Tapering Klonopin...benzo usage for 104 days.

So, I was put on benzos after a very bad incident that happened in late May. I was initially put on Ativan and was then switched over to Klonopin. For the first two months I was taking 0.500mg a day. By month three I was taking 1mg a day at night before bed. During this time I also (stupidly) tried getting off twice but reinstated after noticing I experienced a sever depression whenever I made a cut.

I was in the psych ward last month and on August 28th they cut my dose from 1mg to 0.750mg. The psychiatrist said he could stop me cold turkey and I would be completely fine since I was on such a low dose but I knew better. Today is day 10 of being on 0.750mg and I am definitely feeling it.

My question is, since I have "only" been using for 104 days, would a somewhat quick taper of going down 0.250mg every two works work? I was considering taking 0.750mg for another four days and then going down to 0.500mg.

Luckily for me I am extremely sensitive to medications so I caught the negative side effects relatively early on. Horrible depression, dissociation and I have been getting very bad suicidal thoughts for the first time in my entire life. Sometimes I feel like I am going insane.

I tried asking my psychiatrist to switch over to Valium and then taper off that but he said there is no difference. What do you think? I want this poison out of my system because it is legitimately making me suicidal I believe and severely depressed. For the span I have been taking is going down 0.250mg every two weeks too much? Or should I cut down by 0.125mg?

Any advice please, I am pretty desperate. I had a hard time coming off Gabapentin back in June so I am terrified of what is store for me facing this demon. I legitimately feel like I have lost my mind (although I have also been forced to quit a fear year long amphetamine addiction as well before this, which is no doubt contributing a lot to my f'ed up mental state.)

Hello GreenRiverSummer2009,

There is no way to that I know of to determine how fast you can taper without taking reductions, keeping notes and adjusting future reductions based on your withdrawal symptom severity.

I've found that percent-based reductions are more symptomatically consistent than linear reductions, but I understand this is inconvenient with 0.5mg tablets. There are ODTs that go all the way down to 0.125mg available in the US and elsewhere, but since you are tolerating a 25% reduction currently you may be able to get a little farther with your 0.5mg tablets. Most of us around here don't seem to be able to go this quickly.

I suggest, first and foremost, holding at 0.75mg until you experience a full return to functionality. Time and a steady prescription are the best tools, I've found, for minimizing withdrawal symptoms and minimal withdrawal symptoms, IMO, produce the best conditions for healing. I suggest letting the time do the work while you taper. For many users the "poison" is in the taper, not so much in their regular dosing; safe, functional tapering depends on stabilizing at each decrease in dosage so that the nervous system can keep up (or catch up) with its normal and important functions.

Once you stabilize on 0.75mg, then I'd suggest trying a 0.125mg reduction. You can go faster, but most people regret rushing this process. Most people I see on BB actually need to go much slower than a 0.125mg linear reduction at doses below 1mg, but I suggest letting your body, via your WD symptoms, dictate the taper rate.

I think a slow successful taper beats a fast failed taper, every single time. So I suggest holding at each reduction until you feel stable (minimum 2-weeks for clonazepam), are meeting your functionality goals (eating, digesting, sleeping, gentle exercise, socializing, whatever is important to you), and only after this recovery then taking the next reduction.

A daily tapering journal can be invaluable. I suggest including at a minimum the date, your dose, any withdrawal symptoms and their severity.

I hope this helps.