[hope7]

Having a hard time. I have been on anti anxiety meds for over twenty years and my new psychiatrist has weaned me off of it and prescribed Gabapentin for anxiety (very high dose) and i'm not liking it. Not sleeping well and my muscles are tense. Thinking of walking away from her and getting a second opinion.

[CANDC]

Have you told your new psychiatrist your feelings about new med and wanting to go back to old med? You might give them a chance to turn this around if things are not working.

Weaning off med is usually advised to be done with psychiatrist, new one or another one, so you can have a med to transition to and safely wean off the one you are taking.

If you want more info on weaning here are posts or articles from Psych Central
Psych Central - Search results for Weaning off Gabapentin

[mgb46]

Originally Posted by hope7

Having a hard time. I have been on anti anxiety meds for over twenty years and my new psychiatrist has weaned me off of it and prescribed Gabapentin for anxiety (very high dose) and i'm not liking it. Not sleeping well and my muscles are tense. Thinking of walking away from her and getting a second opinion.

Hi hope7,

I'm also trying to mean myself down to .5 once a day or prn. How much Klonopin have you been taking over 20 yrs.? If you have bee taking it for 20 years, the wean process could take 6 mos to a year to avoid any complications. Best of luck to you!

[*Laurie*]

I am so, so sorry for you. Have you read all the other threads about Klonopin?

[hope7]

Originally Posted by CANDC

Have you told your new psychiatrist your feelings about new med and wanting to go back to old med? You might give them a chance to turn this around if things are not working.

Weaning off med is usually advised to be done with psychiatrist, new one or another one, so you can have a med to transition to and safely wean off the one you are taking.

If you want more info on weaning here are posts or articles from Psych Central
Psych Central - Search results for Weaning off Gabapentin

CANDC - I did voice my concerns two months ago when she prescribed it, but I agreed to try it while I weaned off of Klonopin. During all of this time I noticed more agitation, less sleep, a speeding like current in my body, headaches...saw her again 2/19/15. She DOUBLED the Gaba even when I told her about the symptoms. I started taking the increased dose. Monday (2/23/15) morning I called 911 and was taken to the ER with rigid, twitching muscles, stomach cramps, nauseousness, profuse sweating, pupils dilated and tremors. ER doc wasn't sure if it was benzo withdrawal or reaction to increased Gaba so he gave me a dose of Ativan through IV. I felt somewhat better. Went to my medical doctor yesterday too. I am weaning off of Gaba, back on Klonopin and looking for a new Psychiatrist. Very agitated today and very irritable. Good thing I live alone.

Thanks for reading.

[hope7]

Originally Posted by PoppyRoad

I am so, so sorry for you. Have you read all the other threads about Klonopin?

Yes I have !

Thanks PoppyRoad

[hope7]

Originally Posted by mgb46

Hi hope7,

I'm also trying to mean myself down to .5 once a day or prn. How much Klonopin have you been taking over 20 yrs.? If you have bee taking it for 20 years, the wean process could take 6 mos to a year to avoid any complications. Best of luck to you!

Been on Benzo's for over twenty years.

Best of luck to you too !

[buttrfli42481]

I've been on 1mg Klonopin for about 5 yrs. At the beginning of this year, I started weaning off it. I went down to .5mgs and started having trouble sleeping. I called my psychiatrist and told her what was going on, I am now back on 1mg. I think that I am going to try again and go down to .75mgs for a while and see what happens. It really sucks that my body needs the klonopin like it does. I am trying to get off my meds so I don't want to replace it with anything. Hope you find something to work.

[A18793715]

There's protracted withdrawal syndrome if that doctor tried to take you off fast and that can literally last years. I would most definitely get a second opinion.

Coming off Klonopin after being on it for 20 years has to be hard... I hope you can find someone who will work with you.

I was on 1 mg a day for the past few years and have tapered myself down to .25 mg a day. I didn't have much trouble to speak of getting down to .5 mg (some cramping, tingling in my feet and legs), but have had an almost constant headache for the past 2 months since I got to .25 mg. I thought if I stayed at this dose a while to give my body a chance to adjust to the new level it would help, but the headaches haven't got much better.

There have been a few times when something happened to raise my anxiety level and I upped my dose for a couple days too, so I haven't made much progress lately, although it did lessen the severity of my headaches.