Decision help: reinstate or not?

I unfortunately went cold turkey from clonazepam at .5mg/day.

Awful. It's been 6 months and I have tinnitus, jelly legs and can't sleep. My doc rx'd Ambien, which I unwittingly take - but is probably messing with a successful withdrawal. Gaba receptors are totally confused now. I feel I've made very little progress. I have hyper anxiety now.

So, it's either plug along with Ambien, try to go without anything (right), or reinstate low dose clonazepam with the idea of doing a proper Ashton type of taper. The p-doc is useless here, he claims nobody has issues with withdrawal.

Thanks and God bless, Earl

I unfortunately went cold turkey from clonazepam at .5mg/day.

 

Awful. It's been 6 months and I have tinnitus, jelly legs and can't sleep. My doc rx'd Ambien, which I unwittingly take - but is probably messing with a successful withdrawal. Gaba receptors are totally confused now. I feel I've made very little progress. I have hyper anxiety now.

 

So, it's either plug along with Ambien, try to go without anything (right), or reinstate low dose clonazepam with the idea of doing a proper Ashton type of taper. The p-doc is useless here, he claims nobody has issues with withdrawal.

 

Thanks and God bless, Earl

Hi Earl,

Sorry you are still having w/d symptoms from your cold turkey. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict how long it will go on. How long have you been taking the Ambien? You are right that it can be hindering your progress. I don't know if re-instating the klono will help. Some have tried and not been successful. It is just so different for everyone. If you have been on the Ambien for a while that can start creating w/d symptoms during the day also.

T2

I've taken Ambien for a few weeks so yeah, it might be causing withdrawal symptoms. It doesn't seem to help a lot anyway. The symptoms are like a giant snake, they just keep constricting me. Tinnitus is awful.

Why do p-docs prescribe this stuff?

Hi, earl gray. 

I'm sorry you are having such a rough time of it.  I tapered slowly off lorazepam and still developed tinnitus which is still with me.  My point is, I'm not sure reinstating and tapering would make any difference.  What do you do for the anxiety?  I believe stress makes my tinnitus worse and I know it revs up anxiety, so learning to calm myself and relax has been key for me.  I also have some success with melatonin or tylenol pm for sleep, though they become ineffective if used more than 2-3 nights in a row. 

If we can be of any help, let us know.

Why do p-docs prescribe this stuff?

$$$$$$$

They got to give us something to keep us coming back.  We've always thought that drs. would do us no harm, but being a dr. is actually their "business."  Just like any other business if they can keep you coming back it's job security and money in the bank.

The symptoms are like a giant snake, they just keep constricting me.

Metaphorically, or is that a description of the symptoms? When I tried to cold turkey quit the Klonopin, that is exactly how I felt by about day 4, like I was literally being squeezed - to the point of extreme discomfort by my own muscles. Which apparently is to be expected if you stop the medicine abruptly.

tightness is another s/x.  I had so much tightness around my chest and back and I tapered my med.  It is just part of this whole uncomfortable package!!  UGGHHH!

mal