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Need some advice or insight into withdrawal and tapering


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So I have been on Clonazepam .5mg for 17 years. I was not informed of the dangers with this drug and at the the time didn't care because it took away the anxiety and calmed me down.

I have been decreasing my dose for the past 6 to 8 months. Previously I would take .5mg per day and sometimes I would take .25mg or even .125mg per day... depending on how I felt.

I have come down to .125mg per day and stayed there for a couple weeks. My doctor said to take it even other day and that sent me into shaking, burning skin, rumination, thoughts of the future, eye sight issue focusing, etc.

I have had these feeling before and I have managed them.

I am wondering if these feelings get worse and worse with the tapering?

I can deal with the anxiety I have right now and the sensations, but do they get debilitating?

Right now I am in a bad spot in my life ( loss of job - not my fault restructuring with the company, having to move, starting a new job and all that comes with a major life change). My psychiatrist said that continuing the taper would probably not be a good idea with all the stressors happening all at once.

when I start to taper again ( keeping on .125mg/day for now) should I be expecting worse skin burning, insomnia, anxiousness. or with a very slow taper....say 5%/month... would that be a good idea to keep the sensations and anxiety to tolerable levels?

 

Maybe I am grasping at straws here trying to convince myself that It will not be worse than I have already experienced.

 

My doctor put me on Remeron 15mg, but couldn't handle the side effects, so I went down to 7.5mg for a week, then will up to 8.75mg for another week, then up to 15mg. The grogginess and not being able to concentrate was not good and I am not sure if its the Conazepam withdrawal or the Remeron being introduced to my system.

 

Any help or feedback would be appreciated

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Adding in new medications can be tough on us, our central nervous system is so sensitive during this process we sometimes react negatively to both new medications and supplements.  I know our doctors want to help us through but sometimes its a better not to dump more drugs on our brain.

 

I agree with your doctor about holding your taper, stress makes our symptoms much worse so I'd continue to take the .125 a day until things settle down.  Your reaction to dosing every other day is why we tell members its best to take the drug every day to keep blood serum levels on an even keel.  Taking it every other day can create a whip lash effect of symptoms which appears to have happened to you.

 

I'm not going to lie, getting off of these drugs is painful, even doing a very slow taper can be but by going slow many members are able to function enough to maintain the life they've built.

 

Fear is a huge withdrawal symptom so I'm not surprised you're asking these questions and worrying about the future but when you're ready you can do this.  If I and thousands of other members have been able to, so can you.  :thumbsup:

 

 

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You seem to have a lot going for you, DoubleG, as you were able to get to .125 mg seemingly without much trouble. I've had wd symptoms all the way down from my dose of .875 mg last fall. I'm just now at .343 mg and really struggling, so you've done well. I imagine a slow taper would work well for you and may not be so bad.
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I have been on .125mg for about a week now, but i am not sure if I went too quick. My skin is burning and I am having tension, moments of derealization. Was it all too much and should I go back up to get rid of these sensations and feelings?

Like I said before a lot is happening at once and I don't want to make a bad impression at my new job, can't seem like I am a bag of marbles to them.

Could use some advice. I am hoping that these sensations will go away and I will stabilize soon.

 

Edit: Content

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They may and they may not. I would wait for some others' advice. A very small updose might be required if you can't get stable on this dose, but it's much better to hold and try to maintain your current dose unless you cannot. You have moved quickly, but some people are able to do that.
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I agree with hereforhelp, you may need to updose.  It seems like once we enter withdrawal it takes a lot of pull us out, many members have had to go up in dose to find stability again but some never do.  We'd much rather see you hold but if you need to function for your job it may be that you'll need to increase.

 

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I am holding for now. The physical symptoms are stabilizing ( Burning skin less and mood is a bit better).

My mood may be because I am taking 11.275mg Mirtazapine.

I have also had Tinnitus for years and years, so that is not new and could be because of Clonazepam, but the volume was turned way up on it the past week, but seems to be coming down a little.

There are good days and bad, but I will hold here at .125mg for now until life sorts itself out and once I get into a groove again I will start to taper really slowly again. Probably going to do 5% to 7% taper per month and see how it goes. I have been on this crap for this long whats another year in the grand scheme of things.

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I'm very glad to hear you're stabilizing a bit, I think your plan is a good one, timing is so important.  :thumbsup:
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I need some help. I am having burning skin, shaking, feeling cold and my cognitive recall is not good. I am not sure if its the Benzo tapering or trying to get stabilized on .125mg or the stress of job loos/moving/new job and all that entails.

I am not sure what to do. I am doubting that I will ever get myself back. My short term memory loss is concerning and I can't think straight. I forget what I was doing or what I was thinking about.

I am really on the ropes about this and I don't know if I should start this new job or take the time away from all the stress and keep tapering down and use the time off to recover.

HELP!

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I'm sorry you're struggling so badly right now. It could be a combination of stress and your cut causing this. If you're really not managing then you should probably consider an updose.

 

With your work situation I understand it's tough. I would hate to see you lose out on something that could give meaning and purpose to your life. It could also be a great distraction from withdrawal. I know when we go through this we have a lot of insecurities and we doubt our abilities. It must be daunting facing a new job with the brain fog and cognitive issues but I think you're underestimating yourself.

 

I think it would be worth giving it shot and having a go. Maybe you'll enjoy the new environment, make amazing new friends and love your new job. I'd hate to see you lose out on something potentially good because of benzo fear. It might not be easy now but if you push through you could have wonderful opportunities.

 

 

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I am really having trouble here. My guts are just making noises all the time, got the poops, head feels like its being blown up like balloon, I can't think straight, heart races on and off, burning skin on and off, tired all the time.

I think there is too much going on all at once. I am still working at my job until June 22nd and before that time I have a moving company coming, cancelling all my stuff here, moving to new Province, getting everything organized there, staring a new job that is a lot less pay. So from June 22nd to July 4th I have all these stressors and the stress of losing a job.

 

I just cannot think straight and I can't get away from all the stressors. I try to meditate and stretch and walk, but its not helping at all at this point.

 

I really need this to go away right now.

 

Maybe I am just ranting, but I am in a real bad spot right now and The disfunction of all of these symptoms are really throwing me for a loop.

I don't want to updates, but I am not stable and I think I need to go up to my previous dose of .25mg. I really think I went too quick because I didn't read up on these tapering methods. I just went from .5mg then down to .25mg and only gave it a few weeks, then went down to .125mg and that been like a week and half.

I went too quick without being informed.

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Going from 0.25 to 0.125 is a 50% cut. I know I wouldn't be able to tolerate it. If you're struggling to function then you can go back up. I had to updose twice after a 75% and a 50% cut to stabilize.  There's nothing wrong with it. You need to do what you need to do function.  :thumbsup:
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I went back up to .25mg because the feeling and symptoms were unbearable at this point.

I have made a spreadsheet to calculate 5% Taper every month. I am not sure if its the best taper. Its going to take 2 years to get down to 0.06mg, but hoping that this will reduce the symptoms.

I am going to talk to my Doctor and see if I can get him on board with this.

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I'm glad you updosed. Hopefully you're feeling an improvement soon. I would hold this dose for a while until you feel stable.

 

You could attempt 5% every two weeks if you want? I know it seems like a never-ending process but we all get there eventually. It's more important to be functional than suffer day after day and rush the process. Please keep us updated regarding your doctor.

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So went to see my Doctor today to get more pills and to get him to understand the situation. Its a new doctor and has never prescribed me pills before, so he was hesitant about giving me the prescription. Also he said he want to put me on a 6 to 12 week taper plan.... I was none too happy about that. I explained to him what I was going through and that I am stabilizing and going to start tapering down again after I get used to my new job. He did not listen and was going to start me on the this fast taper.

Good thing I am moving Provinces and getting a new Doctor.

Here is a bit of Rant. If you are ever thinking of Moving to Saskatchewan Canada.... Don't... The people are nice and the economy is ok...But the healthcare system in the province is by far the worst I have ever had to deal with.

 

So long story short. Doctor want me to fast taper and I am not wanting  to be a part of that.

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  • 3 months later...

So its been a while since I last posted. I have moved to Ontario with a new job, tough situation and The loss of my job, new job, moving and being humbled and beaten down by the situation is proving very hard.

I went back up in dose to stabilize, was back up to .25mg. Now I am down to .1875mg and I am keeping going.

New doctor and is on board with supplying me Clonazepam so thats good.

I am extremely overwhelmed and with these new stressors in my life my Anxiety is manifesting in Skin burning. Its a horrible feeling and I also have bad tension all over my body.

I guess I need some direction on what to do about these feelings. Is it the tapering or the fact that I am not coping well with my situation right now.

I have tried Ashwaganda for a couple days, but I am hesitant to take it as 2 days after starting big stressor of public speaking at work happened. now I am in shock and not having good thoughts.

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Its good to see you again DoubleG, I'm sorry you've had so many life challenges but you were smart to go back up in dose.  I want to say that you're coping magnificently, the stress of moving and starting a new job is tough on anyone but for someone going through benzodiazepine withdrawal, its a super human feat!  Please give yourself credit for what you've been able to do and please hold your dose until things settle down. 

 

Your symptoms seem to be demanding you slow down so I hope you'll listen to them.  You know that once off the drug the symptoms will continue, the recovery phase can sometimes feel the same as withdrawing so use your taper to heal as you go so your recovery phase won't be so intense, that's the hope anyway.

 

I hear you on the supplements, what seems to help one person hurts the next so tread carefully.  I had several public speaking adventures at work when I was recovering and it was pretty ugly, shaking voice, no confidence and holy cow, those questions afterwards were tough on my benzo brain.  :o

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I am so happy you found a supportive doctor. It sounds like you were able to stabilize at 0.25mg which is good.

 

Your life stressors is pretty intense and it would be tough on anyone even those not going through withdrawal. I think what you're going through is withdrawal symptoms amplified by the stress and anxiety in your life. I know for me, anxiety contributes to a huge increase in symptoms. If I were you I would just hold my current dose for as long as I need to, so I have time to adjust to all the life changes.

 

You are doing amazingly well in your current circumstances. Hang in there, it will get better!

 

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks everyone for the support. It really helps out. Its a weird thing that I have noticed. I among down to .1375mg, so still going down. I am not sleeping well, but I get some sleep. I have ruminations and over thinking... I call it Doom thinking. Once I take my dose at like 5 or 6pm my body calms down and the thoughts go away quickly for a few hours. Is that a normal thing with tapering?

Also I have put myself in the shit again. I started the new job 4 months ago and have now had 2 job offers that I have to deal with. I am not sure why I keep putting myself in stressor situations. they are more money I guess, but again its the stress of starting a new job again and moving again.

 

Anyways I keep tapering, but I think i should hold for a while. I think a month would be good. I have been slow tapering every 2 weeks about 2%. Just trying to listen to my body, but the anxiety has ramped up with decisions about the jobs.

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It sounds normal that your symptoms would back off after taking your dose, this tells me you're still receiving therapeutic benefits from the drug.  Once you get really low in dose, I doubt you'll feel anything like this so you may as well enjoy those moments of respite.

 

I'm thrilled you're looking to take on another job with more money, this tells me that when you're free of the drug and recovered from your use that you'll be in a very good place.  You're not losing your career over this as so many others have, you're out there making moves, setting yourself up for success, go for it!  :thumbsup:

 

I do agree with you holding for a bit though.

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I find it very difficult to make life decisions during withdrawal. Like you I feel I over analyze everything and I don't feel like I come to a meaningful conclusion afterwards. I keep going in circles. In the end though, we find things work out. Good luck with your decision.

 

I don't think you can go wrong with holding a bit. You seem to have managed your transition quite well, so overall I think you're doing pretty good.

 

 

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So I turned down the other jobs as my mind was going around in circles with "What If's"... Basically worst case scenarios. I think i have to stop upheaving my life and just calm down for a while until I can get my mind centered. I whipped myself into a frenzy and the burning skin and feeling out of it was very high. I hope these feelings calm down as it is really affecting my sleep.

These feeling wake me up after 5 hours of sleep and I get rushes when trying to fall back to sleep.. Which never happens. Do these sensations ever calm down or am I going to be tortured by these sensations even after I taper completely. Its really bad. Is there anything I can take for these sensations or do I have to ride this out for a very long time?

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I'm sorry to hear things didn't go as planned but the fear we experience while going through this can be pretty overwhelming, the what if's and worst case scenario's are tough to work through.  Stress brings on increased symptom severity so hopefully things will calm down for you now.

 

Symptoms typically last throughout the taper and well after you're off the drug and we can't agree on anything to help, what works for one, harms another in the way of medications and supplements.  Most who have recovered say time is the best medicine.

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