Difficulty withdrawing

Hi, I've attempted a second withdrawal of klonopin starting in April of 2019, and I was having ups and downs until it got really bad around October when I was down to just under .5 mg. I started taking the benzo in 2011 for panic and anxiety. I wasn't informed by any doctor that you can become dependent on this drug within a few weeks. If I knew that, I would've only taken it if I was having a really bad panic attack. The anxiety and panic have only gotten worse since being on the med. My last attempt to withdraw was over 3 or 4 months doing the Ashton protocol with a psychiatrist. Everything was okay until I stopped at 1 mg of Valium. After that, the symptoms got out of control. I was on a LOA from work, but found out my disability wouldn't be approved unless I returned to work later that month, so I had to go back on the klonopin because I couldn't function. Anyway, this time I started to updose a bit in Nov/Dec--lost my job in late Nov, and now I need to find some type of work--hopefully from home. I've increased the dose to maybe around .75 (originally I was taking 1 mg per day). My body would occasionally start shaking uncontrollably, lots of lightheadness, more fatigue than I recall, lack of motivation, and so on.

 

I'd appreciate any advice on if this sounds like benzo withdrawal or something else, and if there are suggestions to increase the dose, or anything else. Thank you

Hello ridethrough12,

 

I can see you've been at this a long time, I know how discouraged you are, I hope you can find work to do from home.  Can you tell us what methods you've used in your various tapers?

 

Pamster

Hi Pamster,

Thank you for your message. My first taper in 2013 was switching from klonopin to valium. I was decreasing 1 mg every week to two weeks until the psychiatrist told me to stop at 1mg. The second taper I started in April of last year going directly off of klonopin. I started at 1 mg and got to .5mg in September 2019 appx.

So you've been cutting your pills, you haven't tried dry or liquid titration?

Yes, exactly.

I didn't taper but I've read some posts from others who say that going very, very slow is the way to go, you need to remain functional.  Check out these links and tell me if you think you might be able to use one of these methods.

 

http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/index.php?topic=231363.0

 

This is excellent information! Thank you! Having a scale and slowly tapering is probably the way to go. Have you heard of people who were tapering and getting body shakes, cold sensations, lightheadedness, fatigue, and so on? I don't recall the shaking or fatigue the first attempt at withdrawing. It wasn't until I stopped that it got really bad and debilitating.

Ridethrough....Hi.  I am sorry you are having such a struggle.....  I too was on Klonopin and failed my first two tapers.  I became seriously psychotic and unable to function.  This is my third try and I know its going to work.  I did the Valium crossover too.  I am going the pill cutting dry taper route, (I'm at 1.5mg), and its really really hard for a few weeks after each cut.  I would go the liquid micro taper, but I live very remote and it is too difficult.

 

I have all of your symptoms - the shaking, muscular weakness, no motivation, light and sound sensitivities, air hunger, muscle tightness, head pressure and pain,  dizziness, etc!  It seems pretty standard for those of us, doing the dry taper.  That said - your first cut that was supervised.... you jumped off after 1mg?  That sounds very punishing!  Unfortunately, my physician doesn't have much experience (none) in tapering patients.  What I know is that I am too incapacitated to work regular hours right now.  I did just have an amazing window of four days!!!  It gave me such hope for recovery  and let me know it was OK to cut. 

 

Please ask questions and search for answers here. Listed at the top of Withdrawal Support is a link called "what is happening in my brain and body?.  It answered a lot of questions that were scaring me!  Without the information and support here, I would have caved back in November.  All the best!

This is excellent information! Thank you! Having a scale and slowly tapering is probably the way to go. Have you heard of people who were tapering and getting body shakes, cold sensations, lightheadedness, fatigue, and so on? I don't recall the shaking or fatigue the first attempt at withdrawing. It wasn't until I stopped that it got really bad and debilitating.

 

There is a theory called kindling which suggests that multiple withdrawals will result in greater problems each time.  It's been studied in relation to alcoholics but not so much with benzo's, but I've seen enough here on the forum to feel it may have some merit.