Bad withdrawal from klonopin

i've been taking klonopin for 15 years for sleep (chronic fatigue syndrome). i also take flexeril. i originally was taking 3 mg. of klonopin and 2mg flexeril. i've been down to 2-1/2 mgs of klonopin for years. i've cut down further 1/4 less for about 4 weeks and now another 1/2 less. i'm on my 3rd week. i'm feeling very tired, irritable. my husband says i'm still in withdrawal. i'd like to get off completely.

Please help! I have been on klonopin for nearly eight years now and am currently trying to taper off. At one time i was taking 3mg daily and have successfully tapered down to 1mg daily. It seems that when I try to drop to .5mg I have the most horrific time. I tried unsuccessfully about a year ago and went back to 1mg due to lack of sleep and numbness in my face and hands. I am in the 5th day of my second attempt and having a terrible time all over again. I could not sleep a wink last night and feel like c**p. I am afraid to take a sleep aid as it would be substituting one problem for another. Can anyone tell me how long it takes to get over these withdrawal symptoms and when I may actually get a good night's sleep. thanks so much and good luck to the rest of you out there fighting the same battle.

Relapse? I am no longer taking klonopin, but I think I may need it , and we are not talking about relapsing, some people actually need it, although it is addictive, some people may need it, and I am not just talking about addiction. I have not taken it in months because I dont like being dependent on a drug, I no longer have any withdrawals, and I can honestly say I may need it....some people do need to use it long term, so I wouldnt use a word like relapse, unless you were abusing it, or really didnt need it to begin with....some people do that as well.

I have been completely free of klonopin for about 3 1/2 months but not from the withdrawals. I suffer from depression, severe anxiety, rapid heart rate at night and just feeling out of control. The reason I took Klonopin was for stomach seizures that caused severe pain and weight loss. My stomach problems have improved but I wish that I would have NEVER have taken this medication. I went to my doctor today and she prescribed Wellbutrin ! I really hope and pray this works. It really made me feel better to read about other people on the website because I know that it is the withdrawals and I am not lossing my mind. Thank Goodness!!!

I recommend using the road back program. Go to theroadback.org. It is a very informative site and it worked for me.

I am having trouble breathing sometimes. I have been off and on Benzodiazepines since I was 19, I am now 25. I have serious social anxiety disorder. Its ruined my life. I work as an account/secretary, and have little contact with people for this reason. But I feel the quality of my life is just so shitty. they tried putting me on SSRI's because they thought I was depressed and said it would fix the anxiety too.. it did the absolute opposite. Weaning off of Effexor XR I felt and looked like how you'd think a heroin junkie coming off something, and they tell you that these SSRI/new drugs arent addictive BS!.


my problem is that I have had no choice but to go back to the benzos. so after trying xanax, it made me loss major muscle, could barely stand up after 8 months, 2mg/day after a while.... then I took a break and hide away in my room basically (lived with parents) tehy dont udnerstand why I am so socially phobic, they tell me BS like that iti is in my head, and it absolutely is not. it makes me so angry.

I tried taking valium, and it worked for a while but has a tendency to make me more sleepy and also - cry, depressed, it causes me slight depression.

So finally I tried Klonopin. And wow what a wonder drug. So far it is my favorite, but I am having a hard time keeping up with the rate by which my body is becoming tolerant to it. I have been on it for 4 months and am still at the same dose I was on 4 months ago!!!! NOT good. I take .5mg 2 times a day. Whoopty friggin do!

So because my psyche wants to not increase the dose and it freaks me out I do get the pills now (non-generic, cheap as hell too), from a friend. I get the 1mg upjohn purple xanax, I get 10mg roche valiums, I get TWO milligram klonopins. But I have to keep seeing my psyche because this stuff is in my system and if it came up on a drug test (Benzodiazepines) I could get fired. Otherwise I'd tell him to piss offf for not increasing my dosage.

hoensty guys I dont know what to do.. because now I have all these pills... like a couple hundred of each kinds, they were bought so cheap.... i get the urge... I think yesterday I took 4mg Klonopin, 2mg Xanax, and just half a 10mg valium (5mg) to sleep.

But all these...... I know I will sooner or later pay the price. What does someone who is so afraid of people do? I am dying here. I have lost so much weight. I am 120 lbs and I am 5'8" I cannot keep lbs on me if I eat donuts and oreo cookies every day. I am having trouble breathing. I feel alone. But its my own fault. You know, and my parents just treat me like im some porblem. thing is I am truly, utterly afraid of people. been raped 3 times.. had a gun put to my head with the trigger almost pulled... and I was just born this way, genetically! My dad also has social phobia so he is an alcoholic!!!

I suppose I am just screwed. Its like, I know I will die from drugs, and funny thing, they will be legal drugs, because my body can't take this, but I cant stop. I know I've lost all my muscle tone.

What else can I do besides benzos? I absolutely REFUSE antidepressants. BEcause I am not depressed!!!!!!!!!! I get depressed because of my ANXIETY SITUATION AND NO ONE CAN SEEM TO HELP OR GIVE ME A DAMN HONEST ANSWER ABOUT IT. I AM SCARED all the time.... am I going schizo? And I have been this way since before I ever even touched a drug, its just gotten progressively worse.

My body hurts, I am emotional so I am infact getting away from the valiums, they are worthless. except to sleep maybe. I take Excedrin too, like a good 4 a day, so thats 1000mg of acetaminophen..... which is really bad for your kidneys. Contains 65mg caffeine. But it helps with the muscle/body aches. I refuse vicodin or opiates, I dont need another addiction.

Anyway.... if anyone wants to write to me.......

EL


**edited by moderator ** e-mails not allowed **

I' am having horrible withdrawal. I didn't like the doctor I was seeing and stopped once the perscription was gone. I'm having horrible anxiety (which sucks because my anxiety attacks are really, really bad.) I'm also having back and chest pains. I think I should go see my regular doctor VERY soon and also make an appointment with a new pyschiatrist. I can't live like this. It's making me go insane.

I was prescribed klonopin - 2mg a day - for generalized anxiety disorder - over 13 years ago. I have tried everything in the book for getting off this drug - from slow taper (off 1/4 mg every 3 months) to using natural remedies. 5 times now I have tried different methods to get off this drug unsuccessfully. My biggest withdrawal symptom is not being able to sleep, muscle jerking, and "brain zaps". I was told, when I went on this medication, that it had the potential to become physically addicting. I was not told that it was nearly impossible to get off of. Even the insert that comes with the drug, states it can be physically addicting - so there is no way to even sue the company that makes this stuff because they did supply the info - even though they did not say just how difficult it would be to get off the stuff. I believe this is one of the most dangerous drugs out there - it did stop the anxiety attacks - but I'd now rather have them then the withdrawal symptoms I have trying to get off this stuff. I have read many postings on different sites from people having the same problems as I am having. There has to be an answer. I absolutely refuse to be on this stuff for the rest of my life. If I can not find some answer to getting off this stuff, I will find the absolute final answer. If I have to die to do it - so be it.
I don't want to sound dramatic, but I am angry at the drug company for making this stuff, the dr for putting me on this stuff without giving me the whole truth about it. There has to be a way - somehow. If anyone has any suggestions, please advise me. I am at the end of my rope with this stuff!

I am relieved to find this site.

I have been taking .25 klonopin twice a day for about 4 months. I am trying to taper off by taking a little off each time, so I figure it's around .20 twice a day at this point.

Has anyone else gone this slowly and still suffered with anxiety? And kind of a headache? And the anxiety is more like aprehension toward everything.

I was particularly interested in the poster who mentioned it was worse than getting off heroin. Did the hospital really say that?

Thanks to all!

I was so happy to find this site, as I see I'm not the only one trying to get off this devil drug called Klonopin. Long story short, 30 yrs. ago I began this journey called agorophobia, and was first put on Valium, then Xanax, then Klonopin 20 yrs. ago to get me off the Xanax. I've seen so many psychiatrists, tried every antidepressant on the market, tried accupuncture, behavioral modification, I don't smoke, drink, I eat healthy, exercise (in my house, because I can't leave my house!), and I'm worse than I've ever been. I was up to 4 mg Klonopin for the last I don't know how many years. I checked myself into our local mental hospital in July '06, because on top of the agorophobia, 4 yrs ago I developed severe depression. I kept asking at the hospital if the long term Klonopin usage could be CAUSING my problems, as it sure isn't working anymore, but they all evaded the issue, and put me on Lexapro with the Klonopin (may as well be addicted to TWO drugs!). Since I keep getting worse, and have done a lot of reading on long term side effects of Klonopin (depression, severe anxiety, memory loss, liver damage), I called my Dr. and told him I'm going off of it, and am a little "miffed" that he didn't tell me how addictive the stuff was when he put me on it?! I realize they give you that insert with all the side effects, that is so small you can't hardly read it, and years ago I did question him, but he said that was the "worst" scenario, and so rare. Grrrrr! Anyway, I'm off the Lexapro, and have been cutting the Klonopin by 1/2 mg monthly, and am down to 2 mg daily, and feel awful. I have a chronic headache, stomach distress, rage, severe anxiety. I'm not at all happy that I've met others suffering with this like I am, but I at least now know what I'm going through seems to be the norm. I don't know what to do? I guess I'll keep hanging in there, but I don't know how much longer I can tolerate the headache, especially! I know one thing for sure---if I'd have known 30 yrs ago what I know now, I'd never have taken a pill for the agorophobia, as I don't think I'd have been in this bad of shape. I have no faith in any of the doctors I've seen, and the best ones were alledgedly at the hospital I was in. Is there hope for us? Good luck to everyone, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart!

Just wanted to post one last time and say that stopping this stuff was the best thing that I ever did! It may take a little time but your body does level off and I finally feel good! Hang in there.

Guest wrote:

Just wanted to post one last time and say that stopping this stuff was the best thing that I ever did! It may take a little time but yo :P ur body does level off and I finally feel good! Hang in there. [/q :P uote]the best thing u can ever do is get off the meds'' they r badd news the drs. want tell u any thing u research on your own and find that you pay the higher price with your emotions ,mind and your body it's the most horrible thing to exp.i was on klon. for a yr. for panic attacks never have taken as much as a advil in my life .so the journey started the klon. never really worked,but of course u get addited and the drs. want tell u that b/c for every perscription they write on drugs they get pd /vac/other bennifits'' while they r having fun u pay so it's up to you to get better and i know it's hard i've been their. i've been off klon. for 10 months now and i have had weird sensations in my head ,headaches,gitery,aches pains,overwhelming thoughts[ negative] confusionfeeling of not being.going crazy[ but your not] :P :P :P you can do it i did but i have to say it was through much prayer and other christians praying lots of encouragement and believing in yourself [GOD SAYS YOU ARE SOMEBODY ] believe that and there is nothing impossible with god'' i'm doing better and it seems each day is better . all the praise goes to my father JESUS''['I PRAY BLESSINGS AND PEACE OVER ALL ]THIS COMES FROM DEEP WITHIN MY SPIRIT B/C I TRULY CARE, UNTIL YOU HAVE WALKED YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.SO BE CAREFUL TO JUDGE'''''

I took 2 mg Klonopin per day for 10 weeks. After that I didn't think I needed as much so I cut down to 1 mg. After cutting back I complained to my pdoc about constant tension headaches and tremblyness inside my arms. I knew my symptoms had something to do with the Klonopin but I didn't know about withdrawal. After another month I decided to quit because I was tired of the headaches. Pdoc didn't warn me, told me I could quit cold turkey because I was on a "low dose for my weight".

I lasted 6 days. First I got this intense pressure in my brain and tinnitus. Then I stopped sleeping almost completely. I couldn’t leave the house and paced all day and all night. Got aches all over my body like I had the flu. Started feeling completely insane by the 6th day. Uncontrollable crying, rage, detached feelings, completely scatterbrained.

I had to go back to taking 1 mg per day. Went to a different pdoc who gave me a script for 0.05 mg capsules from a compounding pharmacy along with 0.5 mg pills. It was worth it. I could cut back by 0.1 or 0.05 mg increments and am now completely off. Going slow was all it took. I’ve been completely off for a month now and only have very minor symptoms (mainly just tinnitus). I know its rough, but it gets better with time.

Thank you for the listing. I feel so absolutely alone in this withdrawal, as no one I know can understand how I look perfectly fine but feel so horrible. I will have faith in your words of encouragement...it makes all the difference to know that someone else is out there...... :D

I have been on the drug for sixteen months. I recently went on vacation and forgot my medicine. I suffered hugely within in two days.

I am so frightened that I'll never be able to be free. Does anyone have success stories, or advice for how to stop the medicine? It helps me feel less anxiety in my daily life, but I am afraid that I'll grow utterly dependent on it. I also notice that the effects lessen.