Help - need advice on which method to use to taper K

I was tapering very quickly and over the past two days had some very severe withdrawal symptoms.  I spoke with my doctor by email and she recommended that I go up to .25mg per day and stabilize and then go much slower to taper off.  I'm wondering if I should liquid taper, dry taper with a scale or switch to Valium?  I see my doctor in 6 days for us to talk about my next steps.

Here's my history... I've been on a lot of different meds over the past 10 years for chronic migraines.  They've included anti-seizure and ADs.  I don't have a history of anxiety or depression just constant migraines.  I was off of everything for a period of 10 blissful months which ended in september of 2017 when they came back with a vengence.  Over the next 5 months I was put on numerous drugs to break the migraine cycle and ended up getting nerve block shots to put an end to them.  Doc put me on mirtazipine for a month and it made me tired 20 hours a day.  She switched me c/t to Zyprexa and I was on it for one month until she switched me again c/t.  Went through a horrible withdrawal from zyprexa.  It was the first time that I've ever experienced anything that bad.  I had gone off of effexor and prozac and that was a cake walk compared to zyprexa.  So I was put on klonopin for four weeks to help with sleep and anxiety from the zyprexa (been off for 11 weeks). 

The quick taper from klonopin didn't work so I'm back to the .25 as of last night.  I think my body is now sensitive to all meds because of the many different drugs I've had in my system for the past 6 months.

At this point I'm willing to take it very slow to minimize the damage to my body and help with a slow recovery.

Thank you!

With your long medication history for the migraines, it still looks like the first time you took any benzodiazepine was the beginning of this year? Anything that ends in -pam or the familiar names: xanax, valium, klonopin, ativan? Any Z drugs like lunesta or ambien?

If you havent taken other benzodiazepines or Z drugs in the past, you have been on for a relatively short amount of time and I think getting off as efficiently as possible would be a good plan. Are you feeling better on the 0.25 since you reinstated? If so, then trying a slower taper might be the way to go. Sounds like your doctor wants to help, so you can ask for the lowest strength pills, and I think there is even a commercial compounded liquid clonazepam you could use. Then you could aim to reduce your daily dose by 5-10% every 7-14 days. If reinstating hasnt made you feel better, I would lean towards getting back to zero as quickly as possible to reduce your overall exposure. Withdrawal can be very uncomfortable, but for many people it passes relatively quickly. In your case I would not recommend switching to valium as its just more time to cross over and you dont know how it will make you feel.

I'm so sorry you have been a human guinea pig with all the different meds. I've been there and it is awful.

Take care,

JKS

Thanks for the reply!  This is the first time that I’ve been on a Benzo.  My doc prescribed Ambien to use in place of Klonopin when she told me to stop taking them a few weeks back.  I took one but after reading some posts decided that it wasn’t for me so I’m using melatonin, benedryll or zzquil to help with insomnia.  I just reinstated last night.  My next dose will be tonight but I’ve definitely seen improvement already.  Last night I took my nortriptyline, .25 Klonopin and 1.5 mg melatonin and 2 benedryll and I think that I slept mostly through the night until my alarm woke me at 6am!  It’s probably one of my best nights sleep in the past 2 months.  The morning was a little rough but not horrible.  Still have some anxiety, General feeling of bleh, no appetite and minimal burning but I’m hoping that tonight’s dose will help with those.  Also my tremors aren’t as bad.  Not sure how long after you updose if you know it’s working???

I think .5 is the lowest pill for Klonopin and that’s what I have now.  This is my first time going through any type of real tapering so I’m unsure if I should use a scale or liquid titration.  I have to go out of town on a few trips the next couple of months so I’d like something that can travel with me.  Also - I’m going to Hawaii on vacation mid June so I’m not sure how to work around that.  I’d like to be finished before then but don’t want to rush it.  I’m hopeful that I can stabilize on .25 and then try to go somewhere (down) from there.

If you are already feeling better that’s a good sign. It seems like getting a scale and reducing the pill by weight would be a good option for you. I used to buy empty capsules (health food store or online) if needed to put small fragments/powder in while tapering. For travel you could prepare your doses ahead of time and put them in capsules to take with you.

JKS

1) A microtaper is more gentle and tolerable than a cut-and-hold.

2)  Liquid is much simpler, less labor-intensive than a scale taper.

3)  Scale tapers are especially challenging for high-potency benzos like K (although it can b done).