Worried in Massachusetts

Hello Everyone: I am a 66 year old female who has been on Klonopin for 14 years this month. I am finding that it is really messing with my sleep for the past few months (and quite honestly on and off for years). I feel like I have not slept at all the next day and also feel constantly hungry. I feel this drug is no longer working, which was originally prescribed for anxiety after putting my mom in a nursing home for Alzheimers. I have a call into my psych guy to see what we might do about this. If I try to take less or no klonopin, i cannot sleep. Wondering if there is another drug I can try which will not give me klonopin withdrawal.

Hello Cannotsleep1 and Welcome to BenzoBuddies!

 

We're glad you've joined us!  I'm so sorry you're having trouble with Klonopin and insomnia.  Insomnia is very very difficult to cope with and benzodiazepines can disrupt normal sleep patterns.  Once people withdraw from benzos it can take some time but normal sleep returns with recovery.  I understand you feel Klonopin is no longer working. Unfortunately it's not unusual for these drugs to stop working after a while.  One thing that happens commonly is that a person reaches tolerance and the dose they take stops having the therapeutic effect it once had.  Often this leads to increasing the dose and over time the person needs to keep taking higher and higher doses.  It's an untenable situation. 

 

I'm glad you have a call into your psych provider.  Hopefully you'll come up with a plan together for how to proceed.  You'll find information here to help with this decision as well.  If you decide to taper off Klonopin you will receive information and support to get through it.  We'll support you no matter what you decide.

 

Please take your time and explore the site.  Feel free to start your own topic.  You may want to start with these boards:

 

Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans)

 

Withdrawal Support (during your taper)

 

Insomnia   

 

We're glad you're here.  Please reach out for support.

Brighterday