I'm back and a bit sketched out.
Refresh....I joined last mid July to try to taper off some Benzos I've been on since 2000.
I had a feeling with the way things were going on in states getting fickle that it was a matter of time before I'd run into issues.
I was taking 2 mg a day of klonopin and .5 xanax as needed. (Never abused but took as directed.)
Also on Lamictal daily for 5 years.
Developed a tolerance to Ambien so discontinued already.
From July to September I tapered down from 2 mg to 1mg of Klonopin.
Landed in ER once because went too fast but overall steadied out at 1 mg in September.
Took Xanax down to about once a week or 2 for anxiety attack.
For about 2 months I was down to 1mg and planned on holding there for 6 months to a year to even out for awhile. (I've been on Klonopin since I was 21 years old, I'm 41 now.)
I moved several states and we're in a pandemic, had elections, etc so alot of things to get anxious about.
Well, I went in for my first appointment here and this state only allows a 7 day prescription for benzos and the doctors have no frickin idea wtf they are doing. (Pharmacist told me good luck and to brace myself when I explained my situation. )
If I'm very careful I have enough klonopin left to do 2 weeks at .75, 3 weeks at .50 and 2 weeks at .25. Give or take, can make some slight adjustments like maybe 2 weeks at .5 and crush some for a week at closer to .125
About 15 Xanax.
Yesterday was day 8 on .75 and it was not good.
I was so out of it I nearly poisoned my entire family at dinner and suddenly in my brain fog realized my mistake as everyone was about to eat.
When the Dr wrote me "last prescription then stop taking this" for Klonopin she also wrote one for 50 mgs of Hydroxyzine every 6 hours.
I'm not for sure but I think I took this once in a hospital before some medical procedures and it made me unable to stay awake but fighting to wake up then very agitated.
I haven't taken one from this prescription because if it is the same thing I'm going to be a lot worse off.
I'm really upset because I keep flashing back to SO MANY years ago when my doctors kept labeling me, "Med non compliant" because I wasn't taking the Klonopin daily and I told one I DID NOT WANT TO GET DEPENDENT on it and he looked me straight in the face and said, "Don't worry about it. If you have to take it every day for the rest of your life, that's fine. Think of it as no different than a diabetic that needs a medication that works and has to take it daily."
I listened to that and now 20 years later here I am.
I guess I'm mostly venting but also open to thoughts on this Hydroxyzine. I'm really leaning towards tossing it in the trash but is it good for anything when jumping off Klonopin?
Does this sound miserable but doable?
I'm trying to be positive and think how junky tapering from 2mg to 1mg was but I survived and ended up basically ok.
Thanks for reading.
Refresh....I joined last mid July to try to taper off some Benzos I've been on since 2000.
I had a feeling with the way things were going on in states getting fickle that it was a matter of time before I'd run into issues.
I was taking 2 mg a day of klonopin and .5 xanax as needed. (Never abused but took as directed.)
Also on Lamictal daily for 5 years.
Developed a tolerance to Ambien so discontinued already.
From July to September I tapered down from 2 mg to 1mg of Klonopin.
Landed in ER once because went too fast but overall steadied out at 1 mg in September.
Took Xanax down to about once a week or 2 for anxiety attack.
For about 2 months I was down to 1mg and planned on holding there for 6 months to a year to even out for awhile. (I've been on Klonopin since I was 21 years old, I'm 41 now.)
I moved several states and we're in a pandemic, had elections, etc so alot of things to get anxious about.
Well, I went in for my first appointment here and this state only allows a 7 day prescription for benzos and the doctors have no frickin idea wtf they are doing. (Pharmacist told me good luck and to brace myself when I explained my situation. )
If I'm very careful I have enough klonopin left to do 2 weeks at .75, 3 weeks at .50 and 2 weeks at .25. Give or take, can make some slight adjustments like maybe 2 weeks at .5 and crush some for a week at closer to .125
About 15 Xanax.
Yesterday was day 8 on .75 and it was not good.
I was so out of it I nearly poisoned my entire family at dinner and suddenly in my brain fog realized my mistake as everyone was about to eat.
When the Dr wrote me "last prescription then stop taking this" for Klonopin she also wrote one for 50 mgs of Hydroxyzine every 6 hours.
I'm not for sure but I think I took this once in a hospital before some medical procedures and it made me unable to stay awake but fighting to wake up then very agitated.
I haven't taken one from this prescription because if it is the same thing I'm going to be a lot worse off.
I'm really upset because I keep flashing back to SO MANY years ago when my doctors kept labeling me, "Med non compliant" because I wasn't taking the Klonopin daily and I told one I DID NOT WANT TO GET DEPENDENT on it and he looked me straight in the face and said, "Don't worry about it. If you have to take it every day for the rest of your life, that's fine. Think of it as no different than a diabetic that needs a medication that works and has to take it daily."
I listened to that and now 20 years later here I am.
I guess I'm mostly venting but also open to thoughts on this Hydroxyzine. I'm really leaning towards tossing it in the trash but is it good for anything when jumping off Klonopin?
Does this sound miserable but doable?
I'm trying to be positive and think how junky tapering from 2mg to 1mg was but I survived and ended up basically ok.
Thanks for reading.