Weaning from .40mg K (clonazepam)

[[Buddie]]

Liquid dosing.

Was doing really well on 0.4mg K. Decreased to 0.38mg 15 days ago and its kicking my ass.....How fast should K be weaned at this dose?

After 15 days Im wondering if I should hold on a little longer or increase 

I'll take it slower from here.

[[Buddie]]

Any feedback on weaning at .40mg?

[[Buddie]]

Hello, [...].

Can you tell us more about the liquid you are using?

Regulatory-agency-approved (e.g. FDA in the US) oral solution?  What is the concentration (mg/mL)?

Professionally compounded suspension?  Ingredients? What is the concentration (mg/mL)?

Homebrew?  If so, please provide details re: the “recipe” you are using.  What ingredients do you use? In what proportions?  What is the concentration (mg/mL)?

[[Buddie]]

Homemade solution

10mg K / 20ml vodka / 80ml water= 100ml solution

Dosing 3.8ml or .38mg

[[Buddie]]

Hmmm ... that sounds like a “recipe” one of the members here suggests. I’ve read that some members who use this recipe with clonazepam have done ok, whereas others have not.  As you probably know, clonazepam is one of the newer, more potent benzos so its chemical and physical properties (as well as its pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics) are different from those of the older benzos such as diazepam/Valium.

When did you start using the homemade liquid?

Also, am I understanding your drug history correctly?  You tapered from 2mg a day of clonazepam on Feb. 21, 2019 to 0.4mg a day sometime in August? September? And, as of Sept. 15, you were feeling OK on 0.4mg?   That’s an 80% decrease in just 7 months.

[[Buddie]]

Thank you for updating your signature, P40!  Very helpful.

I’m wondering if two factors contributing to your current discomfort might be (1) the cumulative  reduction in dose you’ve made has “caught up” with you and/or (2) your past history of alcohol use.  If you think either of these might be the case, you might consider holding a while longer to see if your symptoms lessen.

I hope you’ll get more input from other members soon.

[[Buddie]]

Hmmm ... that sounds like a “recipe” one of the members here suggests. I’ve read that some members who use this recipe with clonazepam have done ok, whereas others have not. 
Also, am I understanding your drug history correctly?  You tapered from 2mg a day of clonazepam on Feb. 21, 2019 to 0.4mg a day sometime in August? September? And, as of Sept. 15, you were feeling OK on 0.4mg?   That’s an 80% decrease in just 7 months.

Hi [...]!
It seems to me from your quote above that you are not 100% on board with DMLT that is strongly recommended here in BB... I did my previous taper using a suspension with Ora plus from a compound pharmacy. I had to reinstate four months ago after being off of the drug for 3 months due to a bad reaction to a supplement (L-Theanine). I reinstated at 1 mg and I've been tapering coincidentally all the way to 0.400 mg. I had the chance to get a suspension again for the rest of my taper but I cancelled it because they would use a different brand.
This situation and after reading your comment have put me on the fence now, just when I was trying to see if at this time I do my own solution or suspension with Vodka or Ora plus.
Please, let me know if my perception was wrong and I would really appreciate any suggestions of tapering after reinstatement and what method you would suggest. So far, thanks to God, things haven't been too bad.
Thanks for your efforts helping us all here in BB!!!
Regards!
Miguel 

[[Buddie]]

Hello there, M.  Hearing from you is always a pleasure!

I remember well the horrible reaction you had to L-Theanine and how disappointed you were about having to reinstate.  However, the good - actually GREAT- news is that you have already made a 60% reduction in your dose and “things haven’t been too bad.”  Congratulations!

Like everyone else in this community, I am a peer not an expert so it would be inappropriate for me to suggest a particular method for tapering.

However, I do have a question.  Given that you had success with using a compounded suspension of clonazepam in the past, why not use that approach again? (By the way, my understanding is that you can use a liquid with any tapering schedule - daily, every third day, cut-and-hold - the key is to find the schedule that works for you.)

You’ve indicated that you had to cancel your prescription for a compounded suspension because the compounder was going to use a different generic (great catch on your part, BTW).  Are there other compounding pharmacies in your area that can get/use your preferred generic?  (As I’m sure you know, different pharmacies use different suppliers/distributors that “stock” different generics.)

If you can’t find another compounding pharmacy, I’ve read here and elsewhere that making a homemade compounded suspension of clonazepam using a suitable suspending agent is not difficult.  Indeed, if you conduct a web search using the terms “clonazepam compounded suspension nationwide” you’ll find a formulation from Nationwide Children’s Hospital that uses OraPlus.

To return to the topic of generics, if you have not already done so, check out the Teva Clonazepam Discontinued support group.  Two members there have shared that they have been able to obtain what appears to be the original formulation of the 0.5mg, scored Teva tablets.   If you’re doing OK on your current generic, you’ll probably want to stick with it.  But if you’re having issues (or think you might do better on the original Teva - which, if I’m remembering right, is what you took), this is another option for your consideration.

I hope at least some of the above is helpful to you. Sending all good thoughts and best wishes your way for a successful taper, L