Help!!!- Klonopin

Hi I am currently just starting on 300XL Wellbutrin and have been inconsistently taking my Klonopin since 3 weeks ago:/ started at 1mg a day (.5 morning and night) now once been only taking .25 a day  and not feeling well. Would it be good to move back up to at least .5 a day? Help!!

Our brain craves consistency, its important to get on a steady dose and take it at the same time every day.  If its your goal to taper off of the Klonopin, I'd suggest getting on a consistent dose and taking that for a couple of weeks, recording your symptoms and their severity then using that record to determine your future reductions.

 

I don't know what dose you might want to start taking to get stable but you might need to go back up to 1 mg.  How long have you been taking the Wellbutrin?

Hi Natb,

 

I had a similar circumstance trying to find stability on dosage before I could truly begin to taper.  It took a while to wrap my head around the process.  I stopped Zoloft in July (felt like it wasn't working) so now depression is really bad so I'm going to go back on an SSRI if I can stay stable on my clonazepam taper (hold) while adjusting to a new medication.    Best of luck to you.  These people here really know what they are talking about. 

I am feeling so weak and head in pain/ crying spells. I’m only 23 and these medicines are effecting my whole life I cut way too fast from .5 2x a day to .25 only at night… so tonight I just took .5 so hopefully I can get some sleep.

 

My plan was taking my Wellbutrin at 10am and then taking the Klonopin at night but now I’m wondering if I should start taking Klonopin in the morning again to hopefully restabalize? Anyone please have any suggestions??

I completely understand how you are feeling.  I'm dealing with crying spells too.  I also have an overall buzzing in my head.  When I am "unstable" I am very restless, thoughts all over the place, can't concentrate, ears ring very loudly and overall just feel like I'm gonna lose it. 

 

I believe what the people with a lot of experience here would tell you would be to aim for "stability" in your dosage.  Stable means ability to function.  You don't have to be completely comfortable but able to have the symptoms kind of in the background but be able to carry on your daily responsibilities.  I began from an "as needed" and didn't know what stability was and had a rough start to all of this, and am still learning how much my reductions need to be and getting an understanding of how long to hold until the next cut.  I didn't used to take doses 3x a day but that is what I am doing now.  I hope to work on reducing the midday dose after I get all three of these doses equal and hope to eliminate that midday dose and ultimately continue from there. 

 

I am very new to this and by no means am I an expert.  One of the more experienced people on here will hopefully be along soon to help you sort this out and get you on track to feeling more stable and better about the process.  They have been so helpful to me and one of the bright spots in this really scary experience.

 

Hang in there!

StingRae has given you some important advice and I'll add to that by saying Wellbutrin cannot take the place of Klonopin, they're two different medications so its important you take your Klonopin dose as well.  I feel you might want to consider taking at least two doses a day, possibly three of Klonopin and I also believe going back up to 1 mg would be in your best interest.  Doing this will help you take stock of your situation and plan for your future which will involve coming up with a taper plan.

 

Adding an antidepressant or any medication or supplement can be tricky, we don't always react to them like we would because our central nervous system is so sensitive so if you're going to introduce Wellbutrin, I would suggest holding your Klonopin dose at 1 mg for about 4-6 weeks while it takes effect.

Help, do y’all have any suggestions on what I should do now? I originally told my doctor I wanted off these after realizing how harmful they were and he suggested an extremely fast taper but now I know that’s not what I should do but him and my parents are fighting me about it and think I need to just get off as soon as possible and if I have any effects it’s just my “depression” getting worse. I don’t want to stop taking it that fast right now or yet because I know I probably have dependable and don’t want to be disfunctiknal again and then them put me on even more medication. Please give me some advice I’m desperately needing it for when I talk to my doctor on Thursday and my parents are against me which is really hard

Hi Nat,

 

I'm so sorry you are experiencing this.  I read a lot on this site, and actually took this to my Dr.  Take a look at it and see if this may help you explain more of how you are feeling to your Dr. and your parents.  In the meantime, try to do some breathing (I know, I hate being told that too but it works).  Breath in through your nose counting to 4, exhale through your nose counting to 4.  Do that a few times and try to quiet your mind.  You WILL get through this. 

 

https://corxconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/Benzo-Deprescribing.pdf

The document StingRae gave you is very good for medical practitioners.

 

When it comes to family, I would tell them that I'm committed to get off, but it needs to be done correctly in order to avoid severe withdrawal symptoms and to remain functional while you get off these drugs. You can tell them you've done extensive research on these drugs and getting off is not as easy as it seems.

 

I've seen a recent post with this information which you might want to print out/email to them and hopefully they'll read it: https://www.benzoinfo.com/2022/12/05/supporting-an-adult-child-in-benzo-withdrawal/

Thank y’all so much for the advice. I haven’t started tapering but my doctor wants to taper me off of 1mg a day of Klonopin in 15 days… which I know would be terrible. My parents are dismissing me and saying that “i don’t know more than a doctor and if I get the symptoms it would be because of all this research I’ve been doing and I’m making it up in my head??” Very tough situation

 

I  to ask him if I could stay on it longer but he doesn’t seem to listen and him and my parents who are monitoring all of this don’t believe me on anything about benzo withdrawals and think the longer I’m on it that’s when I’ll have bad withdrawals but I know that’s not the case. I’m stable right now because haven’t started reducing and ramping up this anti depressant I am being forced to take also. But I am just scared that he won’t let me taper Klonpin way slower and keep on it longer so I can stay stable because when i first mentioned the possible withdrawal symptoms like akathasia he literally said “that wouldn’t be a withdrawal symptom it would be your depression worsening ??” So anyway I’m just really scared. Please pray that my doctor appt with him on Friday he will allow me to continue on Klonpin longer so I can do a proper very slow taper. I am going to try to gather as much info and data as I can to bring to him to the appt on Friday. Let me know if you have any other suggestions on what I could say to him to help him understand me because I am being very dismissed at the moment by him and my parents

Hi Nat,

 

If you could be factual, bring your research (but not too much), and let them know that you are determined and very much WANT to be off of klonopin as you believe you are not doing well with it, however, you are concerned about the negative effects of a too fast taper.  Research and many other people who have been through the process of being deprescribed this medication have better outlooks and success when they taper at a rate of 5-10% every 14 days or so, or as symptoms dictate.  Everyone wants the same goal, to get off the medication, and to avoid any pitfalls a too fast taper can create.  After all, if you come off too fast and start having a lot of wild symptoms it could be confused with other conditions. 

 

Good luck, you can do this and please let us know how it goes.  No matter what you will find support here to get through it.