how long do withdrawl symptoms last with klonopin?

bonnycarl wrote:

jodi wrote:

I just wanted to let you know that withdrawals from klonopin are indeed dose dependent and also vary according to the length of time taken. However, because this particular benzo is longer acting than others such as xanax, it means that it remains in the body much longer than others. It's so called advantage is that the potential for abuse is less, however it is nasty stuff to come off of. I can say this from my own experience and from my professional training as a pharmacist. I took klonopin for years and I am still withdrawing after being drug free for over 4 months. I have consulted several specialists and I was told that I could continue to experience this anxiety for 6 months to 2 years....I hope to God that I will get much better after the six month mark and not the two year mark, but everyone is different. In my opinion, if you aren't dying this mess isn't worth it! And I was one of the ones who had a medical reason for being on it, but my worst day back then was not as bad as a good day coming OFF of it! My prayers are with anyone struggling the way I have been. I can only thank God for getting me through this and for giving me the will not to give up! I welcome any feedback.

I took klonipin 0.5 once a day for 3 months and weaned off it with the help of Xanax .5 for 2 weeks. I can't sleep. Now the doctor wants to put me on Ativan 0.5 mg at bedtime. I wonder if I should do this or just keep trying to sleep without drugs.
I started on Klonipin for a burning mouth syndrome and it didn't help. Now I am fighting anxiety and sleeplesness.
I could use this to keep me from getting anxious whenever the mouth is really painful. I am torn with what to do. Take Ativan and risk dependency or just suffer with everything else.

I am down to 0.25mg of Klon for one day now, and have found that keeping on the high B vitamin therapy is the key to calming my nerves. Other things that will help you to sleep are changing bad habits. I shut off my cell phone, wear ear plugs and keep the house light free.

Also give yourself extra time to sleep because, as we Klon addicted people know, getting to sleep is the hardest thing.

In short, plan your night time around quiet, restful sleep. With an hour extra if necessary. Lots of B vits and patience with yourself.

Thank you, Jodi, for your post.

My neurologist (who now is facing hearing to determine revocation of his hospital privileges-not related to me), cruelly cut me off from 6 mg klonopin daily, AND Lorzapam simultaneously.  He was apparently afraid of the DEA.  I implored with him to allow me 17 months of lowering dosages to safely taper.

I also tried to prevail upon him that some patients, in poor health such as myself, can seizure. He replied that klon withdrawal stories are anecdotal and exaggerated by mostly druggies.

Two months into withdrawal, I experienced my first Grand Mal seizure, ended up in ICU a week, and almost lost my tongue, and did lose most vision in my left eye (brain damage).

I can't find any doctor who will simply write me 2-3 RX's of tapering doses to sustain a safe withdrawal. I have no history of RX abuse, not even a traffic ticket in my history. My pharmacist assured me I had no toxicity notices, no history of "pill shopping,", no notes on my patient profile.

Today, I can barely read or type, and repeatedly lose balance and fall. Two lawyers would love to represent me in patient abandonment actions, but I don't want damage awards or retribution.
I only want some help from doctors in withdrawaing. Thank you, again.

hi 34 yo male here

I'm not sure if it's klonopin, but last year I had some panic attacks and my doc gave me klonopin.. well i took it for a couple weeks and then decided to quit and it made me start twitching and having a really bad panic attack.. that all passed but i've never gotten over the twitchy feeling.. its like i feel as if i'm about to have a spasm but i dont. It really shows up when I lie down.. not sure if it is the klonopin or another underlying problem but it's annoying. Anyway I would beware of klonopin!

I hope you are still out there. My name is Jen and I was prescribed klonopin by my family doctor. I ending up getting hooked on it. I was hooked for a long time about 17 years about 2mgs a day. I tried to take myself off it and ended up in the er and subsequently a stint in a medical detox facility where they prescribed phenobarital and a bunch of other sh*t that didn't work. After they send me home from there and the entire time I was there I was experiencing every thing you are talking about the panic, the feeling of heart attack, the extreme anxiety. LET ME TELL YOU THAT YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. It took me about three months to completely come off this drug. And I only did is through a substituion of valium. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY. please look up the ashton manual it tell you alot about how to get off of this drug. If you try to come off this by yourself you could die. I know because I almost did. DO NOT BE AFRAID ABOUT TELLing any loved ones you have tell them everything....make them look it up. Don't be embarassed like I was. It's not your fault. It's nothing to be ashamed of. The doctors and pharmaceuticals should be ashamed of themselves..... NOT YOU....tell everyong you know then look up the ashton manual and find a good doctor who can get you off thru a substituion through valium. Once you are off the klonopin the valium is a sinch to get off of. I got off the valium by mself. The klonopin..... no way

I hope you are still out there. My name is Jen and I was prescribed klonopin by my family doctor. I ending up getting hooked on it. I was hooked for a long time about 17 years 2mg'ds day or more as my addiction to this drug grew. I tried to take myself off it and ended up in the er and subsequently a stint in a medical detox facility where they prescribed phenobarital and a bunch of other sh*t that didn't work. After they send me home from there and the entire time I was there I was experiencing every thing you are talking about the panic, the feeling of heart attack, the extreme anxiety. LET ME TELL YOU THAT YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. YOU CANNOT DO THIS ALONE. It took me about three months to completely come off this drug. And I only did is through a substituion of valium. THAT IS THE ONLY WAY. please look up the ashton manual it tell you alot about how to get off of this drug. If you try to come off this by yourself you could die. I know because I almost did. DO NOT BE AFRAID ABOUT TELLing any loved ones you have tell them everything....make them look it up. Don't be embarassed like I was. It's not your fault. It's nothing to be ashamed of. The doctors and pharmaceuticals should be ashamed of themselves..... NOT YOU....tell everyong you know then look up the ashton manual and find a good doctor who can get you off thru a substituion through valium. Once you are off the klonopin the valium is a sinch to get off of. I got off the valium by mself. The klonopin..... no way

I was on 2mg a day and had to come off bc I'm pregnant. I went to 1mg a day for less than a week and then, .5 for five days, and then .25 for five days. I also weaned off Viibryd during this time. Friday I had nothing and was okay. Yesterday and today have been horrible. I haven't been able to sleep at night since starting to come off. I had migraines at first, but it's hard to tell if it's coming from pregnancy or klonopin. For the past two days I have been shaking, dizzy, had nausea, I'm scared too, bc I took it up to the six week mark (4 weeks of actually being pregnant). I'm grumpy and not looking forward to working this week! .

I was diagnosed with hypoglycemia (Low blood suger) so I feel anxous because my body is week when my blood sugar is low. My doctor prescribed Klonopin for that. Recommended to take .25 mg to 1 mg per day. I only took 1/2 dose of .25 mg or .125 mg for 10 days and stopped. I experienced all horrible symptoms for the last 4 days now (dizziness, off balance, numbness on the face, pin and needle, lack of concentration). This is truly additive drug. It depends on your body sensitivity too.

I understand what you are going through. You are going through Benzodiazapine withdrawal syndrome. I went through it as well and it is hell coming off of this stuff. I had to go to an outpatient detox center in order for them to help me. It costed me $3,000. I wish that I could say that I felt better from this, but I didn't. I am still withdrawing even after 13 months and I have been completely off of the stuff for nearly 13 months now. This medication should be outlawed.

I agree. I have never taken anything like klonopin in my life. It has destroyed a large part of my life. I have been off the stuff now for 13 months and I still am going through withdrawal of a tight head band feeling around my head and major chest pains in my left side. No its not a heart attack. I have been given every test known to mankind on my heart and I am perfectly healthy. However, there is lots of pain. Some people say that it takes up to 2 years to feel normal again. I think that I am one of those cases.

I am 21 year old and I started taking clonazepam in Januaray this year at the advice of my neurologist due to an undiagnosed myoclonic disorder caused by stress which was stopping me from sleeping. I started by taking 1mg each evening. This didn't help so I have been gradually increasing and am now taking 3.5mg each night. I saw my doctor this morning as I want to stop taking clonazepam. I am in my final year of university and the drowsiness has been affecteding my work. I have been told to reduce by .5mg every 5 days. What should I expect? I don't want the withdrawal to impact on my final grade at uni.

AMEN TO THIS KLOPIN IS THE HARDEST DRUG TO GET OFF OF DONT TAKE IT ITS A BAD DRUG AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL WHO ARE TRYING IAM WINGING OFF ALMOST THREE WEEKS NOW AND HAVING A REAL HARD GO OF IT GOOD LUCK AND PEOPLE DONT TAKE THIS DRUG

I started this discussionsome time ago. In order to get me off the klonipin a doctor put me xanax, I took it for a month and then he said that I needed to sleep so he changed from xanax to ativan 0.5 mg and said if I needed more I could take it. 3 times I took 1mg instead of 0.5. I started weaning off a few weeks ago, and was up to 0.5 mg every 4 days. Last Tuesday I started to have anxiety and so I took 1 mg, then 3 days later I had another anxiety attack and took 1 mg. I have been feeling depressed, shakey, fearful of everything, but, did not take any during the daytime. I went back to taking 0.5 last night and slept 6 1/2 hours and awoke at 4:30 am, shakey and unsettled. I talked to a nurse on Friday and she said Ishould not be going off by myself and to call on TUESDAY. I'm afraid the doctor will be booked and not be able to see me. I feel like noone in the professional field gives a hoot about me. I know God does, but, Satan keeps popping his head into the situation telling me differently. Pray for me. It's Easter Sunday.
I appreciate all of your comments.

dear jodi,

I came of klonopin about month ago. I hope you are still holding strong. I know how hard it is. My prayers are with you,

I have been taking Klonopin for 22 years. I was on 4mg to 6mg a day and was dropped to 2mg a day. I have been since feeling some of the weirdest feeling. These feelings are not just Physical but Emotional as well. Some times I feel like calling the Ambulance and fast then it goes away and then some other bizarre feeling comes then the cold chills and sweats. It is some horrible stuff I am going through.

I have been taking Klonopin for 15-20 years.  I am now 52.  I have been getting increaseing body ackes and muscle spasms.  I have had to stop my excercize that I love and know helps me in everyday life.  I finally decieded to get off 3 medications that (I was put on for a type of nervous breakdown) I had priscribed for at the same time. I am off the Lamictal and have been off the Klonopin completly for almost 3 weeks.  I have been thrown into horrible night sweats.  I am soaking 1 side of the bed and changing complete sets of clothes up to 4 times a night.  I am on extra hormones as I had a hystrectomy when I was 31,  I have been taking care of hormorne treatment for many years so I am very used to the normal night sweats and hot flashes.  This has been pretty bad.  This week I have gotton flu like symptoms.  I am nausus and have anxitys and very short tempered which is not my nature.  I am feeling as you living in some sort of hell,  I have been horrible to live with and I wish so bad I had never taken this drug.  I have one more to go but, I dont know if I can get past this one.   I do take melatonone, sleepy time tea,  some benedril to help me sleep.  

hope this finds you better now.