Hi guys,
First of all, I am sorry for this long post. It is my first here.
Specific details about DOSAGE and my QUESTIONS are down toward the end of the post.
I have a few questions I hope somebody could help me with. I am an expat in a country where there is still a lot of prejudice toward mental health issues and while treatment is available, it is still very backward, so I rely on the internet for my information here. There is no such thing as “therapy” here. Just meds.
I was first prescribed Xanax about 11 years ago after having one panic attack that quickly turned into severe panic disorder, in which my panic attacks NEVER went away and I really mean NEVER. Back then, between my first panic attack and being prescribed meds, for about 2 months, for 24 hours a day I had one constant panic attack with extreme dizziness, high blood pressure, weird surges of energy inside me, a constant terrible fear of dying, sweats, muscle spasms, racing thoughts and heart pain. I only told my doctor about the dizziness and she thought I had a mid-ear infection. NOTE: I had only started drinking alcohol a few months before this.
Well, one night after drinking with a few friends, I woke up the next afternoon and I seriously thought I was gonna stroke out. I rushed to the ER and the doctor there recognized anxiety/panic attack straight away and gave me a few 0.5mg Xanax and told me to see a psychiatrist.
On hearing it was an anxiety problem instead of a stroke or something like that, my anxiety literally disappeared and I got a great night’s sleep. I was reluctant to taking the Xanax and refused to take it; but the next day when I had another massive attack for no reason, I took one 0.5mg of Xanax and it made me feel like my normal self within 5 minutes. It was like magic. Anyway, I went back to my regular doctor and told her what happened (minus the drinking bit) and she prescribed me with 2mg of Xanax per day. She told me they were good pills and that she was on them too. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, because I just wanted an end to feeling like crap all the time.
So, I started taking 4 a day, got a new job, started to socialize and drink with workmates and this went on for about 4 years. I NEVER went above 2mg of Xanax, NEVER drank more than twice a week, but did black out quite a few times while drinking on Xanax during those four years. I later realized Xanax and drinking was REALLY bad, so I went to a psychiatric hospital and asked to be detoxed from the Xanax.
The doctor put me on 2mg Clonazepam and on 80g of Prozac a day, after diagnosing me with general anxiety, OCD, panic attacks and depression. He said the Prozac would work for all these and that he would slowly taper the dose of Clonazepam. Unfortunately, he stopped practicing medicine for various reasons and referred me to a colleague of his. The new doctor hated benzos (and me) with a vengeance and wanted me off Clonazepam in 14 days. I didn’t think much of the guy either, so after one visit, I switched doctors and got a doctor at the same hospital who gives meds without too much attitude or judgement. He gave me my original prescription of 2mg Clonazepam and on 80g of Prozac a day no questions asked and has been for the last six years or so, which suited me, that is up until a few days ago.
Prozac seems to be a wonder drug for me as it literally starts working on my panic after the first few doses, but I have never really taken it much, just on and off, because I don’t care for the sexual side effects. For the last few years, I continued to binge drink about once a week and take clonazepam but not Prozac.
Fast forward to the last few months, I have become unemployed again, had zero energy and can’t get out of bed. I wasn’t taking Prozac, but when my anxiety and worry got really bad, I started taking Prozac out of hopelessness. The Prozac has helped me greatly with anxiety, but recently I have had zero energy and just can’t be bothered with anything. It’s like I am extremely lazy, but in my head, I feel I am up against something other than just laziness. In the past, I could fight laziness with a bit of action; but recently I have just been so unmotivated and unable to concentrate, I started thinking it might be something chemical that is stopping me from doing anything to change my situation.
For the past 5 years or so, I have taken the 2mg of Clonazepam I am prescribed in one go in the morning or whenever I get up, mostly without Prozac. I don’t like Prozac, but I am really starting to feel that the Clonazepam is making me even more depressed, lazy, sluggish, unable to concentrate and apathetic. I want off the shit.
For the past few days, I have been researching how to taper off Clonazepam and to my shock, I discovered that some people say 2mg of Clonazepam is equivalent to 4 mg of Xanax. I know that’s a shit load of benzo and I am really worried I have developed a monstrous tolerance and dependence on Clonazepam.
So, have I been lying around stoned out of my head without even knowing it all this time? I just thought that was me without anxiety and feeling bad for myself…
Also, is the fact I take 2mg in one go each morning instead of 4 times a day forever increasing the mount of Clonazepam in my body? I wonder how much I have in me, seeing how I have gained 20 kilos in the last 2 years. (I read clonazepam builds up in the fatty cells of the body.)
Yesterday morning, I woke up and took my 20mg of Prozac and a single 0.5 dose of Clonazepam. After six hours, I had a temperature and was getting electric shock sensations in my legs, so I took another 0.5mg and went to sleep. Upon waking, I got into an argument with my girlfriend and got the electric shocks in my head with a spike in blood pressure, so I took another 0.5 and went to sleep for 12 hours.
I am now going to take 0.5mg of Clonazepam each morning, afternoon and evening, so I will be at a total of 1.5mg, instead of 2mg. My current plan is that I will do this for 4 weeks and then go down to 1mg for 8 weeks and then see how I am. Would this be cutting too fast given that I have been on Clonazepam for so long? Am I at risk of seizures? I don’t drink anymore and will start to exercise and eat better. I really want off this fucking drug and to restart my life.
Can someone please give me some advice as to whether the way I plan to taper is safe? Like I said, doctors here are useless.
Thank you all very much and sorry for the long post.
First of all, I am sorry for this long post. It is my first here.
Specific details about DOSAGE and my QUESTIONS are down toward the end of the post.
I have a few questions I hope somebody could help me with. I am an expat in a country where there is still a lot of prejudice toward mental health issues and while treatment is available, it is still very backward, so I rely on the internet for my information here. There is no such thing as “therapy” here. Just meds.
I was first prescribed Xanax about 11 years ago after having one panic attack that quickly turned into severe panic disorder, in which my panic attacks NEVER went away and I really mean NEVER. Back then, between my first panic attack and being prescribed meds, for about 2 months, for 24 hours a day I had one constant panic attack with extreme dizziness, high blood pressure, weird surges of energy inside me, a constant terrible fear of dying, sweats, muscle spasms, racing thoughts and heart pain. I only told my doctor about the dizziness and she thought I had a mid-ear infection. NOTE: I had only started drinking alcohol a few months before this.
Well, one night after drinking with a few friends, I woke up the next afternoon and I seriously thought I was gonna stroke out. I rushed to the ER and the doctor there recognized anxiety/panic attack straight away and gave me a few 0.5mg Xanax and told me to see a psychiatrist.
On hearing it was an anxiety problem instead of a stroke or something like that, my anxiety literally disappeared and I got a great night’s sleep. I was reluctant to taking the Xanax and refused to take it; but the next day when I had another massive attack for no reason, I took one 0.5mg of Xanax and it made me feel like my normal self within 5 minutes. It was like magic. Anyway, I went back to my regular doctor and told her what happened (minus the drinking bit) and she prescribed me with 2mg of Xanax per day. She told me they were good pills and that she was on them too. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, because I just wanted an end to feeling like crap all the time.
So, I started taking 4 a day, got a new job, started to socialize and drink with workmates and this went on for about 4 years. I NEVER went above 2mg of Xanax, NEVER drank more than twice a week, but did black out quite a few times while drinking on Xanax during those four years. I later realized Xanax and drinking was REALLY bad, so I went to a psychiatric hospital and asked to be detoxed from the Xanax.
The doctor put me on 2mg Clonazepam and on 80g of Prozac a day, after diagnosing me with general anxiety, OCD, panic attacks and depression. He said the Prozac would work for all these and that he would slowly taper the dose of Clonazepam. Unfortunately, he stopped practicing medicine for various reasons and referred me to a colleague of his. The new doctor hated benzos (and me) with a vengeance and wanted me off Clonazepam in 14 days. I didn’t think much of the guy either, so after one visit, I switched doctors and got a doctor at the same hospital who gives meds without too much attitude or judgement. He gave me my original prescription of 2mg Clonazepam and on 80g of Prozac a day no questions asked and has been for the last six years or so, which suited me, that is up until a few days ago.
Prozac seems to be a wonder drug for me as it literally starts working on my panic after the first few doses, but I have never really taken it much, just on and off, because I don’t care for the sexual side effects. For the last few years, I continued to binge drink about once a week and take clonazepam but not Prozac.
Fast forward to the last few months, I have become unemployed again, had zero energy and can’t get out of bed. I wasn’t taking Prozac, but when my anxiety and worry got really bad, I started taking Prozac out of hopelessness. The Prozac has helped me greatly with anxiety, but recently I have had zero energy and just can’t be bothered with anything. It’s like I am extremely lazy, but in my head, I feel I am up against something other than just laziness. In the past, I could fight laziness with a bit of action; but recently I have just been so unmotivated and unable to concentrate, I started thinking it might be something chemical that is stopping me from doing anything to change my situation.
For the past 5 years or so, I have taken the 2mg of Clonazepam I am prescribed in one go in the morning or whenever I get up, mostly without Prozac. I don’t like Prozac, but I am really starting to feel that the Clonazepam is making me even more depressed, lazy, sluggish, unable to concentrate and apathetic. I want off the shit.
For the past few days, I have been researching how to taper off Clonazepam and to my shock, I discovered that some people say 2mg of Clonazepam is equivalent to 4 mg of Xanax. I know that’s a shit load of benzo and I am really worried I have developed a monstrous tolerance and dependence on Clonazepam.
So, have I been lying around stoned out of my head without even knowing it all this time? I just thought that was me without anxiety and feeling bad for myself…
Also, is the fact I take 2mg in one go each morning instead of 4 times a day forever increasing the mount of Clonazepam in my body? I wonder how much I have in me, seeing how I have gained 20 kilos in the last 2 years. (I read clonazepam builds up in the fatty cells of the body.)
Yesterday morning, I woke up and took my 20mg of Prozac and a single 0.5 dose of Clonazepam. After six hours, I had a temperature and was getting electric shock sensations in my legs, so I took another 0.5mg and went to sleep. Upon waking, I got into an argument with my girlfriend and got the electric shocks in my head with a spike in blood pressure, so I took another 0.5 and went to sleep for 12 hours.
I am now going to take 0.5mg of Clonazepam each morning, afternoon and evening, so I will be at a total of 1.5mg, instead of 2mg. My current plan is that I will do this for 4 weeks and then go down to 1mg for 8 weeks and then see how I am. Would this be cutting too fast given that I have been on Clonazepam for so long? Am I at risk of seizures? I don’t drink anymore and will start to exercise and eat better. I really want off this fucking drug and to restart my life.
Can someone please give me some advice as to whether the way I plan to taper is safe? Like I said, doctors here are useless.
Thank you all very much and sorry for the long post.