been tapering Clonazepam

I've been on Clonazepam for about 8 or 9 months now and have been tapering from 4mg down to .5 mg. Sometimes I won't take it for about 4 days and just feel a little irritated or anxious and maybe fast hartbeat and hard to sleep but nothing completely horrid yet. So my question is is it possible I'm just not going to experience horrid withdrawal? Today is day 4 without it and don't really feel any withdrawal at all. Anyone know?

Hi Uppredecker,

 

Welcome to BenzoBuddies.

 

For how long have you been tapering? You've dome well to taper down so far. What dosage are your tablets? The 0.5mg tablets are better for manageing a taper as we can make smaller cuts.

 

The end part of the taper can be the toughest to manage with these small potent pills - I was on Klonopin too. If you need to make smaller cuts than you can manage with these tablets, you might want to look at our titration method: http://www.benzobuddies.org/forum/titration-tapers/titration-instructions!/msg55024/#msg55024 I will attempt to rewrite the instructions soon, so that they are easier to follow. At its heart though is that it simply allows you take make very small cuts to your pills.

 

Take care.

I have been tapering for a bout a month, mabye more. I've been only taking the medication for maybe 8 or 9 months. I also forgot to add that sadly I'm one of the people that abuse this drug sometimes, even though I am prescribed it for anxiety, I still abuse it sometimes. So since I'v tapered down in about a months time or maybe more from 3mg to .5mg, I was definitely feeling some sort of withdrawal during the tapering but now that I haven't taken it for 4 days there still isn't any withdrawal (just minor symptoms). I might get a nervous shake somewhere on my body, feel really anxious, fast heart beet, or insomnia but I have been able to handle it. So now sometimes I won't take it for 4 days and don't feel too bad. So I'm basically asking does this mean that the withdrawal I'm experiencing  is as bad is its gonna get or does the real withdrawal not take effect until maybe 2 weeks or so after not taking it? Cause I thought the withdrawal was supposed to take effect directly after not using the medication.

There is no way of knowing for sure how long you will experince these withdrawal effects. The fact that you've witgdrawn from a high dose in such a short period (and largely been OK) suggests that it should not take long for you. However, you have been experincing more problems with very low doses from the sounds oof it, so maybe you should try stabilising on small dose, for a week say, and then making a more controlled taper from there. It can be tricky managing the final stage of withdrawal with a potent benzo such as Klonopin. If you cannot make small enough cuts, we can help you with that.

There is no way of knowing for sure how long you will experince these withdrawal effects. The fact that you've witgdrawn from a high dose in such a short period (and largely been OK) suggests that it should not take long for you. However, you have been experincing more problems with very low doses from the sounds oof it, so maybe you should try stabilising on small dose, for a week say, and then making a more controlled taper from there. It can be tricky managing the final stage of withdrawal with a potent benzo such as Klonopin. If you cannot make small enough cuts, we can help you with that.

 

Ok, how bout I'll say it like this? Could these tiny withdrawal symptoms be all I will have or will they just get worse over time?

You may well experience up and downs, but the trend should be towards recovery over time. It would seem that you are more able to tolerate benzodiazepine withdrawal than most here, but that may be because you were taking for less time than most of our members. I think the chances are that you will recover pretty soon. However long it takes, I'm positive you will recover.

You may well experience up and downs, but the trend should be towards recovery over time. It would seem that you are more able to tolerate benzodiazepine withdrawal than most here, but that may be because you were taking for less time than most of our members. I think the chances are that you will recover pretty soon. However long it takes, I'm positive you will recover.

 

But is it a good sign that after 4 days that I'm still feeling reasonably good? Or has the withdrawal just not started yet. I thought withdrawal was supposed to start during the tapering process and then really start when your fully off it. I just wanna know when you start feeling withdrawal after being completely off the medicine.

It's more the act that you've managed to taper off over the period of a month that impresses me. There can be all sorts of ups and downs with benzodiazepine withdrawal, so four days doesn't say as much as that month. Withdrawal effects are experienced when medication is withdrawn faster than our bodies can adjust. It appears that you can adjust much quicker than I did with my six month taper from 4.5mg of Klonopin. Even then, I was ill for a long time afterwards. I had been on benzos for far longer than you though, and there is huge variability anyway.

 

You are withdrawing from benzos by tapering. Withdrawal effects are experienced when you taper too quickly. Withdrawal effects can drag on for some time after your last dose, but if you have experienced few difficulties during the withdrawal, you are very likely to be fine and very soon.

It's more the act that you've managed to taper off over the period of a month that impresses me. There can be all sorts of ups and downs with benzodiazepine withdrawal, so four days doesn't say as much as that month. Withdrawal effects are experienced when medication is withdrawn faster than our bodies can adjust. It appears that you can adjust much quicker than I did with my six month taper from 4.5mg of Klonopin. Even then, I was ill for a long time afterwards. I had been on benzos for far longer than you though, and there is huge variability anyway.

 

You are withdrawing from benzos by tapering. Withdrawal effects are experienced when you taper too quickly. Withdrawal effects can drag on for some time after your last dose, but if you have experienced few difficulties during the withdrawal, you are very likely to be fine and very soon.

 

I hope so. Another question, how long after your last dose of a benzo will you feel these withdrawals?

It is a 'how long's a piece of string' type question - it's anyone's guess! However, the chances are that you will be fine very soon simply because you have managed to taper so quickly and with few ill effects.

 

I'm still unsure of your situation: have you totally quit; are you on 0.5mg; or are you mostly off but taking the occasional tablet? I recommend that you either stay off, or taper the final tablet. I don't think it's very good idea to be taking the occasional tablet, as that can lead to more frequent use, and/or you becoming more dependant and experiencing a tougher time withdrawing.

It is a 'how long's a piece of string' type question - it's anyone's guess! However, the chances are that you will be fine very soon simply because you have managed to taper so quickly and with few ill effects.

 

I'm still unsure of your situation: have you totally quit; are you on 0.5mg; or are you mostly off but taking the occasional tablet? I recommend that you either stay off, or taper the final tablet. I don't think it's very good idea to be taking the occasional tablet, as that can lead to more frequent use, and/or you becoming more dependant and experiencing a tougher time withdrawing.

 

Well here's the thing. I've got down to .5 - 1mg for about 2 weeks. Then I tried to quit all together and had some side effects. After that I stayed on 1mg for another week and then tried to quit again. Another thing that im not proud of is occasionally i abuse the medication maybe taking 8 mg at once. Anyway so as of lately i might take 6mg at once and then not take any for 4 or 5 days while not feeling bad, then I'd take something around 8 mg at once for recreation value and then not take any for about 4 or 5 days. Thats what I've been doing. Now I'm pretty sure this medicine is out of your system like the next day so I don't think taking 8mg at once would have anything to do with why I'm not feeling withdrawal (bad withdrawal) 4 days after.

Hi,

 

I think you need to get on stable dose for short while, then taper off. If you are not dependant, why do you suddenly take a whole load of these tablets? Obviously, that is addictive behaviour, but I don't tend to make great distinctions between dependency and addiction - others do though!

 

You will have plenty of Clonazepam in your system after one day; especially with such a high dose. Read this to get an idea of how much remains in your system and for how long. I've made the calculation, and for Clonazepam, it's between 40 and 71% after 24 hours! Because it takes some time to build up levels in our system, a one off dose does not result in the same blood levels as someone who takes the same dose regularly. Still, I expect that you would have pretty high blood levels even after a one-off dose of that quantity. After one week, your blood levels will have dropped to between 0.15% and 9.7%. It can take some considerable time for all the benzo to be gone from your system. The chances are that it be very tiny after one week, but after 24 hours you will still have a very significant amount of Clonazepam in your system as it is metabolised fairly slowly.

Hi,

 

I think you need to get on stable dose for short while, then taper off. If you are not dependant, why do you suddenly take a whole load of these tablets? Obviously, that is addictive behaviour, but I don't tend to make great distinctions between dependency and addiction - others do though!

 

You will have plenty of Clonazepam in your system after one day; especially with such a high dose. Read this to get an idea of how much remains in your system and for how long. I've made the calculation, and for Clonazepam, it's between 40 and 71% after 24 hours! Because it takes some time to build up levels in our system, a one off dose does not result in the same blood levels as someone who takes the same dose regularly. Still, I expect that you would have pretty high blood levels even after a one-off dose of that quantity. After one week, your blood levels will have dropped to between 0.15% and 9.7%. It can take some considerable time for all the benzo to be gone from your system. The chances are that it be very tiny after one week, but after 24 hours you will still have a very significant amount of Clonazepam in your system as it is metabolised fairly slowly.

 

So your saying that I've just fooled myself by thinking it was out of my system after not taking it for 4 days? So that I will infact probably get a considerate amount of withdrawal?

I'm just saying that it sticks around for longer than you think. My guess is that you are experiencing withdrawal because you feel the urge to suddenly abandon being benzo-free and taking a rake of tablets. I guess that maybe there is a greater difference between addiction and dependency that I acknowledged in my last post, as you appear reasonably free of benzos and withdrawal symptoms, and then you suddenly take a large dose. The problem is that I can only speak from my own experience and perspective - I always took my benzos as prescribed. I experienced terrible withdrawal effects, but I was never tempted to then take a load of the tablets. I suppose that we are on some kind of spectrum for how react to a benzo-withdrawal.

 

I'm finding it difficult to understand what it is you are experiencing. But, there is no reason why I should either.

 

What makes you suddenly take these pills after four days of being off?

I'm just saying that it sticks around for longer than you think. My guess is that you are experiencing withdrawal because you feel the urge to suddenly abandon being benzo-free and taking a rake of tablets. I guess that maybe there is a greater difference between addiction and dependency that I acknowledged in my last post, as you appear reasonably free of benzos and withdrawal symptoms, and then you suddenly take a large dose. The problem is that I can only speak from my own experience and perspective - I always took my benzos as prescribed. I experienced terrible withdrawal effects, but I was never tempted to then take a load of the tablets. I suppose that we are on some kind of spectrum for how react to a benzo-withdrawal.

 

I'm finding it difficult to understand what it is you are experiencing. But, there is no reason why I should either.

 

What makes you suddenly take these pills after four days of being off?

 

Just to get a buzz off em. I just hope that I don't experience bad withdrawal when I finally stop.

Hi, upperdecker,

 

I too was on Klonopin--it's a nasty benzo for most people to get off of.

 

Playing with benzos is a huge gamble. Some people don't have any w/d, some people have w/d for about a week, and others are left to suffer for months with debilitating symptoms. There's no way to tell what category you're going to be in, especially because your benzo dose is not stable.

 

Have you really made up your mind to get off benzos? Perhaps that's the best place to begin. It sounds like you may be struggling between wanting to get off and wanting the "buzz" as you describe it. Getting off benzos requires a great deal of perseverance, so you have to really, really want to get off the drug in order to be successful. If you do find yourself caught as I described, perhaps a counselor would be of some help to you?

 

Therese

Hi, upperdecker,

 

I too was on Klonopin--it's a nasty benzo for most people to get off of.

 

Playing with benzos is a huge gamble. Some people don't have any w/d, some people have w/d for about a week, and others are left to suffer for months with debilitating symptoms. There's no way to tell what category you're going to be in, especially because your benzo dose is not stable.

 

Have you really made up your mind to get off benzos? Perhaps that's the best place to begin. It sounds like you may be struggling between wanting to get off and wanting the "buzz" as you describe it. Getting off benzos requires a great deal of perseverance, so you have to really, really want to get off the drug in order to be successful. If you do find yourself caught as I described, perhaps a counselor would be of some help to you?

 

Therese

 

What I've been doing is taking maybe like 8 at a time and get a small buzz and then not take any for like 4 or 5 days. Sometimes instead of taking a huge amount like 8 at a time after 4 days, I'll just take 1. I'm pretty good at quitting smoking. Although I've been off and on for years, I can quit pretty much like that.

I think you should rethink what you are doing here.  You are playing with fire. Read the other posts on this forum and see what kind of hell people are going through from benzos.  Then ask yourself is it really worth the cheap buzz?  Don't screw around with your brain chemistry.

 

Try going two or three weeks without it and see if it's not causing probems... you are fooling yourself.

 

elwood

Hi Upperdecker,

 

  Please, Please listen to Elwood, Colin and Therese.  I don't know how old you are, but am going to assume that you are youngish (compared to me anyway).  Ask yourself if you really want to ruin your health, your brain and your body, just for a low buzz.  For God's sake, get yourself on a strict taper and don't look back.  Go and read my blog and see what three years of prescribed 5 mg of valium have done to me.

 

  I don't mean to sound harsh or mean, just concerned about what you are doing to yourself.  I wish you the best success in getting off your benzo.

 

XXXXChristine/BlueMoth   

I'm pretty good at quitting smoking. Although I've been off and on for years, I can quit pretty much like that.

 

Upperdecker,

 

Quitting smoking has nothing on quitting benzos. In fact, I know of two people who have also been on cocaine in addition to benzos, and they said that it was much easier to get off of cocaine. Benzos are serious stuff. Please give this some serious thought.

 

Therese

But do you think my withdrawal won't be so bad cause the tapering wasn't bad at all.

When you tapered, did you stick to the dose you were on, or did you continue to take large amounts of the pill on occasion? If you're dosing erratically like that, it's difficult to assess the true state of your system.

 

If you want to see the true state of your body, then you need to stick to the same dose of benzo each day. I would pick a dose, then take that every day for a week--no "updosing," as we call it--then cut the dose again. Continue tapering in this manner, cutting every week, until you're down to 0. A couple of weeks after you're off, you should be able to see what the state of your system is. Even so, if you finish this taper without symptoms but then go back on the drug, you can become dependent. It's like someone who's drinking a lot of alcohol. He might be able to stop by drinking less and less over a period of weeks, but if afterwards he goes back to drinking, he may still become an alcoholic. Benzos work just like alcohol.

 

In short, there's absolutely no way to know how your withdrawal will be until you actually go through it.

 

Therese

When you tapered, did you stick to the dose you were on, or did you continue to take large amounts of the pill on occasion? If you're dosing erratically like that, it's difficult to assess the true state of your system.

 

If you want to see the true state of your body, then you need to stick to the same dose of benzo each day. I would pick a dose, then take that every day for a week--no "updosing," as we call it--then cut the dose again. Continue tapering in this manner, cutting every week, until you're down to 0. A couple of weeks after you're off, you should be able to see what the state of your system is. Even so, if you finish this taper without symptoms but then go back on the drug, you can become dependent. It's like someone who's drinking a lot of alcohol. He might be able to stop by drinking less and less over a period of weeks, but if afterwards he goes back to drinking, he may still become an alcoholic. Benzos work just like alcohol.

 

In short, there's absolutely no way to know how your withdrawal will be until you actually go through it.

 

Therese

 

Well, I went from 3mg down to .5 to 1mg without "updosing". I went down from 3mg to .5 in about 2 or 3 weeks and had no bad withdrawal. I just recently have been taking a boat load at once to get a buzz which is stupid. So, is no withdrawal during the tapering period where I didn't updose a good sign?

Nobody can answer that question because nobody knows the right answer, I took Xanax 4 or 5 times in 2 week blocks with no problems, stopped and had no w/ds. Then I took it for another 2 week block and got destroyed by withdrawal symptoms, went absolutely bonkers. Some people take it months at a time and experience less symptoms than I experienced so who Knows?

Yes, it's a good sign that you're not dependent *now*. But like Bobers said, that can change at any time, especially if you've started abusing the drug. Count yourself lucky and PLEASE kick this poison now so you don't have to pay for it later.

 

Therese