What does manageable side effects mean to you?

I have just started my last tapper from Klonopin.  My highest was 1.5  and it took 2 years to slowly tapper to .5.  I am starting to feel anxiety, heart palpatations, world recall difficulties and insomnia.  I am still functioning and some days are better than others.  However, I can't imagine how long I can take this.  My guess is I will have a month or more until I jump and then I'll have a few more rough weeks of withdrawl and possibly a few more months to heal.  What on earth is a "manageable" tapper?  How are others able to cut and hold?  I just want to get this over.  Maybe some of you could share how you felt when you "held" for a week or two.  On a scale of 1-10 how where you're symtoms?  Thanks everyone!

I don't cut and hold since I'm on a daily liquid micro taper.  Well, at least I haven't had to hold yet since on the DLMT.

 

To me, manageable is nausea, headache, muscle spasms and pain, tingling in the extremities, burning skin, some anxiety, head pressure, ringing and clicking in the ears, insomnia and maybe a few other symptoms.  But, I don't have all every day and they're not severe since I started the titration.

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing!  You alleviated some fear I had.  I am doing DLMT also.  Glad to hear your symptoms aren't too severe.  I can't wait until we are done with all of this. 

I agree that day will be so welcomed. 

 

Good luck to you on your DLMT.  I wish you the best!

I am having those sxs and I am doing Liquid taper.

Really, the symptoms can be just about anything, but they ease off enough that you can tolerate them and still live your life. 

Manageable side effects means to me that I can go food shopping, run errands, exercise a bit on a nearly daily basis, attend church nearly every Sunday, and socialize a bit with friends and family. I don’t look to be able to work, run a 5K, being an ever present father and husband or travel, like the old days.

 

Unmanageable, in contrast, to me would mean I am laid up in bed suffering 24/7.

 

For me, the difference between the former and latter has been a Daily Microtaper.

 

At least, so far. . .

Thank you Mary and John.

 

    Well then, I must be somewhere in the middle.  I shake and lots of inner trembling.  Cannot shop without my husband bcuz My BP will suddenly spike, (even though my arteries are clear)...it's the sxs.  Or I gave the jelly legs, hard to stand ...some times so weak, cannot stay shopping and too weak to attend church for sure.  Other days I can do the treadmill 40 minutes ...and walk around the house, do trimming for a short time.  Some days balance is off so I dare not try to drive.  Tried to ride my bicycle in parking lot the other day ..could not.......balance off too much.  Have terrible headache today that I cannot shake and I dare not take any pain meds, they make me too hyper and besides, they harm your liver.  Using ice pad now, but nothing is touching it. 

 

  I'm guessing this is most likely the norm.  I am doing 7% taper.  Nearly at 8mg now.  Yes, I had to hold on 10mg for THREE MONTHS bcuz BP was in dangerous levels by SPIKING.  MY CNS was on fire for that long.  Remember, I tapered off 20 mg in 3 months, then nearly died at 10mg.  Seriously.......nearly died.  BP was 255/155. 

 

    So doing okay now....BP stable but it took that long for my CNS to settle.  At this percentage, it is discouraging that this taper is going to take so long.  But I'm taking it all one day at a time.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps a lot.

 

    If you guy have any more advice, it would be most appreciated! 

Thank you Mary and John.

 

    Well then, I must be somewhere in the middle.  I shake and lots of inner trembling.  Cannot shop without my husband bcuz My BP will suddenly spike, (even though my arteries are clear)...it's the sxs.  Or I gave the jelly legs, hard to stand ...some times so weak, cannot stay shopping and too weak to attend church for sure.  Other days I can do the treadmill 40 minutes ...and walk around the house, do trimming for a short time.  Some days balance is off so I dare not try to drive.  Tried to ride my bicycle in parking lot the other day ..could not.......balance off too much.  Have terrible headache today that I cannot shake and I dare not take any pain meds, they make me too hyper and besides, they harm your liver.  Using ice pad now, but nothing is touching it. 

 

  I'm guessing this is most likely the norm.  I am doing 7% taper.  Nearly at 8mg now.  Yes, I had to hold on 10mg for THREE MONTHS bcuz BP was in dangerous levels by SPIKING.  MY CNS was on fire for that long.  Remember, I tapered off 20 mg in 3 months, then nearly died at 10mg.  Seriously.......nearly died.  BP was 255/155. 

 

    So doing okay now....BP stable but it took that long for my CNS to settle.  At this percentage, it is discouraging that this taper is going to take so long.  But I'm taking it all one day at a time.  Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps a lot.

 

    If you guy have any more advice, it would be most appreciated!

 

A day at a time is good philosophy to have on here.  So glad your bp lowered, wow, I am sure that was terrifying.  This is just a thought, but your symptoms still seem pretty tough, you might slow down just a little more and see if things don't stabilize a little more for you.  Once that happens, you can always ease back up.  Right now, trying to get your life back is worth some extra time.  Again, just a thought.  Good luck to you, hope you feel some better soon.  Mary 

Thank you Mary,

 

    You are truly a treasure.  I did hold for a couple of days then started again but same sxs.  So I'll stay at this rate till it gets to be intolerable.  I just hate the thought of being on this for years.  And with the world as unstable as it is, we have no guarantee of anything anymore. 

 

    And I will take your advice and go slower if and when I cannot take it any longer.  That three month hold was just terrible, being stuck like that. 

 

    Love you all.  Kimmie.

Thank you Mary,

 

    You are truly a treasure.  I did hold for a couple of days then started again but same sxs.  So I'll stay at this rate till it gets to be intolerable.  I just hate the thought of being on this for years.  And with the world as unstable as it is, we have no guarantee of anything anymore. 

 

    And I will take your advice and go slower if and when I cannot take it any longer.  That three month hold was just terrible, being stuck like that. 

 

    Love you all.  Kimmie.

 

Here's hoping you feel better soon, Kimmie 

Manageable to me means the SX's are painful, you feel awful, but they are tolerable. Intolerable causes you you run to the ER, updose, take rescue doses, and makes you feel suicidal sometimes.