# cold turkey off 4mg klonopin a day, I need help



## nabber (Feb 13, 2009)

Well, I was taken off my presciption of almost a year of 4mg Klonopin cold turkey since last monday. I had an overdose off klonopin, xanax, and ambien.
So I was put in a psych ward for 84 hours. Right now I'm 200mg of lamictal, and 20mg of Lexapro.

I have so much anxiety I feel like my head is going to explode. I really dont know what to do. My previous NPC declined seeing me anymore so I'm trying
to contact psychiatrists but no avail. Please offer some advice.


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## nabber (Feb 13, 2009)

please someone respond


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## wael (Sep 5, 2008)

When you quit 4mg clonazepam cold turkey, feelings of anxiety/depression can increase and other nasty effects can occur. I dont know if you still have clonazepam, but decrease slowly if it is possible. I dont know how long you are taking the lexapro, but after 2/3/4 weeks you can notice the effect. Some here have positive experiences, other negatives with lexapro.
Find as soon as possible a Psy, perhaps with some help of that psych ward??
Try to talk with friends or just somebody about the anxiety/derpression, even if they dont fully understand it. Talking about it, can give some relief.
Perhaps you can try meditation. When i had a lot of anxiety that often worked very well.
Or get angry and try to knock out you punching bag.
Try to be occupied with something, a game, drawing/painting, sports(just take a walk).
And dont give up, every feeling is transient, although it doesnt feel that way.


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## rob (Aug 22, 2004)

You must not go cold turkey off 4mg Klonopin a day. If you do, you will almost certainly suffer crucifying anxiety for months. This is a pointless thing to do.

You have to treat Klonopin with respect and taper off over a period of say 12 weeks or so.

The leading light on how to withdraw from Klonopin without suffering dreadful anxiety/sleeplessness is someone called Dr Ashton. She might be part of some anti-benzo lobby - I don't know - but her advice is very sound.

Her view is that 1mg Klonopin is equivalent to 20mg Diazepam. So as you taper off the Klonopin you replace it with Diazepam and then taper off that eventually. Apparently it's much easier to withdraw from Diazepam - something to do with different half-lives.

Her advice and schedules are here: http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/bzcha02.htm. The doctors at the dp clinic in London sometimes use a similar regime - if slightly less cautious.

For what its worth I have come off Klonopin 4 times - the first being cold turkey which was a complete disaster. On each subsequent occasion I tapered off very slowly - especially the last bit. I did use Diazepam as a substitute on one occasion but I have managed to withdraw on 3 occasions without using substitutes - mainly because I don't actually like Valium very much.

Last time, my own schedule for coming off 4mg Klonopin per day was something like 3 mg per day for 1 week, 2 mg per day for 1 week, 1.5 mg per day for 1 week, 1mg per day for 1 week, 0.75mg per day for 1 week, 0.5 mg per day for 2 weeks, 0.375mg per day for 2 weeks, 0.25mg per day for 2 weeks, 0.125mg per day for 2 weeks, 0.0625mg per day for 4 weeks then OFF.

Even then it was a bumpy ride in places - but a hell of a lot less unpleasant than cold turkey. Please remember that you will eventually stop feeling wretched from the withdrawal and try to hang on to that thought during the rough times.

Good luck.


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

That's fuckiin bullshit, I'd like to have a go at your psychiatrist. Google psychiatrists in your area, make a phone call, and make an apt. asap. Tell them your situation and you should be able to get a prescription lickidy split. Good luck nabber, go get 'em, hang in there pal.


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## nabber (Feb 13, 2009)

I'd like to have a go with him too, but I had to be complient or they would of made me stay longer. I had a breakdown two days ago with some new family care MD I didn't know. He didn't know how to help me, but did prescibe me 2 pills of klonopin 2mg's each, so I broke them down into eighths and I'm really trying to make it last. Monday I have an appointment with someone I know. I feel better today, that's probably just the .25 of klonopin I'm on. I appreciate all your responses, this med is the devil. I wish I never started taking it, I was halfway stable when I wasn't on it in the first place.


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

I wish I never started taking benzodiazepines either. The fu cking shrink never even warned me about addiction.


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## York (Feb 26, 2008)

Maybe you should consider a stay in a ward...? Just to get some medication and some help to withdraw.. It's easier to get help if you're in a place, even if it's not exactly what you'd want. 
Good luck anyway. I can't believe they made you go cold turkey with the Klonopin, isn't that dangerous physically too..?
Bastards.


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## Absentis (Jul 10, 2007)

Go to a pharmacy or health food store and purchase *Valerian*. It has pharmacological properties similar to that of a benzodiazepine, and is probably the next best thing to a new prescription of clonazepam. Valerian has been studied by traditional medicine and isn't some bullsh*t "alternative remedy". According this study, Valerian has few side-effects and is well tolerated.

I'm very sorry to hear about the horrible situation you're in, and I hope find relief soon. I, for one, would like to know how you're doing now, as the last time you posted was a few days ago.


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## nabber (Feb 13, 2009)

Well I'm not doing too bad. I bought some Valerian root and it seems to help a little. I just took another .25 klonopin. 1 left. I see a doctor on Monday. Hopefully I can get a prescription for atleast something. I dont think I need another stay in a psych ward. I'm not suicidal and i'm trying to control my anxiety. If I dont get a prescription I'm going to order some Kratom. If you dont know what it is check wikipedia.

Thanks for the responses, hope you all are doing well too with this DP crap.


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## nabber (Feb 13, 2009)

Well I had another panic attack last night. I basically needed a klonopin or I was going to the ER. I'm reading over my posts and I was dead wrong about this being easy. When I dont have klonopin in my system I have complete breakdowns. I apologize if I came across as being ok because I'm not. Last night I felt like I had absolutely no control over my emotions and my anxiety was so bad I had to just lye on the couch with my head crammed into a pillow.


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