HeatherK: Clonazepam / klonopin withdrawal

[HeatherK]

I have been taking clonazepam .5 mg daily for about 8 weeks for anxiety. 7weeks ago I started on Zoloft. I don’t take any other meds. I have titrated  to Zoloft 75mg over this 7 week period. Since my anxiety is significantly reduced I thought it a good idea to stop taking clonazepam. This is my third day without it and I have not felt good the last three days with today being the worst. The first day I just felt tired. Then my arms started aching and I felt like I was coming down with the flu - achey all over. Yesterday I managed to get a few things done but felt very foggy in my head. Today - the third day, I am still in bed and it’s almost noon. Didn’t sleep well last night. My arms feel like lead. I have no energy or motivation to do anything. Is this withdrawal from clonazepam? Is it possible to get withdrawal after a low dose for 8 weeks (although I was taking it 2-3 times a week before that for a couple of months). 

 

Should i continue with the cold turkey now that I’m on day 3? Or should I do more of a taper with .25mg? I really appreciate the struggle people have with this because I know if i took my .5mg pill I would be up and about and feeling fine in an hour or so. However this isn’t a good long term solution and my doctor will not continue to provide me with these. I do have about 20 pills left (.5mg)

 

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated. 

Edited April 16, 2019 by Shep
added username to title

[Shep]

Heather, please take .5 mg of Klonopin (clonazepam)  ASAP. 

 

Eight weeks is more than enough time to get dependent on a benzodiazepine (it only takes 2 - 4 weeks). And .5 mg of Klonopin is not a low dose - Klonopin is a very potent benzo, twenty times more potent than Valium

 

You're risking a lot of damage to your central nervous system, as well as the risk of having a seizure. 

 

Please take your Klonopin dose and let us know how you're doing.

 

EDIT: Please note I moved your post from the benzo forum to the main intro forum. We like all members to have a main intro thread before setting up a benzo thread. 

Edited April 16, 2019 by Shep
added information

[HeatherK]

Thanks for getting back to me. I ended up taking .25 mg a couple of hours ago - should I take another .25 now? And how do I go about tapering?

[Shep]

3 minutes ago, HeatherK said:

I ended up taking .25 mg a couple of hours ago - should I take another .25 now?

 

Yes, please go back up to your original dose. It's only been 3 days so you have a very good chance of stabilizing. 

 

You may want to stay on the Klonopin until you are off the Zoloft. This thread explains why:

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

Unless you're having an adverse reaction to a drug, we generally recommend staying on the benzo until you're off the antidepressant, especially if the antidepressant is a SSRI. Many people find drugs like Zoloft to be stimulating.

 

In the above link, the concept of "brakes and accelerators" is explained. The benzo is a "brake" and will help with sleep.

 

5 minutes ago, HeatherK said:

And how do I go about tapering?

 

First, please stabilize. How are you feeling now that you've taking some Klonopin? 

 

Here is some general information on withdrawal:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Zoloft (sertraline)

 

What is withdrawal syndrome? 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

4 hours ago, HeatherK said:

However this isn’t a good long term solution and my doctor will not continue to provide me with these. I do have about 20 pills left (.5mg)

 

Do you feel your doctor will prescribe long enough for you to do a careful taper, especially if you need to taper the Zoloft first? 

 

Please make an appointment and have a conversation. These threads may help:

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?
 
What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

 

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As you provide more information, we can better guide you in deciding which drug to taper first and a safe tapering rate. 

 

[HeatherK]

Thank you for the info. I definitely felt better since taking the .25mg a couple of hours ago. I just took another .25mg and will continue with .5mg per day until I see my doctor which likely won’t be until next week.  I doubt she will leave me on in while I am on zoloft. Where i live the benzos are very tightly regulated in terms of prescribing.  She only gave me these to use until the Zoloft kicked in. I don’t plan on tapering the Zoloft any time soon as I have done well on it in the past once it started working for me and I was able to stop the Clonazepam without issue the other times I have used it. This time stopping the Clonazepam has not gone well. I really don’t want to go back to the way I was 8 weeks ago before starting on Zoloft - I was a mess and could not function - had to be off work. I am feeling much better with regard to anxiety but now just feeling bad physically due to withdrawals but better since taking some this afternoon 

[HeatherK]

I will post more later once I am at my computer re dosing.  When i started etc. When I used these drugs before etc