azA0: Tapering off Clonopin, Starting Proponolol, Please Help

[Altostrata]

Okay, I see this:
 

2010-2013 Stayed on Saphris 5MG twice a day for 2 and a half years.

Jan 2014- A month ago after alternating between 5MG and 10MG, I finally quit Saphris and decided I would rather not sleep than want to die.

 

 

Even .5mg Saphris twice a day might help. A compounding pharmacy can make this up for you.

 

For info about Saphris, see http://www.drugs.com/pro/saphris.html

[azA0]

Ok, thanks, I actually threw out a huge supply of Saphris, just today I got a refill of it, but I then changed my mind and told the pharmacy that I didn't want it. I don't know if this was a mistake.

 

I am too afraid of any amount of Saphris in my system... it could throw me off... also it has been more like 6 weeks since I stopped the Saphris... I was taking 5MG of Saphris twice a day for 2 and a half years.

 

Today I was very stable, I have been taking 0.125MG of Klonopin about 3 times a day, less than half what I was taking and feel much better on it..

 

Still agorophobic and have anxiety...and in social settings or in public, but was at least able to sleep...

 

The Klonopin has dulled me a little and made me somewhat depressed, but not completely suicidal like the Saphris did... When I took Saphris I remember saying, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "God Please help me" Ironically, 5 minutes before taking the Saphris, I would be in a good mood, to give some idea of how badly I reacted to Saphris.

[ssrienlightened]

id suggest if you are worried about the addiction of the klonopin to maybe ask your doctor about a low dose of gabapentin or its more potent friend lyrica. Ive had experience with all 3 of those. granted you can have withdrawals from gabapentin and lyrica but for me it was so much less severe than klonopin withdrawal. just a suggestion. hope you are feeling well.

[Altostrata]

I would not rock the boat by introducing other drugs such as gabapentin.

 

I guess taking Klonopin may get you through this, but be prepared to become physiologically dependent on it if you take it regularly over a week or two. When you want to reduce it, it will have to be tapered carefully.

[azA0]

Ok thank you, I have slept well 3 of the last 4 nights, but wake up with heart racing out of control every 3-6 hours, so can't sleep through the night anymore... I feel wired during the day but not nearly as bad as I was....

 

I am taking about 0.125MG (an eighth) of Klonopin about 3 times a day... which is about 0.375MG a day... I have now taken it about 2 weeks, but cut down amount by more than half... Used to take about 0.75 or 1MG a day...

 

I am also worried that I am becoming addicted, but is as little as 0.375MG a day of Klonopin enough to potentially become dangerous and addictive?

 

I think I am done with Proponolol... I was waking up soaked in sweat after taking it...

[Petunia]

I am taking about 0.125MG (an eighth) of Klonopin about 3 times a day... which is about 0.375MG a day... I have now taken it about 2 weeks, but cut down amount by more than half... Used to take about 0.75 or 1MG a day...

 

I am also worried that I am becoming addicted, but is as little as 0.375MG a day of Klonopin enough to potentially become dangerous and addictive?

 

 

Its not the amount that you take, but the regularity of taking it which causes the addiction, or dependance. But if you are in withdrawal with a destabilized nervous system, taking it irregularly can cause the problem of rebound, interdose withdrawal, which further destabilizes the nervous system.  Its better not to take it at all, but if you absolutely need to take it, then taking it on a regular basis will do the least damage.  But you will become addicted/dependent and will need to taper slowly when you are ready to stop.

[azA0]

Thank you,

 

I think I have already developed a dependence of some type on Klonopin even after 2 weeks, I think that I do need to take it, possibly long-term....I don't feel 100%, but more stable now on it in small doses than I have in a very long time... I am too scared to start any new anti-phychotic or anti-depressant now...

 

I have a supply of Viibrid, a newer anti-depressant which helps social anxiety, but took it only 2 days in small doses and felt knocked out... I wonder if I should try it again in super small doses (2.5MG or even half that) at some point in the future...

[Altostrata]

Why do you think you need Viibryd?

[azA0]

I remember while feeling overdosed/drugged from too high a dose of ViiBrid, but still, I remember walking around in a pretty good mood... some reviews online say it disrupts sleep/insomnia etc. I may start with 0.125MG (one eighth of a pill)

Don't know how addictive ViBriid is or if it is considered an SSRI.

 

If I did, I would basically do it without my physchiatrist... while he knows medications well and is a nice guy, he also said I imagined my side effects, should stay on Seroquel even though it made me nuts, told me I could get off 10MG of Celexa within a week (it took me almost a year to taper down with horrible withdrawal symptoms)

 

I am almost to the point of not only not trusting my phychiatrist, who actually usually lets me choose the medication I want after recommending his own choice, but also of taking a quarter or an eight of the lowest dose of any medication prescribed...

[Altostrata]

Please consider non-drug methods to improve your mood before taking Viibryd or any other psychiatric drug for this. You know what the downside can be.

 

While these drugs are psychotropics, don't plan on getting a pleasant high from them. It's very possible your honeymoon with psych drugs is over.

[azA0]

ok thanks, I will look into it, miraculously, my sex drive is back the last few days and I have been sleeping... without Klonopin, who knows what side effects would come back... I might even try excercizing which I have barely done in 15 years...

 

You are right, I am better off without these freaking drugs, that is what they really are, a legal high.

 

I read about how these evil corporations/phychiatrists/counselors prescribe medication that create more problems than they fix, diagnose patients as "this or that" after a 5 minute meeting, doping them up...

 

Someone posted online that it is kinda creepy how the general term for "medication" which is another word for "drug"... is "MEDS" like for example, if you are in a rehab facility, the phychiatrist will say, "take your meds"

 

If you are 8 years old in a school and were diagnosed with ADD or depression or God Knows what, the teachers will say the same thing, "take your meds" it is actually almost sick in a way, because by using that term, it is making the pills seem innocent and harmless, downplaying that these are powerful drugs... also it insinuates that by "taking your meds" you will be fixing your problems... most of the idiots who tell you to "take your meds" don't actually follow up with you extensively to ask what is going on in your life, what some of the symptoms you have that you are feeling or the side effects you are feeling from the "meds" which even if you told them they were making you even more angry and depressed, they wouldn't believe you because these "meds" are a magic cure...

 

I am not completely anti-medication, but try getting off some of these pills after years... some are almost instantly addictive, and I worked in a school where they were giving 6 year old kids medication because they were "moody" Great now little Tommy in first grade is not only moody, but he is hooked on medication that may have made his problems worse, and that have side effects that only can be remedied by taking another medication... before you know it you are on 3, then 4... one woman in a support group I went to said she was on 20 medications...

 

I am not trying to rant against medication, because it helped me for years, (but may have hurt just as much) I also don't suggest that if you are on medication, you should immediately get off them, I am saying they are not a long-term solution... not getting on them from the beginning and finding alternate strategies to dealing with my endless problems is what I should have done.

[Altostrata]

Good to hear you're doing better. Are you also seeing a therapist?

 

Will Hall had a similar diagnosis. Are you familiar with his work? http://willhall.net/

[azA0]

Yes been seeing the same therapist for about 20 years... once a week now but used to be twice a week... kinda unique, we spend about half the time talking about sports/movies/B.S. and half about my situation...

 

Anyway thanks I will look at the Will Hall Site.

 

Miraculously, for the first day in weeks, I didn't wake up with heart racing, also my sex drive is back...

 

Still taking about 0.375MG of Klonopin a day (0.125 three times a day)