopin would/will be much appreciated.
thank you

I went down from 4mg to 1mg of klonopin daily. I decreased by 1/2 mg a week. I feel better now and not so groggy and confused. Decrease gradually!

[LostNAngry]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

sorry but I don't see how any doc could script that many mg long term, its like holding a gun to your head , ITS GOING TO GO OFF SOME TIME . Has I say im the highest Benzo user in my 8 GP SURGERY 4 mg of Ativan a day that's a quarter your intake on 8mg, when I was on 12 mg not scripted that still not no where near your med 8mg klononpin 120 mg to your 160mg I was stopped 120mg you have been stopped 80mg in strenth terms, I was given back 4mg by my gp so now I take like 80mg and you still take 160mg in strenth terms a very big big benzo intake, someone screwed up badly they no it ,so there clawing them back an don't care about you

Thank you for explaining why you said that. I understand now. I am just really frustrated and I don't know how long this is going to last is the saddest part. But again thank you. I just wish if they were going to do it anyway they could have slowly did it. ya know?

[LostNAngry]

Sorry JadedButterfly for posting on your thread post I hope you are okay!

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by LostNAngry

Thank you for explaining why you said that. I understand now. I am just really frustrated and I don't know how long this is going to last is the saddest part. But again thank you. I just wish if they were going to do it anyway they could have slowly did it. ya know?

Sorry I didn't explain the mg list, 10mg of valium is the same has 1 mg Ativan, 2mg of Ativan is the same has 1 mg of klonopin or xanax , so for every 1 mg of klonopin its the same amount has 20 mg valium. 8 mg klonopin is the same has 160mg valium, say it like that and its seem a lot. I have a headache now

[anselm]

Originally Posted by jadedbutterfly

I have been taking 1mg 3xday for over 5 years now. I must admit there are times when I take an extra dose when things are going badly, or if I know that I am going to be in a situation that will trigger my anxiety/panic attacks.
In the past I would only take 2 doses when I was home when things were "quiet", so I actually have at least 1 full prescription in a drawer (I know not a good thing to hold onto )... but now I am used to taking the 1mg 3x a day.
Last visit to pdoc, she suggested I get off of the schedule, only take when needed.
How I am supposed to do this? she didn't talk me through how to taper down! when I search for answers on the internet there are conflicting approaches .. but all with icky/terrible side effects.
I do not see her until December , so suggestions needed from people who have had to taper down on Klonopin would/will be much appreciated.
thank you

I agree with others you must ask to taper down your dose. I was on 4 mg Clonazepam daily, and tapered to 3 mg so far. Even that's been difficult, but I used an exacto-blade for box-cutting and cut my 1 mg tablets into 4, then went down a quarter of a milligram a week... Feel jumpy at times but still on 3 mg. Best of luck!

[mzunderstood79]

I was on 1 mg 3x/ day once and I just took myself off and so from experience, don't just stop. Go see your doctor and discuss the tapering plan. Hope it goes well for you

[coleychi]

that's crazy that your pdoc just told you to taper down without specific instructions.

i know this is a baby dose to what the rest of you are reporting, but i've been taking 0.5mg klonopin for the past year or two and my pdoc wants me to wean off of it and use it as a prn for which it was first prescribed (like 4-5 years ago). he told me this on monday and i still haven't started the process. i don't know if the klonopin actually does anything for me because i still feel anxious but i'm afraid what it'll be like without it.

on sunday when i dispense my meds, i'm going to cut them in half so i'm taking 0.25mg nightly and the following week, i'll dispense to 0.25mg the nights before i have classes (2x a week) and then the next week i'll hopefully be off. crossing my fingers this goes smoothly!

[jadedbutterfly]

Originally Posted by LostNAngry

Sorry JadedButterfly for posting on your thread post I hope you are okay!

No prob... good discussion... sorry you are having difficulty as well. Wish you the best dealing with this doc

[jadedbutterfly]

Originally Posted by coleychi

that's crazy that your pdoc just told you to taper down without specific instructions.

i know this is a baby dose to what the rest of you are reporting, but i've been taking 0.5mg klonopin for the past year or two and my pdoc wants me to wean off of it and use it as a prn for which it was first prescribed (like 4-5 years ago). he told me this on monday and i still haven't started the process. i don't know if the klonopin actually does anything for me because i still feel anxious but i'm afraid what it'll be like without it.

on sunday when i dispense my meds, i'm going to cut them in half so i'm taking 0.25mg nightly and the following week, i'll dispense to 0.25mg the nights before i have classes (2x a week) and then the next week i'll hopefully be off. crossing my fingers this goes smoothly!

From what I understand, even a "baby dose" as you described, is difficult to come off of this med. take it slow..

[IndieVisible]

Originally Posted by sewerrats

Sorry I didn't explain the mg list, 10mg of valium is the same has 1 mg Ativan, 2mg of Ativan is the same has 1 mg of klonopin or xanax , so for every 1 mg of klonopin its the same amount has 20 mg valium. 8 mg klonopin is the same has 160mg valium, say it like that and its seem a lot. I have a headache now

Xanax is actually the weakest of the group. 1mg of xanax is no where near as potent as 1 mg klonopin. I always thought klons were the strongest, and they seem to last the longest too! Even ativans are more potent then xanax. IMHO of course.

[leejoseph]

I was addicted to benzo's very badly. I've took as many as probably in 20 a day range even at times. I tried doing things by certain schedules and Dr's advice and it never worked for me. Most of the time you have anxiety issues to start with. Then anyone who has took benzo's for a period of time is addicted or dependent either way you chose too look at it. I finally done it after ten or 12 years of torture dealing with it. If i would use someone else's schedule the anxiety would hit me like a rock. You have to taper by your own schedule. Everyone's problems are different. You may go a few days and be fine without 3 a day then have to take 3 if you have a bad day. Then get straight back the next day. Or have a really great day and only take one. I cut myself by doing it in quarter pieces or halves of my pills. But after taking them for so long your still gonna have to fight with just kinda wanting to take one when you dont really need it. Its a slow process. Your body wont work to a written down schedule unless your just strong willed and dont mind being sick. Its took me about three years to get down too about .25 mg a day. I still have to take some nyquil or benadril to sleep. At this point if im having a great day I wont even take one and if its bad I may take two .25 in a day. Even with all that my mind still wants one but I have learned to tell when i want it and have to have it. It's a long road full of battles!

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by IndieVisible

Xanax is actually the weakest of the group. 1mg of xanax is no where near as potent as 1 mg klonopin. I always thought klons were the strongest, and they seem to last the longest too! Even ativans are more potent then xanax. IMHO of course.

benzo.org.uk : Benzodiazepine Equivalence Table you cannot go by what you think a Benzo strenth is read this chart, an answer the post again

[coleychi]

Originally Posted by jadedbutterfly

From what I understand, even a "baby dose" as you described, is difficult to come off of this med. take it slow..

thanks for this. it's definitely harder than i anticipated (my chest feels tight more often) and i'm not completely weened off of it but i'm using it more as a prn right now... with hopes of stopping it completely.