Stabalize then taper, would like help making a taper plan. <3

I'll try to make this short.

I was on between .5-.75 mg klonopin when the Dr dropped me to .25 and then suddenly said quit. Never felt good on .25.(thought I did, but 3 days later, withdrawal!). He said quitting at even .5 there is no withdrawal and I'm lying about symptoms. I ended up without for a few days and it was hell!!!

 

I Ended up going to er and they agreed I shouldn't have been taken down so quick and gave me .25 there and 5 .5 to take home . My doctor told me today he would be okay to keep writing it IF I start seeing (yet another) cognitive behavior therapist and go to NA meetings. I see him Thursday. I'm terrified he will change his mind again Thursday.

 

So right now, I feel okay back on .5, and think I might be okay at .375 . I want to taper low as possible, and hopefully doctor will work with me.

 

This forum has been great! Thanks for being so supportive. I was on another forum and people were rude and telling me benzodiazepines withdrawal isn't bad. Don't knock it til you've tried it, I say!

It sounds like he's either made a judgment about why you're taking the K or he doesn't understand the nature of physical addiction to benzodiazepines and the need to come off slowly after long term use.  This is pretty common in the medical field, unfortunately.

 

It's up to you how to proceed.  It shouldn't take too long to come off the rest of the K if you really are stable at .375mg.  Another couple of months or so might just do it unless you run into more problems.

 

So I guess you either give in to his demands or find another doctor.  Did you give your pdoc a ring?

I'll try to make this short.

I was on between .5-.75 mg klonopin when the Dr dropped me to .25 and then suddenly said quit. Never felt good on .25.(thought I did, but 3 days later, withdrawal!). He said quitting at even .5 there is no withdrawal and I'm lying about symptoms. I ended up without for a few days and it was hell!!!

 

I Ended up going to er and they agreed I shouldn't have been taken down so quick and gave me .25 there and 5 .5 to take home . My doctor told me today he would be okay to keep writing it IF I start seeing (yet another) cognitive behavior therapist and go to NA meetings. I see him Thursday. I'm terrified he will change his mind again Thursday.

 

So right now, I feel okay back on .5, and think I might be okay at .375 . I want to taper low as possible, and hopefully doctor will work with me.

 

This forum has been great! Thanks for being so supportive. I was on another forum and people were rude and telling me benzodiazepines withdrawal isn't bad. Don't knock it til you've tried it, I say!

 

Hey KittyKitty!

 

I always recommend looking into daily tapering.  It is like riding a bike down a ramp vs down a flight of stairs.  If you want we can help you draw up a plan that you can show your doctor.

 

Stay strong!

sharkey

I would like some help writing it up. I'd like to ease off slowly and comfortably. I'm a single mom, I take my son to work and work from home some days. I can call out of work, but not out of my mom job!

thanks for your help everyone! And I'd love to read about other people who have come off similar doses!

Some help writing up a taper ?

Some help writing up a taper ?

 

Have you read about the different approaches?  which is appealing to you?  do you want to do cut and hold? or daily taper?  Look into the different approaches and we can help you with a specific plan.

 

sharkey

Cut and hold I think it's the  one. I need to write up a plan of action to give to my doctor so he'll keep prescribing. I would like to go down on dose , and stay there to make sure I'm comfortable.Then go down again. and I'd like to go down to the lowest reasonable amount before quitting.

If you want to do cut and hold this is what I would do:

 

Week 1 & 2:    .4375mg 

Week 3 & 4:    .375mg

Week 5 & 6:    .3125mg

Week 7 & 8:    .25mg

Week 8 & 9:    .1875mg

Week 9 & 10:  .125mg

Week 11 & 12: .0625mg

Week 13 & 14: .03125mg

 

The last 2 weeks gives you some wiggle room with the doctor.  You may be able to do it a little faster.  Odds are it may take a little longer.  I try to stay very optimistic but I will tell you 14 weeks is a pretty fast taper.  You will probably want to ask the doctor for the .125mg wafers so you can make the smaller cuts.  If you get the wafers you can cut .03125mg every week instead of .0625 every 2 weeks.  The smaller the cut the better.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Stay strong!

sharkey

 

 

One more thing.  The lower you get in your dose the more you will feel the cuts, well it was like that for me anyways.  So you may want to give this plan to doctor and if you want to go faster, do it in the beginning that way you have some wiggle room at the end.

 

sharkey

sharkey1911, that plan sounds great! I will definitely show it to him. He will probably laugh at me and say "HA! There's no such thing as withdrawal under .5, this is ridiculous"... So I might say I want to hold at some dose for 4 weeks instead of two, but in reality I'll cut it down lower. If that makes sense. I hate how ignorant doctors are about benzos!!! My doctor is totally for gabapentin though, and that junk causes some seriously awful side effects and has it's own hellish withdrawal. Sigh

 

 

How are the success rates of a valium taper? I might propose that to the doctor too. Also, how would that work. Looking at ashton  manual I don't see a dose lower than 1.5mg klonopin.

sharkey1911, that plan sounds great! I will definitely show it to him. He will probably laugh at me and say "HA! There's no such thing as withdrawal under .5, this is ridiculous"... So I might say I want to hold at some dose for 4 weeks instead of two, but in reality I'll cut it down lower. If that makes sense. I hate how ignorant doctors are about benzos!!! My doctor is totally for gabapentin though, and that junk causes some seriously awful side effects and has it's own hellish withdrawal. Sigh

 

This makes me so mad!!!  Tell him to take .5 xanax for 6 months and then quit and see how he feels.  Maybe you could introduce him to BB. Doctors need to know what this stuff does to people.

 

 

How are the success rates of a valium taper? I might propose that to the doctor too. Also, how would that work. Looking at ashton  manual I don't see a dose lower than 1.5mg klonopin.

 

A lot of people are tapering Klonopin successfully.  Valium is a little risky.  some people find it easier and some dont like it at all.  If you want to try .5K=10mg Valium according to Ashton.  Your doc will probably laugh harder if you try to ask for a higher mg of Valium. 

 

Good luck!  Let me know if I can help

sharkey

I feel so good hearing "people are tapering klonopin successfully". It makes me hopeful.

 

I tried a few other benzos in my partying days. I didn't get "high" off any of them. I would pass out (and not in a black out way, just asleep in my own drool way). Klonopin seems like a good balance for me. I haven't had any memory problems or serious side effects. Just a little sleepiness, so I take it at night. One dose (once stable) a day works great for me. I'm nervous to try switching to something else. But my doctor appointment is tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about it... I hope it goes well.

 

I'll let you guys know what he says!

Doctor said after being on .5 for 4-5 days, I should be "Stable enough to go down"... so he gave me the klonopin .25 wafers, and said to take 1 and 1/2 a day (.375). I had to convince him to let me stay there for 2 weeks. So that's my update. Better than nothing!!!

Doctor said after being on .5 for 4-5 days, I should be "Stable enough to go down"... so he gave me the klonopin .25 wafers, and said to take 1 and 1/2 a day (.375). I had to convince him to let me stay there for 2 weeks. So that's my update. Better than nothing!!!

 

Yep better than nothing!  Keep me posted on how you feel.  Did you show him the schedule?

I did show him. He seemed annoyed. He made his point that I'm crazy, there's no withdrawal, and it's all "negative thoughts". He agreed to keep writing it if I see a shrink.  I scheduled to see a psychiatrist in 2 weeks (soonest I could find). I hope they will have some insight and /or talk some sense into my prescribing doc.

 

Also, I'm not a fan of these oral dissolving klonopin. I have ibs and can't stomach artificial sweeteners. It's so fake sweet and upsets my stomach. Also, I've been having heart palpitations. Not sure why.