Klonopin for hypnic jerks

Hey all -

 

I was out on .25 klonopin after developing hypnic/myoclonic nocturnal jerks after a Covid vaccine that were then exacerbated when I contracted Covid. I have a history of epilepsy and am on AEDs for that. Had a bunch of testing to prove that the movements are “non-epileptic.” My doctors are hesitant to continue prescribing for me. I tried tapering down to 75% of the pill and the movements came back in various forms along with anxiety I didn’t know I had. After about 7-8 days, I couldn’t handle the interference with sleep and not sleeping and went back to my dose.

 

My main questions before I reach back out to my are, was it too much of a taper as I was on it for over a year and am I able to tell if the movements are due to withdrawal or because the medication was lessened and I need the full dose?

 

Thanks in advance.

Hypnic jerks are a common withdrawal symptom to its going to be tough to tell what is causing yours.  How long did it take you to taper from 75% of your pill, we suggest reducing your dose by about 5-10% every couple of weeks to minimize symptoms.  You could have experienced this symptom because you tapered too rapidly. 

 

What concerns me is that the hypnic jerks brought on by the vaccine may have resolved and now they're being caused by the drug or the drug withdrawal and staying on it will be a disservice to you because the drug will invite a host of unpleasant conditions.  Unfortunately, the only way to know what is being caused by what is to taper slowly and go through recovery.

Thank you for your insight. My neurologist, the prescribing doctor, has basically decided that this is the problem of the sleep doctor who diagnosed the hypnic/myoclonic jerks and I don’t have an appointment until January. I ended up back on my .25 dose because I’m lacking support from doctors right now. I’ve ordered a mg scale and will try smaller cuts once my body feels up to it after the last attempt.

I think it was smart to go back on the Klonopin, and I'm sorry to hear you don't have any support right now.  We can help you taper, many of our members use their doctors simply as prescribers as they taper on their own.