Stopped Klonopin cold turkey

Hallo everybody,

I’m a 71 years young woman.

Please forgive me my mistakes in English writing, because I’'m Flemish and Dutch is my language.

I used Klonopin on prescription for restless legs during  6 years.

In the beginning I took 0,5mg dailey.

But the last 5 months I took 12mg every 3 or 4 days.

I had to stop suddenly on 2022-04-01 with Klonopin because it was no longer available at the pharmacy.

Since then I lived (and often live) in a hell.

I didn’t feel like myself, People looked weird. The area seemed to be tilted. Pain everywhere. Too many psychological and physical complaints to mention. Terrible!

Now, I'm almost 1 year without Klonopin and since last, on February 9, the brain fog has almost disappeared.

My question now is whether anyone else suffers from an overactive bladder.

That started about 1 week after I stopped Klonopin.

Partly because of this, I sleep very fragmented. And of course the withdrawal is also a major cause of my terrible sleep quality.

I would be very grateful if somebody could answer me.

To every person who suffers from withdrawal - especially Klonopin - I wish a lot of  courage.

Tante

Hello Tante  Welcome to Benzobuddies

I'm glad you decided to join the forum.  Your English is good.  I am sorry you were forced to cold turkey, its not recommended.  Its not unusual  to experience withdrawal symptoms at 1 year out,  you will feel better with more time.  Yes i had overactive bladder and irritable bowel, it went away with time.  Withdrawal symptoms can take a long time to settle down.  You’ve come to a great place for support, you will connect with others who understand what you're going through.    Please feel free to post to any of the dedicated boards, you will get plenty of support here.

Reading the Ashton Manual, gave me a better understanding on why we feel the way we do.  It is a great resource for understanding the effect benzodiazepines have on our body. Chapter III reassured me that symptoms were temporary!  Here is a list of common symptoms 

Here are a few helpful links

The Ashton Manual. 

Post withdrawal recovery support.   

Cold Turkey, Detox& Rapid Withdrawal

Four Phases of Withdrawal-Where Are You?

Colorado Consortium Benzodiazepine Deprescribing Guidelines

If you would like to add a signature (history of meds/doses etc) it will help members give you relevant advice.  Go to the top of the page and select PROFILE then choose forum profile then insert drug history into the text box and remember to click change profile

Welcome aboard

Magrita

Hi Magrita,

Thank you so much for your answer!

May I ask you after how many time your overactive bladder and irritable bowel

disappeared?

I suffer from this things for 1 year and I'm exhausted because of my poor

quality of sleep and having to go to the toilet, during the day every 1/2 hour or,

on a lucky day, every hour. Rarely I can wait 2 hours for a pee .

At a real good night, I go 5 times to the toilet, on a bad night, 8 to 10 times...

Lots of love,

Tante

Hello Tante

I know  it’s  exhausting and I feel for you, it will get better.    Have you been checked by doctor? have you had any tests?  I got checked to rule out other things, everything was normal.  Time wise It’s different for everyone it was around  15/16 months it settled down, the irritable bowel took longer.  Do not worry it just takes time to get back to normal.

Day at a time you’ll get through this.

Magrita

Hallo Magrita,

It feels reassuring that you told me about your overactive bladder and irritable bowel.

I was quit sure that my complaints were due to the withdrawal of Klonopin, even when my GP

and urologist said that it had nothing do do with it.

And what feels even better is that with you, the overactive bladder disappeared after 15 or 16 months...

I will not expect that it will be the case with me after 15 months, the most important is that it disappeared with you.

So it will happen with me also, because I had some tests and there was nothing wrong with my bladder.

Because I had different medications, nerve stimulation etc, but nothing helped, on the contrary.

I do have bladder infections very often but I learned - I think at the Ashton manual - that it is common

to have infections frequently during withdrawal, isn't it? Also it is apparently normal to react strangely on antibiotics?

The  frequency of urination decreases after showering and somewhat when I put a warm pillow on my belly.

A belly that still feels like not mine.

Do you have other tips and tricks to make me feel more comfortable during day and night - not have to pee so often?

I read also that the awkward bodily sensations that have can disappear or that some may last even for years?

And that unpleasant feelings, thoughts and feeling me  absolutely bad also can or will vanish?

Did I understand that correctly? Normally I'm a positive person, generally in a good mood and always optimistic.

You see, I stopped drinking alcohol for 28 years, I'm in AA all that time.

I also stopped smoking since 27 years.

I thought I was familiar to withdrawal. But this withdrawal beats everything that had experienced so far!

Please Magrita, if you have tricks to improve my quality of life...?

I'm scared sometimes that, because of my age, I will have complaints for the rest of my life ...

Thank you very, very much for reading me.

I wish you all the good and nice things,

Tante

Hallo Magrita,

It feels reassuring that you told me about your overactive bladder and irritable bowel.

I was quit sure that my complaints were due to the withdrawal of Klonopin, even when my GP

and urologist said that it had nothing do do with it.

And what feels even better is that with you, the overactive bladder disappeared after 15 or 16 months...

I will not expect that it will be the case with me after 15 months, the most important is that it disappeared with you.

So it will happen with me also, because I had some tests and there was nothing wrong with my bladder.

Because I had different medications, nerve stimulation etc, but nothing helped, on the contrary.

I do have bladder infections very often but I learned - I think at the Ashton manual - that it is common

to have infections frequently during withdrawal, isn't it? Also it is apparently normal to react strangely on antibiotics?

The  frequency of urination decreases after showering and somewhat when I put a warm pillow on my belly.

A belly that still feels like not mine.

Hi Tante

Frequent urination is a withdrawal symptom, I had it and it’s been reported many times in benzo withdrawal. A warm compress on the belly will help. I had  cystitis quite a lot, Its common.  Antibiotics are very necessary sometimes,  certain ones we can tolerate,  some can make us feel worse. People in general can feel off when taking A/Bs but definitely much worse for us benzo folk.  One antibiotic I would avoid are fluoroquinolones.

A WORD OF CAUTION REGARDING FLUOROQUINOLONE ANTIBIOTICS

Do you have other tips and tricks to make me feel more comfortable during day and night - not have to pee so often?

A few things I tried,  a hot bath waist deep, I avoided spicy foods, you might not be as sensitive as me, anyhow spicy food can irritate the bladder.  A hot water bottle on my lower tummy.  Try breathing through your stomach instead of your chest, it helps to relax any tense muscles down there, and cranberry juice is often suggested by members.

I read also that the awkward bodily sensations that have can disappear or that some may last even for years?

And that unpleasant feelings, thoughts and feeling me  absolutely bad also can or will vanish?

Did I understand that correctly? Normally I'm a positive person, generally in a good mood and always optimistic.

I had lots of strange bodily sensations,  electric shocks,  tingling, numbness,  a sensation of running water down my arms and legs (weird) and many more.  I also had unpleasant thoughts and feelings as well. Feeling of movements inside my skull, all sounds strange but true. of course my doctors did not belive me, thought i was crazy.    Give these feelings and thoughts no importance,  they will not harm you, the nerves become hyperexcitable in withdrawal, it will calm down and eventually symptoms will disappear.

You see, I stopped drinking alcohol for 28 years, I'm in AA all that time.

I also stopped smoking since 27 years.

I thought I was familiar to withdrawal. But this withdrawal beats everything that had experienced so far!

Please Magrita, if you have tricks to improve my quality of life...?

I'm scared sometimes that, because of my age, I will have complaints for the rest of my life ...

Thank you very, very much for reading me.

I wish you all the good and nice things,

Tante

Well done on your sobriety, and being nicotine free,  I stopped drinking over 30 years ago and stopped smoking 13 years ago.  I don’t have any tricks and I couldn't  take any other meds,  supplements can work for some, but not me, they made me feel much worse.

Time is our healer,  there are times you feel you’ll never get better, but in spite of our doubts we do eventually recover from this nightmare,  so stay positive eat healthy and try to distract from the symptoms.  Listen to music, relaxation tapes, short walks if you can.  Anything to take your mind away from symptoms.

You will get better, I wish the very best for you too.

Magrita

Thank you Magrita, for your extended and detailed answer❤

I do have days that I go less to the toilet and that the weird sensations are not so prominent. But that doesn't happen often....Still it is much better then it was a few months ago.

I have alsof the impression that water is running from my leg- always the right leg...

I hope you don 't mind that I ask

you so much questions?!

Have a good continuation of your day.

Love, Tante

I don't mind the questions Tante. I am so glad its improved for you. Try to focus on stuff you want to do when you are better,  It will pull your mind away from the intrusive thoughts that fleet in and out.  When you are having a really bad day, remind yourself its temporary.

Magrita

Hallo Magrita,

Me again...is it normal that my overactive bladder is much worse since 2 days?

It's 5:30 AM and I went to the toilet every 1/2 hour. I did not sleep yet.

I hope jou can give me an answer?

Tante

Hi Tante

Sorry it's worsened for you , it will come good again.  I hope you managed to get some sleep. It ebbs and flows,  one step forward and two steps back, It's all part of withdrawal and it's normal.  Next time you urinate , don’t get up straight away, try sitting on the toilet a little longer, 5 minutes or so, concentrate on relaxing the bladder muscles.  I would also drink plenty of fluids, it helps to dilute urine and stop any irritation. 

Magrita.

Dear Magrita,

I did slept a bit last night. From 6:30am I slept 1h or 1,5h, then to the toilet,

back to bed and sleep for 1 or 1,5h (if I’m lucky,or often only 1/2h), to the toilet, to bed, to the toilet

and so for all night long...And that way it goes all nights since I stopped Klonopin, and in the beginning it was even much worse.

9 times this night I went to the toilet...

I also had the feeling of heat,

like my head is boiling. A strange pain on the backside of my head, that get worse when I lay down on it...

Like someone is squeezing my brain...

"Down there", it feels weird, wet, burning and awkward...like all of my body

still feels strange...

I always spend a few minuts at the toilet. I do my business in 3 episodes.

I start sitting, continue semi-standing and finish standing.

I know it sounds strange and perhaps funny but It is how I urinate since the withdrawal.

I drink about 1,5 to 2l fluid a day...

But I had an infection of my bladder last weekend and took an antibiotic.

Afterwards I felt really bad and sick.

It was not an antibiotic that you told me to be aware of. I checked on Google.

I do hope this won’t last very much longer...my God....

But still, when I think on how I felt in the beginning, severe pain in my stomach,

it felt like a painfully burning chord was stretched from one hip crest to the other...It hurt so much!

That took months...I really suffered a lot this last year.

I didn’t support light, noises, touch, nothing tasted like it tasted before (and it still don’t but it is a bit better).

My fingertips felt like there was sandpaper on it...The thoughts I had...I never dared to tell anybody...

I really thought I was crazy or becoming crazy...

Didn’t support my partner - with who I live together for 10 years and that I really love - untill now every

time whatever I do, in my mind she says "that’s no good, don’t do that, you’re stupid"...while she

never says such a thing...

There were songs in my head, very intrusive, always repeating the same part of that song...

Since a few weeks the songs had almost disappeared...cross my fingers...

I still don’t dare to listen to the opening songs of some series because i’m afraid those intrusive

songs will come back to my mind...

After that I had letters and words, I was constantly solving an imaginary crossword....that lasted

untill a week ago

I talk to my brain cells you know, I tell them that I am the boss and that the drug they want I

never give them....I do all kinds of things to help my brain to become normal again...

Some days I succeed, some days (or moments) I don’t...

Last week I went to the pharmacy for the first time, I was to scared before...

You must know that I moved from the region I was born and raised to the other side

of our country...The region my partner was born and work since november last year,

we moved in december. That was a frightening period for me.

And this says the same woman that took the airplane to the USA -

San Francisco and the West Coast of California - with a stand-by ticket, and walked all alone

In SF for almost two weeks, while my traveling companion went to Mexico...

Well...now I’m proud of myself that I went to the pharmacy all alone...

Things can change in one’s life isn’t it? How codes that I can’t use a smiley??

I thought today on how I will travel again when I’m recovered of this awfull withdrawal..

Thank you for your kind reply again Magrita...you’re a friendly woman.

Love,

Tante

I hope this comes after my answer...

There's an error in my mail..."I didn't support my partner anymore" must be; I was no longer tolerating my partner...

I was confused with the French language...

Hello Tante

I know what you’re going through I’ve experienced these dreadful symptoms and I know they will eventually go, what I don’t know is when.  I had looping songs, intrusive thoughts, all kinds of strange sensations in my head.  I’m glad your telling your brain who’s boss, your brain will be fine.  Try not to give symptoms any importance, distract if you can, they will disappear eventually. 

It’s good to see that you’ve had some improvements. That was great achievement going to the pharmacy.   You are right how things can change, I was never at home always away, or out doing things.  I was bedridden for a while and was agoraphobic, could not leave my home.  It’s a wonderful feeling when you get your life back.

I became very difficult  I couldn’t tolerate anyone, I  was a placid person and became very impatient, angry and sometimes aggressive.  My personality changed completely,  I couldn’t recognise myself.  I’m surprised my husband stayed, he got the brunt of it all.  It’s difficult for our loved ones to understand what happens to us in withdrawal, try not to be too hard on your partner.

You will come through this, I’m sure you’ll  travel again. Stay positive!

Magrita

Thank you...I can not tell you how grateful I am for your kind answers.

When I see dat my post has been read more than 200 times....and that you are the only one who had replied to it...

Then I'm lucky, aren't I ?

I do try to be as nice as possible to my partner...She don 't know that I have such thoughts...I regularly tell her how great she is doing with me and how grateful I am that she stays with me. Because I know it was not easy for her and it still is.

I realize very well that I have a truly loyal partner. But still I have these thoughts...

If you get tired of my sawing(is that what they say in English?) tell me please?

Lots of love,

Tante

Hi Magrita,

I didn’t know how to post another question, so I reply to myself, like I did last time too...

When  I click 'send a message" is that a personal message or will it appear here?

What I would ask was; Was it also impossible for you to

only watch TV,  without doing something else

at the same time?

I think I’m not calm enough or so to only watch TV,  I always play a game on Internet while watching.

So I don’t see half of what happens during a serie or a movie...

I would like to do it otherwise but I don’t know how. Also when I’m talking to someone my

thoughts always go their own way...not with the conversation...

Only when I can talk about something that really interest me a lot, my thoughts don’t "flow"

away...

Reading a book is almost impossible, and I am somebody for whom  reading  books was the

main hobby since I was 5 years old...

In august last year I couldn’t even write properly and when I wrote, it was not at all

my handwriting, but letters that were deformed, almost not readable.

That is much better right now, but it still feels a bit strange when I have to write...

I think very often on our serenity prayer that is no more or less then an entire life philosophy.

And I am sure that I was and am able to deal with this withdrawel thanks to the withdrawals I

had before this.

May I ask if benzobuddies is an US or an  UK forum?

It’s not really important, but soms People mention klonopin like in the USA, others Clonazepam or

Rivotril as in Belgium.

Love,

Tante

Hello Tante,

I can see its helping you to finally be able to express what you've been going through to those who understand, its comforting to find out others know what this feels like, how all consuming it is.  I'd like to encourage you to start a thread on the Post-withdrawal  Recovery Support board so you can speak with other members. Not many hang out on the introductions board since it's mainly for new members introducing themselves.  That way you can connect with more members. 

Pamster

Hey Pamster,

How kind of you to answer me!

I already dared to send a message to somebody who was devastated and scared and she answered me too.

I knew that if I tried to help somebody it will also give me a good feeling. But most of all I wanted to help.

I will surely do what you suggested. Thank you!

Wish you good and nice things,

Tante