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Need advice on how to come off .5mg Klonopin and 300mg Lyrica almost daily


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Hi everyone,

 

I've already posted in the Introduction board and it was suggested I post here as well due to my Lyrica usage in addition to the benzo.

 

I had a issue with alcohol a few years to the point where I had to do a medical detox.  It was a quick Klonopin taper and I was sent home with a gabapentin prescription.  I took it for about a month but felt like I would get addicted to that so I stopped and dealt with a little withdrawal and then rebound anxiety that wasn't being medicated by the alcohol any more.

 

Eventually I started taking Klonopin for my anxiety.  It started at 1mg/day and I'm now taking .5mg almost every day for about a year now.  My total time taking Klonopin has been almost 3 years.

 

A few months ago, I went to my general doctor and told her I wanted to get off.  She offered an SSRI for some reason (Lexapro or something) but I definitely didn't want to go down that route so I asked for Lyrica because gabapentin helped me in the past and I've read it's a better version.  She agreed and said it wasn't addictive (it obviously is and I knew that).

 

I started at taking it about 3-4 days/week while attempting to not take my Klonopin on those days, which I was usually successful at.  It's been 3 months now and for the last couple weeks I've been taking it pretty much every day (300-450mg).  I noticed myself craving it more than Klonopin since it helps with my anxiety and boosts my mood a lot, but this is scaring me because I have an addictive personality and I don't want to continue my Lyrica use for more than another month to avoid getting too dependent on it.  I've heard the withdrawal can be worse than anything else, including traditional benzos.  I think it's important to note than I haven't taken Klonopin for 3 days now with the help of the Lyrica, and feel fine.  The fact that I'm fine is the scary part since I've been taking the Klonopin for 3 years and the withdrawal is pretty much nonexistent.  I'm pretty sure if I just stop taking the Lyrica as well I'm going to have a really bad time.

 

I also went to a psychiatrist with my issue, who told me to stop taking both and gave me some depakote to prevent seizures.  The problem is that it's easier said than done to just stop taking them.  I also convinced her to give me some diazepam to help with the Klonopin taper.  She gave me 15 pills of 5mg.  Since 5mg diazepam  is supposed to be equivalent to .25mg clonazepam, I can get to an equivalent of .125 mg clonazepam just by breaking the diazepam in half.

 

So the reason I'm posting is because I'm feeling kinda stuck and unsure of what my next step should be.  Since I haven't taken the Klonopin in 3 days now, should I just stop?  It's been 3 years so I'm pretty nervous.  Also scared of getting to dependent on the Lyrica since I'm starting to crave the feeling and mood boost.  I have the depakote but I haven't taken it yet and not sure if I need it.  Maybe I will after I drop both the Klonopin and Lyrica. 

 

If you guys were in my shoes, how would you approach this?  Drop the Klonopin and taper the Lyrica?  Continue the Klonopin at a lower dose and do a quick taper of both?  I have a scale that can measure small amounts but was also considering a liquid titration. 

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I just want to be free of everything.

 

Thanks

Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...

Reduce pregabalin first. K can wait

 

Lyrica poops out in most cases. You can reduce by 50mg at a time. I'd give it 3 weeks. I had no problem doing that

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I take clonazepam and gabapentin.  My benzo dose is now very low at .075.  Ill be stopping at .025, in about 1 month.  I take 300 mgs gabapentin once daily at night.  I have been on the benzo over 2 years, and the gaba only 3 and half months.  I started gaba at 900 mgs, but quickly reduced to 300, as the side effects were so bad.  I resisted the gaba at first, but my benzo symptoms were such a struggle and my dr insisted its not addictive in the same way as benzos.  Which is true.  It binds to gaba receptors in the body, and doesn't cross the blood brain barrier like benzos.  So, yes, you need to taper gabapentin (or Lyrica), but it truly should not be so bad as benzo taper or withdrawals.  I think people who took very high does gabapentin have struggled.  I think and wonder if the gabapentin withdrawal is bad for some people for other reasons, such as the dose they were on, the dose of benzo they were on, how fast they tapered either, how long they were on etc. 

 

By the way, I got three opinions on the gabapentin.  My regular prescribing dr, an addictions dr, and my naturopath.  All said the same thing.  Taper the gaba, don't worry too much, it isn't like tapering benzos.

 

As to your specific question, generally advice is to taper the harder one to get off, ie the benzo.  Then taper the gabapenting or lyrica.  Don't just cold turkey anything. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

By the way, I got three opinions on the gabapentin.  My regular prescribing dr, an addictions dr, and my naturopath.  All said the same thing.  Taper the gaba, don't worry too much, it isn't like tapering benzos.

 

 

 

I have to beg to differ on this statement (and tens of thousands of people like me). gabapentin is very similar to tapering benzos and for me jumping off a small dose of gabapentin put me in a hell I can't describe. I am now tapering valium and it's been a cake walk compared to gabapentin. It's not pleasant and I'm in bed a lot but gabapentin wd put me in a hell like no other. It's like benzos also in that doctors never thought that benzos had withdrawals once it comes out of the system, right now gabapentin is in that category.

 

Just search gabapentin withdrawals and boy you will find story after story.

 

I recently got a new neurologist and I told him my experience and he's the only doctor who not only believed me but  said "It (gabapenitin) can be horrific to come off of". Even addiction specialists don't know since they put their patients on it to help come off benzos and alcohol. So they still are out of the loop.

 

However, there seems to be a much higher percentage of people who don't have bad withdrawals than with benzo users. So coming of lyrica may not be that much of a problem for everyone.

 

Benzos work on the GABAa receptor while gabapentin actually increases the GABA in the brain.

 

Lyrica is basically the daughter of gabapentin. Many refer to it as gabapentin on steroids.

 

You can taper one or the other. But not both at the same time. And taper both slowly. Treat lyrica and gabpentin just like a benzo. Taper slowly and listen to your body. If you are having little withdrawals then set your own pace.

 

 

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My thoughts...

Lyrica first, while maintaining a stable dose of K, or ONE benzo that you intend to taper from.. A cross over to valium might add a level of complication at this moment...??

A lot of the future choices will depend on how your discontinuation parameters unfold..

-But rushing to get off in order to feel better might end up in disappointment, as opposed to a more symptom intensity guided taper.. Things can catch up suddenly, and with a big slap...

 

Best wishes..

:)

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