Trouble Using SSRI's While On/Tapering Klonopin

I originally started out taking .25mg of Klonopin 7 months ago and went up to .7mg in three in a half months later and currently have tapered down to less than .17mg daily. I started taking Lexapro 2.5mg 3 months into my Klonopin use. I tried to get up to 5mg at one point but I had agitation. I never had any problems getting used to SSRI's before or any prolonged nervousness. Did anyone have any similar experience with SSRI's while taking Klonopin daily?

Is it because of my somewhat prolonged use of Klonopin or just the tapering of Klonopin caused an interaction with Lexapro?

 

I could never tolerate SSRIs because they can be stimulating, especially when they are first begun.  I suspect the withdrawl from benzos has your nervous system already over-taxed and adding the SSRI to is simply feels like too much.  If you are really committed to taking Lexapro you could consider instead of a micro-taper, doing a micro-initiation.

You know I never had a problem with them before. I don't know if it was because I wasn't using Klonopin with them before or what. I've been maintaining about .15mg of Klonopin(just an estimate based on how I cut it). I have sensory motor OCD that is why I'm even taking Lexapro. Maybe I should just taper down from the low dose of Lexapro and see how I feel.

 

My taper down from .7mg of Klonopin was ok until I got down to .15mg!

Many of us have 'sticking points' along the way of getting off benzos and I was no exception.  I wouldn't want to advise you as to what to do about the Lexapro but I hope you feel better soon. 

Looking at my daily average I was basically at .5mg for 3.5 months(tapered at .7mg at that point). I believe my taper down to .15mg from the middle of November of last year didn't do any harm to me. And based on the what Dr. Ashton has found is that 10 to 15 percent of heavier dose and years of use can have protracted withdrawal symptoms. So the odds are in my favor not to have protracted symptoms once I stop.

Did you have any protracted symptoms after you stopped Klonopin?

 

 

 

You've made great progress on your taper!  I have restless legs in the evening and early nighttime but I have no idea whether this is from benzos or I might have had this anyway since I was on benzos for 21 years and I'm in my 60s when restless legs become more of an issue.  Sometimes it is worse than others - tonight it doesn't seem to be very noticeable. 

As I said I'm going to try to wean of such a low dose of Lexapro. What makes my situation worse is that I have sensory motor OCD - which I believe is the most difficult form of OCD. My current OCD condition is that I don't feel comfortable with my breathing at times which brings on the anxiety. That is why I started taking Klonopin regularly starting in August. I had this friggin medication prescribed for over twenty years but maybe at the most took it two days straight.

 

For other members who are getting off of Klonopin it is hard enough to deal with the possible rebound anxiety but for me to have OCD it is even harder!