Help Tapering Klonopin

I was originally on Xanax 1 mg. My dr. switch me to Klonopin .5 mg. I managed the transition and now I’m at .4 mg of the Klonopin. I was taking one a day now every other day. The day I do take it I have episodes of agitated panic 2-3 hour of taking. Any suggestions on a safer method to taper. Just want to be rid of this poison but I know it takes time.

Our equivalency charts indicate you should have been crossed over to 1 mg of Klonopin, I would imagine you felt pretty rough. https://www.benzo.org.uk/bzequiv.htm

 

We don't recommend taking the drug every other day, it's important to keep a steady blood serum level making for a gradual smooth reduction.  I would suggest taking your dose every day and holding that dose until you feel stable then reducing again.  Feeling stable doesn't mean you feel good, it just means you can function and feel able to face another cut. 

 

You're right about this taking time, the purpose of a taper is to remain functional as you rid yourself of the drug and also to allow your brain to repair the damage done as you do.  Going too quickly only increases our pain, it doesn't promote a faster recovery once the drug has been eliminated.

 

How long are you holding between reductions?

I was on Xanax 1 mg for no more than 3 weeks straight. I didn’t have much difficulty switching to the Klonopin .5 mg. I was on Ativan .25 mg  before the Xanax but stopped taking because it expired and no dr. will refill it.. But I had monthly refills of Xanax which made no sense. The Klonopin really does not help me at all. I feel like terrible the days I take it.. The only reason why I am taking because I need to taper off it. I mentioned I take every other day. The days I don’t take I’m more functional. I feel like if I take every day I will never feel good. I’ve been on .4 mg for a month now. I was thinking of dropping to half a pill .25 mg. Do you think that is too much of a cut?

I'm sorry I misread your first post when you said you feel better not taking it.  I've read other members say they react negatively to their dose, some say they're paradoxical.  It looks like some experimentation on your part is a good idea, all tapers need to be adjusted as you go along so it might be best to reduce your dose. 

 

I'm not a fan of taking it every other day but have seen some members do it but it usually makes them feel worse.  Typically with Klonopin, members feel the worst symptoms after a reduction around day 3 leveling off around 7 to 10 days later.  A 37.5% decrease is huge so if you decide to reduce your dose, be prepared to feel some symptoms and if necessary you might want to increase your dose by a small amount if you're incapacitated.

I figured the reduction I mentioned would be too drastic. It’s difficult to cut these pill precisely.  Cutting them in half is easy. I will ask my dr. for a lesser dose or a liquid form. How were you able to go cold turkey from such a high dose. Are you taking anything now as a replacement?

Klonopin doesn't come in a liquid form but if you have a compounding pharmacy near you your Dr could write you a script, or you could purchase a jewelers scale for about 25.00 USD to crush and weigh your doses, this method can be quite accurate.

 

As I mentioned in my success story, I didn't realize the drug needed to be tapered and I had no idea the pain would last as long as it did, I just kept thinking it would get better and by the time I found this place it was too late to do anything but tough it out.  I'm not on any medication now, and thankful for that.