clonazepam withdrawal
I feel like I'm going crazy... what is the best way to get off this drug. What can help with the horrible side effects. Sweating, on going panic attacks, headaches, sinus pressure,feeling loss of coordination, easily startled, pounding burning heart.Barely leave my house, having a hard time functioning. Feel best in my bed. I'm 16 days into a wean..taking .5mgs 2x a day. I was taking up to 3 mgs a day for 4 years.
This is my third time. first taken off cold turkey, put back on.Then was weaned too fast. put back on .
Now the plan is .5 mgs 2x aday for 4 wks, then .5 for 4 weeks then, ..5 every other day for 2 weeks. I feel horrible now.. how can this wean work? Plus I have no dr. The one who put me on this schedule i met at the hospital, the only way I can see him is to attend out patient substance abuse programs . The other dr in my area wants to put me on depakote to detx for a few days in the hospital.This is no way to live.
This is my third time. first taken off cold turkey, put back on.Then was weaned too fast. put back on .
Now the plan is .5 mgs 2x aday for 4 wks, then .5 for 4 weeks then, ..5 every other day for 2 weeks. I feel horrible now.. how can this wean work? Plus I have no dr. The one who put me on this schedule i met at the hospital, the only way I can see him is to attend out patient substance abuse programs . The other dr in my area wants to put me on depakote to detx for a few days in the hospital.This is no way to live.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Asheville_Dude on -
Hello. A timely reply to this comment would be greatly appreciated! Hopefully there is someone out there who can provide a little insight on an issue I'm having. I started taking Clonazepam a little over 2 yrs ago. The doc put me on it to prevent panic attacks, which I've only had two of in the past 25yrs. They also prescribed Fluovoxamine 2 x 100mg (generic of Luvox, I believe) to synergize the effect of the former. I've been in situations where I'll travel to see family, notice I forgot my medicine, and I would start having ridiculously painful headaches, nausea, etc. until I finally got home, took some pills, and slept until they took effect. I didn't like the feeling of being dependent, so I started weening off gradually. This has worked relatively well. However, I just moved from Illinois to North Carolina in early August. I've started getting what the doctor thinks are migraines. I've never had a headache before in 25yrs, so I didn't really believe that. I told him I've been weening off meds & that could likely be the cause of the headaches.
***** What I just now figured out (thanks to this and many other posts) is that about 20 days ago, about the same time I ran out of my Clonazepam, I started experiencing the severe headaches. For some reason, I had always thought there were no withdrawal symptoms, so I just quit cold turkey. I was only taking 1mg, so I'm not sure if my theory makes sense, which is why I'm asking *** you ***. Now that I read how Cloazepam has withdrawal (often severe) symptoms, of course I'm thinking this may be the direct cause of these incredibly painful headaches I cannot get rid of. Please help me confirm my theory - does it make sense that my headaches started about the same time I ran out of pills (20 days ago) - seems to me this makes sense. The headaches are practically nonstop, coupled with very sensitive hearing. I'm going to the doc the minute I wake up to get a refill. However, given that I've already been off of them for 20 days, what is the best way to get back on just enough to stop the headaches (I had been taking 1mg once a day for >2yrs) but at the same time somehow ween off of them completely without all the debilitating headaches??? I would greatly, greatly appreciate any help that anyone could provide me with. Thank you very much, & I really hope I finally figured out what's been causing all this pain.
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Permalink Reply by Searching57 on
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Hi there. I'm new to this, so please bear with me... and thanks. I was on Clonazepam for 20 years, and was prescribed this med. for a sleep disorder. I believe it was the beginning of depression for me (the sleep disorder), but that's irrelevant right now. Even though I had used this med for 20 years, I was only up to 1 mg. per day, before bedtime. This past July, I told the psychiatric nurse (aka "the pill lady" because that's all she does) that I wanted to try to stop taking the Clonazepam because I just never felt "good". Well, little did I know that I DID feel good, compared to what I'm feeling now. ..... She advised me to just go off of the Clonazapem and switch to Lorazepam. My tapering was not monitored at all and I did not realize that there was specific tapering schedules to follow. She made it sound easy, that I could slow down in a couple of days and then just start taking the Lorazapam. If I had a problem, she said, I could just take a little more of the Lorazepam to ease any symptoms, but that I should be fine.... well, I have not been fine since. I have felt like hell ever since and went back to tell her and she said "Oh, I'm sorry".. what??? I have had bags under my eyes every day since the day I "switched" and I have to drag myself out of bed every single day. I never ever feel anything close to "good" anymore. The nurse said I just have to deal with it until I "feel better". I just want to stay in bed or put myself somewhere. I am ready to write a letter to my primary doctor to ask for help - she's too hard to reach on the phone. I cannot feel like this anymore, like I'm a zombie. Has anyone else switched from clonazapem to Lorazepam??
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Permalink Reply by hot and sweaty on -
Hey dude I can relate. I've been on 2mg/day for years and my new psychiatrist said I should taper down. 1.5 for 3 weeks and 1 for 3 weeks. I've sweating like never before and have terrible headaches. I've had panic attacks and a rapid heart beat most of the time. It's nice to know where those symptoms come from.
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Permalink Reply by Makingitthrough on
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Help me out guys it you can. I have been struggling pretty bad with this I was on 8 Mgs of Konopin a day for around 2 years. I weaned completely off it in around 2 months. In fact I havent taken any in about a week and 1/2. It has in fact been the hardest thing I think I have ever done in my life. I keep holding onto the idea that tommorow I will feel normal again, but then the next day comes and it is about the same. Sometimes I even get it in my head that maybe I am just the type of person that needs to on this for the rest of my life. Its a scary thought, but when I was on it, I never felt as bad as I do now. U name it I have it. A feeling of psychosis, restless, sweats, muscle twitching, headaches, not able to put full sentences together without pausing throughout, UN-reality feeling, blurred vision, lethargy. I can't stand it, not sucidal just feel like it won't even come to an end. People around me say that they can see me getting better, but I don't really. Throughout the day I feel decent maybe 60-70 % of the time but that other 30-40 % is a nightmare. It seems to come on it waves and last night was the worst wave that I have had. Immediately I had a racing heart, full blown panic attack with an alternated perception, uncontrollable sweats and twitches with dizziness. It even felt strange to be on the phone with a longtime friend of mine. I have a Dr's apppointment Wednesday thank god, do you guys have any suggestions? Sometimes I just need to hear that I am not out the ordinary in my feelings. Any tips or tricks to help me through this? B12 maybe? Oh and I am also on Ambien for insomnia which makes me not able to wake up. :(
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Permalink Reply by Searching57 on
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Hey there, Makingitthrough,
I feel much the same as you do. I had replied above, so you can read the background.
I am also on ambien for sleep (10 mg) and though I "sleep", I never feel like I did. Now with the switch from Clonopin to Lorazepam, I feel like you do, like I'm in a fog every day, lethargic, exhausted, etc. I have experienced many of the symptoms you describe.
I want to leave the nurse I've been seeing for my meds, and have written a letter to my primary care doctor, asking for help. I'd like to see a good psycho pharmacologist who can help me feel like a human being again.
Are you looking for another doctor to help you with this? I think that's all we can do, is keep searching until we find someone who can adjust things for us. I feel for you because I understand completely.
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Permalink Reply by Alyson on -
Sweetie...I have nothing really helpful to tell you other than you need a doctor who listens and 'gets it'. I currently take both Depakote and Klonapin which is why your post caught my eye. If there is any way you can find another doctor via recommendation, please do so!
Hugs!
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Permalink Reply by Searching57 on
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Hi Alyson, thanks for your reply. Yes, I will "search" until I find what I need.
I've never been on Depakote (not even sure what type of drug it is), but I wish you luck with the combination. I hope this is working for you :).
Hugs to you as well :))).. take care!
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Permalink Reply by svartkomisk on
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I am quite new to clonezapam. been taking 0.5mg daily for about 2 months & have gone through hell and back trying to get of, have just started drastically reducing dosage to about 0.5 once a week, which was not easy, i am on my second week of this schedual, the first week to put it simply was absolute hell, i gave up on the 5th day of withdrawls, i cant go on more than 5 days without taking this drug, i can manage till 4/5 days but at that time symptoms become outragously intense, i know my case is not as serious compaired to outhers on here but i am desperate to get of this drug, should i be gradually weening of this drug through small doses daily? whats the best solution in concering this drug?
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