Both carbamazepine (Tegretol) and pregabalin (Lyrica) have that data to support their use for this purpose. The research suggests that generally speaking, slower tapers are more successful. If you are doing a slow taper, your doctor will only reduce your dose every two or three weeks, and the reductions will be small. People taking high doses of benzos may start with a quicker taper and slow down once a lower dose has been achieved. If your withdrawal symptoms become too much to handle, your doctor can slow down the taper and even increase your dose.
A taper can make all the difference in such harrowing times. I hope to be klonopin free in 4 months, but if I must go slower, then I must. Please take care and do not despair you can eventually get there as I am sure I will eventually get there too.
It is important to be aware of the potential withdrawal reactions and perhaps taper more slowly if they are particularly difficult. Fortunately, 0.25 mg would not be considered a "high" dose" and each dose can last days in the body. The fact that it does last longer in the body usually makes it easier to taper off. Your doctor is an excellent resource when it comes to helping you wean off benzos. They can design a taper schedule to decrease your benzo dose gradually over time.
I have a prescription for 1mg Clonazepam to be taken at night with 10mg of Ambien for insomnia. I’m taking 2mg of Alprazolam daily as/when/if needed for social and OCD anxiety. I’ve stopped filling my Clonazepam at night because it lingers through the morning and causes feelings of hopelessness, fatigue, and a “foggy” mind sober house boston that increases my anxiety for lack of clarity. Connect with thousands of patients and caregivers for support and answers. Connect with thousands of patients and caregivers for support, practical information, and answers. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital.
- You will need to work closely with a doctor who can adjust your dose every few days or weeks, as necessary.
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- I’be been on clonazepam for over 25 years and have no interest in not taking it.
- I cut my tablets into 8 pieces (I couldn’t cut them smaller) and marked my calendar and stuck to it.
- Like all benzodiazepines, Klonopin is a controlled substance due to its risk of dependence and abuse.
- While there is no set in stone way regarding how to taper off benzodiazepines (of which clonazepam is a part of), there certainly are recommendations on how to go about doing it.
As a replacement i found myself going to alcohol (never do this plz). It worked for a few years, but i had become a high functioning alcoholic. Not that bad though towards the end of this current episode.
What should I do if I forget a dose?
I could not eat, sleep, or even function for TWELVE days. Like most people, I hate being on drugs, so I fought for years to try to wean off clonazepam. I always tried to lower the dosage and never increase. Your doctor will probably start you on a low dose of clonazepam and gradually increase your dose, not more often than once every 3 days. If you are planning to stop using Klonopin and want to go through a tapering process that works, one of the most important steps is to be honest with your treatment team.
This medication may cause accidental overdose and death if taken by other adults, children, or pets. Mix any unused medication with a substance like cat litter or coffee grounds. Then throw the medication away in a sealed container like a sealed bag or a coffee can with a lid.
Treatment for Klonopin Addiction
The problem is, I felt, for lack of a better word, DOPEY during the daytime on .5mg. So after one week of getring my bearings back and still not feeling myself after this ordeal, I dosed down to .25mg am and .5mg pm. I have been on this dose for 6 weeks and decided to start tapering down again, but very, very slowly. In a 3 month taper, it is recommended to reduce from 100 percent to 50 percent of baseline during the first 4 weeks, then reduce from 50 to 0 percent during the remaining 2 months. For a more rapid taper, a person should decrease their dose by 25 percent per week. Medically assisted detox and addiction treatment is your best bet if you are trying to taper your drug or alcohol use.
What Is Klonopin Tapering or Weaning off Benzodiazepines?
I am just not sure doing a dosing chart according to one oerson will work for every person. This medication is great, it does the job for my anxiety, but I, just as many others have stated do not like the mental "fog" that comes along with it. Additionally I would like to have a beer now and again without worrying if I will suffer insomnia because I must skip a pill. I started slow 3.5 miles mph on the treadmill.
Your care team will tell you how much medication to take. Do not take more medication than https://sober-home.org/ directed. Call emergency services if you have problems breathing or unusual sleepiness.
Because it is long-acting, clonazepam itself may not need to be converted to an even longer-acting alternative for you to be tapered off. Among people using benzodiazepines for more than six months, about 40% will experience moderate-to-severe withdrawal symptoms. The other 60% will still have symptoms, but they will be milder.