My time with Ativan,Valium & Klonopin over 2 decades

Hello.

I've been prescribed various benzos by my doctor for over 20yrs for anxiety & sleep issues. I've never abused them nor lost my meds...until recently. I misplaced my meds. I'm told by the nurse that if I ask for more I could be labeled as a drug seeker! 20yrs & I've never asked for more!

Anyway, I went cold turkey off of Klonopin. I'm at 2 weeks with no meds.

It is difficult to type as I am still having twitches, blurred vision & I am worried about the seizure threat.

I have joined to see what others have done in my situation.

Thank you.

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!  We are glad you decided to join us.  You'll find a lot of support and information on this forum, which is currently the only one of its kind online.  I'm sorry you are going through this, but it isn't unusual for a doctor to retire or refuse to continue to prescribe benzos to a patient, with little or no reason to do so.  Cold turkeying benzos is not easy, I've done it, and though there is a very slight chance of seizures, there is usually no danger to someone with no history of them.

For those starting a taper, we generally recommend starting out at a rate of 5-10% every 10-14 days, then adjusting the taper to suit your own needs.  One exception: very short term users may be able to taper faster. During and after the taper there are often withdrawal symptoms, most commonly anxiety and insomnia, but these are temporary and will go away in time.

In general, those who've never withdrawn from benzos before seem to have fewer problems healing, while those with multiple withdrawals sometimes have longer, more challenging healing periods due to nervous system sensitization.

Here are a few useful links:

The Ashton Manual A great, short and concise reference for tapering and symptom issues.

Cold Turkey, Detox & Rapid Withdrawal

Again, welcome!

Megan918

Administrator