Just started

Was prescribed clonazepam 20 yrs, told medical necessary.  Started 02/21/20 weaning.  Started on 1mg.  Today on .5mg.  Sleeping, have muscle cramps.  Was going to wait till next drop.  Lowered to .5mg 05/11/20.

Hello Myamamess and Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

Congratulations on your decision to taper off of clonazepam - you've come to just the right place to find good information and support to help you with your taper. 

 

We typically suggest making cuts of no more than 5-10% every 10-14 days depending on how your symptoms are.  A slow gradual taper helps minimize withdrawal symptoms so you can function as well as possible.  Many members find doing a taper guided by their symptoms is more manageable - it entails waiting for symptoms to stabilize before making the next cut. 

 

Clonazepam is a strong benzo and can be challenging to taper off especially as you get to lower doses in your taper.  There are several options you can explore. I'll give you some links to get started.  please take your time to explore the site and when you're ready ask questions specific to your taper.

 

Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans)

Withdrawal Support (during your taper)

The Ashton Manual

 

Other members who want to reply to your posts find it helpful to know where you are in the process, so here’s how to add your benzo info automatically to your posts: go to Profile, then Forum Profile, write your info (which benzo, dose, taper history) in the text box and save. Thanks! Let us know if you need help with this.

 

We're glad you found us!

Brighterday. 

 

 

 

 

Need to this forum and quite awkward, please forgive forgive my ignorance.  Been reading post, very helpful.  Realize I'm doing everything wrong.  Had to increase my dose today .625, someone please give advice.  Reading and calculating it could take 2 yrs for me to be free of this horrible drug.

Need to this forum and quite awkward, please forgive forgive my ignorance.  Been reading post, very helpful.  Realize I'm doing everything wrong.  Had to increase my dose today .625, someone please give advice.  Reading and calculating it could take 2 yrs for me to be free of this horrible drug.

Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

See how you do on .625 mg Clonazepam, hold it for about 2 weeks and watch your symptoms. Everyone is different, some people do better than others. Ideally people wait between decreasing their doses until they stabilize and then make the cut and so on. On lower dosage it is difficult to cut to the exact amount you would want to decrease, so the best if you can buy a scale or have a pharmacy prepare you a liquid compound then you can adjust your decrease more easily. I cut my pills with the help of a scale and from 0.5 mg I cut 0.0625 mg then I held that for 2 weeks and kept cutting 0.0625 every 2 weeks after that. I had withdrawal symptoms all along but I did not want to wait longer between cuts as my symptoms did not improve much even when I waited longer. Everyone is different so look into BenzoBuddies withdrawal support forums and see how others managing their tapers. Do not be afraid of the symptoms as they are just the sign of your central nervous system reacting and adjusting to the changes when you lower your dosage. Eventually they will resolve. Wishing you the best throughout your journey toward being benzo free.

Hi maya

 

Welcome!

 

You are tapering.  That’s the main thing.  You have a goal to be benzo free.  Try not to count time.  Just taper and keep your goal there.  Time will pass either way. 

 

You might not have a 2 year taper.  That’s at the absolute longest time.  You are more likely to have times when your reductions go smoothly and you are doing well.  Follow your symptoms. 

 

Clonazepam has a long half life.  Symptoms can pop up even 2 weeks after a reduction, and take that much longer to settle.  The bigger the cuts, the more chance of hard symptoms and longer to stabilize.  So, this is why advice to reduce small and wait enough in between.  You’ll feel better.  No need to suffer all the way down if it can be avoided. 

 

Are you now at .75 mg once daily?  That’s still a 25% reduction from your start dose.! That’s definitely more than enough to handle.  Just stabilize there. 

 

Congratulations on your wise decision to get benzo free 🙂.