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Stayathome: Introduction and Question, should I reinstate Clonazapam


Stayathome

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doses.odtI started a linear taper of 10% in April 2021.  Now I am at half dose of Clonazapam and somewhere around 70 percent dose of Zoloft.  This week I hit a wall.  Bad sleeping is my main problem when I taper.  I wake with restless legs, urge to go number 2, and can either go back to sleep or not.  The reason I am doing a more rapid taper is liver problems and believe me this current dose has me physically feeling better than I have in years.  My gut tells me to go back up to 70 percent dose of Clonazapam and do a hyperbolic taper from there.  Does this sound reasonable.  I don't want to lose progress with my health problems, but that has to balance with another crash not happening.

Edited by Gridley
trying to add history of meds
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  • Moderator Emeritus

Welcome to SA, Stayathome.

 

Please add a signature.  Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

 

A direct link to your signature is here:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. Please note: 

  • Any drugs and supplements prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
  • Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
  • Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
  • Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
  • A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 

As you provide more information, we can better guide you in setting up a slow and careful taper. Please continue to use this thread to ask questions and document your taper. 

 

The symptoms you describe are typical of withdrawal.  Insomnia is a typical symptom of both antidepressant and benzodiazepine withdrawal.

 

 

 

Regarding your tapers, we recommend tapering only one drug at a time.  Otherwise, if problems arise, you won't know the cause.  We recommend tapering activating drugs such as SSRI's like Zoloft first, leaving sedating drugs such as benzos like Clonazepam in place to preserve sleep to be tapered later.

 

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first?

 

As you may be aware, we recommend decreasing by a percentage of current dose rather than a linear taper.  A linear taper accelerates the amount that you decrease each time, making it rougher and rougher with each drop.  This is especially important at the lower doses.  By contrast, decreasing by a percentage decelerates the amount of each drop and makes things gentler on your system.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Regarding updosing your Clonazepam, it depends on when you dropped from 70% to 50%.  While antidepressants can be updated or reinstated weeks and sometimes several months after stopping, benzos are best updosed/reinstated within a 2 - 4 week timeframe. If you fall within that timeframe, I'd recommend updosing to 60% rather than 70%, at least to start.  That may be sufficient.  Give it several days to see how how it does.  

 

Once you've stabilized on the Klonopin, I'd recommend you hold at that dose and taper only the Zoloft.  That's our basic tapering advice.  If you feel your health issues require tapering both drugs at the same time, that's your decision.  

 

The following link is specifically about tapering Zoloft, including how to get the non-standard doses needed for a 10% taper.

 

Tips for tapering off sertraline (Zoloft)

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Gridley

Gridley Introduction

 

Lexapro 20 mg since 2004.  Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017.   

End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg 

End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg

End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg  

Oct. 30, 2020  Jump to zero from 0.025mg.  Current dose: 0.000mg

3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete.

 

Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements

Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium

Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium 

End 2021  year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg

End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg 

End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg

Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper.

Taper is 95% complete.

 

Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986.  Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg  

March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper

Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper

Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper.  Current dose as of Feb. 22: 7.6mg

Taper is 90% complete.  

  

Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, anti-candida, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase


I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs.

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  • Gridley changed the title to Stayathome: Introduction and Question, should I reinstate Clonazapam

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