I really don't wanna scare anyone with this but going down from a high dose is never the problem. It's not fun, sure but the real withdrawal start when you are trying to get rid of the last 0.5 mg. That's the point when you can experience hell-like symptoms.
I've been there... Actually, twice. Yeah, I was that stupid to start taking clonazepam again after 5 years wirhout it.
Anyway, please be careful with that last 0.5 mg. I had almost no problems coming down from 3x2mg to 1x0.5mg but after that.... It's like having PTSD when I think about that one year of hell.
If you can DO NOT EVER START TAKING BENZOS!
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Thank you, getting off this medication is no joke. I've been on it close to 20 years and it really was a lifesaver for me. But the time has come where the potential side effects are worse than the condition itself. So I started at 1mg a day and have been doing a step down ween for months now (about .12 mg every month or so). Now going down 1/8th doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. I made the mistake of not talking to my Doc at first and as I started all the bad stuff came rushing back with a vengeance! Well given current events...! So talked to my Doc and she slowed me down and put me on an SSRI. Had a bad reaction to the first one, but the second took. Now understand that SSRI's do take getting use to and adjusting to it while still taking the Klonopine was its own challenge, but hung in and doing better with that.
So the SSRI has stopped the panic attacks. Yippee! But not really doing anything about the other things the Klonopine was doing (like helping me sleep through the night). So every time a take a step down, I can expect a week or more of raging insomnia. I don't lie in bed with dreadful thoughts (the SSRI does help me keep those in check) but I do lie in bed with thoughts. You'd think it would get better with each step, but not really. May actually be worse as the end draws close.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I made me penultimate step down last week and plan to stop entirely in about a month or so. I know my body has the ability to relearn the stuff that the KLP was doing and time is on my side. Meanwhile I'm tired a lot, have a generalized feeling that I'm letting everyone down (though I know I'm not). Feeling more generally more optimistic than I have in a very long time. Writing this helps, a lot! Reading your stories helps, A LOT! If you are on this journey you are certainly not alone! Baby steps and keeping my eye on the prize has helped me. Staying in touch with my Doc has been critical. Hang in there!
So the SSRI has stopped the panic attacks. Yippee! But not really doing anything about the other things the Klonopine was doing (like helping me sleep through the night). So every time a take a step down, I can expect a week or more of raging insomnia. I don't lie in bed with dreadful thoughts (the SSRI does help me keep those in check) but I do lie in bed with thoughts. You'd think it would get better with each step, but not really. May actually be worse as the end draws close.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. I made me penultimate step down last week and plan to stop entirely in about a month or so. I know my body has the ability to relearn the stuff that the KLP was doing and time is on my side. Meanwhile I'm tired a lot, have a generalized feeling that I'm letting everyone down (though I know I'm not). Feeling more generally more optimistic than I have in a very long time. Writing this helps, a lot! Reading your stories helps, A LOT! If you are on this journey you are certainly not alone! Baby steps and keeping my eye on the prize has helped me. Staying in touch with my Doc has been critical. Hang in there!
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Hi. I'm 41 years old and I have what has not been properly diagnosed as some sort of seizure disorder / epilepsy. This has been going on for a long time since my early twenties or something and I have been on Klonopin in part to prevent seizures, however it eventually became a catch-22 problem to where I would have seizures if I didn't have klonopin. My body ended up becoming dependent on Klonopin in order to not have seizures. My body is sensitive to some medications, for instance, if I begin taking a new medication there's a chance of me having seizures. I can't get fatigued, I have to get plenty of rest at night, and a ketogenic diet is ideal. Fish, fish oil, cod liver oil, sardines, mackerel, LOL. Fish, fish, fish. Look into a ketogenic diet. It will at least help you to recover from your seizures better. This is from what I can tell. Things like magnesium vitamin B12 melatonin potassium plenty of water and sodium, electrolytes. If you feel an aura, of course sit or lay down. I'm not sure if you have the grand mal seizures, but that's what I have. I have a German Shepherd e.s.a dog in training with a helmet, literally, next to where I sleep.
With that having been said, I've never had a seizure while sleeping and I'm pretty sure you're better off laying down. Breathe slowly and become an expert at the fine art of relaxation. Meditation and prayer. Each day remember how bad it sucks to have a seizure. No one else is going to do that for you. What I do is I pull myself up by the bootstraps and I do some research. Now I'm on lamotrigine, it's been taking some getting used to, but it's not too bad, for me, especially with things like Prozac. I'm not sure if you get or as a head of time, I don't remember seizures anymore. But, there is the Valium nasal spray that you can have on hand at all times. Blessings. ☕
S
With that having been said, I've never had a seizure while sleeping and I'm pretty sure you're better off laying down. Breathe slowly and become an expert at the fine art of relaxation. Meditation and prayer. Each day remember how bad it sucks to have a seizure. No one else is going to do that for you. What I do is I pull myself up by the bootstraps and I do some research. Now I'm on lamotrigine, it's been taking some getting used to, but it's not too bad, for me, especially with things like Prozac. I'm not sure if you get or as a head of time, I don't remember seizures anymore. But, there is the Valium nasal spray that you can have on hand at all times. Blessings. ☕
S
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