Can anyone please offer some hope

I just want this to end and feel better.

I’m looking at your signature, have you started your taper yet?

Determinedtoheal,

 

A couple things: There is GOOD news here; While everyone’s journey is different and every 'body' responds differently to these medications and the tapering process, the good news is, while tapering and weaning is never 'fun' nor 'easy'... having been on these medications less than a year, and also you being DETERMINED... you're well positioned to taper. You can do this.

 

Do you have the support of your psychiatrist? Do you have a support system/family that understands what you're going through? Do they know you’re ready to wean? As you’ve probably noticed, the administrators on our forum are REALLY good at providing support and guidance around a taper plan. Please know you are SUPPORTED in this community and we are here with you every step of the way. You will get through this. What are your symptoms if any, holding at your current clonz. Dose?

 

I wanted to ask you how the Paxil is going? I was on that medication for four years. Please feel free to DM me any time if you need an encouraging word or listening ear.

 

Once you reply to Pamster’s question, I know she will have some words of wisdom. Hang in there. -F

 

I have started my wean. I am down to .64 mg. I am so extremely tired all of the time. I am loosing my hair. I get weird head pressure and and blurred vision. I also have lots of fear, anxiety and sadness. Lots of crying. I also have tinnitus that comes and goes and level and intensity. My lady drop was almost three weeks ago and I did 5.5% of daily dose. I plan on dropping every 28 days. I know this is not a race but I started with an injury from the ct and am afraid I will never be the same.

 

I have no idea if the Paxil is working. I want to get off of it too but have to tackle the clonaz first.

 

 

Yep, you sound pretty miserable, typical for this process but you’re making good progress.  You’re smart to hold off on doing anything about the Paxil, it may be helping but its tough to know how much.

 

I can understand your fear, thinking back to the cold turkey is traumatic but you’re on the right path now and working your way down.  I quit cold turkey and I recovered just fine so please don’t worry you’ve caused permanent damage, we’re incredibly resilient.

Hi DTH

 

I’m a little confused…

 

After the c/t you were reinstated at 1mg clonazepam. If you’re currently at 0.64mg, then, how long did it take you to taper the 0.36… down from 1mg?

 

In your signature it says you were reinstated at 1mg clonazepam, however, at the end of your signature it says you are now ready to start weening and are currently at 0.64mg… what happened to the 0.36mg?

 

It’s just that there are no dates or timelines to follow… and I guess I’m questioning how fast you tapered that 0.36 from the original 1mg?

I started weaning in March. I have been experimenting trying to find the right pace to wean. The last cut was 5.5 % and I am holding 28 days. The cut before was 10% I think and I held 26 days. The first cut I did was .1 mg and I held for 14 days and then a 10% after that. I really don’t know what I’m doing. My psychiatrist is great and letting me go at my own pace. I just want to start to feel better so I can get back to work and my life. I’m not bed ridden and I guess you could say “functional” but I don’t drive or work. I’m always so sad and anxious and tired.

I started weaning in March. I have been experimenting trying to find the right pace to wean. The last cut was 5.5 % and I am holding 28 days. The cut before was 10% I think and I held 26 days. The first cut I did was .1 mg and I held for 14 days and then a 10% after that. I really don’t know what I’m doing. My psychiatrist is great and letting me go at my own pace. I just want to start to feel better so I can get back to work and my life. I’m not bed ridden and I guess you could say “functional” but I don’t drive or work. I’m always so sad and anxious and tired.

 

Hi DTH

 

Thank you for providing that information… it’s all making more sense now.

 

Your history is a very close mirror of my own. I switched directly to 10mg diazepam after c/t’ing clonazepam for 19 days. I think I started tapering after just over a month of holding that initial dose, but I tapered too soon and too fast…. first 3 reductions were 1mg each (crashed terribly). Next reduction was 0.5mg (crashed just as hard). Tried a daily micro taper of 5% over 21 days (crashed terribly on only day 4). At this point I realised my body couldn’t tolerate tapering any more, so I decided I had no other choice but to hold my remaining 6.5mg dose to stabilise, so I held for 13-14 weeks. I felt so much better after that 3 months, so, I then resumed my taper at 5% every 14 days, and I haven’t had a problem since. I’m now down to about 3mg diazepam and going strong.

 

It seems clear that your early experimentation to find the right taper rate has taken a toll on you, and although you’ve now dropped your reduction percentage, your brain is still trying to catch up to the previous reductions whilst you’re still moving forward making it hard for your brain to catch up and find its balance.

 

If I were in your position… I would just hold for a longer period to finally allow your brain to catch up. You will know when you’re feeling ready to taper again. Try not to set dates…. just hold and allow time to do its thing.

 

The other thing that may have contributed to this downward spiral is that you c/t’d for 3 weeks and once you reinstated with clonazepam (different benzo), you would have needed a considerable amount of time just holding that initial dose to adjust to the new medication and stabilise before beginning your taper, so that may have also played a considerable role in you not tolerating your earlier reductions and becoming increasingly more destabilised.

 

I would honestly just hold until your symptoms settle down. It took between 35-40 days before I really noticed things starting to settle down, and they continued to gradually improve over the next two months until I reached a point that that there was no doubt I was ready to taper again.

 

I hope this helps!

 

WS

When I reinstated I held for 60 days on the Clonazapam before starting to wean. When you say felt better does that mean you had no symptoms at all?

When I reinstated I held for 60 days on the Clonazapam before starting to wean. When you say felt better does that mean you had no symptoms at all?

 

No… there will be symptoms, but very manageable. I could still enjoy life, but I could still easily become overstimulated. I could laugh, hold conversations, do household chores, drive to the grocery store and shop without intense anxiety, watch tv, listen to music, etc…

 

I think it’s just that your reductions have been too big for you, and as a result, you have become increasingly overwhelmed by the symptoms. How about you hold until you notice considerable improvement, and then resume your taper with a smaller reduction… you can always increase the reduction percentage gradually if things go well.

I worry too if I hold to long I will interdose withdraw again. I was definitely interdose withdrawing when on Ativan.

I worry too if I hold to long I will interdose withdraw again. I was definitely interdose withdrawing when on Ativan.

 

You shouldn’t experience inter-dose withdrawal on the clonazepam, DTH. It has a much longer half life than the Ativan.

 

Some members find they can even dose clonazepam just the once a day without experiencing any inter-dose withdrawals, so, dosing twice a day… you should have zero issues with inter-dose withdrawals.

 

Ativan half life  8 - 24hrs

 

Clonazepam half life 19 - 60hrs

I mean hold to long and hit tolerance and withdraw again.

I understand the fear… but, I would also ask you… can you tolerate the symptoms (long term) as they are presenting right now.

 

It really is your choice to make… whether you ‘hold’ to give yourself a chance of stabilising, or whether you just continue to taper through with your symptoms the way they are…

 

Nobody is suggesting you hold indefinitely… just long enough for your brain to catch up with your previous reductions and ease your path forward.

 

There are no guarantees, but it is a legitimate option for you.

 

We’ll support you whatever you choose.

 

WS

I don?t get what stabilize is. Am I supposed to feel better? Will my joy come back and my crying stop?

 

When do I feel better?

We define stable as able to perform basic daily tasks, also, when your symptoms have quit changing drastically.  It doesn?t mean feeling good, feeling joy or your crying will stop, that typically is reserved for when you recover.  Recovery for those who have taken the drug long term can take quite awhile after the end of your taper, you heal on the way down, but recovery happens well after you?re drug free.