# Klonopin



## Jackson18 (Nov 20, 2006)

OK. Did xtc and lsd a couple times in a month and i got Dp/dr a couple days later from it. I struggled through it for months and got better and could almost all day without even thinking about it. I met this girl who i feel in love with but im so fucking insecure that i over analyze everything she says and does. This in turn is making me worry so much and giving me all kings of anxiety which is pulling me back into this world of DP/DR and i know if i can stuck back in it again ill ruin it between us. So now the question. I have a perscription of Klonopin that my doctor gave me when i first got this shit but i never took it. Im wondering if it would be a bad idea to take it for a few weeks and try to get my head straight so i dont make things worse? Im doing my best to try and not worry but i dont know if i can keep myself from falling back in. Thanks for any replies.


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## needacure (Apr 25, 2007)

I think therapy would work best 4 u, klonopin will make u dependant.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

.


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2007)

So is xanax, what is the most amount you have taken in one dose?
I just had 6 which is the equivalent to taking 24 Valium, all washed down with a bout 3 beers and a bottle of wine . Its been a VERY rough day.
I must say things are starting to get very weird, I feel like I am in slow motion. I am pushing the boundaries. I am consumed by anger and will do anything to dull it. I just want to smash something, do you ever feel like that? The thing is I don't have the energy to do it now.

Greg 

Any advice?


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## rob (Aug 22, 2004)

Hi Jackson18

I took Klonopin on and off for about four years - usually about 8mg per day which is thought to be quite high.

Initially, 2mg/day gave me a lot of relief from dp/dr but that beneficial effect started wearing off after a few months. Thinking that this was some form of tolerance, I upped the dose and got the same beneficial effects for a while but accompanied by increased drowsiness and a bit of memory loss.

I weaned myself off Klonopin three times - tapering very slowly each time until finally making the leap from 0.25mg to nil. Apart from a week or two's insomnia and heightened dp/dr and anxiety which soon passed, the withdrawal wasn't too bad. However, a few people seem to get really acute withdrawal problems that may last for many months. Unfortunately, you don't know whether or not you are one of those unlucky people until you try to withdraw, by which time it's too late. My psychiatrist told me that klonopin and alcohol are metabolised in a similar way - meaning that if you've ever had problems with alcohol addicion (as opposed to just liking a drink) then you are more likely to have problems withdrawing from klonopin.

I stopped taking klonopin for good about six months ago and after a bumpy few weeks I don't miss it at all.

I don't think that drugs are the answer to dp/dr but klonopin gave me a very useful bit of relief in that it made me relaxed and mildly euphoric. When I combined it with an anti-depressant (Velafaxine I think), I thought that I was superman and got unbearably manic - a bit like like snorting cocaine without the tooth-grinding - definitely not recommended if you have any sort of a life!

Good luck

Rob


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## suz (Mar 26, 2007)

Im still the same person said:


> So is xanax, what is the most amount you have taken in one dose?
> I just had 6 which is the equivalent to taking 24 Valium, all washed down with a bout 3 beers and a bottle of wine . Its been a VERY rough day.
> I must say things are starting to get very weird, I feel like I am in slow motion. I am pushing the boundaries. I am consumed by anger and will do anything to dull it. I just want to smash something, do you ever feel like that? The thing is I don't have the energy to do it now.
> 
> ...


Sorry I don't have any advice Greg, but have a *hug*, sounds like you need one!

I hope you're ok : )


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2007)

I knew a guy in treatment, who worked his way up to 24 mg of xanax daily. He took this amount for nearly 15 years. Every day. 
If thats not unhealthy, I don't know what is. Half that dose, for that long, would be lethal for most people.

Eric


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

I am also in the process of cutting back klonopin. I have only been on it for about 6 weeks, but it is time to come off. It is super addictive. I am down to about .25 mg a day now, and next week i will most likely stop taking it. If i still have anxiety i will cut back to .125 mg for a week or so.

My advice to the OP: if your anxiety is really unbearable, go ahead and give the klonopin a shot. But keep in mind you only want it to be a short term treatment. Think of it as a temporary break from anxiety while you can try to put things back together. I wouldn't reccomend taking it for more then a month.

I know alot of people here have been on it long term, and say it has helped alot. I'm sure it does help, but eventually you build tolerance and you just need more and more. Thats why it is best to not get into the cycle of long term use.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ys.


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## rob (Aug 22, 2004)

Tigersuit

I can understand your wish to get this stuff out of your system having heard so many negative stories no doubt .. but I honestly wouldn't go cold turkey even after only a month as abrupt withdrawal is the very thing that can trigger prolonged and very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

In other words, it's quicker and safer (in terms of seizures etc) to withdraw very gently.

I am not a doctor but I did look into this in some detail for my own peace of mind.

rob


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ine.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ff.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

Hey tigersuit. We are in the same position, so we should stay in touch to talk about the withdrawal process.

I was only on 0.5mg a day as well. I was prescribed 1mg a day but only took 0.5. I would take half a pill (.25mg) in the morning, and the other half at night.

about 4 days ago i started only taking my morning dose and not my night time dose. I am going to stay with this for a week or so and then hopefully quit cold turkey after that. I have been having increased anxiety since my dose cut, but i cant really say if it is from withdrawal or just a return to my original condition. I have alot of extra klonopin on hand, about 60mg or so. After i finish my detox i plan on using it on an as needed basis. Maybe 0.5mg every week or two. It is really a great drug, i just dont want the dependence.

Honestly, i wouldn't recommend quiting cold turkey, even though you have only been on a low dose for a month. Sure, you might be able to quit cold turkey and be just fine. There is a good chance you could. But on the other hand, maybe you wont be. Maybe you should just do a week at 0.25mg just to see how it goes.

What were your reasons for starting and stopping klonopin? Do you feel like it helped you over the last month?

Stay in touch and let us know how it goes.

Oh, and also keep in mind that the worst of the withdrawal does not start until about 3 days after you stop taking it due to the half life. This will vary from person to person though.

I have read that the withdrawal for someone who was taken klonopin for less then 6 months generally lasts from 1-4 weeks.

So considering our low dose and short term use, i figure we can expect about 1 week of withdrawal[/img]


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

s.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

I have been getting bad headaches since i cut my dose down. ANyone else?


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2007)

siouxsie said:


> Sorry I don't have any advice Greg, but have a *hug*, sounds like you need one!
> 
> I hope you're ok : )


Thank you Siouxsie,
Its amazing the amount of difference just being noticed can make.
And thanks for hug.

Greg


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2007)

notices Greg =P )Bunny huggies(


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

re!


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

tigersuit, do yourself a favor and take 0.25 mg tonight. There is no reason to suffer from cold turkey withdrawal. Do yourself a favor and take 0.25mg for a little while. It doesn't mean you are weak.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

d.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

T


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)




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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

i feel fine at .25 mg. More anxiety then usual, but not that bad. The first few days after my dose cut were the worst, i have been feeling relatively normal lately though.

I think monday will be the day i stop taking it.

How are things with you?


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## Pollyanna 3098 (Dec 12, 2006)

Emulated Puppet}err said:


> notices Greg =P )Bunny huggies(


LOL :lol: It is nice to be noticed.
You are doing a pretty good job of it with your new avatar and signature.
It translates to "look at me, Look at me" LOL :lol:





















































LOL :lol:

3098


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Tigersuit why did you decide to go off the clonazepam by the way? Was it just not working for you or what.

You shouldnt have too much trouble coming off that small of a dose on the short amount of time you where on it but going cold turkey is still not a great idea. Everyone reacts differently to benzo withdrawal. Some rare lucky bastards can take them for years and drop them cold turkey with no problems but other people can take them for only a few months and have a hard time getting off them.

Also i wouldnt recomend taking anything with caffeine in it while you are withdrawing from the clonazepam either as this will make withdrawals worse. This goes for any other stimulants as well.

If your having trouble sleeping or anything you could go to your doc and get a tricyclic anti-depressant such as amitriptyline or doxepin to help you sleep. They arent habit forming, there great sleeping pill's and they will calm you down abit.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

wble.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

If the clonazepam wasent working for you then there is no sense in staying on it especially with the risk of dependence and everything. This pretty much goes for all meds if it aint working theres no sense in taking it. Clonazepam worked wonders for me but everyone is different.

If you where only on it a short amount of time at that dose the withdrawals shouldnt last very long at all and shouldnt be all that bad. Im on 6mg's a day so no way would i risk going cold turkey.

The weed should help the withdrawals by the way because it tends to calm you down. Weed helped me when i had alcohol withdrawals which is like benzo withdrawals only worse. But thats if your the type that actually responds well to weed.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2007)

Depends which language you?re translating from, seems as if you already know of the ?look at me? language yourself. =).



Pollyanna 3098 said:


> LOL :lol: It is nice to be noticed.
> You are doing a pretty good job of it with your new avatar and signature.
> It translates to "look at me, Look at me" LOL :lol:


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

h.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

What dose are you on now tigersuit? Or have you completly gone off the stuff?


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

What dose did you drop down from? And it takes about 10 days for clonazepam to completly leave your body due to it's rather long half life.

The worst of it should be over shortly seing as how you where on a rather low dose for a short amount of time. But you could have your anxiety and everything come back in full force all the same.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

Official.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Tigersuit said:


> Officially, I was on 0.5mg a day, but there were a few days where I'd go up to 1.5mg.
> 
> I'm hoping my doctor is right in saying that it's the trazodone keeping my anxiety down, and not the clonazepam. I might have to raise my dose of trazodone if it comes back. :?
> 
> Smoking pot seems to have gone back to the way it was before I started taking clonazepam. It makes me feel like I'm on acid again. I'm reeeally hoping it's all part of the withdrawal.


 0.5mg's is a pretty low dose and if you only went up to 1.5mg's everynow and then that wouldnt be enough to raise your tolerance.

As for if it was the trazodone or the clonazepam keeping your anxiety down well did your anxiety actually go down after starting on the clonazepam? That would be one way of knowing.

If the symptoms you have now are all part of the withdrawal then they should disappear once the withdrawal is over and that shouldnt be too long considering you were only on it a short time. If the symptoms dont go away then perhaps it's not the withdrawal and just your original symptoms returning.

By the way did you get any physical symptoms of withdrawal such as muscle aches or spasms or anything? I dont think you where on it long enough to develop those kind of symptoms but it can happen.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ll.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Well the clonazepam didnt make me feel fully normal until about a week in either so in your case there is really no way to tell what helped you unfortunatly. The only way i can see to figure out what helped you is wait until the clonazepam withdrawals are over.

As for your headaches they are a part of benzo withdrawal and they can be caused by anxiety as well. Id suggest taking 600mg's of advil if you need something for your headache that should help. Thats if you can take anti-inflammatories and arent allergic to them and you dont have any stomach problems.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

g.


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## Jackson18 (Nov 20, 2006)

haha my thread was hijacked...

oh well...its really weird this time around...my vision isnt nearly as bad as the first time around because i think im fading back into DP instead of instantly because of the drugs i was on. I got better without anything the first time but then again i didnt have to worry about another person either. Bottom line i guess im going to do my best without the clonazepam. Even though i wanna just take this prescirption get my anxiety gone and my head straight for a while.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ly*


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

us.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

benzo.org.uk

read up on it youself. I take it your withdrawal isn't going to good? You should have just tapered off. I dont know why u went cold turkey....

how long has it been now, about 4 days? Just keep going, you'll start feeling better any day now.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

tter.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Long term clonazepam use is really not harmful. Long term use of most benzos isint harmful actually.

The only way they can be harmful is if you take a high dose over a long perioid of time and have a seizure resulting from withdrawal. That could cause brain damage especially if you give your head a smack as well.


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## beatnikbdog (Jan 8, 2005)

Well it looks like I'm in the same boat as you guys.. I've been taking .5 mg twice a day since December, and am in the process of tapering down. My Dr. told me to try .25 mg twice a day for a week and then quit altogether. However, I've been having bad withdrawal symptoms (headache, no appetite, insomnia, clumsiness, bad anxiety, DP/DR), so I called the Dr. and she told me to continue taking .25 mg twice a day for two more weeks and then stop. Does this seem reasonable to you, my fellow sufferers? I'm glad to see that I'm not alone in this battle

All the best,
Bryan


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

g it.


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## rob (Aug 22, 2004)

Tigersuit

You should withdraw slowly, taking it down to 0.125mg once a day (preferably at night) for a week or so before stopping altogether.

Even when tapering slowly, the anxiety and dp surrounding withdrawal is temporarily worse than it was before you started taking klonopin. The thing is not to panic. These extra symptoms will pass in 2 to 4 weeks. After that, your dp and anxiety levels will be the same as they were before you took klonopin.

It is difficult to understand or accept this when you are actually going through withdrawal. Having been through this three or four times my advice is to just have a lttle faith. Do not drink alcohol/take recreational drugs, avoid caffeine and do as much gentle exercise as you feel comfortable with.

You'll be fine.

rob


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## Martinelv (Aug 10, 2004)

Rob you old bugger - haven't heard from you in ages. Which rock you been hiding under? :twisted:


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

Today i cut my dose again. After 1 week at .25mg a day, now i am down to .125mg a day. I am planning on doing one week at this dose and then im done. My anxiety is already much higher then normal.

I got drunk on monday to celebrate last day of classes. I know...bad idea. I had a really good time but yesterday and today my anxiety has been really high and my appetite really low. I was going to cut my dose yesterday, but my hangover was too bad so i waited until today.

If things get really bad today i may take another .125 tonight and try again tomorrow. I guess i just have to wait and see.

I really want to get off this drug soon. I want to be able to drink alcohol again. I guess i have a 1 beer limit for the next couple weeks or so until all this klonopin is out of my system.

What does everyone think about this...I have alot of klonopin left over. After i finish my detox, do you think it would be OK to occasionally (maybe 2-3 times a month) take 0.5mg the day after drinking alcohol to kill my anxiety hangover? I am not an alcoholic, but i really like to drink with my friends once in a while. My gf just dumped me and i need to get out into the bar scene and meet some girls.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ace.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

tigersuit...

if you really want off the klonpin you have to keep moving forward (lowering your dose, not raising it). You dont want to move backwards or in circles.

If you feel you cut your dose to fast, get on a stable amount and try again. Perhaps .125 is too low for you right now. Maybe you should stay on .25 until you feel stable and then cut to .125. Just get yourself to where you are not jumping out of your skin and only move forward from there.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Ive heard from other people that neurontin or better yet lyrica (neurontin's better and more expensive cousin) helps with benzo withdrawal alot. I know from experience that it feel's alot like a benzo.

Tigersuit if you wanna stay on the clonazepam stay on it. It may help you it may not. One thing that will not help you however is having your doses all over the place. If your gonna stay on the stuff stick to the one dose that helps your anxiety and only take more if you really need it.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

gly.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

well this cut down to .125 really fucking sucks. I feel so strange. I feel like i am going mad.

I'm going to keep going.

I really didn't expect it to be this bad, I just took my morning dose of .125 so hopefully that mellows me out a little when it gets in my blood. this drug is so insanely addictive.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

this sucks. I feel lightheaded, dizzy, and anxious. I have little appetite, and generally feel disoriented. I'm sure my withdrawal is only a small part of the full withdrawal long term users get....how scary...

Hopefully i will balance out in the next few days as my body adjusts.

My trusty old fear of psychosis is also back, after i thought i beat it.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

You think clonazepam addiction is bad you should try cold turkey alcohol withdrawal. What a goddamn horror show. Ive never been so screwed up in the head and been in so much pain in my life. Actually effexor withdrawal takes the cake and this is coming from a person who has gone through opiate withdrawals and alcohol withdrawals several times.

If the withdrawal is really bad for you id suggest taking neurontin along with it during withdrawal. It's a anti-convulsant that feels very much like a benzo in high doses. It should calm you down and get you over the hump. It's also not physically addictive if taken for a short amount of time.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

thanks for the reply

the nuerontin sounds like it could be helpful, but i do not want to take anymore drugs. the whole point of this withdrawal is to get off drugs. I am still on zoloft and will be staying on it for a while, but ultimatly i want to be drug free.

I believe that i can beat this condition (not just dp/dr, but anxiety in general) without medication. Maybe i am wrong and will need medication, but first i have to take a shot at the natural and CBT methods.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

es...


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

yea man, read up on klonopin.

It is a potent amnesiac. However, considering how low your dose is, i would be more inclined to think your memory problems are more related to smoking weed or the combination of weed and klonopin.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

his.


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## Guest (May 6, 2007)

That must be such a pain, sorry you're going through that.



Tigersuit said:


> Does anyone else get amnesia from their clonazepam?
> I was talking to my girlfriend, and she told me that I told her all about the particular topic before, and that I was repeating myself.
> 
> I have no memory of doing so. This has happened about 3 or 4 times...


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

e.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

good luck man
I have found that after every dose cut, it is the worst from days 2-5, then it gets better. Its not really too bad though. The worst i got was rebound anxiety, occasional headaches, occasional stomach cramping and diarreah, and unable to sleep for more then a few hours at a time. But as i said, it gets better by fourth or fifth day after a dose cut.

I am down to .125 mg now, and I am due to stop taking klonopin in 2 days. Not looking forward to more withdrawal, but i know i have to do this.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

g?


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

It is hard to take my mind off the anxiety/ crazy thoughts. I find some relief in reading through forums like this, but i try to only read the success stories and not the bad ones. Talking to people and socializing really helps too, but you are not always going to feel in the mood to do this when the withdrawal is bad.

Drinking alcohol helps me relax and have a good time, although the hangover sucks and i wouldn't reccommend doing this while withdrawing. Other then that it has been finals week at school so i have to force myself to get out the door to take my exams and study, which is much better then just sitting around my room all day.

Slow breathing can help when the anxiety turns into panic. Also i think alot about how even though i might not feel good right now, i can feel better very soon, once this withdrawal is done. I have been taking long walks and trying to eat better. I am hoping to make my way back to the gym once the worst of the withdrawal is past.

Let me know how it goes, tomorrow is my last day taking K and i will report back on how i feel.

Basically you should realize that even after the withdrawal is done, you may still have anxiety. Use this time to work on building better natural coping methods. It is entirely possible to beat anxiety and dp/dr without medication. I did it before and had a good 7 years or so free from it, until it made its way back this winter.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

Oh and stay away from weed. Really. I am not some anti-drug preacher, i was a daily smoker for a good 6 years, and i still occasionally smoke, but it really send my anxiety/crazy thoughts through the roof.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

on.


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## Universal (May 30, 2005)

give the klonopin a try. sure it will make you dependent, but so will anything else that you are used to taking repeatedly. okay, maybe im exagerating a bit. anyway what i would do is take it for a couple weeks to see if it makes you feel better. if it doesnt, then stop taking it. simple as that.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

I agree with universal on this one you should atleast give the stuff a try for a few weeks. Just because you can become physically dependant on clonazepam or any other benzo does not mean you shouldnt try it.

Just about every psychiatric drug except atypical anti-psychotics and amphetamines cause physical depandance. Well amphetamines can cause major psychological dependance which can leed to physical symptoms but thats another story. Just about every anti-depressant causes withdrawal symptoms (trazodone happens to be one that doesent i think) and people dont think twice about going on them alot of times.

By the way tigersuit how long are you on the trazodone? That stuff is supposed to kick in fairly quickly much faster then the ssri's.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

m.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Well i don't know what day you went on the clonazepam but trazodone usually works pretty quick if it's going to work at all. It usually takes effect in a week so you should be feeling the effects from the extra dose after that amount of time. But like all anti-depressant's you should really give it about a month.

Trazodone is rarely used as a sole anti-depressant agent these days mostly it's just used as a add on to help you sleep. It's sometimes used as a sole anti-depressant when a patient is suffering from mild depression along with anxiety.

One big advantage trazodone has is that it's one of the very few anti-depressant's that does not create physical dependence. Wellbutrin(bupropion) which is no good for anxiety and is liable to make it worse and remeron(mirtazapine) which is supposed to be great for anxiety, are about the only 2 other anti-depressant's that i can think of off hand that don't cause physical dependency.

Of course one big potential drawback to trazodone is the rare but nasty side effect that it sometimes causes called priapism. But this is one that us guys really only have to worry about.


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## Universal (May 30, 2005)

I must admit that the lorazepam isn't working for me like it used to. I used to quite like the effects of it, now it just makes me tired and id rather just not take it. I'm on other medications btw. I'm taking wellbutrin and abilify. im getting good grades in schoool! yay me! :wink:


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

Today is my first day klonopin free. So far so good. Just normal anxiety, nothing i cant handle. I am bracing myself for it to get worse. I dont think it will be too bad...but i'll just have to wait and see.

My appetite has been non existant lately. I have lost about 15 lbs in the last few months...which is bad for me, im too skinny now. I just bought some wieght gainer and hopefully after this withdrawal passes my appetite comes back and i can get to the gym.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

uit.


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

I have now been off klonopin for 5 days and i must say, I am feeling OK. I feel much better then before i started to take the klonopin. The klonopin really helped me through a rough patch, and now i dont need it anymore.  It feels good.

My anxiety has calmed down alot, my obsessive fears and ruminations have returned to more healthy topics. My dp/dr only comes for fractions of each day, not constant. I'm not cured, but i am definitly on my way there, and proud to be doing it without klonopin. I am on 75mg of zoloft however, and i plan to stay on it for at least a few more months.

Right now my main problem is depression (somewhat situational, somewhat chemical) but i am dealing with it ok. In the next couple weeks i plan on getting back to the gym 3x a week and improving my diet and i will be well on my way to recovery. Also i am going to try to start taking more of an initiative to socializing and talking with old friends. I would like to start dating girls, but my self-esteem is pretty low right now because i have lost 15 lbs throughout this whole ordeal and am now toothpick skinny. If this keeps up i will hopefully make a topic about recovery soon.


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## jeanie82 (Nov 6, 2006)

To those of you who are withdrawing, just wanted to throw in my 2 cents.

I am withdrawing from 1mgs (sometimes 2mgs if i was freaking out) of Xanax. I was so determined to get off that sh*t - I had been taking it for 6 months - that I dropped to .75mg for a week, then .5 for a week, then .25 for a week, then stopped. I FREAKED OUT COMPLETELY. It was horrible, about 3 days after I stopped completely I felt worse than I was before I went on Xanax at all. I was withdrawing even slower than the doctor has recommended, I thought I was being so sensible. I jumped on the Benzo forum http://www.benzoisland.org/benzoforum/
and did some reading and got some advice from the site administrators there. Taking benzo's for more than a few weeks CAN cause dependency. This doesn't mean you are addicted necessarily, it means your brain is accustomed to having them so it adjusts. Withdrawal symptoms happen when you drop a dose too drastically or quickly to give your brain time to re-adjust to not having the drug. So it is not about "getting it out of your system", it is about giving your brain time to get used to the drop in dose and get all your GABA neurotransmitters working again (they downregulate after prolonged use). So even when your on a tiny dose, its a good idea to make tiny cuts and space them out about 10days/2weeks apart. Personally, I couldn't make small enough cuts of my Xanax. I got down to .5mgs of Xanax and then swapped to 5 Valium so I could make smaller cuts. I now go down by .5mgs of Valium each week - and have had no withdrawal problems so far.

Just something to consider.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Xanax is generally regarded as the worst benzo to withdraw from and i know a few people who had a absolute horrible time coming off the stuff.

The main reason for this is because it has a very short half life which makes it damn near impossible to taper off from. With benzos the longer the half life the easier it is to withdraw from and it's the same with ssri's really. Thats why prozac is used to get people off paxil and other short acting ssri's.

If your going to get off xanax a valium taper is definatly a good way to go. Alot of doctors use clonazepam to get people off xanax because it also has a very long half life but the valium taper has the advatage of having a much more adjustable dose. You can get valium in strengths as low as 2mg's while in canada the lowest dose of clonazepam is 0.5mg's. Or atleast im pretty sure thats the lowest dose available.

Although in the US you can get the orally disintegrating tablets in doses as low as 0.25mg's and 0.125mg's so i guess that would be a good way to taper off as well.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

it.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

With clonazepam you wont really feel the actual withdrawals until 2 day's after youve lowered your dose. Thats because it has a half life of 2 day's.

Ive actually gone about 2 days without taking a dose of clonazepam and i never felt any withdrawals. Im on 6mg's of the stuff too and ive been on it for over a year so either im one of those lucky bastards who can go off benzos with no trouble at all or it was because i already had the stomach flu so bad that i didnt notice any withdrawals.

Anyway your on a really low dose hardly enough to even create dependence really so you dont have to worry about any of the big withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and other unpleasant things. The most youl get is rebound anxiety more then likely.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

th.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Tigersuit dont drop the dose too fast or your anxiety will probley go through the roof. I would recomend dropping the dose every 2 weeks that way you will give yourself time to adjust to the new dose.

If you drop it too fast your withdrawal plan will probley result in complete failure especially if you are that sensitive to meds. I couldnt even feel that dose even when i had no benzo tolerance.

Ive never tapered off benzos but i have tapered off other meds and it's much better to take it slow then to go too fast and put yourself through misery. I know that all too well.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ty.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Tigersuit said:


> Yeah, but it's only temporary, right?
> I can handle a few days of through the roof anxiety.


 Yes it is but it could last a week or so. On the otherhand if your willing to tough it out more power to you.

I actually dropped a high dose morphine habit cold turkey one time against my doctors orders. Man that was hell lol.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

do it.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ed.


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## Martinelv (Aug 10, 2004)

I think there are two ways to look at this. First off - yes, any benzodiazepine is addictive and generally not good for you. In most of our cases they are only 'psychological crutches', to temper the anxiety and DR/DP (which it does very effectively) until you get your head together and get CBT or whatever therapy helps.

Buuuuuuut...on the other hand, if you have had, let's say, 20 years of crushing anxiety, depression, the ruination of your life, with no therapy or anything else working...then why not? Why spend the rest of your life in utter misery? I mean, if you were diabetic, you'd take insulin, wouldn't you?

Personally, I wouldn't _like_ to have to depend on Clonazepam, and I am in gradual withdrawal, because I'm on a 'proper' anti-epileptic drug now (carbamazapine), but boy - when you feel anxious, it's the best thing in the world....including sex and booze. No other benzo comes close.

So, you pay your money and you taks your choice.


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2007)

Thanks for that reply Martin... I found it helpful myself.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

o's.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

ty.


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## comfortably numb (Mar 6, 2006)

Tigersuit do you have drug coverage by any chance? If you do you could ask your doc for some neurontin or better yet lyrica to help get you over the hump.

They are both non benzo anti-convulsants but they feel alot like benzos in the right dose to some people. Im on neurontin for pain and when i first went on it i found it to be way more sedating then benzos. But you build a tolerance to the anti-anxiety effect's very fast. It should last long enough to calm you down during benzo withdrawal though.

Lyrica is basically a better version of neurontin but ive never had it because the price of it is retarded. You could use either of these drugs to help you along and you wont develop any kind of dependency on them in that short amount of time.

I also found weed to help my dp/dr and brain fog alot. So your not alone there.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

[q


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

am.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2007)

You might what to check this site out tigersuit.

http://benzoisland.org/index.html
Greg


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

s.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

D.


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## 17545 (Feb 14, 2007)

DayN.


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