Please Help....New and need help

[Itsmeshelley]

Im not sure how to post or ask a question but I need help with Benzo withdrawls,,, Ive been on Clonazapam 6 mg a day for 10 years and got down to 4 then now 2mg a day after a year or so,, I am having bad symptoms with the weaning , you name it I have it, no sleep, sweating, pain , shaky , cant think, I am going to a regular doctor no insurance and need to know what to ask for , she does not know about this to much,, I have read about Carbamazepine and Clonidine but do not know much about any of it,, Please let me know what anyone has tried and possibly worked,,,thankyou

 

[Smoky]

Hi, Welcome to Bluelight!

We only allow one post in NMI. This one seems to be more thorough regarding your symptoms, or needs. I am so sorry you are in this place. I had a year experience with benzos approximately, but nothing like what you must be enduring now.

I am going to move your post to basic drug discussion in hopes you'll receive some support. You do need to work with your doctor or find another doctor if you can that can truly help you. I feel you are dropping to quickly. I was switched to a very long acting benzo when I tapered.

 

[danglesmcgee]

Im not sure how to post or ask a question but I need help with Benzo withdrawls,,, Ive been on Clonazapam 6 mg a day for 10 years and got down to 4 then now 2mg a day after a year or so,, I am having bad symptoms with the weaning , you name it I have it, no sleep, sweating, pain , shaky , cant think, I am going to a regular doctor no insurance and need to know what to ask for , she does not know about this to much,, I have read about Carbamazepine and Clonidine but do not know much about any of it,, Please let me know what anyone has tried and possibly worked,,,thankyou

Ouch. ...Clonazepam withdrawals. guess what! your not alone. i been there done that. its nasty, and frightening. 10 years is a very long time to be on clonazepam...are you epileptic? or were you taking it for anxiety? in any case, after 10 years of use you must taper off with a very strict schedule. Have a look on google for the ashton manual by Dr. Ashton. You should be eventually switching to diazepam and taper from that as it has a shorter half life. Clonazepam in particular is a bastard to come off due to its extended half life. its a very potent benzo. To be honest and frank with you, your in for a long road to recovery. i wont candy coat it for you. It took me 3 months of AGONY to stop clonazepam, i only used it for a few years or so. Maybe ask your doctor for gabbapentin, small dose of seroquel for sleep, magnesium.... . but really theres not a miracle cure for it. whats happening is your entire central nervous system is re-adjusting to not having so much clonazepam to supress it. Your body remembers what you did to it all those years, and it is re-learning how to regulate itself now. Have you had tremors? electric shocks? all your symtpoms you mentioned are normal. then can get alot worse. just take it slow. real slow. 10 years is a long time.

let us know how your going.

 

[T. Calderone]

Hi Shelley, I agree with Smoky that you may be dropping too fast and that's why you're feeling so poorly. Ten years is a long time and even though you've been weaning down to 2 mg, your body is having trouble adjusting. I have a question: Is this the same doctor who prescribed for all those years or a new doctor? I've not used carbamazepine but tried clonidine when coming off etizolam. It helped with the restless legs, nausea and sweating.

But I was abusing them heavily on a six month binge and even though I felt like hell, I know it's nothing compared to what you're going through. I've read many success stories from people using the Ashton Method: http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/contents.htm

It's a slower taper and perhaps you could print it out and show it to your doctor. I hope you can find some relief soon. When is your appointment? Let us know how you're doing and welcome to Bluelight!

 

[Itsmeshelley]

I have an appointment with a specialist thank goodness,,, I had a seizure last weekend because of withdrawals and had to go to the ER,, at least they gave me medication to get better until I see my new doctor Monday. I will let you know how it goes and thank you so much for replying ...