RE: Clonazepam Taper - on 8 days

Hi Everyone,

 

I was wondering if you could give me any advice. It has been years since I have been on Clonazepam about 8 days .5 at night to sleep. I did take two doses during the day at .25 and .5mg but neither of them seemed useful.  My question is should I still tapper off and how?  Should i cut the tablets in 1/4s and say take for 3 days and off until I am finished or should I take longer?  B/c its been less than 10 days not sure how to approach this.  I feel stopping cold turkey would be risky. Would appreciate any advice....thanks for reading

 

 

Angelcat

If you have only been on 0.5mg of clonazepam/day for 8 days, in theory you do not need to taper.  If it brings you comfort to do so, I suggest you only do a very short taper.  Perhaps you could do 1/2 tablet for a 2-3 nights and then 1/4 tablet for 2-3 nights and then stop.  You can do a dry taper because your cuts don't need to be very precise.  I would not stay on them any longer than a few more days because you don't want to create a problem where there likely isn't one at this point.

 

Hi thanks for the info.  So after I half the .5 mg over 2-3 days that will take down to .25mg.  Should I 1/4 the .25 mg in every 2-3 days otherwise won't I be halfing the dosage and isn't that too fast? 

I've seen dependence happen in as little as 10 days, I agree with Kate, the sooner you come off the better.  If you get to a point where you have symptoms I'd still push through and get off the Clonazepam but of course, this is your body and you know what's best for you.

 

 

 

Hi thanks for the info.  So after I half the .5 mg over 2-3 days that will take down to .25mg.  Should I 1/4 the .25 mg in every 2-3 days otherwise won't I be halfing the dosage and isn't that too fast?

 

Yes, break the 1/2 tablet in half (in other words, 1/4 of the 0.5mg tablet) for the second part of the taper.  I do not think this is too fast.

 

Hi me again, I was wondering if you could help me again.  I did not mention that I have severe tinnitus. I Started my taper yesterday 1/2ing the .5 mg and my Tinnitus is very loud and scary today? B/c I have Tinnitus do you think that I need to do a even slower taper?  Should I go back up to the same dosage again .5 mg and start over maybe weaning 1/4 per week or even slower? No sure what to do that this point since. Years ago I did an extreme slow taper ( over 1 year) to get off about .25 dosage and I did not have any trouble. Would appreciate your advice....thanks

 

 

Angelcat

How long have you suffered with tinnitus, did it diminish a bit while taking the Clonazepam for those 8 days?

 

I have had Tinnitus before using benzos about 13 years. The clonazepam did seem to reduce the volume for a few days but then seemed not to be effective giving me only about 4 hours sleep and the last few nights it has caused spikes. I was only taking it .5 mg at night to sleep but did try to take .5mg during the day 2 days ago and it only made things worse.  It should slightly lowering my Tinnitus not spiking it which is why I feel I should wean off since its not doing anything and I am worried about uping the dosage. Maybe I should go back up and 1/4 my dosages? Go slower but would it make a difference?

 

Your previous use of benzo's concerns me, sometimes follow on tapers can be a little more challenging and I can see you're not comfortable doing a fast taper from the drug so if you feel you should go back up and go slower this is entirely up to you.  We'll follow your lead.

I should mention I have had Tinnitus for 13 years but only used Lorazepam for 4 mths .5 before crossing over to Clonazepam to wean of extremely slowly over 1 year.  In terms of min dosage reduction for benzos is it 10% over weeks or 3% of dosage?  What is recommended percentage for 10 days (which is where we are now?  I though it would be either 1/4 of .25mg at a time which is 0.625 mg over 1-2 weeks what percentage is that and is that ok, or is that too fast. But since its only been 10 days now, not sure how to proceed....scared if I go back up would it make my Tinnitus worse? Please help....

Hi guys, Pamster,

 

Sorry for keep posting but if I was to do a slower taper, what do you recommend? 1/4 dosage and then when get to .25 do 10%?  Sorry I have not been on these meds for years and I just don't know what do do?

I'm giving you a link of an easy to taper where you don't have to calculate percentages.  I used this taper for the end of my clonazepam and it worked very well.  This taper is over 300 days because you begin with 300ml of water but you can use less water.  I mixed my 0.5mg tablet in 50ml of water and reduced by 1ml per day for 50 days and I was finished.  I suggest you watch this short video and see if you think this might work for you.  If not, that is fine but just offering you an easy option:

 

Thanks Kate8,

 

Would that be a good option for me since I have only been on 10 days? Or could that complicate things. Also do most people taper down by 10% of original dose? How did you come up with 50 days?  Maybe I could do 30 days?...how many times a day did you dose 2 or 3?.

You will have to decide for yourself whether you want to taper longer than what we originally discussed which was a short version.  At the end of the day, each person needs to decide what is right for them based on the research they have done and the information they have gathered.    50 days was an abritrary time I decided, not based on anything specific.  I dosed once a day at the end of my taper.

Hi guys,..

 

Just wanted to touch base with you on my taper and get some more advice. So as I mentioned I decided to go a little slower with my taper b/c of my

increased Tinnitus with initial 1/2 cut dosage. So Have been reducing the .5 mg pill by 0.125mg (cut pill in 1/4s, 4 halves). I kept this dosage so I was on 0.375 mg holding for 3 days and experienced another extreme Tinnitus spike. As a result I have remained on this dosage 0.375 mg for another 2 days ( 5 days) and am more stable but Tinnitus seems louder.  I am planning to then drop down another .125 mg to .25mg (1/2 tab) tonight say on this for a few days and then cut that 1/2 tab in half down to 0.125mg for a few days and then off. Is this going to fast?  Would you recommend slower and should I hold for 3 or 5 days?  I will now have been on the Clonazepam for 15 days all together, which is longer than in the beginning.  Am I going on the right path or going to fast?  Would appreciate your help. If this had been a few months I would have done a very slow wean with a compounding pharmacy but since its shorter, I really have been not sure what to do.. .thanks so much

 

currently 0.375 mg (5 days) from 0.5mg 9 days..

 

 

 

 

Angelgirl

angelcat, I can only tell you what I would do.  I would rapid taper off and be done but I know my approach would not suit everyone.  I was scared of tapering as fast as I did for as high a dose as I was on and for the length of time I used benzos but I was willing to put up with more withdrawl symptoms than many people would.  I know the way I did things wouldn't suit everyone though.

 

The fact that you weren't a long-time user sways me to think that the sooner you get off the better.  Like I said before, you don't want to create a problem where there wasn't one  There are going to be plusses and minuses with ANY way we choose.  But at the end of the day, we all have to reach inside and see what 'tastes' right for us based on the reading and research we've done.

 

We'll support you no matter what you decide. 

Thanks so much Kate8,

 

So are you saying that this taper is fine. at .125 mg every 3 -5 days or would you go quicker?  I thought about your liquid taper at .25mgs but that would taking too long right?  Its just the people with Tinnitus have suffered increases after tapering and I just want to minimize the damage, so afraid of increased Tinnitus...

Reducing by 0.125mg every 3-5 days sounds reasonable.  I can only speak for myself - I had tinnitus while tapering but it is mostly gone now that I am off.  I think any tinnitus I have now i s age-related.

 

Hi thanks so much Kate8,

 

I have had Tinnitus for 13 years and hearing loss due to an inner ear disease.  It has devastated my life, the hearing loss is not so much an issue.  Which is why I started Benzos in the first place to help me sleep.  If I didn't have Tinnitus I would have never touched these nasty little pills.  Although in my first months of Tinnitus, Lorazepam helped me since I was in a dark place and could not function.  Now 13 years later I have had a major setback with my T and hearing loss and just could not function once again so I decided to go back on to Clonazepam for severe anxiety and no sleep.  This time it has helped me very little.  I read how others on this site worry about not sleeping once off the benzos and that is a worry for me too.  Sleeping with anxiety is one thing but sleeping with anxiety and Tinnitus is a whole new kettle of fish.  Since you have had Tinnitus you know how terrible it can be.  I appreciate any words of wisdom that you have.  I have also read of some of the comments from Doctors about weaning of Benzos and my Doctors nurse actually told me to just not take it one night and alternate?  I don't think that sounds like a good idea, is alternating days that you take a dosage a proper way to taper?  BB is such great support.....

 

 

 

 

Angelcat

 

Edit: content.

 

 

 

No doubt the doctor's nurse didn't know how to taper but reducing a steady daily dose and not skipping days allows one to stay functional and minimizes withdrawl symptoms.

Hi guys,

 

So I really need help now. I tapered down to .125 last night and my tinnitus extremely spiked and is very loud and scary.  At this point I don't know what to do?  I am so upset if I have made things worse.  Should I up dose and start over at a much slower taper.  Since I have only been on such a short time (10 days before taper) everyone as told me I don't need to be concerned.  I was taking Lorazepam a few days prior to starting Clonazepam but not every day and only for a week or two.  Do you think that has made a difference.  I am not even fully off the drug...yet and I am having problems....I took this benzo years ago with little problem but I did a slow taper over a year.  Very confused and worried....would appreciate your advice....

Do you think you could hold at this dose for a few days and see if things level off before considering an updose?

angelcat, I agree with Kate, can you hold on a little longer?  I've watched members updose or reinstate with limited success, they don't feel better and they're left on a higher dose they must then taper from again and for some reason, many members report it getting more difficult each time they do this. 

 

Can you distract, is the tinnitus your worst symptom?

Hi Guys,

 

Thanks so much for your advice.  Yes Tinnitus is really my only symptom aside from a little anxiety.  I can try to stay on this dose for a few days.  Often with tinnitus, people with reinstate at higher dose and try to wean off much slower, but there is often no guarantee that it will improve the Tinnitus. I wished I have never started this benzo again, what a bad drug.  But when you cannot sleep for weeks, you become desperate and I have had bad experiences with ADs.  Is there a time limit as to when you can go back up or reinstate, like if I am completely off the benzo? 

Kate8,

 

You got down to .25mg and then reinstated to .5mg again and switched to a liquid taper that was successful.  How were your symptoms and your tinnitus?