rxhell2016 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 (edited) Admin note: link to benzo forum thread - rxhell2016: Intro and concern over extended tapering K Greetings SD, What a wonderful group. Probably the best I have perused yet. Prior to taking the plunge to finally introduce myself to the group, I had been a "secret admirer", following many of the thread topics for some time, prepping for a gradual taper off Clonazepam, and have already familiarized myself with the forum's basic taper credo stated repeatedly to many members, some who still don't get it: slow and steady wins the race! Unfortunately for many, that lesson was learned after the fact, subsequent to the needless suffering at the hands of the ill-informed and ignorant Medical Orthodoxy when it comes to tapering prescription psychotropic drugs of all kinds (SSRIs, SNRIs, TCAs, antipsychotics, opiates, Z-drugs, and the terrible benzos). It seems we're all told the same thing: "Oh, you can just cut the tablet in quarters for a week or two, then go every other day for another couple weeks, then quit". Maybe a certain percentage of people have the genetic constitution to withstand a rapid taper without much withdrawal. But for the rest of us, this is simply the worst of hells. But for myself, and thanks for forums such as this one, I was able to catch it just in time and have already embarked on my slow but steady crawl out of the hole I was accidentally thrown in iatrogenically prior to starting K. I had no prior history of PTSD, depression, GAD, BP, mania, or any other psychiatric diagnosis. My issue was a direct result of poor withdrawal management of a non-psych med I should've never been administered to begin with, but that's water under the bridge now and I'd rather not waste time lamenting the past. It is what it is and I'm at where I'm at which is getting close to almost half off the K - and with little to no noticeable withdrawal, knock on wood! Despite my familiarity with the aforementioned credo, I still will play Devil's Advocate, and my most basic concern I pose at this stage for those in the know is this: Since a slow taper can take longer than the actual time one was at full dosage, is there not a concern for the fine line and balance between avoidance of unnecessary prolongation of the total time on a drug (which has its own set of issues), not the least of which is risking further habituation to the drug, and a slow taper's judicious, harm reduction benefit? Is there any research that shows the time spent tapering a psychotropic med does not habituate your CNS, and rather lets it accommodate gradually to decreasing dosages - or do we have mostly anecdotal accounts as posted herein? At end of the day, as long as one is functional, relatively symptom-free, and the drug is doing no further damage to my brain/CNS, does it really matter how long a taper takes (notwithstanding the recent research showing that psychotropic usage (especially benzodiazepines) in excess of six months, have been linked to dementia)? Edited September 22, 2019 by Shep added link to benzo forum thread CURRENT Rx SUMMARY: 1) Clonazepam: started @ 1.0mg (0.5mg b.i.d.) 10-31-14; commenced step-wise dry-cut microtaper 08-09-15; @ ~ 0.625mg b.i.d. as of 09-08-19.2) Lamictal: started @ 100mg q.d. from 10-23-14 to 12-04-14; started tapering 12-05-14 ; holding @ 4mg q.d. from 05-13-15 to present.3) Carvedilol (antihypertensive): 6.25mg b.i.d. 4) Telmisartan (antihypertensive): 80mg q.d. 5) Xarelto (anticoagulant): 10mg q.d. 6) NP Thyroid (dessicated thyroid replacement): 1.50 grain q.d. 7) Supplements (not updated): https://app.box.com/s/ucrx0b4b46slp8j8gzox Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 2, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 2, 2016 Hi rxhell , welcome to the site. As your questions are specifically about clonazepam , you might post in the Members Only Benzo Forum here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-forum/ " My issue was a direct result of poor withdrawal management of a non-psych med I should've never been administered to begin with" This is a significant part of your history , not "water under the bridge". Please add details of ALL the meds. you were using prior to starting clonazepam. bw , Fresh 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
rxhell2016 Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 Hi rxhell , welcome to the site. As your questions are specifically about clonazepam , you might post in the Members Only Benzo Forum here http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-forum/ " My issue was a direct result of poor withdrawal management of a non-psych med I should've never been administered to begin with" This is a significant part of your history , not "water under the bridge". Please add details of ALL the meds. you were using prior to starting clonazepam. bw , Fresh I've updated my sig line and will post the above to the benzo forum. Thanks. CURRENT Rx SUMMARY: 1) Clonazepam: started @ 1.0mg (0.5mg b.i.d.) 10-31-14; commenced step-wise dry-cut microtaper 08-09-15; @ ~ 0.625mg b.i.d. as of 09-08-19.2) Lamictal: started @ 100mg q.d. from 10-23-14 to 12-04-14; started tapering 12-05-14 ; holding @ 4mg q.d. from 05-13-15 to present.3) Carvedilol (antihypertensive): 6.25mg b.i.d. 4) Telmisartan (antihypertensive): 80mg q.d. 5) Xarelto (anticoagulant): 10mg q.d. 6) NP Thyroid (dessicated thyroid replacement): 1.50 grain q.d. 7) Supplements (not updated): https://app.box.com/s/ucrx0b4b46slp8j8gzox Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted February 3, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 3, 2016 Thanks rx , use this thread as you see fit. 1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg 2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months. July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months. Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg. October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive. March 2016 , 21mg Link to comment
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