Klonopin is kicking my butt.

I feel for u ...i have been on pain meds for 30 years and decided after a tragedy in my family to stop cold turkey...i have been in a living hell for 2 years now...before that i had a hystorectomy and that was hard on me because i was off pain med and need some after surgery..now anytime i take a ansaid i get sick..so i am weaning my self off klonopin for the up teen time...now i am dizzy and weak every day and can't take it..:( i was cutting a 1m pill in 1/4 and that was working for a while until the stress of life got in the way..i don't want to drive and have tremendous panic attacks when i need to..i can only go short distances and cannot be in the sun...i feel like i might get sun stroke or something..i feel very weak -- i also have a very chronic back disorder..broken back; so i am limited to walking...i was doing good but the dizziness and unsteadness has taken a toll on my equalibrium...if it was for my sister to do some of the shoppping i would be in a nursing home..i have the means to  travel and take nice vacations but the panic and fear of the dizziness stops me in my tracks..its either the the klonopin or rot in the house..i really don't care anymore..lost in pa take care.

I have been trying to withdraw from 3 mg of Klonopin a day for over one and a half years.  I have been to several doctors, none of whom seem to have ever heard of Klonopin withdrawal (even the ones who prescribed it.)  I have been yanked off cold turkey twice.  Don't do that.  I have done extensive research on the topic and a very slow taper seems to be the only safe and relatively comfortable way to stop Klonopin or Valium for that matter.  So what is "very slow"?  I have been tapered at .5 mg a week and ,5 mg a month.  Both were too fast.  I have been switched from 3mg of Klonopin to .5 mg of Valium.  Since 1 mg of Klonopin  is roughly equivalent to 20 mg of Valium, this was no better than cold turkey withdrawal.  I have been to addictionologists, who have little familiarity with Klonopin and treat all patients as "addicts".  I have been advised to go to AA meetings and find some sober friends as part of my Klonopin withdrawal program.  That would be laughable if this was not such a serious business.  At this point I am back on 3 mg of klonopin prescribed by an addicitionologist, who told me he just didn't "get" the connection between the pain I am experiencing and my withdrawal from Klonopin.  This pronouncement did not exactly inspire confidence, but right now he is all I've got.

During all this time the pain of withdrawal was never addressed.  To answer greengoddess' question "what exactly do you mean by bad", I know that different people have different symptoms.  For me it is primarily excruciating, incapacitating flu-like pain.  My head, neck, shoulders, back and sometimes arms and legs ache.  My appetite is gone.  My emotions are on a hair trigger.  I am extremely sensitive to light, sound and even touch.  The sound of my husband clearing his throat is painful. My satin pillow case feels like a burlap sack against my face.  I am anxious, depressed (who would not be) and terrified that this will never end.  My marriage is suffering.  My social life has disappeared.  My small grandchildren barely know me.  I have forgotten what it is like to feel good, to enjoy life.  I am rapidly losing hope.  So much for "bad".

There is a doctor in England named Heather Ashton who has run a benzo withdrawal clinic for many years.   If you locate her website you can learn what is being done in other countries.  I down-loaded her manual and tried a do-it-your-self approach.  The problem was that I did not know what dose to start at.  I started at 20 mg of Valium.  That was not enough.  I did not feel at all comfortable myself, especially the pain management side of it.  

I will watch here and hope that somebody somewhere can shed some light on this abomination.

Just a quick update. I am doing much better than expected now for some reason. I am now down to .125 in the morning and .5 at night with the wafers I mentioned (.625 mg total.) I had a few episodes of withdraw type symptoms last month when I went down to .750 mg. But they weren't too bad. Worst of it was nervous feeling and some mild shaking along with a bit of vertigo and headaches. But all were mild and nothing I couldn't handle. I just started the last reduction I mentioned (.625) so it hasn't been long enough to know how I will feel ultimately before my next reduction. I am trying to go down by .125 mg each month on the 1st. I know once I stop taking the final .125 mg in the AM I am probably going to hit a wall for a while because I wont taking any for 12 hrs at a time. I might break up the reduction and still take 1 in the morning and 3 at night instead of 4, but I don't want to hinder my sleep. I still sleep like a baby. So I'll have to see what happens. I WILL KICK THIS!!!  I highly recommend the wafers. Wishing me luck and luck to anyone else trying to get off of these weapons of mind destruction!

Saffron, I just read your story. It sounds like you have been through hell ...but are learning from it and are getting on the right track. I recommend to you the website- the road back. If you google klonopin withdrawals- you will find them. they are a non-profit organization that has been around for a long time and helped a lot of people to get OFF meds. for benzos they recommend a 5% reduction every 2 weeks, if tolerated. their method is a gradual and slow taper.It takes about 9 months to get off...but it works. when you tapered your 3 mg dose by .5mg. you reduced it by 1/6. 5% reduction is 1/20 , ev 2 weeks. you can see how much slower and gradual that is. they are available on the phone, for counsel, questions, and support. and they recommend supplement to help with the symptoms. fish oil is important. I hope this helps ! good luck. sandra

I'm in an all night restaraunt that has wifi. A lovely little lady just rolled by in her wheelchair telling everyone I shouldn't be smoking. Manager pulled her to the inside to enlighten her that I was not smoking, I was trying to quit smoking and it was an aid to that end. Thank you manager.