Proper Clonazepam Withdrawal Method

I have been on klonopin 1mg for 4 months after an acute mixed manic episode. When I asked my psychiatrist if I could taper at 10% (.125mg) every 2 weeks her answer was: No .25mg at a time because if you're not stable to begin with it doesn't matter how you taper ! She's added large of gabapentin on top of this. I intend to milk titrate over the next 4 months. What do I do? Please advise.

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REPORT

It is always best to follow your doctor's instructions.

The FDA warns that this medication carries the risk of being habit forming and may cause withdrawal effects that could include seizures, rebound depression, rebound anxiety, diarrhea, and nervousness.

What dosage are you taking of the Gabapentin?

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Adamo,

So that may be the best comment that a skilled prescriber has ever uttered. People think they have this full blown addiction after weeks of prn use. A taper is not medically indicated simply refrain from taking them you won't experience withdrawal from such limited use. IF you have any questions or concerns it's incumbent upon every patient to advocate for themselves BEFORE the rx'ing of these meds.In 2017 there's no excuse to say I didn't know better I just trusted and followed my docs directions. You wouldn't dive off a bridge if a parent suggested you do so and most trust their parents right? So why would you blindly follow your docs suggestions regardless if you trust them or not? If something doesn't make sense question your doctor. If they fail to take you seriously and disrespect you simply find one that will.

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I am on 2400mg gabapentin. As to stepping down .25mg I tried this and did not sleep for 5 days. The anxiety & panic chest pain was extreme and I couldn't get up.....

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It's now 5-6 months of daily 1mg use for me. I was not using it PRN. I'm addicted for sure since I already experience some bad symptoms when I miss a dose or even a day.... Doesn't this require tapering?!

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Re: Adamo (# 3)

Hey Adamo, Curtis here, I’ve been on gabapentin now 3 yrs for severe neck and back injury from car when a 18 yr old punk kid on cell phone re-ended me , I had to go to Seattle Harbor view for 9 hour surgery , 18 inch rods and 14-2and half inch screws from c-1 to T-6 and all lasered out and bonded and cadaver tissue etc to fix neck and back, well it helped but 6 weeks later go to get stitches out and low behold the whole surgery site opened and flew back down for another 9 hour surgery because it healed from outside in, wasn’t good , Dr, took most of my muscles away from my spin because infection set in now my back neck look like a skeleton figure, all bones r showing through thin membrane of skin left covering my spin, because they messed up, with all said I was put on 4-800 gabapentin every day for first 2 yrs sometimes twice , by doctors orders, and I would miss it because my body never felt right and explained to doctor and said part of side effects, so the 3 rd yr now I put myself to 2400 mg gabapentin, I know self doctoring note right, but doctors wouldn’t listen, so now just 3 months ago I noticed my behavior was getting worse and I ended up slipping and falling didn’t hurt my back r neck but very painful ?? so I came in and set down and got more agitated and I ended up braking a small 22$ heater in our house and wife called troopers and off to jail, well I exclaimed to them the gabapentin and to them like hell, so went to jail got out that Sunday and Monday in psychiatrist office getting off this s***, so they made me take 1200 mg for month once a day ,then 600 for 2 weeks at 1 time a day, then 300 mg 1 time a day for last two weeks and I just went to psychiatrist on 2-15-2021 and still a little messed up from getting off of it but truly worth it, and he said I have no side effects r psychiatric problems either for how long and how much I was taking, I’m fixen to get off methacarbamol, and meloxicam to, all for my injury’s, so now with my pain winning me over I’m headed to u know, pain management. Also not good but my pain is to bad, and doctors don’t want to help anymore especially in Alaska were drug addiction and abuse is rabid, so this is my other choice I’m headed out of state soon to find another neurologist down south to help figure out this pain, so my advice is don’t just quit like me and have medical issues because I wanted to go cold turkey, but not possible, so please b careful with that crap of a pill, it worked for me but my brain didn’t like it, pills mess with every individual differently and moody, but I found gabapentin helped my surgery and nerve condition but my brain hurt every day taking them but nobody wants to listen anymore, so Adamo please b careful with this gabapentin. U take care and b safe with that pill even some doctors don’t know how bad this gabapentin can b, so b safe and careful, truly a great pill but only for people that can adjust there body to it and I had 3 yrs of it truly doing better but not pain, HATS OFF TO YA DAMO!??????

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