Med Freak Out

Okay. I have been taking Klonopin for about 20 years. A long time ago it helped my anxiety. At this point it doesn't really do much to help lessen anxiety BUT I am physically addicted to it. When I don't take the usual amount of k-pin I become extremely anxious, not to mention physically sick, achy, the whole benzo withdrawal mess.

My fairly new p-doc is insisting that the k-pin is causing me to be anxious (something about a rebound effect that comes from being on benzos for many years). He's prescribed Buspar and it's helping me, but p-doc insists the Buspar would help more were it not for the k-pin causing rebound anxiety.

SO. P-doc has scripted me with 1/2 the dose I'm used to taking. I've been afraid to drop the dose, but I'm going to run out of the k-pin before I can have it refilled. On top of it all, I'm having surgery in June (removing my right ovary because it has had a fairly large cyst on it for 8 years...my GYN says it's better to just remove the entire ovary at my age - 51).

I am fairly freaking OUT about reducing the k-pin. What to do...tell the p-doc exactly what's going on? Or...any ideas? I'm so-so about this p-doc...he's okay, but also rather odd and creepy. He's clearly fanatically opposed to benzos. Any ideas out there? Thank you~

Are you taking an ssri? I have read in a couple different places that they will rx that when somebody decreases a benzo or vice versa.

I think the site is benzos.org which is run by a researcher/doc that specializes in benzos. If not the link and other links are on beyondmeds.com. There is a whole section dedicated to benzos.

I realize these sites can seem anti med but i encourage you to try and read past that because they probably know more about what you are going through than a doc. These people have either gone through it or have researched and cared for patients who have.

I have a couple other resources by docs if you need them. They may help you work with your doc. Reducing benzos is scary. I don't wish that on anyone.

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And now thinking about it... A 50% reduction is too high for someone on that class for so long. Look at any safe withdrawal guide and they don't advise more than 20% at a time. And experts will go even slower for some people. From reading dr breggin's work, he would be talking to you every few days. He wouldn't have reduced the rx until he was sure it would be enough for the time frame. It's really important that the pace be up to you (within reason).

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Thanks, Michanne. I feel so effed-over with regard to the whole benzo thing. I was given Klonopin as part of a study my then p-doc was participating in and oh, the p-docs were all hot on the new "miracle drug", Klonopin. Well, now benzos are not popular like they used to be (perhaps because they are usually very inexpensive, so less $ for the drug companies). So - who gets screwed? The patients.

Anyway, I am on an ssri. I emailed my p-doc...this should be interesting

Cool. Maybe he can raise it. Hope he gives you more control.

I know there are people here with no issues withdrawing but there are a ton of horror stories.

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You have no trouble withdrawing if you don't take much to start with. But sister rags was on 4 mg a day I think ???? she will tell me if wrong. if so that is a lot even more than my 6mg Ativan in potency wise . if been on that many years it will take many to get yourself off, then what do you take to replace it, there is only another benzo. tell the shrink like my gp said im on for life it more dangerous to take you off than to leave you on. I chose to go up. There is no way im going to detox 6mg Ativan at my age. I running ok has I am. stop them I die , simple I wont put up with another detox I would sooner die my doctors no I mean it. BENZO FULL BLOWN WITHDRAWAL is like a being totured night and day for months and years by unseen monsters you have no life what so ever. You are dead to this planet and all who are on it. . Then you take them again WHAT WAS IT ALL FOR

You're pdoc is nuts to cut your prescription in half. It took me months to taper down from 5 mg a day to 3.5 and that was hard. I know I've run out of my prescription early a few times, and haven't been able to get a refill and it's unmittigated H*ll.

My addictions Dr. is a specialist in helping people come of benzos and if you're on something like clonazapam, she'll transfer you over to another benzo that's less addicting - sorry don't remember which one, and taper you off that over a period of months.

Good luck with your pdoc.

splitimage

They seem to thing in only doubling and halfing.

its crazy your a clinical anxiety sufferer and only benzos can help , normal anxiety you could be treated with a ssri like Lexapro with a good track record of working on low grade anxiety . I except my fate with Benzos if I live that long , the shrinks and the gp have seen first had what a benzo high detox did to me , Turned me into 7 STONE wreck , suicide attempt out the blue no warning you don't get one. In the end they gave them back defeated and I transformed back into a beautiful swan in days go round for ever but nothing works NARDIL may help but side effects may kill you. ANXIETY you don't sit shaking like a rattle snake waiting for something to work in 8 weeks , you need it there and then . BILLY BENZO friend and enemy for life , save your life take your life but never a dull moment,

Thank you all SO MUCH for your input. I am deeply grateful. I emailed my p-doc and told him exactly what's going on for me. He agreed to give me a prescription for the k-pin so I don't have to drop it so fast. There's still an "edge" to his attitude about the k-pin, however. I might go ahead and change p-docs. I desperately want to be off k-pin, but I have to do it over at least a year. I've tried twice to go off faster and the withdrawal was sheer HELL. I ended up right back on the k-pin (I take 2mg/day, btw). Terrifying physically and mentally. And I don't want to be in withdrawal when I have surgery, that's for sure. I need my p-doc to be exceedingly supportive of a very, very slow withdrawal.

When I has surgery I took my meds in with me , Locked in my side draw the nurses just read Ativan and gave it me from the trolly , I was off my head on tramadol and serotonin syndrome so wife also gave me ATIVAN . that's when I walked down the corridor bollock naked pulling the cafita from up my **** , there is a little inflated balloon on the internal bit and I managed to pull that all the way out. I have has loads of weird things happed to me , my wife and friends spend all night laughing there tits off

Have you thought about going inpatient to wean off the kl-pin? Not before surgery, no way, but a controlled withdrawal? I met a few people who did that to get off their k-pin, like you they were on a high dose for a long time. It was their choice their Pdoc wasn't forcing them.

A slow taper would be better with very small steps and then breaks staying on the same level a while. I can't see any reason to put someone in unnecessary pain when it can be made easier.

If the Buspar will help after the withdrawals are over is anyone's guess. I hope it helps but sometimes it does fail to help at all.

Yes, I have thought about doing that. I just don't want to be away from my home and job for such a long time. I honestly think that - if I can pull this off - it'll take 2 years to be k-pin free.

I feel like the Buspar is helping me - praise be to the universe!!! Yes, I agree on the slow taper, then breaks while maintaining the same level. Seems really clear to me and any thinking person. I always suspect most p-docs of being somewhat sadistic, though. I know it won't work any other way. I will battle for what I know will work if I have to - just hoping I don't have to.

shrinks they give you a detox plan or stop the lot and send you away, if you ring in trouble they say get on with it you wimp. IN MY CASE I WAS STOPPING 10-12 MG OF ATIVAN were I had been scripted a lot less they based it on the low level dispite my telling them of my intake. They would have let me die from seizure . and the crisis team you can ring called me a lying fake . My gp new the score , good job he did or I would be feeding the worms in the grave yard . You have to be mental to put up with zoo shrinks.

So true. The thing about psych meds - no, I don't like having to take them, no I don't like the side effects, but the BIGGEST problem with p-meds is the doctors who prescribe them. As patients, we're forced to go with the latest whim in psychiatry, the mood of the p-doc, etc. It's messed up.

They think there gods looking at you over those half specs like a headmaster that's always right. cord pants , checked shirt , loafer,s , tie , throw in attitude and there we have it.

Exactly. Of all the p-docs I've seen...about 30? Maybe more? I've had only 3 who were really decent.

I have only had 4 in twenty years. 3 were very good. One was horrible but I didn't realize it till the end. I only wanted my meds from him. When I needed him for state disability he gave me two weeks of which only one was paid. I was in a very serious suicidal depression and he told me get my butt back to work, my coworkers were counting on me. There was no way I was going back to work. No empathy.

Wow. What a fu*k.