When to start weaning clonazepam when AD starts to "work"?

Hello,

I've been on Clonazepam(Rivotril) for generalized anxiety for 3 months, "while the antidepressant kicks in". Problem is the first AD never worked, and I had to switch, (from citalopram to sertraline) and I take .375 mg of Rivotril daily, from up to .75 mg for a short time a month ago.

Now the sertraline seems to be "kickin" after a month as I feel very slightly less anxious.

 

What should I do about the clonazepam now ? Too early to wean off? try to go down to .25 mg ?

My doc is a GP and simply gave me a prescription for up to 1 mg a day "as needed".

Any insights/similar experience would be welcomed

Saw my doc today and he says I should try to go on .25 mg klo from now on. He don't think that should cause any trouble for me...

If it were me, I'd go ahead and try to start tapering Clonazepam.

 

You've been on it for 3 months, which is long enough to become dependent on it.

 

I would start by tapering by 5-10% and see how you feel, and take it from there.

 

All the best to you. 

Day 3 of moving from .375 to .25 mg clonazepam (as per my doc recommandation).

Don't feel all that good, but then I haven't feel good in months!

Just feel there's too much med in my body and the benzo have to diminish.

 

Anxiety comes in waves, some more acute than before lowering the dose, some as usual for the last 4 months.

 

From experience when is withdrawal the worse: couple of days after lowering the dose or much later?

(If I'm in the worst of it right now, I think Ican live through it. If not might try cutting those pills in 1/8!)

 

Thanks for the support/insights.

Yesterday afternoon was pretty bad, but the evening went ok (after my reduced dose)

Today is day 4 at .25 mg, I had a good night sleep and feeling ok this morning.

Should I expect more severe w/d effect or is the worst probably behind me ?

 

Update: after 2 weeks at .25 mg of klonopin daily, now tapering to .17. mg

This is day 4 of .17 mg now(usually the worst??)

 

Anxiety is still bad, but not worse than a month ago when I was takng .375 mg daily.

I suppose the clonazepam just wasn't helping me anymore. As for w/d effect, minor muscle twitches and night sweats, but that could be the sertraline also ( Day 30 at 100 mg, starting to "feel good" for brief moments each day).

I know I am midway between the usual 10% weaning and "fast" taper, bit it seems to work for me so far.

As usual insights/comments welcomed!

 

Update: after 2 weeks at .25 mg of klonopin daily, now tapering to .17. mg

This is day 4 of .17 mg now(usually the worst??)

 

Anxiety is still bad, but not worse than a month ago when I was takng .375 mg daily.

I suppose the clonazepam just wasn't helping me anymore. As for w/d effect, minor muscle twitches and night sweats, but that could be the sertraline also ( Day 30 at 100 mg, starting to "feel good" for brief moments each day).

I know I am midway between the usual 10% weaning and "fast" taper, bit it seems to work for me so far.

As usual insights/comments welcomed!

 

To clarify, going from .25 mg to .17 mg is 32%. This would be considered a very large cut by most BBs standards.

 

However, if this cut is working for you, great. You have not been on benzos very long and seem to be tolerating symptoms. But I would be cautious on the last several cuts.  While you may be getting benefit from the AD, it is not going to do what the Benzo has done.  Reasonably sized cuts and time are the healing factors.

Best of luck to you Malone. My wife went through the whole SSRI madness in getting the right one and also having to take the time for it actually work (1 - 3 months). We went from Paxil to Zoloft (sertraline) and for months she was on Clonazapem the whole time until everything "kicked in". When told she had to get of of clonazapem we did a textbook taper, cutting the pills in half and jumping and were told it should only take 2 or 3 weeks. We went through that process a couple of times and each one we fell flat on our face. I hope yours is going well, it sounds like it is a bit more conservative than our initial cuts and you have at least have not had any failed tapers behind you to make the upset even worse whenever you drop. Just be careful and if you can cope through it, more power to you. We ended up upping her dose repeatedly whenever tapering went bad and imho i think that was the worse move we could have made. Best of luck!

 

Yes take it slow and easy and do not try to cut back too quickly.  I am in the same boat not been on the Clonazepam for that long, 2 months dose is 1mg in a.m. and 1 mg in p.m,  and have tried  SSRI and SDRI and they do not agree with me.  I am now on Remeron which has very few side effects except needs to be taken at night because of its sedating effects.  Since Clonazepam has the same effects I cut back on my night time dose which is a start on the taper and daytime I take .5mg and see how I feel.  Most days now after being on the Remeron for 10 days it is manageable until my evening dose.  If I  am having a bad day I take .25mg at lunch and that seems to work.  Doctor advised listen to your body.  Good luck!  Oh 2 months with the AD working does not mean that you will not have set backs our bodies are funny and for some it takes longer than 2 months I have been told.  Remember slow and easy.

 

 

Saw my doc Wednesday and finally we went for a SSRI dose reduction , as my blood pressure was getting too high (diastolic bloid pressure at 95, taken many times during the day, instead of my usual 75).

 

48 hours after the dose reduction (75 mg of sertraline instead of 100 mg) and my diastolic blood pressure and pulse rate are already closer to my normal numbers (75 Dbp instead of 95, 70 ppm instead of 80).

I also feel a bit calmer as my heart doesn't want to get out of my chest all day long as it did in the last weeks.

I'm trying to exercice as much as possible during the transition, which also seems to help.

 

Now I only hope the AD effect will continue to improve my mood/anxiety. Pharmacist says to watch out for anxiety/depression creeping back in the next 2 weeks... as I was only very slowly improving, it's not gonna be easy to monitor..

 

+ I suppose I could also feel some sertraline withdrawal side-effect after 6 weeks at 100 mg..?

+ the ongoing "slow" tapering of clonazepam (now at .125 mg daily dinner treat)

 

I feel like a juggler with way too many balls to handle!

But at the same time, I feel much better than a month ago, on much less meds (I was taking 3x more benzo, +zopiclone to sleep, which I haven't use in 3+ weeks)

 

As usual, thanks for reading/commenting. Helps a lot!!

Hi. Would you please create a signature? Easy to do. Go to profile, forum profile, insert text, then  save. This will help others get a quick read on your taper situation, with dates and dosage. Thanks. And good luck with tapering and lowered BP!

Is that OK for a signature?

Now day 4 after my latest cut, still coping fairly well. As the AD was also lowered, I'm still watching out for a drop in mood...

Not taken any klonopin/clonazepam for 8 days now, after a long and steady dose reduction over 4 months from 0.75 mg daily at some point early last fall.

Can I assume that if I would be prone to heavy benzo withdrawal this would have hit yet, or should I be more patient before celebrating ?

 

Thanks for the feedback.

Not taken any klonopin/clonazepam for 8 days now, after a long and steady dose reduction over 4 months from 0.75 mg daily at some point early last fall.

Can I assume that if I would be prone to heavy benzo withdrawal this would have hit yet, or should I be more patient before celebrating ?

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

I would be cautiously optimistic.  I think two weeks is when I'd be kicking up my heels in relief. 

I have now gone one full month without benzo(clonazepam).

Anxiety is still there, although not as severe as it was last fall, but creeps up at some moments during the day (all the way to heavy sweating then vanish)

 

On the other hand I feel very low in energy/slightly depressed, basically numb and unmotivated.

I was wondering if that is a common withdrawal state, or, maybe more likely, an unlying depressed state that came along with GAD... any insights welcomed! (I am still on 125 mg of zoloft, 4 weeks at that dose, and 6 weeks at 100 mg before that. And undergoing talk-therapy since october)

 

 

Hello,

I've been on Clonazepam(Rivotril) for generalized anxiety for 3 months, "while the antidepressant kicks in". Problem is the first AD never worked, and I had to switch, (from citalopram to sertraline) and I take .375 mg of Rivotril daily, from up to .75 mg for a short time a month ago.

Now the sertraline seems to be "kickin" after a month as I feel very slightly less anxious.

 

What should I do about the clonazepam now ? Too early to wean off? try to go down to .25 mg ?

My doc is a GP and simply gave me a prescription for up to 1 mg a day "as needed".

Any insights/similar experience would be welcomed

Be advised that sometimes they give you Klonopin to help you tolerate the side effect of the AD....

Hello,

I've been on Clonazepam(Rivotril) for generalized anxiety for 3 months, "while the antidepressant kicks in". Problem is the first AD never worked, and I had to switch, (from citalopram to sertraline) and I take .375 mg of Rivotril daily, from up to .75 mg for a short time a month ago.

Now the sertraline seems to be "kickin" after a month as I feel very slightly less anxious.

 

What should I do about the clonazepam now ? Too early to wean off? try to go down to .25 mg ?

My doc is a GP and simply gave me a prescription for up to 1 mg a day "as needed".

Any insights/similar experience would be welcomed

Be advised that sometimes they give you Klonopin to help you tolerate the side effect of the AD....

 

Hey Jerry, this is the 2,000,000th post on BB! 

Hello,

I've been on Clonazepam(Rivotril) for generalized anxiety for 3 months, "while the antidepressant kicks in". Problem is the first AD never worked, and I had to switch, (from citalopram to sertraline) and I take .375 mg of Rivotril daily, from up to .75 mg for a short time a month ago.

Now the sertraline seems to be "kickin" after a month as I feel very slightly less anxious.

 

What should I do about the clonazepam now ? Too early to wean off? try to go down to .25 mg ?

My doc is a GP and simply gave me a prescription for up to 1 mg a day "as needed".

Any insights/similar experience would be welcomed

Be advised that sometimes they give you Klonopin to help you tolerate the side effect of the AD....

 

Hey Jerry, this is the 2,000,000th post on BB! 

 

What a milestone for BB!  :)

Hello,

I've been on Clonazepam(Rivotril) for generalized anxiety for 3 months, "while the antidepressant kicks in". Problem is the first AD never worked, and I had to switch, (from citalopram to sertraline) and I take .375 mg of Rivotril daily, from up to .75 mg for a short time a month ago.

Now the sertraline seems to be "kickin" after a month as I feel very slightly less anxious.

 

What should I do about the clonazepam now ? Too early to wean off? try to go down to .25 mg ?

My doc is a GP and simply gave me a prescription for up to 1 mg a day "as needed".

Any insights/similar experience would be welcomed

Be advised that sometimes they give you Klonopin to help you tolerate the side effect of the AD....

 

Hey Jerry, this is the 2,000,000th post on BB! 

. It's because I talk too much!

Hello,

I've been on Clonazepam(Rivotril) for generalized anxiety for 3 months, "while the antidepressant kicks in". Problem is the first AD never worked, and I had to switch, (from citalopram to sertraline) and I take .375 mg of Rivotril daily, from up to .75 mg for a short time a month ago.

Now the sertraline seems to be "kickin" after a month as I feel very slightly less anxious.

 

What should I do about the clonazepam now ? Too early to wean off? try to go down to .25 mg ?

My doc is a GP and simply gave me a prescription for up to 1 mg a day "as needed".

Any insights/similar experience would be welcomed

Be advised that sometimes they give you Klonopin to help you tolerate the side effect of the AD....

 

Hey Jerry, this is the 2,000,000th post on BB! 

. It's because I talk too much!

 

Jerry should totally get a prize!

Hi Jerry,

 

No sure if you realise, but the comments here refer to this thread:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=151971.0

 

malone,

Hi..I am all in with Challis...you should be fine in terms of the K (Riv) taper. ...As far as your state of mind and body:  it's impossible for any of us here on BB to either predict or suggest whether whatever you are experiencing is due to your baseline level of anxiety or withdrawal or your reaction to the AD.

 

Please discuss any concerns you have with your doctor.  That said, it seems you have done a terrific job of tapering off a seriously addictive and potent drug that many of us struggle for a year or more to be free of.....  You are one of the lucky ones. 

 

All the best to you.

 

Mana

Hi Jerry,

 

No sure if you realise, but the comments here refer to this thread:

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=151971.0

 

 

Yeah, I'm waiting for my prize.