Looking for Advice...did I accidentally go cold turkey?

Quick history of a newbie here..

I was perscribed clonazepam March 2011 to help with sleep after I had Tinnitus come on after a sports injury. I used .5mg for less than a week to help with sleep, then stopped with no problems- I also had anxiety from the ringing, but went away after a month or so when I got used to the ringing.

 

Fast forward 1 year and on a vacation at the end of Feb. 2012 I was having trouble sleeping (some mild anxiety as well) so I thought, well clonazepam worked before so it should work again. This time I took .5mg for 5 days on vacation and then continued for about 4 days at .5 after I got home to stabilize my sleep. After sleeping better I took 3 days off and started having chest pain and tingling in my face and arm (thought I was having a stroke, went to a Dr. and all was clear, Dr. didn't ask about clonazepam). Sleep wasn't good so I started at .25mg and stayed on that for a week and a half. All together I was on the clonazepam for about 4 weeks with .25 here and there after.

 

My last dose was .25 mg 8 days ago. Since then I have had the following: crazy anxiety all day, restless legs, muscle twitches, depersonalization/fog, waking up with my heart beating out of my chest and bad morning anxiety. I have been sleeping 6-7 hours with 2-3 wake ups ( no sleep for a day last week).

 

Question is...did I accidentally go cold turkey and is it possible that I am having w/d symptoms after only 4 weeks of use? If so should I just let it ride at this point or do I try to reinstate. I do not have a regular doctor that I can consult with at this point. I am 8 days in and wondering if I am just having severe anxiety or actually w/d. I would love to hear what the community here thinks. One last question. I have never had alcohol dependancy issues, but do enjoy a beer now and then...I stopped driking any alcohol when I had trouble sleeping. Can I have a beer safely at this point?

Quick history of a newbie here..

I was perscribed clonazepam March 2011 to help with sleep after I had Tinnitus come on after a sports injury. I used .5mg for less than a week to help with sleep, then stopped with no problems- I also had anxiety from the ringing, but went away after a month or so when I got used to the ringing.

 

Fast forward 1 year and on a vacation at the end of Feb. 2012 I was having trouble sleeping (some mild anxiety as well) so I thought, well clonazepam worked before so it should work again. This time I took .5mg for 5 days on vacation and then continued for about 4 days at .5 after I got home to stabilize my sleep. After sleeping better I took 3 days off and started having chest pain and tingling in my face and arm (thought I was having a stroke, went to a Dr. and all was clear, Dr. didn't ask about clonazepam). Sleep wasn't good so I started at .25mg and stayed on that for a week and a half. All together I was on the clonazepam for about 4 weeks with .25 here and there after.

 

My last dose was .25 mg 8 days ago. Since then I have had the following: crazy anxiety all day, restless legs, muscle twitches, depersonalization/fog, waking up with my heart beating out of my chest and bad morning anxiety. I have been sleeping 6-7 hours with 2-3 wake ups ( no sleep for a day last week).

 

Question is...did I accidentally go cold turkey and is it possible that I am having w/d symptoms after only 4 weeks of use? If so should I just let it ride at this point or do I try to reinstate. I do not have a regular doctor that I can consult with at this point. I am 8 days in and wondering if I am just having severe anxiety or actually w/d. I would love to hear what the community here thinks. One last question. I have never had alcohol dependancy issues, but do enjoy a beer now and then...I stopped driking any alcohol when I had trouble sleeping. Can I have a beer safely at this point?

 

Hi Gxs,

I know I'm not qualified to answer this so I'm going to refer you to the Ashton Manual.  (I think Skyy) has a link on her signature line?  Your symptoms sound very close to those many here feel though and anything more than a couple weeks is supposed to be too long for short term benzo use.

 

If you are experiencing benzo wd, I have read from others here that alcohol can kick the symptoms into high gear.

 

Good luck Gxs,I hope this doesn't last long for you.

 

Love and light,

J

I believe it is possible to become dependent on benzodiazapenes after as little as 10 days.  In my case it was 20 days (see my story in the reinstatement thread in this same section of forum).  Adding to your situation is that you reportedly took the klonopin on two other occasions which has the potential to cause kindling.  If you can gut this out for a few weeks, I would probably try to do so.  If after another week or two, symptoms are not bearable, it might be worth considering some form of reinstatement, perhaps to a low dose of valium and a slow taper.  Perhaps you could post this also in the general withdrawal section of forum where you might get some more view points.  How are you sleeping now? Ultimately, it's something to discuss with your physician.

 

Vertigo

I believe it is possible to become dependent on benzodiazapenes after as little as 10 days.  In my case it was 20 days (see my story in the reinstatement thread in this same section of forum).  Adding to your situation is that you reportedly took the klonopin on two other occasions which has the potential to cause kindling.  If you can gut this out for a few weeks, I would probably try to do so.  If after another week or two, symptoms are not bearable, it might be worth considering some form of reinstatement, perhaps to a low dose of valium and a slow taper.  Perhaps you could post this also in the general withdrawal section of forum where you might get some more view points.  How are you sleeping now? Ultimately, it's something to discuss with your physician.

 

Vertigo

 

Thanks for the advice. I am on day 10 now and had been sleeping fairly well- 6 to 7 hours a night, but waking 2-3 times with my heart pounding out of my chest and bad morning anxiety. Before last night I had 4 fair nights in a row- I say I had been sleeping well because last night I could not hit the off switch in my brain and I probably squeaked out 1 hour total when the strong heart beat wasn't keeping me up.

 

If this is w/d I would say that things are improving overall. The anxiety has quieted down some, no tingling in my hands or arm, my legs aren't running away from my body...but the heart beats are bothering me.

 

Anyone have advice on what to do for the strong heart beats at night (palpitations)? Also wondering if my high intensity workout yesterday afternoon had anything to do with not sleeping last night. So many questions...

Hi gxs.  Glad to hear that you are able to sleep and that you feel you might be improving.  As for matters of the heart and palpitations, I would see your doctor. He may wish to discuss beta blockers with you or perhaps something else.  Or if you feel it is diminishing and if a cardiologist thinks they are not dangerous, you could always try to gut it out.  I was offered beta blockers after I got elevated BP a couple months after taper but I decided light exercise and diet would be best for my situation.  You can discuss with your physician what your best options might be.  I would try to go easy on the "high intensity" work outs for a while and until you have seen a doctor.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

Hi gxs.  Glad to hear that you are able to sleep and that you feel you might be improving.  As for matters of the heart and palpitations, I would see your doctor. He may wish to discuss beta blockers with you or perhaps something else.  Or if you feel it is diminishing and if a cardiologist thinks they are not dangerous, you could always try to gut it out.  I was offered beta blockers after I got elevated BP a couple months after taper but I decided light exercise and diet would be best for my situation.  You can discuss with your physician what your best options might be.  I would try to go easy on the "high intensity" work outs for a while and until you have seen a doctor.

 

Best,

 

Vertigo

 

Vertigo...thanks for the advice. I will probably try to gut it out at this point. I would rather not start any new meds at this point and I did have a general physical, ekg, and heart stress test 2 weeks before I stopped clonzepam and everything was normal. I think I am just freaked out by the sx's I am having and not sleeping last night didn't help. However, if this goes on too long I will go back and talk with the dr.

 

Encouragement is always appreciated. Thanks-

there is help in the anxiety section about morning anxiety.  A snack next to your bed might help upon waking, high protein.  I found exercise helped with that when I was getting off another drug.

there is help in the anxiety section about morning anxiety.  A snack next to your bed might help upon waking, high protein.  I found exercise helped with that when I was getting off another drug.

 

I think exercise is great.  I was suggesting that GXS maybe do less intense workouts to start, particularly while having the palpitations in acute withdrawal the first few months off.  I overdid an exercise program at one point in my first year off.  I gradually increased the cardiovascular and weights but I think I increased the weights a little too quickly and had a few issues.  Also, one can monitor one's blood pressure at home or at a local drug store too.  It sounds like you had the ekg and check up not too long ago.  If the palpitations continue, it's not a bad idea to get another check, perhaps by a cardiologist, up to you.  Sometimes an ekg is not as informative as some other tests.  I think that newscaster from Meet the Press, Tim Russert died at 58 of a heart attack and reportedly had had an ekg or some other heart test more recently.

 

Vertigo

 

 

Mellowing out the exercise program seems to be something a lot of people need to do in w/d.

 

It sounds to me like you're doing okay.  Given your history, I think if you just hang in there you're going to recover just fine.  If it were me I wouldn't reinstate or take another benzo.  (Ever again, probably.)

 

Don't be worried if it takes a few months to feel better.  That's pretty normal.

 

I'd stay away from the alcohol for now.  Give it some time.  Beer will still be there in six months. 

Mellowing out the exercise program seems to be something a lot of people need to do in w/d.

 

It sounds to me like you're doing okay.  Given your history, I think if you just hang in there you're going to recover just fine.  If it were me I wouldn't reinstate or take another benzo.  (Ever again, probably.)

 

Don't be worried if it takes a few months to feel better.  That's pretty normal.

 

I'd stay away from the alcohol for now.  Give it some time.  Beer will still be there in six months. 

 

Thanks for the encouragement Prhiannon-  beer and coffee...guess I just need to be patient then. Monday and Tuesday of this week were good days, Wednesday not so much, but today was better again. Hopefully these are windows and a sign of a speedy healing?