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Treatment Please help, so scared, end of Klon taper.

M

Mighty-oak

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Mar 1, 2016
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I was prescribed Valium 18 years ago for anxiety/agoraphobia @ 10mg a day. I have taken it daily, every morning and still currently on it.

8 years ago my anxiety got bad again so my Dr prescribed me Klonopin. It worked wonders and I was feeling good.....But this feeling lasted about 18 months then I started to decline. I then found out online that benzos taken long term can cause all kinds of problems so I decided to taper via a day cut taper using digital jewellery scales.

So here goes, in brackets I will put the valium equivalent..... I was on 0.5mg (10mg Valium) a day of Klon. a 0.5mg tab weighs 0.0200g on the scales, so 0.25mg (5mg Valium) = 0.0100g and 0.125mg (2.5mg Valium) = 0.0050g. My current Klon dose is 0.0008g (about 1/2mg of Valium) But......I have been on this dose for months, I just cant seem to stop it. As soon as 5pm comes I think "I must take my Klonopin" If I try to get to 6pm without taking it I freak out and become really anxious ......What can I do, I feel very anxious and kind of trapped by this last bit of Klonopin.

Any advice/help will be amazing.

Thanks in advance.

ps..... I have Baclofen tablets here, not taken one, a bit scared to as read they can make you dizzy, being dizzy scares the life out of me. Although have also read Baclofen can help anxiety, so very confused.
 
Hey !

Hope you're feeling okay .. Well, the good news is that you're actually on a REALLY low dose of benzos, but you have also been on them for a very long time. I'm not a doctor or anything of the sort, but I would bet my life savings on the fact that your withdrawals are almost 100% psychological, and not at all physical in nature. Have you tried perhaps replacing your nightly habitual dose with some type of strong herbal sleeping remedy ?
 
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Mighty-oak said:
ps..... I have Baclofen tablets here, not taken one, a bit scared to as read they can make you dizzy, being dizzy scares the life out of me. Although have also read Baclofen can help anxiety, so very confused.
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Baclofen is pretty benign. It might make you a little sleepy at first, but it most likely will not make you dizzy unless you've been drinking alcohol. That is my experience at least.

Also, rather than weighing your benzo doses, you might want to try using this online tool to calculate equivalents: http://clincalc.com/Benzodiazepine/
 
While it is the case that benzo WD can definitely get ugly, it’s also true that many people taper off of long term benzo use without much trouble (your history of moderation with benzos makes this a very real possibility). It’s Definitely a good idea to give benzo withdrawal/quitting due deference. But I wanted to reassure you at least a bit...this process may be far less unpleasant than what you’ve read about.
 
Thanks everyone, I am feeling far more hopeful now.

I was prescribed both of them (Valium in 1999 & Klonopin in 2010) for anxiety and agoraphobia. I have taken them everyday, never missed a day. What if my anxiety is so bad when I finish, what if I have troubles leaving my house again?

They are strange drugs as to start with, well they worked miracles, but as time went on they became less effective and I am sure they have made me worse as these days I suffer from terrible leg pains, insomnia, irritability, increased anxiety.

It has taken me over 2 years to get from 0.5mg of Klon to almost nothing.......But, its this last bit of Klon, I am scared stupid about stopping, so strange.

I have tried l-theanine, helps a tiny bit. CBD oil made me feel strange, not a nice feeling. May try a Baclofen tablet as read it can help with muscle pain and anxiety.
 
Hey M-O,

Just a quick question, are you still taking any Valium at all, or is the last little bit of Klon the only thing left ? .. You're so darn close man !!!!! You got this :) .. Don't let your mind tell you otherwise.
 
Thanks so much n1ghtcrawl3r :)

I am still on 10mg valium, I take it as soon as I wake up, so about 8am. Its just the Klonopin I have been reducing......I feel a bit stupid, taken me just over 2 years to get from 0.5mg to almost at the end, most people seem to be able to withdraw from 0.5mg to zero in 12 weeks.
 
Yeah but most people probably haven't been on their doses for as long as you've been on yours. Plus, sometimes when we work something up to be a big deal in our heads, it can take us a little bit longer to get over it. I definitely wouldn't feel stupid if I were you though ! .. I know what it feels like to have social anxiety and difficulties dealing with stress, and it can be one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. Just take your time and try to remember that you've already been doing this (taking benzos) for 18 years ! .. If you're starting to taper now, then what's the rush !!!! You should be proud of yourself !! .. No stress :)
 
n1ghtcrawl3r said:
Yeah but most people probably haven't been on their doses for as long as you've been on yours. Plus, sometimes when we work something up to be a big deal in our heads, it can take us a little bit longer to get over it. I definitely wouldn't feel stupid if I were you though ! .. I know what it feels like to have social anxiety and difficulties dealing with stress, and it can be one of the hardest obstacles to overcome. Just take your time and try to remember that you've already been doing this (taking benzos) for 18 years ! .. If you're starting to taper now, then what's the rush !!!! You should be proud of yourself !! .. No stress :)
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Lovely reply, thanks greatly my friend.

You have suffered from social anxiety too.......Any tips on trying to overcome it ;) :)
 
Hey Mighty-Oak,

I still suffer from social anxiety very badly, so I don't feel like I'd be the best person to give advice on how to overcome it ! Haha ...

How are you feeling anyways ?
 
^Right? Sometimes just talking about whatever anything mildly interesting (genuine though) works.
 
Hey OP,

Are you still around ? .. You've been on my mind and I'm keen to know how you're travelling :)

All the best mate.

n1ghtcrawl3r x
 
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