Mental Health Benzos for severe anxiety and PD

[Xorkoth]

Gabapentin actually only indirectly affects GABA, it does not agonize any GABA receptors, instead it acts as an inhibitor of α2δ subunit-containing VDCCs. I believe that has a downstream effect on the GABA system. It's great for anxiety, though it does produce withdrawals, but the withdrawals are not as severe as benzos.

 

[Stargazer]

Shadowmeister -

The withdrawal for me, is horrible. Its worse than opiates, for me. And my opiate habit was severe.

The reason I find it worse is the extreme anxiety. It causes anxiety x10 for me.

I decided to wait to pick up an Rx, and go a day and a half. Very bad idea.

It seems some say they don't experience withdrawal from it. I definitely do.

 

[Xorkoth]

Ah I don't doubt at all there is withdrawal from gabapentin, it's certainly not recommended to take it regularly unless you're prescribed it. Just saying it doesn't agonize any of the GABA receptor sites.

 

[Mycophile]

Neurontin (gabapentin), has been life-changing for me as far as anxiety and panic attacks.

It's a realistic kind of life-changing. I'm not euphoric, etc. I'm like what I thought "normal" people must be like.

I can think positively, try and find solutions to my issues and have hope. And not live with debilitating anxiety, panic and racing thoughts.

For me, the positive outweighs the negative. I used to be prescribed #90 1mg xanax,3x a day with 2 refills, that I was able to refill every 12 days.

I wasn't able, at that time, to take them responsibly. I asked my Dr to only write #30 a month instead. I was able to responsibly take that amount. I have no idea why either lol.

It was a shit show- I'd take #90 in 3 days. WTH?

I sometimes still feel the need for benzo, on particularly bad days. I can't have an Rx because I'm on Subutex.

Different things work for different people. Mycophile, you seem to be an exception. For a majority of people, benzos become less effective with time.

Ok, you are the second person with anxiety who says they have been able to switch from a benzo to Gabapentin so I'm very interested and have some questions.

As for me, while Klonopin has not become less effective to treat my anxiety, I strongly believe it has greatly exacerbated my depression and MASSIVE fatigue and lethargy, but I have not been able to find anything else without equally bad side effects that works, and I'd LOVE to get off it if I could find something else that works.

I'm going to PM you because it will be easier that way.

 

[Stargazer]

Shadow-

I take it everyday, as prescribed. That's not unusual. Neurontin, off label, is Rx'd for anxiety and panic disorder, PTSD, etc.

If I didn't take it daily, it wouldn't be life-changing. It would only be occasionally life-changing lol.

I didn't know, and wasn't told about the w/d. I kind of assumed it had w/d, being it's close to Lyrica. Lyrica w/d is unbearable (ime), as well.



Dr's will tell you there's no w/d, trust me, there's most definitely withdrawal. I'm saying this toward anyone reading this, who is considering going on Neurontin, or who has been Rx'd some. So you know what you're signing up for.

Some people don't seem to experience w/d from it. I often wonder if the reason for that is they're on another med thats masking it. Such as abenzo.

Like anything else, do your own research. Weigh out the pros and cons of being on a med that can cause w/d. For me, the pros win by a landslide. I feel "normal". And that's nothing short of a miracle.

mycophile - I didn't forget about you. My morning was busy irl. I'm having my first cup of coffee at 3:30pm. I want to give you my full attention.

 

[ac360]

I have severe GAD, and I've been on zoloft, prozac, lexapro, remeron, abilify and the list goes on. They helped but not enough to get me to a functional level. My psychiatrist has switched me between a few benzos and xanax works best. I've been taking one benzo or another for over a year now. The addiction sucks but for me at least it's well worth it because the quality of my life has improved so much. Many people stay on lower doses of benzos for a very long time.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

^To be clear, if you take by doctor's order it's dependence, not addiction. And it's more than just quibbling with semantics, and more than supporting big pharma.

With dependence, you take a constant dose for a legitimate condition as deemed by an MD/nurse practitioner. It is to treat an endogenous condition at the lowest dose effective. You shouldn't feel bad if you fall within these bounds.

With addiction, you constantly increase the dose to achieve a euphoric state, and your brain has been taken over by the substance. It's all about the highs, reality becomes a less concern. Eventually, one either gets clean or dies., basically without exception.

 

[Mycophile]

^To be clear, if you take by doctor's order it's dependence, not addiction. And it's more than just quibbling with semantics, and more than supporting big pharma.

With dependence, you take a constant dose for a legitimate condition as deemed by an MD/nurse practitioner. It is to treat an endogenous condition at the lowest dose effective. You shouldn't feel bad if you fall within these bounds.

With addiction, you constantly increase the dose to achieve a euphoric state, and your brain has been taken over by the substance. It's all about the highs, reality becomes a less concern. Eventually, one either gets clean or dies., basically without exception.

No offense, but I'm just curious, are you saying that addictions to ALL drugs usually kill a person if they don't get clean without exception, or just with benzos?

I mean, I'm not a mod or an expert, but I'd argue that there are a lot of cases where people never get over addictions to various substances that do not end up killing them even if they never do get clean.

My great grandmother smoked cigarettes, drank whisky and took valium regularly and was an addict, but none seemed to the cause of her death at 93 years old...which even if they were that's pretty old.

You can be addicted to lower level amphetamines and chase the high of drugs like Adderall and they are still relatively safe and do it your whole life, same would probably go for a safer substance like Kratom, and very few people actually ever do overdose from benzos alone, mostly just in conjunction with other strong CNS depressants. People also jump around with with lower level poly substance abuse for a lifetime between recreational stimulants here, some booze there, some DXM there, weed, tobacco etc....without any of them ever actually necessarily resulting in their death, but perhaps just a greatly diminished quality of life and most likely with them being less physically healthy as well.

Your statement that if you have any drug addiction you either get clean or die just kind of seemed a bit hyperbolic to me, and I always felt that argument was one of the worse angles that the war on drugs took, cause it's not really based in reality.

If people REALLY want to scare others away from drug addiction (not that I think they should as I believe everyone should do what they want with their own bodies) I think they should get them to question the QUALITY of life they will have if they are heavily addicted to substances, as that is something that will USUALLY IMO suffer.

I'm often amazed at the amount of punishment that the human body can take while still managing to function until a relatively old age and hear of a lot of people who have abused their bodies in different ways (not even just drugs) and still lived to at least their 60s if not older and often wonder how they lived through it all, and then I've heard of and known people who were health nuts who just had bad luck and died young. A whole lot of times I think people just keep on ticking on the outside even if things really aren't so great on the inside.

I'd say it's the case with SEVERE drug addictions to strong opiates, alcohol, Meth, coke/crack, etc that they often result in death if one doesn't get clean, but not necessarily the case by any means with all drugs.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

There are a few whom don't befall those paths. But my definition of addiction is standard in the literature, vs. dependence. Addiction is continuing to use higher and higher amounts to chase an original high. Dependence denotes settling on a dose.

Also not trying to be rude, but does it make sense now?

 

[andyturbo]

I've been on 4mg clonazepam for 7 years and it still works. I need it and prefer the quality of life and deal with the cons

 

[Mycophile]

There are a few whom don't befall those paths. But my definition of addiction is standard in the literature, vs. dependence. Addiction is continuing to use higher and higher amounts to chase an original high. Dependence denotes settling on a dose.

Also not trying to be rude, but does it make sense now?

Oh yeah it made sense to me already.

I still don't think there's "only a few" who don't end up dead or quitting their drug of choice if they become addicted though if we are talking about certain drugs that don't have a high potential for doing lethal harm, especially in the case of benzos as very rarely do benzos BY THEMSELVES lead to death.

I think what you are saying is often true with SERIOUSLY hard drugs, opiates, meth, coke/crack, SERIOUS alcohol dependence and stuff like that, but I just don't think it's usually true with benzos if you DON'T mix them with CNS depressants, prescription amphetamines, psychedelics, weed, or quite a few other substances that are not as hard unless mixed with other harder stuff or in bad interactions.

But I also think dependence doesn't only mean "settling on a dose", but simply whether or not your body will go into withdrawal without it, and that addiction is not necessarily only raising the dose, but whether or not you THINK you need it.

That has always been my definition: dependence = your body needs it or you go into WD, and addiction = the psychological component where your brain tells you that if you don't take it, even if you WON'T go into WD, that you will, in one way or another, not "be ok".

But yeah, I would agree that if you are raising your dosages a lot your also addicted, and I'm addicted to a low level of dexadrine right now (not TOO bad but I don't like it so I'm working on using it less), and PHYSICALLY dependent on medicinally prescribed Klonopin, but I am not raising my dosage of that.

To that extent actually....oddly I would say I AM dependent on Klonopin cause I'll go into WD without it, but NOT addicted, whereas I'd consider myself addicted to dexadrine, but not dependent.

 

[Mycophile]

I've been on 4mg clonazepam for 7 years and it still works. I need it and prefer the quality of life and deal with the cons

Mine still works too. I've been on it twice as long as you but a lower dose of 1.5mgs.

I don't like the cons and would prefer to be able to use something else or at least a lower dose, but I definitely do prefer the quality of life in terms of what happens if I don't take it...and by that I mean my anxiety that I started using it for originally, NOT the WD.

I'm glad to see a mod recognizes that long term benzo use can be necessary at times and beneficial.

I do wish I could use something else though that didn't make me so tired and would increase my mood more and help with my depression, cause the Klonopin doesn't make me less depressed, and neither does my Lexapro.

 

[andyturbo]

Mine still works too. I've been on it twice as long as you but a lower dose of 1.5mgs.

I don't like the cons and would prefer to be able to use something else or at least a lower dose, but I definitely do prefer the quality of life in terms of what happens if I don't take it...and by that I mean my anxiety that I started using it for originally, NOT the WD.

I'm glad to see a mod recognizes that long term benzo use can be necessary at times and beneficial.

I do wish I could use something else though that didn't make me so tired and would increase my mood more and help with my depression, cause the Klonopin doesn't make me less depressed, and neither does my Lexapro.

I'm in exactly the same situation. I definitely never encourage benzo use and try to advise people that are new to them or using them recreationally of the dangers and side effects.

I understand what you said in your post. It really bothers me when people tell me how bad they are and how I shouldn't take that shit ect (It happend just last week a friends friend who I barely know)

They are not only saying stuff that I'm very well aware of, but they havnt experienced the other option of not using it and how bad that is.

I hope too that one day a successful replacement is available that is better health wise.

A.T

 

[insert clever name]

I did not read through all the responses, which is unusual for me, but I'm a bit crunched for time, so I will just respond. I am part of the been on benzo's for 7 years crowd, Klonopin specifically. My prescription is PRN, and my dose is low. I'll take anywhere from .75 - 1.5mg and sometimes 1.75, depending on how nervous I am and the circumstance. I don't take it everyday, but often enough. For me, it works incredibly well for anxiety and I still function. I have minimal side effects, but it can make me a bit tired, I've noticed that more recently, but I might be taking less recently as well, so I am noticed it more. Another side effect I have is that after about 8 hours of having taken it, my hands might shake slightly, I don't know why that is, but I've only noticed it in the past year or so. Recently, it can knock me out for long periods of time, and if I don't take it for days, I sometimes have a problem getting to sleep, and staying asleep.

My consensus on it is that it works VERY well for anxiety, at least for me, it doesn't take it completely away, but it helps A LOT. There may be a mental component of this too--that I expect it to work, etc., so it does. I take it for social anxiety mostly, along with some PD, and GA. I've taken numerous SSRI's with no relief, an MAOI, Gabapentin, etc. None of these worked for me. The MAOI might have helped, but I got to the point where I couldn't function, due to side effects (feeling faint for hours after I woke up, etc). Gabapentin did nothing for me, I've heard you have to take more for SA, I was up to 2400mg, when I tapered off it. I had no side effects on it at all, so that was a huge plus, but also didn't feel any benefits. Someone said it doesn't work directly on the gaba system, and they are right, but they can be a precursor, I believe.

My opinion on benzo's is that it can be used responsibly and long-term, depending on the person and the circumstances. I wouldn't recommend using it long-term, but if you need it and have tried other things, it can be useful to some. I wish I didn't need to take it, didn't feel dependent on it--it can be an uncomfortable place to be in when you feel like you need to take something, as people on this forum can probably relate to. The fear of running out, the fear of being taken off it, how/if you'll be able to get by without it is not a good place to be. Or being found out, the guilt/shame of taking it... These are the negatives with any drug.

Despite this, I think my experience has overall been positive on the drug, it has allowed me to do things that I would otherwise be too fearful to do. But if I didn't have it maybe my coping skills would be better. That is what I am working on now: I'm going to counseling and trying to work on my anxiety through exposure and talk therapy. I am also taking up exercise and supplementation, and overall just trying to find more long-term solutions to my social anxiety and panic disorder. Hope this all makes sense and peace be with you.

 

[UpperMind]

Hi there. I could use some advice from you guys. I've been taking clonazepam for pretty much 7 years now. I started taking it to ease anxiety and to treat some panick attack I was having.I try to never take more than 0.5mg a day, and usually I take about 0.3/0.4mg. Some days, when anxiety gets too much for me, I might take 0.5 or 0.75. I don't remember ever taking 1mg. I guess that I'm a light user.
I'm trying to taper down and get out of the I-can't-get-anywhere-if-I-don't-have-a-pill-with-me dance. It looks like the amount I take is no longer enough. I'm having quite a few agoraphobia episodes, and some heavy anxiety almost on a daily basis. About a week ago, I tried having some lemon balm, some passion flower, some valerian root, and fish oil. I really felt at ease, and I didn't take my usual dose of clonazepam for two days in a row. On the third day, still being very calm (perhaps too calm) and basically anxiety-free, I took a long walk, and had a very interesting episode of depersonalization, a symptom I've never had before. It's quite scary, actually. I really prefer to be anxious, even near to a panic attack than to have depersonalization symptoms, where I feel like I smoked salvia or some heavy crap like that.
What do you think happened to me? Is this because I am still very anxious and the clonazepam kept some control over me that the herbs I drank didn't? Can it be the mix of the herbs with some residual clonazepam, somehow being too much for the brain chemistry? Perhaps I'm just too anxious for such small dose of clonazepam?
I can't visit a doctor until 10 days or so, and I'd like to avoid increasing the clonazepam dosage if possible.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[insert clever name]

That is a very low dose, I'm surprised you've been able to maintain that for that many years--are you a small person? I am somewhat petite, but 0.5 is not enough to take the edge off for me. Your dose is so low that I wonder if it is more a mental thing at this point (like a placebo), I think addiction has way more of a mental component than we often hear about, but I'm no expert.

Is there is anything going on in your life that your anxiety is greater than usual? Just the fact that you are not depending on the klonopin is probably enough to cause the anxiety or worrying about your dosage. I don't think it is a good idea to take it everyday, regardless of dosage, unless, of course, you really do need it, that's up to you. It could have been that enough left your body that the anxiety presented again, but hard to say. I have not taken it for 5-6 days before and thought I felt weird, etc, but felt mentally sharper, but other times, I have not taken it for the same amount of time and noticed no difference, except for some insomnia. I think the difference was that I was concerned about not taking it for that amount of time versus not being concerned with it--so probably almost entirely mental, it's funny the things we thing we notice and what we attribute it to. If you're highly aware that you're not taking it, and looking for symptoms or problems from it, you'll probably find things.

We all have different body chemistries and metabolisms, so it's hard to know. If you take it everyday, you're probably going to have a harder time getting off it, but your dose is so low....

All that said, I think I have experienced depersonalization as well, and I do think it is from the Klonopin or related to it. I have not experienced it in a while, but at times, I felt almost as if I couldn't relate to most other people, and my compassion for other people was less and I did experience some feeling of not really being in the world or like I am observing. I have not experienced this in a while and still trying to figure it out. I also abused alcohol for many years and now have been sober for 16 days, from that, I can tell you, I feel a million times better, so it was likely a combo. I'd love to hear an update about how you're doing!

 

[UpperMind]

That is a very low dose, I'm surprised you've been able to maintain that for that many years--are you a small person? I am somewhat petite, but 0.5 is not enough to take the edge off for me. Your dose is so low that I wonder if it is more a mental thing at this point (like a placebo), I think addiction has way more of a mental component than we often hear about, but I'm no expert.

Is there is anything going on in your life that your anxiety is greater than usual? Just the fact that you are not depending on the klonopin is probably enough to cause the anxiety or worrying about your dosage. I don't think it is a good idea to take it everyday, regardless of dosage, unless, of course, you really do need it, that's up to you. It could have been that enough left your body that the anxiety presented again, but hard to say. I have not taken it for 5-6 days before and thought I felt weird, etc, but felt mentally sharper, but other times, I have not taken it for the same amount of time and noticed no difference, except for some insomnia. I think the difference was that I was concerned about not taking it for that amount of time versus not being concerned with it--so probably almost entirely mental, it's funny the things we thing we notice and what we attribute it to. If you're highly aware that you're not taking it, and looking for symptoms or problems from it, you'll probably find things.

We all have different body chemistries and metabolisms, so it's hard to know. If you take it everyday, you're probably going to have a harder time getting off it, but your dose is so low....

All that said, I think I have experienced depersonalization as well, and I do think it is from the Klonopin or related to it. I have not experienced it in a while, but at times, I felt almost as if I couldn't relate to most other people, and my compassion for other people was less and I did experience some feeling of not really being in the world or like I am observing. I have not experienced this in a while and still trying to figure it out. I also abused alcohol for many years and now have been sober for 16 days, from that, I can tell you, I feel a million times better, so it was likely a combo. I'd love to hear an update about how you're doing!

Thank you for your answer and comments!
I'm not petite at all, I weight almost 200 pounds. I guess that taking a low dose, but daily, could be the reason that I could avoid increasing it. I agree that .25/.30 mg is pretty much placebo to someone taking clonazepam for years. I'm not really sure if it's even working, or just keeps me away from thinking that I might need it (and have anxiety about it). Some days, I'm sure that the anxiety was caused by me thinking about the anxiety that I might get anytime, it's bizarre).
I also agree that I should not be taking benzos daily, when there are many days when clearly I don't need them, but I prefer the safety of knowing that I already took the pill and will probably not need it.
It's been a few days now, and the depersonalization is slowly ending. I have some weird feelings when out and about, but minor and I can take my mind off of it by thinking about something else, or talking to someone, or listening to music. I hope I can stop it for good, it's really unbearable when it happens.
What has been a real surprise to me is the herbal tea Sleepy Time Extra. Not only it helps me go to sleep much easier, but also calms me down enough to sleep through the night. Perhaps, it even helps me mantain such low dose of Klonapin during the day.
I had a serious back pain these past few days, and the doctor told me it is stress-related. I just could not believe that stress can cause such pain, and I'm still reluctant to accept it, but it looks like it is.
Another finding that I had was that sugar seems to increase my anxiety a lot. I drank a lot of sugary beverages, and it's been 10 days since I stopped, and can feel myself way more calm now. I read a lot about it, and the evidence is pretty much indisputable: sugar, and coffee, are big anxiogenics.
Also, magnesium works wonders as an anxiolitic. There's so much to learn!

 

[insert clever name]

No problem! I don't think it's bizarre to get anxiety about getting anxiety, I think it's quite common actually. Once you have an anxiety attack, you don't typically want another one! Logically we know we don't need to have anxiety or the situation doesn't warrant it, but it's not that simple. Judging our response usually makes it worse.

Wonder how you're feeling now? Have you resumed taking the benzo's or trying to get off them? I'm amazed at how much quitting alcohol has improved my mood and my anxiety, I wonder if quitting benzo's will produce the same result, eventually, because I realize it will be hard. But having to rely on something chips away at your self esteem and you can never be at ease if you think you have to rely on a drug, just my .02.

SleepyTime has Valerian root, which helps with relaxation, among other herbs in it that help as well. I have noticed that about sugar as well, good for you for stopping! I am trying to cut back on my caffiene usage, I drink 2-4 cups of coffee a day, which may sound strange for someone to do with an anxiety disorder but I have been drinking it since high school and come from a family of coffee drinkers. Klonopin probably makes it worse, as I feel less anxious, but more tired. Oy vey.

Yup, but make sure you get a good form of Magnesium, as some are not absorbed well. B-vitamins, D vitamins, should help as well. There are also supplements that you can buy at health stores that contain supplements and herbs that promote relaxation. They can help, especially if you're deficient in anything.

Yes! There's a lot to learn, anxiety can be quite complicated! I wish us both luck in figuring it out

 

[checktest]

Benzos are certainly an option for anxiety, and can work for extended periods in some people. They also can stop working for some people at the same doses because of individual tolerance, and are certainly susceptible to addiction/dependence. Polysubstance and benzo abuse definitely had an uptick in the last 10 years, and there is some validity to approaching them with caution. Addiction doesn't disqualify a medication entirely, but harms from addiction are valid and were often underestimated or misunderstood for many years. Addiction science is developing, and hopefully they can identify key targets and medication modulations to better serve people in need.

For anecdotes, my mom has been on 0.5 alprazolam for the better part of 25 years and it works reasonably well for her in particular cases, although her generalized anxiety is still not great (exacerbated by drinking and smoking.) On the other hand, I've known a few people who would say their anxiety got worse in time with benzos, and they felt trapped by the medication. I personally dislike benzos because they didn't help my anxiety or sleep, and made me more depressed.

Certainly people use clobazam, clonazepam, and chlordiazepoxide for seizures for years, so certain effects remain relatively stable. And some people can be on benzos for years with good effect, but it can be hard to judge whether that will be the case for a particular individual. Given the possibility of exacerbating anxiety or worsening other aspects in the long term, let alone addiction/dependence issues, it is understandable that benzodiazepines have fallen in favor.

There is scaremongering and benzos aren't some terrible last resort, but there are reasons to be cautious and skeptical. A careful balance.



On a personal note, I really dislike the perception in some groups that benzodiazepines are some panacea for anxiety for everyone. I tend to have ruminative anxiety and insomnia that did not benefit at all from benzos. Of course I am one individual and not representative of everyone, but sometimes it seems benzos are made out to be more beneficial than they really are for some. Not that they aren't quite beneficial for some, of course. Gabapentin/pregabalin, SSRIs, TCAs / clomid, mirtazepine, AAPs, mood stabilizers, the random buspirone, (stimulants for me), lots of possibilities. Let alone therapy choices and combinations.

 

[UpperMind]

No problem! I don't think it's bizarre to get anxiety about getting anxiety, I think it's quite common actually. Once you have an anxiety attack, you don't typically want another one! Logically we know we don't need to have anxiety or the situation doesn't warrant it, but it's not that simple. Judging our response usually makes it worse.

Wonder how you're feeling now? Have you resumed taking the benzo's or trying to get off them? I'm amazed at how much quitting alcohol has improved my mood and my anxiety, I wonder if quitting benzo's will produce the same result, eventually, because I realize it will be hard. But having to rely on something chips away at your self esteem and you can never be at ease if you think you have to rely on a drug, just my .02.

SleepyTime has Valerian root, which helps with relaxation, among other herbs in it that help as well. I have noticed that about sugar as well, good for you for stopping! I am trying to cut back on my caffiene usage, I drink 2-4 cups of coffee a day, which may sound strange for someone to do with an anxiety disorder but I have been drinking it since high school and come from a family of coffee drinkers. Klonopin probably makes it worse, as I feel less anxious, but more tired. Oy vey.

Yup, but make sure you get a good form of Magnesium, as some are not absorbed well. B-vitamins, D vitamins, should help as well. There are also supplements that you can buy at health stores that contain supplements and herbs that promote relaxation. They can help, especially if you're deficient in anything.

Yes! There's a lot to learn, anxiety can be quite complicated! I wish us both luck in figuring it out

I'm feeling kind of better, luckily. I had a reduction in depersonalization,but I still have a weird feeling while walking outside, it doesn't affect me when I'm in my house. I take .33mg of Klonopin daily (easier to break a 2mg pill in 6 parts), to avoid anxiety from happening, which I know is not good, but I'd prefer to have as much a normal life as possible while I deal with my symptoms, leaving the hard task of tapering off for a better time.

I feel better than a few weeks ago, when I was having so much anxiety that even having 0.50mg wouldn't really get me out of there. I sleep better, and I think that helps a lot, and I'm trying to eat well and have some magnesium and Valerian root a couple of times a day.

If it weren't for the fact that I don't like to have to take Klonopin everyday, and I don't like to have a Klonopin pill with me at all times, I'd say that I'm pretty functional, although I'd love to stop having residual agoraphobia while I'm on the streets.

I think that 0.33mg is a low-enough dose to keep me from having hard secondary effects, and perhaps even will allow me to eventually get off the benzos completly without so much of the specially nasty withdrawal. I'm not sure that I'm not an addict, because I certainly am dependant, but perhaps no so much chemically but psychologically.

I once forgot to take the daily dose for a week, and when I realize it, I kept without taking it for a whole month, no symptoms. Later, I had a couple of mild panick attacks and had to resume taking it, sadly. But, this could very well mean that I am able to stop taking it, otherwise that month would have been hell. I keep my hopes up!

I was thinking about buying liquid Klonapin in order to try a very small dose decrease, like 0.1mg less per week, taking me 30 weeks to get completly out of it. What do you think?