Questions about tapering schedule,

Hello every one, i am new to this forum and this is my first post here. I really dig all of the info that is provided for everyone im very glad i found this place and i think i did it just in time, i have a few questions about benzo tapering, but i guess you need my story for that.

 

I am 22 years old, i have been prescribed clonazepam for a bit over 2 years at 2mg`s per day, It was not long before i started feeling very very nervous, shaky and pretty much craving the hell out of the little pill soon, i read a a lot about addiction but was horrified about the seizure stories, i tried to quit but i didnt, i was not ready like i am now. In the last 2 years i have never exceeded 2mg`s a night but please keep in mind i had two pills every night for 2 years, I have run completley out of meds and have to see a doctor tomorrow i have been without my meds for a few days now and i cant take it, im scared to death i wont be able to get into the doc tomorrow and will have another few days of pure hell. :'( lol.

 

I was reading alot and found some great guides about switching to diazepam to taper with and im unsure if i should tell my doc i am having withdraw/"break through" symptoms, but im sure he will think im on drugs by the way i shake and twitch should i just tell him i want to switch to diazepam and just tell him i have read alot about it and think it will be best for long term use that he has me on, or should i print the info out and take it with me, please keep in mind the doctors in my area are very close minded and if i tell them im withdrawing badly they will make me go cold turkey or but me on somethign like trazadone for sleep and thats all.

 

Should i just tell him that im fine on the clonazepam and just do my own taper deal, like 1/2 a milligram a week or so? or should i do it nice and slow with diazepam?

 

im really just at a loss guys and really would love some advice, i know its just 2mg`s but the anxious feelings and shaking hands, what feels like a racing heart, sweating, off vision, and just not feeling to sharp upstairs, is really getting un-bearable and im horrified of a seizure, i have 2mg`s of alprazolam i was gifted to ease the sick feelings and i saved them so i have those if it gets too bad,

 

sorry for such a long winded first post but, i really appreciate any help in advance and look forward to beating this thing for good.

Hi BranJ

 

Welcome to BB, I"m glad you found us. First of all, you say you only on 2mg klonopin. Well, 2mg is a lot!! Nothing to sneeze at. It's valium equivelency for the purposes of tapering is 40mg!

If you are here in the States, you may have trouble getting a doctor to cross you over. They seem to look at valium as a bad drug. Not all, but a lot. If you feel he may balk at this, or balk at your taper plan, it might just be best to keep it to yourself and get your refills. How many days is it exactly since your last dose? YOu real need to make sure you get a refill today. We can talk about methods once you do this. It is possible to direct taper from Klon, I did it. You can also do a liquid titration which allows for much smaller cuts.

 

A 1/2mg cut is way to much. We suggest at the very least, an 1/8th of a mg cut. This would be 1/4 pill of a 0/5mg pill. Do you think you can get 0.5mg pills. This would simplify your taper.

Let us know what you get today and then we will work with you.

 

Here is a summary of the different methods we recommend. If you do talk to your doc, maybe this would be better to share with him than the Ashton manual. Somoe doctors get overwhelmed with that!   

http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide/methods

 

TC,

Linda

     

Hi BranJ

 

Welcome to BB, I"m glad you found us. First of all, you say you only on 2mg klonopin. Well, 2mg is a lot!! Nothing to sneeze at. It's valium equivelency for the purposes of tapering is 40mg!

If you are here in the States, you may have trouble getting a doctor to cross you over. They seem to look at valium as a bad drug. Not all, but a lot. If you feel he may balk at this, or balk at your taper plan, it might just be best to keep it to yourself and get your refills. How many days is it exactly since your last dose? YOu real need to make sure you get a refill today. We can talk about methods once you do this. It is possible to direct taper from Klon, I did it. You can also do a liquid titration which allows for much smaller cuts.

 

A 1/2mg cut is way to much. We suggest at the very least, an 1/8th of a mg cut. This would be 1/4 pill of a 0/5mg pill. Do you think you can get 0.5mg pills. This would simplify your taper.

Let us know what you get today and then we will work with you.

 

Here is a summary of the different methods we recommend. If you do talk to your doc, maybe this would be better to share with him than the Ashton manual. Somoe doctors get overwhelmed with that!   

http://www.benzobuddies.org/buddiesguide/methods

 

TC,

Linda

     

 

Thank you very much for the info!

Yes i am in the states, and my last dose was thursday, sine thursday i have had some alprazolam to try and fight the withdraw effects, it has not helped in the slightest really. I am doing everything in my power to get into the doctors office today and get another few months supply, Im going to keep the tapering to my self, i feel better keeping it my own business. There is a decent chance i wont get into the doctor today at all though but may be able to get him to call in another months worth of these things without too much hassle, i mean he has me on them and must know you cant just stop taking them or go without them.

 

but again thank you for the info and suggestions, and everything  will report bak to you guys when something happens on some more medication and we can go from there, thanks for the help, im feeling a lot better knowing im not the only one who feels this way when  have no meds.

 

And im sorry if i posted this in the wrong section.

Many doctors don't realize you can't just CT benzos. Believe it or not!

 

I will move your thread to "welcome to the forum". Once you get your refill, you will want to get back stable on a regular dose. This might take a couple of weeks. When you are ready to begin tapering you can start a new thread in "planning your taper".

 

IN the meantime, you can hang out here and ask any questions!

Hi Banj,

 

This sounds alot like my story. 

 

I would get those pills however you can to fight off the onslaught of withdrawal, even if it meant going to the ER and explaining your situation to an ER doc.  I went about 7 days without the pills on my last C/T and it wasn't fun at all.  When you do get your supply back, just start getting your original dose back in your body and give yourself some time to stabilize.  Might take a bit but you should get some relief. 

 

Dan

hey thanks alot man,

 

There was no hope of getting any meds today, i cant get into the doctors until july 8th, i called my doctor today and requested a re-fill but they never called me back or called anything in for me.

 

so its looking like im going to have to wait until july 8th and to do my best to make it on the 2mg`s of alprazolam i have

 

withdraws are not horrible right now, but it is still a few hours away from the time i usualy dosed at so it will be alot worse soon,

 

im just trying my best to stay positive and keep mind over matter.

 

a good friend gets sixty mg`s a month and said she would gadly give me 30 of them as long as i can have mine filled within a week and give them back, so if that works out, i should be back on track on track and out of sever withdraw by the 27, then i will go back to my 2mg a day dose for a week or two or three and slowly begin to come down. thanks for all of the info everyone and thanks for the quick reply`s you guys seem to know your stuff more so than my doc. and i appreciate ALL the advice

Hi, I would do my best to get something. 2mg klon is just too much to CT from. It just concerns me. Try to get something until you can see your doc. Or try and call them again for a refill. Keep bugging them.

Thanks eljay, i pretty much called and bugged them all day and left messages explaining i was having some bad panic/anxiety attacks, i called like 6 times lol.

 

at the same time i had my mother calling, trying to get me in, i explained to her out and i was having bad panic attacks and had been out since thursday, she was able to get 8 .5 mg clonazepams from her mother, i had no idea she toom the same meds, almost scares me but my mom told me she never takes them and always has lots left over from last months and what not, i felt very very greasy taking pills from my mother she had gotten from my grandmother.

 

around 730 pm the doctors office calls me and say they have called in 47 mg`s of clonazepam to hold me over until i can get in, which will cover me easy, im going to give the .5`s back to my mother. im just getting settled in for a long challenging ride and staying positive, im sure i can do it, and im going to settle for about a week on 2 mg`s a day and if i feel i can taper by 1/6-1/8 of a `mg tablet every two or three weeks,

 

thanks so much everyone who has shown support, and tanks for the positive vibes, i cant believe i ended up with a nice stock pile to do this on,

 

just knowing i had them waiting at the pharmacy took the edge off a decent bit.

 

-bj

BJ -

 

That's great news.  Don't worry about needing them from your grandmother - these pills are a killer.

 

Stick to the forum if you can.  Having somebody to talk to (at all hours of the day and night) has been incredibly helpful to me over the last 8 months.  You'll get there.

 

Dan

Hi Bran, I'm sorry I didn't see your post earlier, I've been on vacation and I'm trying to catch up.  C/T is a horrible way to go and I'm so glad you were able to reinstate.  If you ever run out of pills again something you can do is call the pharmacy and most will give you about a weeks worth to hold you over until you can get to the dr. 

 

I was on Klono myself and ct'ed off them, it was beyond horrible so stick with your taper schedule and the forum for support, you will get through this.  It's well worth it to be off this drug, it will steal your life.

 

Ts

Thanks for showing such support guys and gals!

 

but i had a question about tapering, so i figured i would just stick with this thread, i dont want to clutter your guys wonderful forum.

 

i have been back on the 2mg dose for the second night now, i was without it for 3-4 days and it seems my tolerence to the drug has dropped a good bit,

it feels like their doing the job and then some, like that goofy feeling you kind of got when you first sarted taking them, i have never abused my pills for recreational use but the only way to describe it really is a bit of a "buzz" i hope that makes sense, i was wondering if it would be proper to try and take a small cut and see what happens, i mean it cant hurt right, i can try it for atleast a few days if i cant cut just yet and the clonazepam is tricking me i can go back to 2mg. i know its not good to fluctuate like that and i need to be steady, but i really feel i could handle a 1/8 or 1/6 or maybe a 1/4 of a mg cut, is that a good idea or a bad idea?

 

im really feeling like i can handle it, i just dont want to fluctuate and it have adverse effects im unaware of, thanks again for all of the info and help guys, the forum helps a ton and i plan on sticking around, even when im clean, i would do anything to help someone in my situation and i know thats where you guys are coming from.

 

I read in some of your guy`s sig`s you have listed how you have tapered and being clean, and very very low doses and congrats to all of you guys , I know it was not easy,

Hi Branj,

 

I think you should be fine with an initial 1/4mg cut. This amounts to 12.5%. You may even be able to make another one in a week or so if you are feeling ok. 

I agree with everything I have read. You are so brave and taking all the right decisions. I am in the UK with a very sympathetic doctor. I tried to go Cold Turkey (from Lorazepam 1mg and 20 mg temazepam). I know the meds are different but the effect viz withdrawal are the same. It sounds like your gran was keeping them for very occasional use - which is really OK - it is continued use which is the problem. You need to get up to the original dose as fast as you can. For a few days you will still feel a bit shaky (sorry) but once you start tapering (and after two years in my opinion you SHOULD do this really gradually....even staying at the same amount for an extra week occasionally if you don't feel OK).

 

I have no history of drugs or alcohol I took these drugs to get through chemotherapy (finished now). I was very arrogant and ignorant (I am much older than you). You are doing everything which is right and I am so pleased you have told your mum and gran and have a friend in a similar situation. You will be free of these soon - and the panic is caused by the withdrawal, I promise you. It is not the original problem coming back.