My story isn't unlike many of the others in that I needed or my doctor thought I needed something for anxiety when in fact I was actually having cardiac issues~yeah, talk about misdiagnosis! But because of THE YEARS of the question of cardiac verses anxiety attacks I was left with 6 and 1/2 years of benzo tx. Last year after moving out of state, when seeking a new doctor, I was "confronted" with my addiction~WHAT??? ADDICTION??? I was in shock! This is somebody who had never been drunken in her life, and ADDICTED~but, yes~ADDICTED! So I began initially at a 50% decrease in dosage which cause facial numbness and tingling/jittery feelings where I called my doctor who said to just decrease by 25% which I did with the same symptoms, just much less and eventually within 2 weeks to 3 would be gone. I would stay at a decreased dose for 90 days to stabelize. After two or three reductions, I was again confronted about not doing this fast enough and so was instructed to reduce faster.
Tonight is the first night~20 hrs and counting that I am klonopin free in all these years! I am having facial numbness and some tingling. My insides feel a little jittery and my feet want to jump a bit. I don't feel anxious, but I feel restless. I am putting mind over matter. I was initially taking 1 mg every 12 hours and NEVER increased it in the time I took it! BUT the last doses from yesterday were 0.25mg every 12 hours. After reading everyone's experiences, I am a bit concerned, but I believe I can do this~
I realize that this is highly addictive and the person who wrote:
"Klonopin is NOT an addictive drug unless you have addictive behaviors and addictive past," really is ignorant of the drug and its long or short term side effect! I can honestly say that if you had said that word, ADDICT to me even the first YEAR after being on a benzo I'd have been indignant and probably given you a look that may have shrunken the most corageous. This was and truly is not my character, and the statement made really REALLY gives this very serious medical-biological sideffect a character quality when this was not the case at all, and may not be for the average user. Of course there are folks who are addicts that abuse klonopin as their drug of choice, but as someone who disassociated herself from drugs~legal and illegal this was NOT THE CASE, and such an ordeal to me in having to accept that my problem is just like the person who will abuse it was hard, very very hard!
I realize NOw how much I NEED HELP and am forever scared by the use of such a drug! Don't ever get started would be my advice~of course if you are reading this, most likely you are like me either in the throws of withdrawl or knowing you have to withdraw or finding it out~ I know I am not alone~I have HOPE!
God bless us all as we combat our situations in hope to find victory over klonopin!
Tonight is the first night~20 hrs and counting that I am klonopin free in all these years! I am having facial numbness and some tingling. My insides feel a little jittery and my feet want to jump a bit. I don't feel anxious, but I feel restless. I am putting mind over matter. I was initially taking 1 mg every 12 hours and NEVER increased it in the time I took it! BUT the last doses from yesterday were 0.25mg every 12 hours. After reading everyone's experiences, I am a bit concerned, but I believe I can do this~
I realize that this is highly addictive and the person who wrote:
"Klonopin is NOT an addictive drug unless you have addictive behaviors and addictive past," really is ignorant of the drug and its long or short term side effect! I can honestly say that if you had said that word, ADDICT to me even the first YEAR after being on a benzo I'd have been indignant and probably given you a look that may have shrunken the most corageous. This was and truly is not my character, and the statement made really REALLY gives this very serious medical-biological sideffect a character quality when this was not the case at all, and may not be for the average user. Of course there are folks who are addicts that abuse klonopin as their drug of choice, but as someone who disassociated herself from drugs~legal and illegal this was NOT THE CASE, and such an ordeal to me in having to accept that my problem is just like the person who will abuse it was hard, very very hard!
I realize NOw how much I NEED HELP and am forever scared by the use of such a drug! Don't ever get started would be my advice~of course if you are reading this, most likely you are like me either in the throws of withdrawl or knowing you have to withdraw or finding it out~ I know I am not alone~I have HOPE!
God bless us all as we combat our situations in hope to find victory over klonopin!
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My story isn't unlike many of the others in that I needed or my doctor thought I needed something for anxiety when in fact I was actually having cardiac issues~yeah, talk about misdiagnosis! But because of THE YEARS of the question of cardiac verses anxiety attacks I was left with 6 and 1/2 years of benzo tx. Last year after moving out of state, when seeking a new doctor, I was "confronted" with my addiction~WHAT??? ADDICTION??? I was in shock! This is somebody who had never been drunken in her life, and ADDICTED~but, yes~ADDICTED! So I began initially at a 50% decrease in dosage which cause facial numbness and tingling/jittery feelings where I called my doctor who said to just decrease by 25% which I did with the same symptoms, just much less and eventually within 2 weeks to 3 would be gone. I would stay at a decreased dose for 90 days to stabelize. After two or three reductions, I was again confronted about not doing this fast enough and so was instructed to reduce faster.
Tonight is the first night~20 hrs and counting that I am klonopin free in all these years! I am having facial numbness and some tingling. My insides feel a little jittery and my feet want to jump a bit. I don't feel anxious, but I feel restless. I am putting mind over matter. I was initially taking 1 mg every 12 hours and NEVER increased it in the time I took it! BUT the last doses from yesterday were 0.25mg every 12 hours. After reading everyone's experiences, I am a bit concerned, but I believe I can do this~
I realize that this is highly addictive and the person who wrote:
"Klonopin is NOT an addictive drug unless you have addictive behaviors and addictive past," really is ignorant of the drug and its long or short term side effect! I can honestly say that if you had said that word, ADDICT to me even the first YEAR after being on a benzo I'd have been indignant and probably given you a look that may have shrunken the most corageous. This was and truly is not my character, and the statement made really REALLY gives this very serious medical-biological sideffect a character quality when this was not the case at all, and may not be for the average user. Of course there are folks who are addicts that abuse klonopin as their drug of choice, but as someone who disassociated herself from drugs~legal and illegal this was NOT THE CASE, and such an ordeal to me in having to accept that my problem is just like the person who will abuse it was hard, very very hard!
I realize NOw how much I NEED HELP and am forever scared by the use of such a drug! Don't ever get started would be my advice~of course if you are reading this, most likely you are like me either in the throws of withdrawl or knowing you have to withdraw or finding it out~ I know I am not alone~I have HOPE!
God bless us all as we combat our situations in hope to find victory over klonopin!
Tonight is the first night~20 hrs and counting that I am klonopin free in all these years! I am having facial numbness and some tingling. My insides feel a little jittery and my feet want to jump a bit. I don't feel anxious, but I feel restless. I am putting mind over matter. I was initially taking 1 mg every 12 hours and NEVER increased it in the time I took it! BUT the last doses from yesterday were 0.25mg every 12 hours. After reading everyone's experiences, I am a bit concerned, but I believe I can do this~
I realize that this is highly addictive and the person who wrote:
"Klonopin is NOT an addictive drug unless you have addictive behaviors and addictive past," really is ignorant of the drug and its long or short term side effect! I can honestly say that if you had said that word, ADDICT to me even the first YEAR after being on a benzo I'd have been indignant and probably given you a look that may have shrunken the most corageous. This was and truly is not my character, and the statement made really REALLY gives this very serious medical-biological sideffect a character quality when this was not the case at all, and may not be for the average user. Of course there are folks who are addicts that abuse klonopin as their drug of choice, but as someone who disassociated herself from drugs~legal and illegal this was NOT THE CASE, and such an ordeal to me in having to accept that my problem is just like the person who will abuse it was hard, very very hard!
I realize NOw how much I NEED HELP and am forever scared by the use of such a drug! Don't ever get started would be my advice~of course if you are reading this, most likely you are like me either in the throws of withdrawl or knowing you have to withdraw or finding it out~ I know I am not alone~I have HOPE!
God bless us all as we combat our situations in hope to find victory over klonopin!
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I can't tell you how much this thread has helped me figure out what was wrong with me! I thought I was dying, and now I realize that I have withdrawal symptoms.
My story is similar to all the rest... I am a 48 year old woman. I had been having trouble with anxiety since my early 20's, when a doctor prescribed me Buspar. I went off of that without a hitch, and then got into Valium in my 30's as my boyfriend at the time always had an ample supply and I would take some of his Valium, and even some of my grandmother's when I lived with her. When I couldn't get the Valium anymore after breaking up with my boyfriend and getting remarried... I had trouble sleeping again/more anxiety after my children were born. I was prescribed Xanax for a while, but that was too hard on my body... and then I read somewhere that Klonopin was much better for the anxiety and not as addictive/hard to get off of like Xanax or Valium was.
I have been on Klonopin for 8 years now. I started at a .5 1 time a day dose to 2 mg a day. I never felt the need to switch again to another medication because Klonopin was the only one that finally helped me feel okay and rested when I took it. I got into the habit of doubling my dose and ordering refills before I ran out, so I always had a steady supply, to take 2 pills or 3 when I felt like it (1 mg dose).
After many years and many refills, this past month I went to order a refill and they canceled it (I had 7 pills left) and told me that I would not be able to order another refill until June (50 days!!!). This was due to the fact that the insurance company said that I had already used up the allotted number of pills this year and I'd have to wait! I only had 7 pills LEFT as I always wait till the last minute. And I know that if I told my doctor that he would be livid for the fact I was only supposed to take 1 pill a day, and I was often taking 2 or three over the years I've been prescribed the medication. So this month I went COLD TURKEY. OMG, this has been a nightmare!
So, there I was, I had heard the horror stories about withdrawal, but never went through one. I had a hysterectomy in December and have been feeling horrible ever since. I had been trying to get as much out of the number of pills I had left but to no avail. I never thought it was the withdrawal that was making me feel bad, and I was taking the medication irregularly, some days 2 pills, next day 1, the next day none, then 3, etc.
I went for a blood work up and all my levels were fine (minus iron and thyroid, which I already knew was out of range) and told the doctor about my unexplained symptoms... tingling in my arms and legs, VERY COLD in my arms and hands, like ice water was running through my veins, my inability to sleep. Just basically feeling run down and fatigued, but then I have 2 boys and get up at 5 am to take them to school every day, so I just thought I was run down and not fully healed from the surgery.
Well, the pains in my stomach kept coming, and though I never got sick, I had the headaches, inability to sleep, the numbness and tingling which was driving me nuts and still is today, and the inability to focus or concentrate. I also have noticed over the last year that my eyesight was getting worse, I couldn't see well, everything was blurry. I ended up with two sets of glasses, one for reading and the other for distance. I've had great eyesight my whole life. This was a new symptom to me.
I realized that the surgery really didn't help ANY of my symptoms get better. I had fibroids for the last few years and my bladder needed to be tucked up because of constant urges all night to get up to use the bathroom.
Since surgery, I don't get up as much, but all the other symptoms remained. Now I know that it was the medication that was making me have all the pains in my stomach, the sleepless nights, the irritability, the mood swings, the headaches. I am about 3 weeks off of the medication (I had to stop cold turkey because I couldn't order any more). I still don't feel well and can't taper as I don't have any medicine. I feel like my heart is racing, only to have it feel like it's stopping (like an arrhythmia) and the pains in my arms and legs, the numbness and tingling have gone to different parts of my body, because I was really beginning to think I had carpal tunnel syndrome and was going to get hand braces, when the numbness started to move elsewhere! I am so tired of feeling sick and I think this medicine is the whole reason for it. I probably didn't even need a hysterectomy as it did nothing to correct the pains in my stomach that I thought were from fibroids. And my same doctor, the GYN, is the one that prescribed the Klonopin for me and has for the last 4-5 years! I had gone to a 2 mg dose in the second year and was even abusing that! I would go on and off a lot and not even think I was withdrawing, and because the anxiety symptoms would return if I skipped a pill, I'd take 2 the next time and they'd go away.
Now I am at the mercy of the drug getting out of my system. Forget about ordering another refill in June. I am finished with this poison forever!!! I am embarrassed to say that I never really knew what I was doing to my body. I was just playing with the meds, thinking I had some systematic problem that was not the result of medication I was taking, but I thought maybe I had cancer or something. I was convinced that I was dying. I had the doctor do blood tests every few months and though I had an iron deficiency and thyroid condition, they never once mentioned that it could be the Klonopin, though both my GP and GYN knew I was taking it (though they did not know I was taking too many or too few at a time). Without telling my doctor what I was doing, I was slowly slipping into a nightmarish hell of my own. I was my own worst enemy!!!
I will tell anyone who is even THINKING of going on this medicine to stop and think of some other alternative. Benzos are the worse meds to get on!!! I don't have a way of cutting down the medication because I don't have any more, and I am playing with my life at this point, realizing that I could seize, have a stroke, etc. because I can't ask for more medicine. I feel like my heart is going to explode sometimes and I look like hell. My eyes are all puffy from water retention, I don't know why that is, but I'm sure it's another symptom.
Believe me when I say that this drug is poison, so are all the others, Xanax, Valium, etc. I would use herbal meds before using this ever again. I have been taking Benadryl to sleep at night since I can't get a prescription for Ambien. I am really sick and tired of being sick and tired. I pray these symptoms will soon go away, but now that I have read all these posts, I know that I know that I KNOW that what is happening to me and has been happening through the years was a reaction to withdrawal from this chemical!!!
I'm so thankful I got a chance to find out what was really wrong with me, which was nothing! It was chemically induced and boy, I am going to tell my doctor this story some day, but I thought I knew it all, that one extra pill now and then wasn't a big deal, it didn't seem like it was doing much to me anyway, and then maybe take one more as needed... and skip a day or two, feel like c**p, then start the cycle again. I just wasted 5 years of my life doing this. I am forever done. Please pray for me because I'm in the middle of withdrawal and don't know how long this will last or if I'll have a heart attack or what... but with two kids at home and a husband that doesn't know because I will not tell him... I have to keep going.
Thanks for listening. Many prayers to others who are going through or have gone through this hell, and lived to tell the story. Never mess with pills and think you're invincible... never ignore symptoms and always be honest with your doctor. If the prescription says take 1 pill, then take 1 and if that doesn't work, tell the doctor! Never mess with self medicating and if you run out, you may not be able to get more. I was almost desperate enough to pay the 300 dollars for pills overseas from India... but I don't have the cash. I am waiting this one out and in a few weeks will give an update. I'm so sorry for everyone who has had to or is going to go through withdrawal from this medicine. Hang in there.. that's all I can do now.
My story is similar to all the rest... I am a 48 year old woman. I had been having trouble with anxiety since my early 20's, when a doctor prescribed me Buspar. I went off of that without a hitch, and then got into Valium in my 30's as my boyfriend at the time always had an ample supply and I would take some of his Valium, and even some of my grandmother's when I lived with her. When I couldn't get the Valium anymore after breaking up with my boyfriend and getting remarried... I had trouble sleeping again/more anxiety after my children were born. I was prescribed Xanax for a while, but that was too hard on my body... and then I read somewhere that Klonopin was much better for the anxiety and not as addictive/hard to get off of like Xanax or Valium was.
I have been on Klonopin for 8 years now. I started at a .5 1 time a day dose to 2 mg a day. I never felt the need to switch again to another medication because Klonopin was the only one that finally helped me feel okay and rested when I took it. I got into the habit of doubling my dose and ordering refills before I ran out, so I always had a steady supply, to take 2 pills or 3 when I felt like it (1 mg dose).
After many years and many refills, this past month I went to order a refill and they canceled it (I had 7 pills left) and told me that I would not be able to order another refill until June (50 days!!!). This was due to the fact that the insurance company said that I had already used up the allotted number of pills this year and I'd have to wait! I only had 7 pills LEFT as I always wait till the last minute. And I know that if I told my doctor that he would be livid for the fact I was only supposed to take 1 pill a day, and I was often taking 2 or three over the years I've been prescribed the medication. So this month I went COLD TURKEY. OMG, this has been a nightmare!
So, there I was, I had heard the horror stories about withdrawal, but never went through one. I had a hysterectomy in December and have been feeling horrible ever since. I had been trying to get as much out of the number of pills I had left but to no avail. I never thought it was the withdrawal that was making me feel bad, and I was taking the medication irregularly, some days 2 pills, next day 1, the next day none, then 3, etc.
I went for a blood work up and all my levels were fine (minus iron and thyroid, which I already knew was out of range) and told the doctor about my unexplained symptoms... tingling in my arms and legs, VERY COLD in my arms and hands, like ice water was running through my veins, my inability to sleep. Just basically feeling run down and fatigued, but then I have 2 boys and get up at 5 am to take them to school every day, so I just thought I was run down and not fully healed from the surgery.
Well, the pains in my stomach kept coming, and though I never got sick, I had the headaches, inability to sleep, the numbness and tingling which was driving me nuts and still is today, and the inability to focus or concentrate. I also have noticed over the last year that my eyesight was getting worse, I couldn't see well, everything was blurry. I ended up with two sets of glasses, one for reading and the other for distance. I've had great eyesight my whole life. This was a new symptom to me.
I realized that the surgery really didn't help ANY of my symptoms get better. I had fibroids for the last few years and my bladder needed to be tucked up because of constant urges all night to get up to use the bathroom.
Since surgery, I don't get up as much, but all the other symptoms remained. Now I know that it was the medication that was making me have all the pains in my stomach, the sleepless nights, the irritability, the mood swings, the headaches. I am about 3 weeks off of the medication (I had to stop cold turkey because I couldn't order any more). I still don't feel well and can't taper as I don't have any medicine. I feel like my heart is racing, only to have it feel like it's stopping (like an arrhythmia) and the pains in my arms and legs, the numbness and tingling have gone to different parts of my body, because I was really beginning to think I had carpal tunnel syndrome and was going to get hand braces, when the numbness started to move elsewhere! I am so tired of feeling sick and I think this medicine is the whole reason for it. I probably didn't even need a hysterectomy as it did nothing to correct the pains in my stomach that I thought were from fibroids. And my same doctor, the GYN, is the one that prescribed the Klonopin for me and has for the last 4-5 years! I had gone to a 2 mg dose in the second year and was even abusing that! I would go on and off a lot and not even think I was withdrawing, and because the anxiety symptoms would return if I skipped a pill, I'd take 2 the next time and they'd go away.
Now I am at the mercy of the drug getting out of my system. Forget about ordering another refill in June. I am finished with this poison forever!!! I am embarrassed to say that I never really knew what I was doing to my body. I was just playing with the meds, thinking I had some systematic problem that was not the result of medication I was taking, but I thought maybe I had cancer or something. I was convinced that I was dying. I had the doctor do blood tests every few months and though I had an iron deficiency and thyroid condition, they never once mentioned that it could be the Klonopin, though both my GP and GYN knew I was taking it (though they did not know I was taking too many or too few at a time). Without telling my doctor what I was doing, I was slowly slipping into a nightmarish hell of my own. I was my own worst enemy!!!
I will tell anyone who is even THINKING of going on this medicine to stop and think of some other alternative. Benzos are the worse meds to get on!!! I don't have a way of cutting down the medication because I don't have any more, and I am playing with my life at this point, realizing that I could seize, have a stroke, etc. because I can't ask for more medicine. I feel like my heart is going to explode sometimes and I look like hell. My eyes are all puffy from water retention, I don't know why that is, but I'm sure it's another symptom.
Believe me when I say that this drug is poison, so are all the others, Xanax, Valium, etc. I would use herbal meds before using this ever again. I have been taking Benadryl to sleep at night since I can't get a prescription for Ambien. I am really sick and tired of being sick and tired. I pray these symptoms will soon go away, but now that I have read all these posts, I know that I know that I KNOW that what is happening to me and has been happening through the years was a reaction to withdrawal from this chemical!!!
I'm so thankful I got a chance to find out what was really wrong with me, which was nothing! It was chemically induced and boy, I am going to tell my doctor this story some day, but I thought I knew it all, that one extra pill now and then wasn't a big deal, it didn't seem like it was doing much to me anyway, and then maybe take one more as needed... and skip a day or two, feel like c**p, then start the cycle again. I just wasted 5 years of my life doing this. I am forever done. Please pray for me because I'm in the middle of withdrawal and don't know how long this will last or if I'll have a heart attack or what... but with two kids at home and a husband that doesn't know because I will not tell him... I have to keep going.
Thanks for listening. Many prayers to others who are going through or have gone through this hell, and lived to tell the story. Never mess with pills and think you're invincible... never ignore symptoms and always be honest with your doctor. If the prescription says take 1 pill, then take 1 and if that doesn't work, tell the doctor! Never mess with self medicating and if you run out, you may not be able to get more. I was almost desperate enough to pay the 300 dollars for pills overseas from India... but I don't have the cash. I am waiting this one out and in a few weeks will give an update. I'm so sorry for everyone who has had to or is going to go through withdrawal from this medicine. Hang in there.. that's all I can do now.
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Hi,
I just finished reading your story and I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way. I did too.
You posted this a couple of weeks ago, so I'm assuming the worst is over. Let us know how you're doing...
If anyone is reading this, please DO NOT HESITATE TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. Even if you have been abusing the prescription. You're playing with your life. They understand, this happens more frequently than you would think.
Also, don't keep this from your spouse. It's not healthy for your relationship or your physical health for that matter.
Why live a lie? You understand now that you were wrong, but nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Don't continue to make your situation worse by hiding and lying.
I just finished reading your story and I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way. I did too.
You posted this a couple of weeks ago, so I'm assuming the worst is over. Let us know how you're doing...
If anyone is reading this, please DO NOT HESITATE TO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR. Even if you have been abusing the prescription. You're playing with your life. They understand, this happens more frequently than you would think.
Also, don't keep this from your spouse. It's not healthy for your relationship or your physical health for that matter.
Why live a lie? You understand now that you were wrong, but nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Don't continue to make your situation worse by hiding and lying.
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Hi,
I am doing fine now.. I reinstated on the 29th to .25 mg. and tapered down to the dose I'm at right now, which is 1/8 of .25 mg pill. I'm home free.
It's been a rough ride, and I did tell my husband, who has been really supportive... I got through this nightmare and so happy to be almost off of this stuff and on with my NEW life!
Thank you for your reply. Never again. I will never go on another benzo or ANY medicine without knowing the truth and consequences..
I'm thankful for the support I've found on many forums... it's totally appreciated.
Have a great weekend. There is HOPE for everyone!
I am doing fine now.. I reinstated on the 29th to .25 mg. and tapered down to the dose I'm at right now, which is 1/8 of .25 mg pill. I'm home free.
It's been a rough ride, and I did tell my husband, who has been really supportive... I got through this nightmare and so happy to be almost off of this stuff and on with my NEW life!
Thank you for your reply. Never again. I will never go on another benzo or ANY medicine without knowing the truth and consequences..
I'm thankful for the support I've found on many forums... it's totally appreciated.
Have a great weekend. There is HOPE for everyone!
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I feel for everybody trying to get off Klonopin. It's tough, I know. After 10+ surgeries, having cancer/chemo, having a heart attack, I still never understood why people could get addicted. I could always quit the meds, maybe lose a night's sleep, and be fine in a day or so. I still don't really understand addiction, but I now fully understand withdrawal. I've taken about 2mg per day for over 2 years. I had high anxiety after a heart attack. My doctor prescribed it after trying many other antidotes.
I have a highly technical job and I noticed my mind was getting cloudy and sometimes it was hard to concentrate. I self diagnosed it was the klonopin. I tried cold turkey and what a wake up call that was. First day was not bad, 2nd day was sleepless, 3rd day was high anxiety and sleepless, 4th day I took 1mg at night and all was well with the world. Then I knew. I researched and found these forums and tapered down to .25 per night over about few months. I was doing well on the .25, but I still wanted off. I did the .25 for about a month then tried tried to quit. I had the same withdrawal results and but I decided I was going to tough it out. The 4th day I decided to take my blood pressure. It was dangerously high. Too high to continue, so I took .25 again, and all was well the next day.
I then went to my doctor and told him what had happened. He said I did the right thing in taking the .25. After having a heart attack, I don't need dangerously high blood pressure. My doctor upped a dosage of BP medicine to counteract and prescribed me Serax to take instead of klonopin. I take two at night for two weeks, then 1 a night for two weeks. I'm not sure of the dosage as I don't have them with me right now. Days 1-5 were fine. Day 6 was torture. I didn't sleep well the night before, had high anxiety, blurred vision, and my BP was creeping up. Thankfully it went down right before bed and I actually slept 6.5 hrs. When I woke today my BP was OK. This day is 7 and I have some mild anxiety. I'll take my BP around lunch time to see how it's going.
Hopefully, I can stay the course. If not, we'll try something else. Good luck to everybody out there.
I have a highly technical job and I noticed my mind was getting cloudy and sometimes it was hard to concentrate. I self diagnosed it was the klonopin. I tried cold turkey and what a wake up call that was. First day was not bad, 2nd day was sleepless, 3rd day was high anxiety and sleepless, 4th day I took 1mg at night and all was well with the world. Then I knew. I researched and found these forums and tapered down to .25 per night over about few months. I was doing well on the .25, but I still wanted off. I did the .25 for about a month then tried tried to quit. I had the same withdrawal results and but I decided I was going to tough it out. The 4th day I decided to take my blood pressure. It was dangerously high. Too high to continue, so I took .25 again, and all was well the next day.
I then went to my doctor and told him what had happened. He said I did the right thing in taking the .25. After having a heart attack, I don't need dangerously high blood pressure. My doctor upped a dosage of BP medicine to counteract and prescribed me Serax to take instead of klonopin. I take two at night for two weeks, then 1 a night for two weeks. I'm not sure of the dosage as I don't have them with me right now. Days 1-5 were fine. Day 6 was torture. I didn't sleep well the night before, had high anxiety, blurred vision, and my BP was creeping up. Thankfully it went down right before bed and I actually slept 6.5 hrs. When I woke today my BP was OK. This day is 7 and I have some mild anxiety. I'll take my BP around lunch time to see how it's going.
Hopefully, I can stay the course. If not, we'll try something else. Good luck to everybody out there.
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Just an update if anybody is following . I last took a Clonazepam on May 5th. Days 1-3 off the Clonazepam were only 3 sleepless nights. Days 6-12 were pure hell. Days 13-14 weren’t too bad. Days 15-23 were very uncomfortable (these were the step down in the Oxazepam).
As I said, Days 6-12 were terrible. I'd recommend taking off work for those. I slept about 4-5 hrs a night (I'm thinking the Oxazepam helped with the sleeping), had terrible anxiety, aching in my arms and legs, and blurry vision.
The Oxazepam has a short half-life, so I'm now benzo free for 3 days with not much side effects other than very light sleeping. I wake up with any noise and it's hard to get back to sleep. I'm taking a 'natural sleep aid' that can be found at the drug store. Not sure if it's helping or not. I've also taken 50mg of trazadone for sleep for over 2 years. I'm going to try to quit it after I'm totally over the benzo. I feel about 95% good.
The whole ordeal was terrible, but I'm happy I did it. I also don't regret taking Konopin as it initially helped me. As I stated before, I weaned down to .25 and only took it 30 min before bedtime for about month or two. I then went to my doctor who prescribed 30mg Oxazepam before bed for two weeks, then 15mg for two weeks. I only took the 15mg for 10 days. Good luck to all....there is light at the end of the tunnel.
As I said, Days 6-12 were terrible. I'd recommend taking off work for those. I slept about 4-5 hrs a night (I'm thinking the Oxazepam helped with the sleeping), had terrible anxiety, aching in my arms and legs, and blurry vision.
The Oxazepam has a short half-life, so I'm now benzo free for 3 days with not much side effects other than very light sleeping. I wake up with any noise and it's hard to get back to sleep. I'm taking a 'natural sleep aid' that can be found at the drug store. Not sure if it's helping or not. I've also taken 50mg of trazadone for sleep for over 2 years. I'm going to try to quit it after I'm totally over the benzo. I feel about 95% good.
The whole ordeal was terrible, but I'm happy I did it. I also don't regret taking Konopin as it initially helped me. As I stated before, I weaned down to .25 and only took it 30 min before bedtime for about month or two. I then went to my doctor who prescribed 30mg Oxazepam before bed for two weeks, then 15mg for two weeks. I only took the 15mg for 10 days. Good luck to all....there is light at the end of the tunnel.
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Hi all.
Sorry to read that so many people are having a hard time getting off this drug. My story is similar to many on here. I began to have panic attacks in the early 1990s, and after going from one doctor to the next, I finally found one that helped me. He prescribed Klonopin, which turned out to be the only drug which helped. I would call it a wonder drug, because it did exactly what I wanted at a time when I was losing faith that there was any help for me out there. So I took Klonopin (1 mg/day) for the next 17 years, without any problems at all.
In late March of this year, I was going through some pretty serious financial problems. I had to cut back on a lot of things, and one of them was not having enough money to go back to the doctor to get my Klonopin refilled. So, with the few pills I had left, I decided to try to taper off by cutting the dosage in half for 1 week, then half of that for another week. On April 12th, I the last quarter of my last pill and haven't had any since. The first day or two was rather uncomfortable, but probably more of a mental withdrawal rather than a physical withdrawal. Things calmed down right after that, but then I noticed other problems. The first being having a hard time getting a good night's sleep. I wouldn't have any problem falling asleep, but I woke up every night after only 2 hours of sleep, most of the time failing to fall back asleep for the rest of the night. Then I started to notice mental "twitches", restless leg syndrome, occasional heavy pounding of my heart, and most recently times when it felt difficult to breath and having the feeling of almost passing out. It wasn't until recently that I recognized these symptoms as being withdrawal from Klonopin.
In the past week or so, I've noticed my sleep patterns gradually getting better, so perhaps I'm nearing the end of the worst stage of withdrawal. I consider myself lucky in that my symptoms don't seem nearly as bad as some other people on this thread. Hopefully it doesn't get worse.
If anyone is planning to go on a prescription of Klonopin, please be prepared to take this medication for the rest of your life, or else you'll have to deal with some of the most uncomfortable times in your life when dealing with withdrawal. Klonopin is a very effective drug in treating many anxiety disorders, but with that comes a price of having to take it forever. Please keep that in mind when your doctor suggests this drug to you.
Good luck to everyone in their quest to free themselves of this drug.
Sorry to read that so many people are having a hard time getting off this drug. My story is similar to many on here. I began to have panic attacks in the early 1990s, and after going from one doctor to the next, I finally found one that helped me. He prescribed Klonopin, which turned out to be the only drug which helped. I would call it a wonder drug, because it did exactly what I wanted at a time when I was losing faith that there was any help for me out there. So I took Klonopin (1 mg/day) for the next 17 years, without any problems at all.
In late March of this year, I was going through some pretty serious financial problems. I had to cut back on a lot of things, and one of them was not having enough money to go back to the doctor to get my Klonopin refilled. So, with the few pills I had left, I decided to try to taper off by cutting the dosage in half for 1 week, then half of that for another week. On April 12th, I the last quarter of my last pill and haven't had any since. The first day or two was rather uncomfortable, but probably more of a mental withdrawal rather than a physical withdrawal. Things calmed down right after that, but then I noticed other problems. The first being having a hard time getting a good night's sleep. I wouldn't have any problem falling asleep, but I woke up every night after only 2 hours of sleep, most of the time failing to fall back asleep for the rest of the night. Then I started to notice mental "twitches", restless leg syndrome, occasional heavy pounding of my heart, and most recently times when it felt difficult to breath and having the feeling of almost passing out. It wasn't until recently that I recognized these symptoms as being withdrawal from Klonopin.
In the past week or so, I've noticed my sleep patterns gradually getting better, so perhaps I'm nearing the end of the worst stage of withdrawal. I consider myself lucky in that my symptoms don't seem nearly as bad as some other people on this thread. Hopefully it doesn't get worse.
If anyone is planning to go on a prescription of Klonopin, please be prepared to take this medication for the rest of your life, or else you'll have to deal with some of the most uncomfortable times in your life when dealing with withdrawal. Klonopin is a very effective drug in treating many anxiety disorders, but with that comes a price of having to take it forever. Please keep that in mind when your doctor suggests this drug to you.
Good luck to everyone in their quest to free themselves of this drug.
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I too was angry with my doctor for not warning me of the withdrawal symptoms. When my klonopin ran out, I went 4 days without it. I had been taking .5 mg per day, at night, for sleep, since I quit drinking alcohol 16 months ago. I do have anxiety and am on prozac as well, the klonopin was to help counteract quitting drinking. Well all I can say is - after the 4th day of being off klonopin, I knew something was VERY wrong. Heart palpitations, severe depression, irritability beyond belief, sleeplessness/insomina. It was REALLY BAD. I went to my dr. right away when I figured out what was going on. I didn't even know it was addictive!!! So now. I'm still doing .5 mg per night and just tapered to .25 mg last night and plan to stay on this for a while, like a month. Then I might try an even smaller dose to taper off. Or else what? should I stay on this the rest of my life? what will happen if I do? I do love it but hate the idea I'm SO dependent upon it to fall asleep.....if I don't have "kloni" I would really freak out. that's addiction. It is MUCH MUCH WORSE than alcohol addiction in my opinion. My body wasn't addicted to alcohol so quitting that was easier than klonopin. but then again I went on klonopin right after the alcohol so who knows :-( I'm ashamed. But the doctors suggested it - I should've done a bit more research.... anyone know the real long-term side-effects? what if I do need this the rest of my life?
thanks!!!
thanks!!!
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I would suggest you do the .25 for at least 2 months, maybe even 3 months. Then inquire about the Serax (Oxazepam). I really believed it helped me sleep (a little) during withdrawal and I thought that was a key in helping me stay the course. I didn't take much of a hit after I quit the Serax. 99% of the withdrawal were days 5-12 after stopping the klonopin.
My doctor was right the whole time. He said the klonopin would help my condition (it did), but said it was hell getting off of (it was). I had a few suggestions about how to get off of it (without losing too much work), but he suggested the Serax. It's been about 18 days since I quit the Serax. I still feel a little funny now and then, but the severe withdrawal symptoms are long gone.
My doctor was right the whole time. He said the klonopin would help my condition (it did), but said it was hell getting off of (it was). I had a few suggestions about how to get off of it (without losing too much work), but he suggested the Serax. It's been about 18 days since I quit the Serax. I still feel a little funny now and then, but the severe withdrawal symptoms are long gone.
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I don't need to repeat any symptoms here. I'm having them all after withdrawing from Klonopin/Clonazepam (2mg/day). The one and only thing that seems to help with the horrifying withdrawal symptoms is Medical Cannabis. A former girlfriend turned me onto Xanax for my panic attacks a couple of years ago and it's been an up and down hell ever since. I also went cold turkey off of Zoloft about a month ago, which my doctor prescribed for my PTSD. It and the benzos have all made it worse. Just before reading this, I woke up with terror fits and uncontrollable crying, to give you all an idea of what my current withdrawal state is. Reading all of this helped me (along with a bowl of high quality medical cannabis).
I have vowed to never take another benzo or SSRI again as long as I live. I am 6 weeks off the Zoloft, and 2 days off the Clonazepam. They almost killed me and I won't let it happen again..wish me luck!
I have lost all trust in my doctors. She wouldn't prescribe me Valium to reduce the Zoloft withdrawal (she upped my dosage on that and I went insane and ended up in the ER), and would only prescribe me Clonazepam because I went behind her back to consult another doctor for medical cannabis. I told her that he cost 140 bucks and she only cost 5 bucks (she's a university doctor). That shut her up. I got pissed, but took the Rx for Clonazepam and have been weening myself off them over the past couple of weeks. It hasn't been easy, but since I got on the state's medical cannabis program and got my first 'prescription' a couple of days ago, I have hope to kick this awful drug completely. If you're reading this and you've just been prescribed any of these pills, think twice about taking them. Do some research so you can avoid yourself a world of pain.
Sorry if my post is a bit 'long winded' (as one therapist said I was in their notes...always follow up and read their notes! jerks!) as my mind feels like it's being ripped apart occasionally.
Good luck to anyone going through this hell.
I have vowed to never take another benzo or SSRI again as long as I live. I am 6 weeks off the Zoloft, and 2 days off the Clonazepam. They almost killed me and I won't let it happen again..wish me luck!
I have lost all trust in my doctors. She wouldn't prescribe me Valium to reduce the Zoloft withdrawal (she upped my dosage on that and I went insane and ended up in the ER), and would only prescribe me Clonazepam because I went behind her back to consult another doctor for medical cannabis. I told her that he cost 140 bucks and she only cost 5 bucks (she's a university doctor). That shut her up. I got pissed, but took the Rx for Clonazepam and have been weening myself off them over the past couple of weeks. It hasn't been easy, but since I got on the state's medical cannabis program and got my first 'prescription' a couple of days ago, I have hope to kick this awful drug completely. If you're reading this and you've just been prescribed any of these pills, think twice about taking them. Do some research so you can avoid yourself a world of pain.
Sorry if my post is a bit 'long winded' (as one therapist said I was in their notes...always follow up and read their notes! jerks!) as my mind feels like it's being ripped apart occasionally.
Good luck to anyone going through this hell.
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I have been taking Clonazapam for 10 years. I've been trying to get off of it. I've gone from one and a half pills of 5 milligrams at night for sleep to only a half of a 5 milligram. Always the 2nd night of going down to a 4th of a tablet, my legs jerk so badly that I can't stand it. So, I up it to half a tablet the 3rd night.
Will this side effect go away if I can make it through a week or so? Is there something I can do to calm the jerking?
Will this side effect go away if I can make it through a week or so? Is there something I can do to calm the jerking?
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I believe you need to taper more slowly.
You need to first be able to maintain on the dosage you are currently at. Stay there for 3 weeks.
After 3 weeks, lower the dosage by .25 milligrams (I believe your pills are .5 mg, so cut them in half)... maintain this dosage for 3 weeks.
Repeat. Lower .25mg and maintain 3 weeks. Keep repeating this until your done.
Keep in mind, the first few days after lowering your dose will be tough. Just keep with it.
The symptoms (leg jerking) will go away in time.
I've been free of Klonopin for 18 months now and feel better every day. I struggled for years... many of the posts you've read are mine.
I haven't visited this forum for several months, but will keep an eye out for your response. I wish you the best of luck and am more than willing to help in any way I can.
You need to first be able to maintain on the dosage you are currently at. Stay there for 3 weeks.
After 3 weeks, lower the dosage by .25 milligrams (I believe your pills are .5 mg, so cut them in half)... maintain this dosage for 3 weeks.
Repeat. Lower .25mg and maintain 3 weeks. Keep repeating this until your done.
Keep in mind, the first few days after lowering your dose will be tough. Just keep with it.
The symptoms (leg jerking) will go away in time.
I've been free of Klonopin for 18 months now and feel better every day. I struggled for years... many of the posts you've read are mine.
I haven't visited this forum for several months, but will keep an eye out for your response. I wish you the best of luck and am more than willing to help in any way I can.
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I have been on Klonopin for less that a month, and my doctors nurse gave me the wrong information. She said that I could take klonopin as needed instead of twice a day. So I stopped taking cold turkey......THE BIGGEST MISTAKE IN MY LIFE!! I have been having muscle twitches just about everywhere in my body, from my big toe, to my cheeks. I feel like Im shaking but I'm not, but it feels that way. So last Tuesday my doctor told me the correct way to taper off, and I am tapering off now, and this has been the absolute worse drug I have even taken. It has cause my anxiety to worsen, and might I add two trips to the E.R. My doctor prescribe me something to help with the twitches, but Im even skeptical about that!
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After reading all of these posts, I'm thinking this drug may permanently alter brain chemistry. I was on .25 mg (evenings) for a couple of months and then went to .5. I bounced a little back and forth between the .25 again. Stopped cold turkey at around the 6 month mark as my physician told me that's the limit before the addiction sets in. After the first 3 days, it felt like my brain was being squeezed from mid-day on and my anxiety felt 3 times worse than it did before I started taking this stuff. It's been about 10 days now and I have taken .25 once and .125 once. I'm feeling better with each passing day. All of you that have been long term users have my sympathy. I can only imagine what you must have/be going through.
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