Benzos Tip/helps to coming off benzos

[Mighty-oak]

In great need of help here and hoping I am putting this in the correct section.

I need to come off 0.5mg Clonazepam. I have been on it for 5 years daily at this dose. I have tried many times to come off it but fail everytime.

I was originally prescribed it for anxiety/agoraphobia.

Other meds I am on....

Diazepam 10mg in the morning
Citalopram 40mg lunch time
Pregabalin 50mg afternoon

I take my clonazepam about 7pm.

When I have tried coming off it in the past, even the smallest drop in dose makes my already bad anxiety go crazy, so much so that I am having troubles even getting out of my house lately.

Any ideas/help/suggestions to come off Clonazepam would be great.

 

[Cheezy]

Just do it!

 

[Zerwas]

^Don't listen to this guy...

I would suggest to work out a taper with your doctor. Maybe switch to a slightly higher Diazepam-dose only, something like 15-20mg as a replacement for the Clonazepam and then slowly reduce that.
If you have been on Benzos for 5 years you should take your time. Do you know the Ashton Manual? It is a very good Guideline for Benzodiazepine-Tapers.
For example in your situation you could switch to Valium only like I said, wait maybe 2 weeks until you are stable on it and then go down 1mg per week. This way your body can adjust to the taper and you probably won't feel as bad during the whole process until it gets to the last mg's.

But definitely do it under medical supervision. A good thing is that your dose is relatively low and it should theoretically not be that problematic to do the switch to Diazepam only which also has a longer half-life than Clonazepam and that is one reason it is the standard Benzo used for tapers.

I wish you good luck!

Z

 

[Mighty-oak]

^Don't listen to this guy...

I would suggest to work out a taper with your doctor. Maybe switch to a slightly higher Diazepam-dose only, something like 15-20mg as a replacement for the Clonazepam and then slowly reduce that.
If you have been on Benzos for 5 years you should take your time. Do you know the Ashton Manual? It is a very good Guideline for Benzodiazepine-Tapers.
For example in your situation you could switch to Valium only like I said, wait maybe 2 weeks until you are stable on it and then go down 1mg per week. This way your body can adjust to the taper and you probably won't feel as bad during the whole process until it gets to the last mg's.

But definitely do it under medical supervision. A good thing is that your dose is relatively low and it should theoretically not be that problematic to do the switch to Diazepam only which also has a longer half-life than Clonazepam and that is one reason it is the standard Benzo used for tapers.

I wish you good luck!

Z

Thanks greatly Z

I have been on 10mg of diazepam for the past 16 years can you believe, never missed a day of taking one! When they gave me Clonazepam 5 years ago to take at night it really helped with anxiety.....But....The positive effects lasted about 2 years. The past few years have been terrible, most days have a job even leaving my home. I then read that long term benzo use makes anxiety worse than it was to start with, so I thought the best one to come off first is the most addictive one being Clonazepam. I told the Dr about this as he has now stopped my script for Clonazepam and prescribed my Pregabalin....Only thing is Pregabalin makes me feel really strange, not a nice feeling, kind of spaced out. I know many people like this feeling but I like to be in control and not all over the place like these Pregabalin tabs are making me feel, plus they dont seem to be helping with the anxiety at all. The reason they gave me Clonazepam was when I had a bad turn some years ago they upped my diazepam to 25mg a day, but this made me even worse, Dr called it a paradoxil effect? So all in all, rather stuck bud I have some Testosterone here (not prescribed!) and thinking about taking that as high levels of Testosterone give you confindence, something I am lacking in a big way, plus my natural Testosterone levels are very low but Dr wont treat me for low Test....Typical UK NHS!