Detox Detox necessary for this lvl of use

[Robomarley1]

Good morning,

I have been taking 2 mgs of clonazepam a day, with .5 MG of alprazolam a day starting in September of 2014. Up until 6 months ago I drank very heavily but have recently cut down or stopped altogether. Since February of 2021 I have been tapering down so I am only taking 3/4 of a .5 MG tablet of clonazepam a day and no alprazolam at all since February.

My withdrawal symptoms have been mostly annoying but not horrible. My plan is to stay at my current dosage for two weeks then cut down by 1/4 of a .5 MG pill so that I will be taking a quarter of a milligram total. My question is this, since I have been reducing use as slowly as I have been, is detox necessary?

Thank you.

 

[Robomarley1]

Nice job on the taper!

I don't think you need in patient detox. You have already cut the drinking and the alprazolam out and are down to .375mg of clonazepam a day without bad symptoms.

Keep doing what you are doing and making cuts the next few weeks. Once you get down to 1/4th of a .5mg pill (.125mg) stay on that dose for a few days / week then jump off. Save some pills for if you get very uncomfortable once you jump, maybe take one final quarter of a pill 48 hours after you end your daily taper - but if you have already cut out this much without discomfort jumping from .125mg a day I doubt will be bad.

Just make sure you are confidant in your ability to cut your pill into quarters.

good luck!

Thanks,

I was mostly wondering because once I jumped down from. 5 to .375 a week ago my withdrawals intensified. On and off nauseous/lightheaded, pins and needles/ burning occasionally, alternating slightly elevated blood pressure to lowered blood pressure.

I guess the main thing I am worried about is having a seizure driving to work, but I think that is mainly anxiety.

 

[Robomarley1]

Do you get your benzos from a doctor? If so maybe ask them for valium? I think it comes in 1 and 2mg pills in most countries which makes it easier to taper with than cutting pills into quarters.

your cuts are .125mg of clonazepam at a time or 2mg of diazepam. If you were on valium you could make 1mg cuts which might be a bit smoother.

I do get it from a doctor, I will ask next time I see them.

 

[Robomarley1]

Having a seizure anywhere should worry you. It terrifies me. I got lucky last time as I was slipping into a coma before the ambulance showed up. I won't be so lucky if it happens again.

What dose were you taking when that happened? Just curious.

 

[Robomarley1]

Cool. Glad you are getting them from a doctor. Your doctor will probably be happy to hear that you want off of benzos.

They might be a bit surprised / unsettled that you are this far into a taper without talking to them but any doctor with a brain would want to help you out. I bet once they hear you are cutting .5mg pills into quarters they will give you 1mg valiums.

I did not tell him because In the past I had mentioned I wanted off the alprazolam because it was causing me issues and he still wrote me a perception, just a smaller dose. He also has a giant wood mug on his desk that says xanax(alprazolam) in big letters and I saw a pharma rep. walk into his office one day. I guess I figured he did not care.

That is actually why I originally went to him, I knew I would be prescribed some benzo. But I am cleaning up my act over the past year.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Good morning,

I have been taking 2 mgs of clonazepam a day, with .5 MG of alprazolam a day starting in September of 2014. Up until 6 months ago I drank very heavily but have recently cut down or stopped altogether. Since February of 2021 I have been tapering down so I am only taking 3/4 of a .5 MG tablet of clonazepam a day and no alprazolam at all since February.

My withdrawal symptoms have been mostly annoying but not horrible. My plan is to stay at my current dosage for two weeks then cut down by 1/4 of a .5 MG pill so that I will be taking a quarter of a milligram total. My question is this, since I have been reducing use as slowly as I have been, is detox necessary?

Thank you.

great job man, I know how tough it is

if you are down to fractions of a mg at this point - no detox is not needed at all (unless you want to be in that type of environment, it couldn't hurt really, but is not needed).

I would simply continue your taper but very very slowly. You may want to start volumetric dosing.

Whatever you do DON'T DRINK - it will NOT help.

You may want to look into some things like Kava, ashwaghanda root, things like that. It will help you get down to 0 completely. Maybe even look at kratom if you're in the US.

Make sure you are eating healthy, taking vitamins and exercising. The importance of doing that during tapers/withdrawals/recovery cannot be understated.

Great job getting where you're at. That's not easy, especially if you've been on benzos for 7 years! You deserve a pat on the back.

How is your general anxiety levels/sleep?

 

[Skorpio]

Maybe even look at kratom if you're in the US.

I would worry about the op picking up an opi habit.

Caveat is that I really think people who don't abuse opis should avoid kratom because it is still a mu agonist and will produce the desire to use more.

 

[Robomarley1]

great job man, I know how tough it is

if you are down to fractions of a mg at this point - no detox is not needed at all (unless you want to be in that type of environment, it couldn't hurt really, but is not needed).

I would simply continue your taper but very very slowly. You may want to start volumetric dosing.

Whatever you do DON'T DRINK - it will NOT help.

You may want to look into some things like Kava, ashwaghanda root, things like that. It will help you get down to 0 completely. Maybe even look at kratom if you're in the US.

Make sure you are eating healthy, taking vitamins and exercising. The importance of doing that during tapers/withdrawals/recovery cannot be understated.

Great job getting where you're at. That's not easy, especially if you've been on benzos for 7 years! You deserve a pat on the back.

How is your general anxiety levels/sleep?

Thank you. My anxiety is pretty high, but my sleep has been surprisingly good. 6 or seven hours. I will look into kava, the state I live in Kratom is not legal anyways. I think I have just been getting somewhat paranoid over the past couple of weeks because I am getting real close to having to deal with anxiety without the help of benzodiazepines.

 

[VerbalTruist]

Whoever keeps suggesting kratom as a means for easing withdrawal...Quit it. That's a great way for an addict to jump from one substance to another that can suck just as much. Kratom is active on opioid receptors. You can become physically dependent on it in the same way you can with other opiates.