Anyone that can relate.

I have tried to get off klonopin before but since I have been on it for thirty years it seems impossible! I honestly never knew all the bad things it can do to u.  I have been able to go from 2mgs to 1mg  but cannot go any lower than .5 during the day and .5 at night.  Any suggestions?  My doc says to just keep cutting it by 25%. This reduction  made me so anxious and could not sleep.  I had to go back to 1mg.  I was down to .75mg.  I feel like I'm going backwards now .  I am very disappointed in myself and feel like a failure. Could someone please give me hope of ridding myself of klonopin...

First let me say you are not a failure! If I had to make a 25% cut I would be completely disabled. Our doctors don't understand tapering and often they give us the wrong advice. My doctor wanted me to taper 2mg K in six weeks! Updosing was probably good to get you stable again so you can resume this journey. (I've updosed twice if that makes you feel any better).

 

You can absolutely get off this drug if you do it slowly! There is no rush. We need to remain functional and we need to feel somewhat human during all this. If you can give either Add your history/signature (or give me your information I can do it for you), and then we can help you figure out the next step.

 

You have made amazing progress to get where you are now! I understand this process can be frustrating and feel neverending as I sometimes feel the same. You still have a lifetime ahead of you and I believe you can have a wonderful life without these drugs. We are here to help you, you are not alone. 

nomoreklonopin, I just got off Klonopin after 21 years of use and I know how hard this process is.  It felt like a full-time job for me while I was tapering - it consumed so much of my physical, emotional, and mental energy.  And I can definitely relate to the insomnia problem since I had that as well.  The sleep issue took time and patience but I'm sleeping well now.

 

I agree with jelly that the 25% reductions are likely too high.  Do you have any say so with your taper plan?  Many of our members wind up doing their own tapers and that is what I did because I didn't want to do a fast taper - I had already heard the horror stories from cold turkeys and rapid tapers.  I did a two month water taper from the last 0.5mg Klonopin and it was nice because I reduced only 0.01mg/day and withdrawl at that rate felt very doable.

 

Let us know if you need help and we'll see what we can do.

 

Kate08