Withdrawal From Klonopin 1mg Daily (Top voted first)

I have been on kolonopin 1 mg daily for 14 months now I am depressed and very anxious most of the time I want to get off this drug but from what i have read It should be cut down slowly and over a long peroid of time. has anyone gone through a simlar situation that may have some advise

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I took myself off this med cold turkey and did not know what the side effects would be, I thought I was going to die. I went through it alone and loss so much weight but had no one to care for me so I did it on my own. It took about two weeks to fully come back to what I felt was normal again, but I did it. My doc did not tell me it was addictive, what a wake up call. I feel great now. Best to you.

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I was on Klonopin .5mg for 6 months. I was diagnosed with panic/anxiety disorder. The emergency room physician just threw a prescription for Klonopin at me and said I was free to leave. I had never had a panic attack before and knew nothing about xanax and klonopin. My family physician took me off of it gradually. I experienced withdrawal symptoms even with a gradual tapering off. It was a nightmare on it,a nightmare coming off of it and still after being off for 2 months I feel bad. My balance is off,my judgement/reasoning is bad, my vision weakened while on klonopin,I gained weight,my short term memory is awful,still have abnormal eye movements. Its like my nervous system is still sending my brain a message saying it misses the Klonopin. I wish I had known all of this before taking it. Someone who was healthy,riding a bicycle 25-30 miles a day and to be derailed like this. I don't know if I'll feel the same again(before Klonopin). I haven't had an attack in 7 months. But with all the side effects,it makes the panic/anxiety seem minor. I'm currently taking no drugs. Please help.

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Andi is absolutley right, please seek medical attention before going off this drug, I did not know what was wrong with me at the time. I did not know what it was because I stopped the medication, as I said I was told it was not addictive. They were wrong. I should have gone to the hospital, I was so sick but did not realize till I was better what I was going through. Again, seek medical attention before going off this med. Best to all.

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I've been on this since 1989 and had one dr take me off cold turkery.. Please I ended up in ER .Had to be given A shot of it and was placed back on it .I have panic attacks.. If your coming off only under dr's care...You don't won't this kind of withdrawal..

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I have been taking kolonopin 2mg. for over 10 years after I went through a violent assault and then PTSD due to that.

I've wanted to go off of it for a long time. The problem is that your body gets used to it to the point where it is almost not doing what it's supposed to, but if you begin to taper off of it (and YES - I'm a psychiatric social worker and know from clients and first hand experience that you MUST taper off of any sort of medication like this VERY slowly - it can be dangerous!) your body will start to feel it quickly and dramatically.

I still haven't figured out how to go off of it. Psychiatrists usually say very slowly and tapering it but even tapering the slightest bit is almost too hard for me.

But if you want to try it (you should let your doctor konw for sure) then try tapering it down by halves for several days and then quarters for several days and so forth. It will be uncomfortable but if you can get through it you might be able to get off of it.

If you are depressed it would be helpful for you to see a psychiatrist (not just a general doctor) for a medication that addresses both depression and anxiety and I always adamentally recommend the combination of medication and talk therapy.

Again, don't do anything without a professional's advice, knowledge, and assistance. It can be dangerous. Hope this helps!

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Paul,
Please listen to me and others here.I don't begin to know how Shell came off this cold turkey ...I beg of you NOT TO DO THAT...
It can cause heart problems as well as other very REAL MEDICAL PROBLEMS as well. Please seek help from A Good Doctor..
Good Luck Friend And God Bless,
Andi

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I'd love to stay in touch with you. I am starting a taper from 1mg of Klonopin. Also trying to cut pill by 1/4, and plan to do that every 14 days. I'd love to be in touch with someone on the same path. Thanks!
TS

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Whatever you do DON'T miss a dose of klonopin 1mg. I missed 2 does due to not being able to get refills due to the Dr's office being closed and oh my God I thought I was going to die. I went into withdrawal-climbing out of my skin-swets-headache-muscle cramps-stomach pain. After missing the dose I am so afraid of this med. now. I didn't know that missing it would make me feel so bad.

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I have been on .5 Klonopin for about 7 or 8 years. Tried to taper off one time about two years ago - went into seizures (which I had NEVER before experienced) and wound up in the hospital. I am working on trying to forgive the doctor who put me on this medicine. He did not tell me that it was addictive and had I known, I would never have put the first pill in my mouth. It's BAD NEWS.

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Yes, please speak to your doctor for advice on the best way to stop this medication and prevent the worst of the withdrawal effects.

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Anyone taking any type of benzo (Klonopin, Ativan, the list goes on...) for any length of time AS TO BE WEENED OFF UNDER A DOCTORS CARE!!!! This is nothing to just stop on your own!!!!

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I have been on 1.5 milligrams since Januray of this year. Now down to 1 mg and tapering will take me 16 more weeks. I cut by 1/8th per week and have had no problems at this taper. I did have problems cutting down any larger quantities than that. But this seems to be working well. I also take zoloft and seroquel to help with sleep and depresssion and side effects of withdrawal. Very low doses Im on but so far this seems to be a success!

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YOU ARE A FOOL TO THINK YOU ARE SAFE AND POMPOUS TOO

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YES THAT IS WHAT THEY TOLD ME TOO, KEEP TAKING IT AND YOU WILL BECOME AN ADDICT TOO

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I am a 51 year old woman who has been on anit-depressants and clonazepan for 6 years. I was numb to everything around me because the medication tells you how to feel. I was out of touch with everything around me not to mention tired all of the time. I could sleep anytime I wanted too and I was missing out on my life. I have 6 beautiful grand-daughters and I could have cared less that they were even around. Around Christmas I had been thinking how out of touch I was with everything and everyone around me and I went to my family Dr. and told him I wanted off of ALL my medication. I weaned myself off of my anti-depressant, but the Clonazepan was another story. I thought I could wean myself off of it but did I have an eye opener. I was on 0.5 mg 3x a day. I then cut down to 0.5 mg 2x a day, then only a 0.5 at bedtime to start. I started cutting the 0.5 in half and started taking that for a week, then ran out. Thought I could do it myself, a week without any and I would be fine. BIG MISTAKE! It was the longest, worse week of my life. I had a wrestling match with Satan going on. I felt like evil was in my body. It actually smelled from the withdrawl. I couldn't sleep all week not even a twilight sleep. I lost my sense of smell and taste. I was trembling so bad I couldn't stop. Could not eat, I felt like I was outside my body. All I wanted to do was bath because I wanted it out of me. I was ready to go to the hospital but I knew they would fill me up on meds again, and I came so far I didn't want to start over. I ended up calling the Dr. on a Sat. for a new scrip and a new plan. Please do not go cold turkey! This takes a long time to get off of. I started a plan with 0.5 mg at bedtime for 4 weeks. Then I halfed the 0.5 as it was scored to get an accurate dose. Stayed on that for 4 weeks. Then the plan is to take the .25 mg every other night for 4 weeks until they are gone. If you need to get a whole tablet because this stuff plays with your mind, you can get a .25 mg. so it looks like you are taking more. Then you can even cut that down to a 0.125 mg if you still need to taper off. My advice to you is taper very slowly, do it under a Dr.s care. Listen to your body, everyone is different and the tapering process is different on everybody. Pray alot. And above all NEVER take this drug again. If I can keep one person from taking this pill then it will be worth what I went through to get off. I am 75% off of this horrible pill. I can now see a light at the end of the tunnell. You need to be determined, and stay with the plan. Some people take months even close to a year for the symptons to leave. I feel like I have my life back and I am feeling things again. I actually like my husband again! I am telling you this pill messes with your mind. If a person needs to be on it short time fine. But have a plan and don't be stuck on it for 6 years like I was. I didn't even know it was addictive. If I can be of any help please message me. Prayers going out to all of you that are going through this nightmare!

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No, Sweetie, You don't understand, and I'll try to keep this nice. I was mentally ill, as were alot of the people put on these drugs. Mentally ill means ipso facto, unable to think straight. And very desperate. And I've had doctors and pharmicists stress to me "DON'T read the insert in the medicine packet because those thiings aren't going to happen to YOU! They only list everything that's possibly happened to maybe one person who tried the medicine. That will NEVER happen to you. This medicine is perfectly safe! Just trust me. I'm telling you this for your own good. If you read the insert or start fooling around looking things up on the internet, why, you could MAKE yourself have those symptoms psychosomatically." And not everyone is in a place in their minds when they're mentally ill, to challenge their doctors, and they're so desperate for an end to their pain that they believe the doctors when they say, "Oh nothing bad's going to happen to you. Why I wouldn't PRESCRIBE this medication to DOZENS of my patients if i didn't believe it was safe. Trust Me!" And the damn doctor's got a responsibility to "First, Do No Harm". If he's peddling poison, it's still poison and he's still a poisoner, whether his patient is an idiot or not.. I'm glad for you, if you've never been that sick that you couldn't take care of yourself, or advocate for yourself, or defend yourself, or not be in touch with reality. I'm really happy for you! But I've BEEN THERE, and a doctor put me on poison in that state of mind, and there was NO ONE to protect me! No one to advocate FOR me. Now, I CAN help someone else be saved from this horror that I still suffer from everyday and you better believe it buster, I'll do everything i can to get this poison taken off of the market, if it's the last thing I do!

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I AM off the stuff! I've been off it for months and am still suffering horrible side effects as are hundreds of other people. Klonopin actually restructures the brain! This isn't the only site I've visited. There are so many people suffering from this drug that there's no way it could possibly be safe. And I worry for people who say it's helping them because it can only do so for so long before the dose has to be raised to get the same effect (the definition of an addictive drug). There are people out there on 20 mg and their doctors have strung them out on it for years! Let's just put it this way, it may help some people (Cocaine and Heroin help some people and used to be medicines!), but, all in all, it is NOT a safe medication. It is extremely dangerous and most doctors are not prescribing as cautiously as they should be. As for the fella who said, "Grow UP!" That's fine for you, but what about us people who are not as wonderfully intelligent as you, or who are mentally ill? Are you saying that because we were stupid or sick, it was okay to poison us? Is it okay to addict someone to a drug without their consent or full knowledge because you think they're an idiot, or they're crazy, or a naive teenager, or desperate for relief that a doctor sells them? I'm not saying I'm the brightest bulb in the chandelier, I was hit by a car and I've had a horrible brain injury that effects me daily. But, I didn't deserve this! On top of the seizures and constant pain, I didn't need to have to fight this too! That's a horrible thing to say! Somebody out there back me up on this! Don't leave me hanging here!

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I got on this site for help with Clonazepam withdrawl. I have had the most wonderful support having someone like Rita who has gone through the same thing. I did not get on here to be called names and to be made to feel like I am a mental case. I am not. I am a normal healthy woman that got stuck on this drug because I had a sudden change occur in my life. I had a hard time. I sought help, I got help, now I am ready to get off. The thing I want everyone to know if you get on this stuff, have a plan from your Dr. Don't be stuck on this drug for years like I was. When I got on this drug, no-one told me how addictive it was, and I didn't have a computer to look it up six years ago either.

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Andi is right,i have heart problems from withdrawing off Benzo's.The withdrawals are every bit as bad as opiates if not worse.I had been on Ativan for 6 yrs. and i was withdrawing on the 3rd month.I cant believe any dr. of good conscience would abuptly stop prescribing,but they do.I am not the same since i have stopped.

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Well it has been exactly 21 days since I started this- having checked the calendar. I have had nothing for several days. Days 17, 18 and 19 were the worst, mostly painful leg craps, violent headaches and flu like symptons - not even being able to sit up. I was so tempted to go back on it. Now, the symptons have all abated a lot. The problem remains sleep. I am isolated, but my friends and family understand that I cannot afford to get upset. If I was still working, I could not do this, that is for sure. I wonder who I will be when the drug is out of me totally and I can sleep again. Walked an hour today and will go back to the gym tomorrow. For those who offered encouragement on this forum, thanks!!

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