Klonopin withdrawal/ heart palpitations and arythmia/ severe dizzyness

Hello everyone, I've posted a couple times on here about this kind of thing but I'd like to ask once more and try to be a bit more in detail. Two weeks ago I got off clonazapam after about 7 years (give or take) never on a high dose. (been on .5mg for awhile) I stopped takign it for about 4 days and then decided to start tapering again due to severe symptoms. (started taking a quarter of a .5 pill daily) I've been back on my clonazepam for about a week now but I still am having these really scary symptoms. Wondering if anyone else has experienced them

 

I notice it most at night when lying down in bed and my eyes are closed. I get very short of breath and I get these sudden feelings of extreme light headed/dizzy feeling for about a second or two and then it goes away, and then repeats itself until I go to bed pretty much. It comes and goes every few minutes or sometimes it will go away for 10-15 minutes. I've also noticed heart palpitations at night and now even during the day. I know my heart is skipping, I'm almost positive it is arythmia.

 

I'm extremely worried that the heart palpitations along with the arthymia is causing these sudden light headed  feelings, It's almost like a fallling sensation. Some are worse than others, on rare occasions I have to actually sit up and gasp for breathe. The shortness of breathe that comes with it is really weird feeling, almost like im to tired to take a breathe or I have to think about breathing. I have not fainted from this but it is a very faint like feeling when it does happen for those quick moments.

 

I do have severe anxiety and went to the doctor today and got some blood work done along with an ekg. Still waiting on results. Should I be worried? My parents don't think I should get more medical attention but it's getting so bad I'm afraid to sleep at night. Even during the day I find myself really short of breathe.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

 

I have experienced the same symptoms.  I have had EKGs, Stress Test, and CT of my coronary arteries.  All tests have come back negative.  The Stress Test did pick up a PVC, which i was told is benign.  I jumped from 0.25 mg of K per day because I was in jail for 3 days.  Since i've been off the K, my palpitations are worse.  but i'm alive.  hang in there!

Thanks for your response. Glad I'm not the only one.

Gokuforpresident77, you didn't say what time of day you are taking your dose.  If it is in the morning, what you are experiencing in the evenings might be intra-dose withdrawal.

 

I'm also on 0.5mg clonazapam, now tapered to half a tablet at bedtime.  I have moderate atakhisia and mild tremor during the day as the dose wears off.  In fact, as I've been tapering I notice the withdrawal symptoms start earlier in the day, though they are not as severe as when I was taking the full dose.

 

 

My sleeping schedule is all crazy but Ive been taking it normally anywhere from 2pm-4pm. I can't sleep at night so I end up falling asleep normally around 6 am lately. And waking up a few hours later :/

This it by far my worst symptom as well. Three weeks off klnopin this far. I take a small dose of atenolol three times per day. 12.5 mg hang  in there.

Shortness of breath and heart palpitations are some of my worst symptoms, as well. I'm wearing a Holter monitor right now to diagnose the arrhythmias, but I'm almost certain they are "just" PVC's." They are frightening as anything, but if they are only happening occasionally then they are not harmful.

 

Some supplements I've found to be helpful in managing the arrhythmias include Magnesium Taurate, Taurine, CoQ10, fish oils, and solid extract of Hawthorne. I add the latter to my water bottle and sip on it all day. Sounds like a lot of stuff, but this combination reduced my PVC's from multiple times per day down to just once every few days.

 

Another thing I just thought of that would be helpful is a tincture of the herb Leonorus (Motherwort) if you can find it. Great for palpitations associated with anxiety. Best of luck to you!!