klonopin addiction 7 years

I have recently gotten off of paxil and have suffered horrible withdrawal,I have been on a combination of klonopin and paxil for 7 years i now want off the klonopin but dont know were to start i take 3 mgs a night,coming off the paxil has caused me health problems i am a male and now only way 115lbs..BUT IKNOW KLONOPIN DECREASES YOUR SEROTONIN,so it is not helping the paxil withdrawal,I want to know if it would harm my health more to stay on the klonopin or taper off,I am going through hell,please reply

I just want to welcome you to BenzoBuddies, edro.  When you decide to get off the klonopin we can help you work up a tapering plan.

 

If you just recently got off the Paxil, you might want to wait another week or two before tapering klonopin to see if you feel a bit better.  If you are experiencing tolerance withdrawal to the klono, there isn't any solution except taking more for a temporary fix or tapering off and getting free of it.

 

One of our main resources for information about benzo withdrawal is the online Ashton Manual.  You can find it here:

http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/index.htm

 

 

I have heard that antidepressants can cause problems when they are stopped.  Did you taper off of it?  Why did you decide to quit the paxil?

 

 

Paxil is horrible to come off of,my problem with it and the klonopin can both cause mania,and i was a maniac the whoe time i was on this combo,I did and said many things that were out of character for me i got hooked on illegal drugs hit my one legged father,wrecked 5 cars lost a 8 year job and many other bad thins that is why i got off of the paxil,my paxil withdrawal symptoms are basically the same as benzo withdrawal symptoms,i quit the paxil a year ago and i am still having heart palpitations,frequent urination,a20 lb weight loss,imsomnia,frequent bowel movements and crying i forgot how to feel happiness i feel so alone and fear for my life,i also have read that klonopin causes loss of serotonin i dont know if i should tryn to taper off the klonopin now or what the doctors were i live are no help,please reply.

Hi edro,

 

Hang in there for a bit.  The moderators will help you.  Sounds like the Klonopin is the culprit.  We will help you get through this.

 

Patty  xo

It doesn't sound like the Klonopin is helping and you could possible be in tolerance with it.  Please read the Ashton Manual, Beeper gave you the link to it, it will give you more of an understanding of what is going on with you.

 

Since you've been off the Paxil for over a year I would think it would be fine to start tapering the Klonopin.  We recommend tapering 10% of your daily dose every 7-14 days. 

 

We understand about the drs. not being any help, it's happened to most of us.  Getting off the klonopin will take some time but you can do it.

 

Let us know how we can help.  We're here for you. 

 

TS

I really appreciate the responses,i dont know what to do ijust want to be myself again.I dont know if this is protracted withdrawal from the paxil or the klonopin,but i do agree that the klonopin is not helping,along with me chainsmoking and sitting around the house.I am havinf the aforementined health problems,I also have hypochondria now.I was an iv drug user for 4 years and i stopped that cold turkey the last day of 2006,that was easy compared to what i am facing now.I found out this year that i had the antibody to hepatitis c but my lab work showed that my body cleared the virus and i have no active hep c in my body but that still worries me.I know that klonopin is bad for the liver but sress is also i dont know what to do.Man i cant help but be angry at the doctor who prescribed me 2 drugs that were never meant to be taken together at all becuse they both make you crazy.I am blessed to have my mom and dad,how long do you think it would be before i can be free of 3mgs of klonopin that i have been on for 7 years?

Edro

 

I got off 3mg of lorazepam in 6 months and I had been on it nearly 20 years so you can probably do it in 6 months, too.  You can see the amounts I tapered in my signature box below.  I had to learn different ways of handling anxiety and there were a lot of weird physical sensations but I am now 5 months free and feeling much better.  It is much harder at the beginning but once you have a plan, make the first few dose reductions and find out that you can handle it, you will begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel and feel hope returning.

 

I don't know about paxil and klonopin but I was prescribed klonopin with prozac which is what started me on this journey to hell and back.  The klonopin was actually used to treat the bad side effects of prozac but then I wasn't taken off it when the prozac quit working and I changed antidepressants.  I became convinced I had an anxiety disorder and would always have to take a benzo but, in fact, the benzo started causing me more anxiety.  I actually have a lot fewer anxiety symptoms now that I am off lorazepam than when I was on 3 mg.  There's a good chance that you are having withdrawal symptoms all ready because you have become tolerant.  That's what happened to me and a lot of the people here; the benzo not only quit helping, it actually started causing a lot of problems. 

 

Since i am probably already going through withdrawal will that make a taper easier or harder in you opinion?

From what I can tell, everyone responds differently, edro.  I was in tolerance for probably a year or more when I started my taper.  I was told I needed to stop taking the benzo to get electroshock therapy for depression, so you have an idea how bad off I was when I started my taper.  After the first month or so, I actually felt better and that lasted for a couple of months.  However, no two people have the same experience when it comes to benzos.

I have recently gotten off of paxil and have suffered horrible withdrawal,I have been on a combination of klonopin and paxil for 7 years i now want off the klonopin but dont know were to start i take 3 mgs a night,coming off the paxil has caused me health problems i am a male and now only way 115lbs..BUT IKNOW KLONOPIN DECREASES YOUR SEROTONIN,so it is not helping the paxil withdrawal,I want to know if it would harm my health more to stay on the klonopin or taper off,I am going through hell,please reply

 

Hi Edro,

 

welcome to benzobuddies, you have come to a forum that supports members who choose to want to kick the benzo habits, enjoy your journey!!!

I dont know what to do i am getting dizzy from reading now,can my brain ever recover from the klonopin and paxil,I guess only GOD knows,I am not feeling well and I havent even started to taper am I dying or is it all in my head I need all the encouragement i can get.

Hi edro, I have felt the way you are. I'm still here. The symptoms can be very bad, but mine were in ways so much worse on the benzo than w/d's have been. I can't even describe it, but even with the horror of w/d my life is BETTER now. You do have a lot to look forward to. I'm watching my life come back. You will get there too. The taper people are really good. They will help you. Is your Doc willing? I'm not sure if I read that.

Hi edro,

 

First of all you are not going crazy.  The benzo makes you feel like it though.  Once you get it in your mind to taper and become very determined to get off this med you will find that you become empowered.  There will be withdrawal symptoms (as you already know) but a positive mindset will get you through this process.  I knew there was no other choice but to get off Xanax so I forged ahead without much fear.  Whatever symptoms came my way I accepted.  Someone on this site called withdrawals 'healing symptoms'.  If you want a better life there really is no other choice but to deligently get off Klonopin.  Why did you start taking antidepressants and benzos in the first place if you don't mind me asking?  Doctors aren't much help because they know much less than most of the members on this site.  The one thing you will find is that there is alot of support here to help you.  Continue to read and become familiar with the Ashton Manual.  You can do this.  Honest.

 

Patty  xo

I had looking back on it a mild case of ocd first i was on paxil for a year and i wanted off of it so he gave me klonopin to help the paxil withdrawal in 01 then in the middle of 02 i went back on the paxil and the doc kept me on both drugs i sure didnt know how addictive they were i took my last paxil febuary of this year but i have remained on the klonopin,paxil withdrawal is rough too many people supposedly have protracted withdrawal from it too,man i feel so trapped I would trade this to my original problems in a heartbeat.My Doc is not a very intelligent man I know better than to even talk to him about it i am probably going to have to change doctors.Will i really feel better once i have tapered off i have read some discouraging stuff on the internet.My heart is pounding right now,and i have a headache and i am dizzy thank you for replying :'(

    It does get better! I promise!  

Wonderwoman how in the world did you cold turkey off valium?Where you taking it every day?

I had looking back on it a mild case of ocd first i was on paxil for a year and i wanted off of it so he gave me klonopin to help the paxil withdrawal in 01 then in the middle of 02 i went back on the paxil and the doc kept me on both drugs i sure didnt know how addictive they were i took my last paxil febuary of this year but i have remained on the klonopin,paxil withdrawal is rough too many people supposedly have protracted withdrawal from it too,man i feel so trapped I would trade this to my original problems in a heartbeat.My Doc is not a very intelligent man I know better than to even talk to him about it i am probably going to have to change doctors.Will i really feel better once i have tapered off i have read some discouraging stuff on the internet.My heart is pounding right now,and i have a headache and i am dizzy thank you for replying :'(

 

That is something we all did in the beginning: read all the awful stories of suffering getting off benzos.  Just remember, if you were feeling fine and having no problem getting off the klonopin, you would likely not even look for a forum like this one much less join and post.  So the experiences of the people here and elsewhere on the internet are not representative of everyone who withdraws from benzos.  Also, we have a Success Stories board for people who have been off 6+ months or so and even those who had a really rough time of it are doing great now.  I look at them as my future and it can be yours, too. 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=89.0

Why were you on this combo, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Also, how long have you been off the Paxil? Klonopin is a beast to get off of, but as far as ADs go, Paxil is one of the worst. You might want to consider going back on the Paxil and weaning off the Klonopin first - either than or getting back on the Paxil to stabilize and then having your doc get you a different drug, such as Prozac (using prozac to wean Paxil is common and works wonders according to folks I know who have used Paxil (including my Mom)).

 

Take care and hang in there.

 

-Pete

Wonderwoman how in the world did you cold turkey off valium?Where you taking it every day?

 

 

edro, I was told there was no problem in just stopping. All my Doctors said so. I didn't know what was wrong for months. I had everything bad that you can imagine. But see! I'm still here, to tell you it is very good on the brilliant side of life without the horrid little pill!

I'm glad you are tapering. People have much better luck with it. All I can say about cold turkey is "Don't do it!"

Skip what I said about reinstating Paxil. I didn't realize you were off of it since last Feb.

 

 

hi Edro,

Welcome. I'm glad you are here. I can tell you are scared. You will be able to get off this stuff. You need to take your time and go slowly and do it safely. I think you are going to have to find some ways to help with the stress you are feeling. You say you stay in the house alot. Maybe you should try to get out atleast a little. Take a walk. The way we think has so much to do with how we feel. If we always tell our selfs we are sick, then that is how we will always feel. Try really hard to find some positive in each day. Even if only for a moment. For every fear you have , try to come up with something good. The more you do it, the more it becomes a habit. Believe me, i know positive thinking does not cure everything. But it feels really good in the moment to feel the cloud lift a little. I'm wishing you the best .Kel

One of my problems is thst during the last year i have been taking all 3mgs at night to go to bed i need sleep tips and advice please.

If you aren't having withdrawal symptoms during the day and, therefore, not having interdose withdrawal, you can continue to take your whole dose at night.  It's probably a good idea to start stepping up your "sleep hygience" practices now, though, so you can continue to sleep well during your taper.  Here are some suggestions from the Insomnia board:

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?board=83.0

 

"1. Turn off your mind

Keep yourself from rehashing a stressful day of worries by focusing your thoughts on something peaceful and non-threatening, says Michael Stevenson, Ph.D., a psychologist and clinical director of the North Valley Sleep Disorders Center in Mission Hills, California. Play some soft, soothing music as you drift off or some environmental noise, such as the sound of a waterfall, waves crashing on a beach, or the sound of rain in a jungle. The only rule: Be sure it's not intrusive or distracting.

 

2. The herbal approach

 

Help for insomnia may be as close as the herbal aisle of your grocery store. Here are a few herbs to try.

 

 

Valerian. This is the best-studied herbal sleep aid. Research shows that extracts of the root not only help you fall asleep faster but also improve sleep quality. Try taking this herb 30 to 45 minutes before bedtime. The typical dosage is one 150- to 300-milligram capsule standardized to 0.8 percent valeric acid.

Kava kava. When insomnia results from anxiety, this herb is particularly effective. Studies suggest that kava kava promotes sleep by acting upon the brain's emotion centers and by relaxing muscles. Taking one or two 400- to 500-milligram capsules an hour before bed should help you get the sleep you need.

Chamomile. A bright, daisy-like flower, chamomile has an age-old reputation for calming nerves and gently aiding sleep. Drinking one or two cups of tea before bed will help soothe you into sleep.

 

3. Don't waste your time in bed

 

As you grow older, your body needs less sleep. Most newborn babies sleep up to 18 hours a day. By the time they're 10 years old, their need usually drops to 9 or 10 hours.

 

Experts agree that there is no "normal" amount of sleep for an adult. The average is 7 to 8 hours, but some people operate well on as few as 5 hours, while others need up to 10 hours. The key is to become what experts call an efficient sleeper.

 

Go to bed only when you're sleepy, advises Edward Stepanski, Ph.D., a sleep specialist who was formerly the director of the Sleep Disorders Service and Research Center at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. If you can't fall asleep in 15 minutes or so, get up and do something pleasantly monotonous. Read a magazine article, not a book that may engross you. Knit, watch television, or do a puzzle. Don't play computer games that excite you or perform goal-oriented tasks such as the laundry or housework.

 

When you feel drowsy, go back to bed. If you can't fall asleep, repeat the procedure until you can. But remember: Always wake up at the same time in the morning.

 

4. Don't turn your bed into an office or a den

 

"If you want to go to bed, you should be prepared to sleep," says Magdi Soliman, Ph.D., a professor of neuropharmacology at Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy in Tallahassee, Florida. "If there's something else to do, you won't be able to concentrate on sleep."

 

Don't watch TV, talk on the phone, argue with your spouse, read, eat, or perform mundane tasks in bed. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex.

 

5. Say no to a nightcap

 

Avoid alcohol at dinner and throughout the rest of the evening, suggests Dr. Stevenson. And don't fix a so-called nightcap to relax you before bed. Alcohol depresses the central nervous system, but it also disrupts sleep. In a few hours, usually during the middle of the night, its effects wear off, your body slides into withdrawal, and you'll wake up.

 

6. Try sex before bedtime

 

For many, it's a pleasurable and mentally and physically relaxing way to let loose before settling down to sleep. Indeed, some researchers have found that hormonal mechanisms triggered during sexual activity help enhance sleep.

 

But again, it depends on the person, according to James K. Walsh, Ph.D., the executive director and senior scientist at the Sleep Medicine and Research Center of St. John's/St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and adjunct professor of psychology at Saint Louis University. "If sex causes anxiety and creates problems, it's not such a good idea. But if you find it enjoyable, it can do a lot for you."

 

7. Light up your life

 

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that bright lights in the morning could help chronically poor sleepers set their circadian rhythms, or "body clocks," on a more regular pattern. According to Jean R. Joseph-Vanderpool, M.D., who conducted sleep research there for many years, many people find they just can't get started in the morning. That's why when his research subjects woke up, say, around 8:00 a.m., they were placed in front of high-intensity, full-spectrum fluorescent lights for two hours—strong light that resembles what you might encounter on a summer morning in Washington, D.C. Those lights, in turn, told the body it's morning and time to get moving. Then, in the evening, they would wear dark glasses so that their bodies would know it was time to begin to wind down.

 

After several weeks of the therapy, Dr. Joseph-Vanderpool's patients reported more alertness in the morning and better sleep at night. At home, he says, you can accomplish the same effect by walking around the neighborhood, sitting in the sun, or doing some yard work as soon as you arise. During the winter, consult your doctor about the best type of artificial light to use.

 

8. Eat a light snack before bedtime

 

Bread and fruit will do nicely an hour or two before you hit the hay, says Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Ph.D., a psychologist and a professor in the department of psychiatry and research director of the Sleep Center at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. So will a glass of warm milk. Avoid sugary snacks that can excite your system or heavy meals that can stress your body.

 

Use common sense. If you're older, don't drink a lot of fluids before bed, or bathroom duty might call in the middle of the night.

 

9. Use mechanical aids

 

Earplugs can help block out unwanted noise, especially if you live on a busy street or near an airport, says Ancoli-Israel. Eyeshades screen out unwanted light. An electric blanket warms you, especially if you're a person who always seems to be on the brink of a chill.

 

10. Avoid stimulants after twilight

 

Coffee, colas, and even chocolate contain caffeine, the powerful stimulant that can keep you up, so try not to consume them past 4:00 p.m., says Merrill Mitler, Ph.D., the director of research for the Division of Chest, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Scripps Clinic Sleep Disorders Center in San Diego, California. Don't smoke either; nicotine is also a stimulant.

 

11. Learn and practice relaxation techniques

 

The harder you try to sleep, the greater the chances you'll end up gnashing your teeth all night rather than stacking some Zzzs. That's why it's important to relax once you're in bed.

 

"The one problem with insomnia is that people often concentrate too much on their sleep, and they press too hard," Dr. Stevenson says. "The key to successfully falling asleep is to reduce your focus and avoid working yourself into a frenzy."

 

Biofeedback exercises, deep breathing, muscle stretches, or yoga may help. Special audiotapes can teach you how to progressively relax your muscles.

 

Here are two techniques that doctors have found particularly successful:

 

 

Slow down your breathing and imagine the air moving slowly in and out of your body while you breathe from your diaphragm. Practice this during the day so that it's easy to do before you go to bed.

 

 

Program yourself to turn off unpleasant thoughts as they creep into your mind. To do that, think about enjoyable experiences you've had. Reminisce about good times, fantasize, or play some mental games. Try counting sheep or counting backward from 1,000 by 7s.

 

12. Question your medication

 

Certain medications, such as asthma sprays, can disrupt sleep. If you take prescription medication routinely, ask your doctor about the side effects. If she suspects that the drug could be interfering with your sleep, she may be able to substitute another medication or adjust the time of day you take it.

 

13. Create a comfortable sleep setting

 

"Insomnia can often be caused by stress," says Dr. Stevenson. "You get into bed, and you're nervous and anxious, and the nervous system is aroused, and that impairs your ability to sleep. Soon, the bedroom becomes associated with sleeplessness, and that triggers a phobic response."

 

You can change that by making the bedroom as comfortable a setting as possible. Redecorate with your favorite colors. Soundproof the room and hang dark curtains to keep out the light.

 

Buy a comfortable bed. It doesn't matter whether it's a coiled-spring mattress, a waterbed, a vibrating bed, or a mat on the floor. If it feels good, use it. Wear loose-fitting sleep clothes. Make sure the bedroom's temperature is just right—not too hot, not too cold. Be sure there's no clock within view that can distract you throughout the night."

 

 

I am so afraid i have just realized in the last 2 months what a big trap i have fallen into.I am barely functioning now and i havent even started to taper my body hurts.I have read other peoples stories and i feel like i have already been withdrawaling for a year.I am so scared i am 29 and i feel like i am 99.My tablets are 1mgs and i dont even know how to start tapering.I have abused my body on top of what the klonopin and paxil have done to me.I feel so alone and scared PLEASE GOD HELP ME :'(

Edro, everyone feels alone for this. :'(  It seems to be the way. Try and put a positive image in your head. During my darkest hours I pretended I was a Shaman of sorts, going through a trial like a young Indian Scout. I knew I had much to learn, and I prayed the whole time for wisdom and new understanding. Think of it as a period of enlightenment few will have. It really is just that. It can be a gift. It really can if you let it.