Not sure if I should cross-over from Ativan to Klonopn for insomnia

I use 1.25mg Ativan for sleep.  Can't sleep w/o it.  I sleep 4-5.5 hours a night and function ok during the day at work. I also take beta-blocker Propranolol 2X/day. I am having tolerence symptoms and the beta blocker helps.

I was recently prescribed 1mg Klonopin for better sleep, and was told it's easier to taper off of.  However, I am concrerned and have not taken the Klonopin yet, because I don't know how it will effect my day or my future.  I am also concerned that the abrupt switch will cause withdrawal symptoms from abruptly stopping the faster acting Ativan.  I really want to stop the Benzos ASAP, but am stuck with the insomnia.  I just don't want to gamble on crossing over to a more potent Benzo for a few more hours of sleep and then suffer other longer term sympoms including disrupting my work performance. Don't want to complicate life any more than it is with this stuff.

 

I made a bad decision last Februarywhen I tried unsuccessfully dry tapering from 1mg to 0mg in 10 days, and had really bad confusion, anxiety, wosening insomnia, and horrible adrenaline-like burning in my muscles and nerves for weeks.

 

Not sure if I should just start a very slow titration from the Ativan now, and see if the insomnia just stays the same. I want out of Benzo hell now. I was very tempted to just take the 1 mg of Klonopin instead of the 1.25mg at bedtime, but I am VERY VERY reluctant.

 

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks, Jimmy

I use 1.25mg Ativan for sleep.  Can't sleep w/o it.  I sleep 4-5.5 hours a night and function ok during the day at work. I also take beta-blocker Propranolol 2X/day. I am having tolerence symptoms and the beta blocker helps.

I was recently prescribed 1mg Klonopin for better sleep, and was told it's easier to taper off of.  However, I am concrerned and have not taken the Klonopin yet, because I don't know how it will effect my day or my future.  I am also concerned that the abrupt switch will cause withdrawal symptoms from abruptly stopping the faster acting Ativan.  I really want to stop the Benzos ASAP, but am stuck with the insomnia.  I just don't want to gamble on crossing over to a more potent Benzo for a few more hours of sleep and then suffer other longer term sympoms including disrupting my work performance. Don't want to complicate life any more than it is with this stuff.

 

I made a bad decision last Februarywhen I tried unsuccessfully dry tapering from 1mg to 0mg in 10 days, and had really bad confusion, anxiety, wosening insomnia, and horrible adrenaline-like burning in my muscles and nerves for weeks.

 

Not sure if I should just start a very slow titration from the Ativan now, and see if the insomnia just stays the same. I want out of Benzo hell now. I was very tempted to just take the 1 mg of Klonopin instead of the 1.25mg at bedtime, but I am VERY VERY reluctant.

 

Any advice would be welcome.

Thanks, Jimmy

 

Hi, Jimmy.

 

While there certainly is a case to be made for crossing over to klonopin (since it is so much longer acting than ativan), I believe titration off ativan would be a better fit with your situation.  I was on klonopin at one time and did not find it easier to taper off of.  With titration, you can go as slowly as you want to.

Hi Beeper,

 

Thanks so much for the advise. I just requested a titration taper from colin.

 

Anxiety about insomnia is tough.  I hope I can do it.

 

BTW...I get a lot of flickering when I try to post here on BB. Can't post past the bottom of the box without the post-box boucing back up from where I am trying to write.  Have you heard of this posting problem or have any solution?

 

Thanks so much!

Jimmy

Beeper you scare me when you said ...  " I was on klonopin at one time and did not find it easier to taper off of "  I feel like I am never gonna get off this crap.. I am having a hard time with my taper..I am just under .25 and its really hitting me hard. I was thinking about switching over to valium but I wonder if it would be worth it. I can't find more then 1 person on here that got off  klonopin without suffering.. or going back on it. I feel trapped.   Richie.

Beeper you scare me when you said ...  " I was on klonopin at one time and did not find it easier to taper off of "  I feel like I am never gonna get off this crap.. I am having a hard time with my taper..I am just under .25 and its really hitting me hard. I was thinking about switching over to valium but I wonder if it would be worth it. I can find more then 1 person on here that got off  klonopin without suffering.. or going back on it. I feel trapped.   Richie.

 

Torrio,

 

Ladyh48 did a successful taper from Klonopin and she's doing great.  Here's a link to her taper:  http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=13123.0

 

Plenty of people have been able to do this, don't lose hope, it's possible!

Pam, ladyh48 was the only one I knew of that had little trouble with it. it seems everyone on klonopin has big time issues getting off of it..I know I am. can you dig me out some more people that had little problems getting off of it??  I just don't see many.  Thanks!  Richie.

Beeper you scare me when you said ...  " I was on klonopin at one time and did not find it easier to taper off of "  I feel like I am never gonna get off this crap.. I am having a hard time with my taper..I am just under .25 and its really hitting me hard. I was thinking about switching over to valium but I wonder if it would be worth it. I can't find more then 1 person on here that got off  klonopin without suffering.. or going back on it. I feel trapped.   Richie.

 

I did! Am I the one person?

 

 

eljay, when I joined BB you were the first person i found on here that came off of K from a direct taper. but I know I am not gonna do as good as you. because I am struggling so badly with it.

 

Torrio,

 

In theory, Ativan would be tougher to come off of than Ativan, due to Klonopin's longer half life. I think no matter what benzo we are on, that is the one we are going to feel is the toughest.   I am right with you on the Klonopin being a tough one....its the only one I have experience with..so to me..it sucks the most....

 

No one around here would prescribe valium..for a crossover for me....so I had no choice but to directly taper for K....but honestly, I have a seen alot of people successfuly taper from K directly.....I am not saying they did not pay their dues.....but they tapered...got off the med...and never returned........I recall one member..Lost In Brooklyn....having a good deal of symptoms while tapering...and shortly after his taper...pooof..symptoms gone.....and never came back..the last update I read on him was 157 easy breezy days...its in the success stories section if you want to check it out....

 

The truth is..we have no idea...what lies ahead of us.....every day..I wonder....is this the day this falls apart...since I am getting lower and lower in dose...and then am relieved when it doesn't happen..I have felt this way since i was at the .65 mg mark...and I am have slowly trudged my way to .35 mg....down from my original dose of 2mg....sometimes I feel like I am not making much progress....but then i think..man..at this time last year I had just started at 2mg of this junk....today I felt like I got ran over by a truck...and by the evening...that had totally gone..and i felt normal again..this process sucks man..but the only way though it is through it....

 

You can count me as one of the people that "got back on" the meds......but...even that was a victory of sorts...I reinstated at half my dosage....it sucked having to start over..but I went back on cause I tapered too fast man...you are doing a nice slow taper..who says you won't end up like Eljay did....healed up pretty quickly after you are off the meds...and I was not here when Eljay was tapering..but I bet she could tell you she had some wd symptoms......too..maybe some of the same you and I are experiencing...

 

TC