Clonazepam Taper

I'm amazed at how quickly this happened and how easy it was to become dependent on the clonazepam prescribed by my doctor for panic attacks I started having following a trauma. It was to be taken as needed, but in no time, I felt the need for it every day to calm my symptoms, and nobody was telling me it was a bad thing but just a way to help cope with the trauma and the panic attacks. I was given 1 mg tablets with the instruction to take half as needed every 8 hours. So I was taking 0.5 mg nearly every day, and occasionally a second if needed, having no idea I didn't need another half tablet if I needed more.

Eventually I started just taking 0.5 mg at the beginning of each day, to try and avoid any anxiety-related symptoms (chest pain, tightness, palpitations). The palpitations are what tended to cause the panic attacks because my trauma was heart-related. So, of course anytime I felt these anxiety symptoms in my chest, I would get nervous, and the clonazepam would help immensely.

I started taking it as needed on May 15 and by the beginning of July, I was taking the 0.5 mg dose in the mornings every day. I always had afternoon palpitations the entire time, though, that would resolve before evening. My cardiologist says it's all anxiety-related. At some point, I started waking up in the night panicked and started taking .25 mg clonazepam before bed. My doctor had me try buspirone as something to try to eventually get off the clonazepam, but I spent just over a week on it and could not sleep. It just made things worse, and then it took a bit for that to get out of my system. Afterward, I started not being able to sleep through the night, and around the beginning of this month went up to .375 mg at bedtime, which has helped me get back to sleep if I wake up in the night. And that's going to happen with young kids and being right around 40 years old.

So I'm now on a dose of 0.5 mg in the morning and 0.375 mg at bedtime for a total of .875 mg and have been taking at least 0.5 mg almost daily for right at four months. I'm concerned about getting off and doing it the right way. My doctor wants to put me on an SSRI, and I don't believe understands how slowly I need to taper to avoid the worst symptoms.

I'm just looking for some advice and support on getting off this stuff. I'm very concerned about what I've gotten myself into just doing what I thought was taking care of the panic and anxiety that came into my life. Today I cut my morning dose down to .438 mg. That's not easy to do, because it requires cutting a quarter tablet again.

Hello hereforhelp, welcome to BenzoBuddies,

I'm almost sure that what you're feeling now isn't related to your trauma but to your body's dependence on Clonazepam, it can happen so quickly with these drugs and when that happens, the drug begins to cause what we took it to alleviate.

I share your doubt about starting an SSRI, they can be helpful for depression in benzo withdrawal but your central nervous system is highly sensitized right now and you may not react well to the addition of more drugs, even supplements can effect us while going through this.

We typically recommend reducing about 5-10% of your dose every week or two and while we hope to see short term users go faster than this, it depends on your symptoms, they should guide you so you can hopefully remain functional.

I'll provide you with some links to get you started but be sure to ask questions, we can help you through this.

Pamster

The Ashton Manual

Planning Your Withdrawal (Taper Plans)

Withdrawal Support (during your taper)