Fishinainteasy

After detoxing from alcohol I told my doctor I want to quit my anxiety meds I've been on for 5 years. We tapered down and the withdrawl was too much so we changed doses. To be honest. I'm scared out of my pants to get off this stuff. It's all been prescribed from doctors but what a crapstorm of a drug. I didn't know if I should put this in the substance abuse forum. Cutting down has increased my depression and at times makes me want to drink to level off. (Won't help). This taper is gonna take like 3 freaking months!!! I wish I'd never started this stuff. Big hole to climb out of. Why do they prescribe this?!? Anyway just looking for tips from some folks who've went on before me. The mental game can be rough. This is as not as easy to stop as alcohol for me since I've been on such a high dose for a long time. Thanks doc! I have a appointment with the shrink tomorrow so I'm sure he can shed some light. Thanks SR!

Lusher

Hey Fishinainteasy-

I also had to be medically tapered off of Xanax, which is also a benzo, a couple of years ago. I actually tried to stop 'cold turkey' and that attempt lasted for just over a day. Not a chance, so I went the medical rout.

It was hell the first several days, and still tough for a few weeks after that. The small amount (klonopin) that I was prescribed to taper was not really doing much from what I could feel. It felt like a way too small of a dose to me.

I was so use to having that soothing feeling, that it was hard when I stopped. But in full disclosure, I had access to additional meds, which I took full advantage of. This is how I got myself into trouble.

After the first week (and following the Rx completely) I was feeling better and I continued to improve. Now it's just a memory- thank God.
I was thinking the same thing myself. I knew that I was in for trouble well before I had stopped. I was popping those damn things like those Pez candies. NEVER again.

Hang in there and I do wish you well. It will get better.


Lusher

Ruby2

To put it in perspective, you took them for five years. Three months to taper is a drop in the bucket in comparison.

I used to take klonopin but I never had to wean off of it because I didn't develop a dependence on it. What I can say is that my anxiety attacks have dwindled to almost zero since I quit drinking. They only flare up if I've had too much caffeine and nicotine on an empty stomach.

Good luck. You can do this.

Alwyshope12

check out this site, it may help better understand the klonopin and alcohol and give you some material to ask your doctor:
PAWS | Digital Dharma

Alwyshope12

check out this site, it may help better understand the klonopin and alcohol and give you some material to ask your doctor:
PAWS | Digital Dharma

Fishinainteasy

Thanks guys! And ruby I can't touch caffeine. I just freak out. I miss it. Hopefully one day when I get my anxiety under control. My wife makes it and it smells soo good.

Verte

Hey Fishin, after having had a schedule of two different types prescribed with increasing doses over a few months for non-anxiety reasons - I will report that my life felt magnified and illuminated all day long during the taper. Like all the minor imperfections in every nook and cranny of my existence were on display for my viewing pleasure. Things I never cared about or noticed were suddenly getting under my skin. That was not a fun time. Slow going with the taper sounds like an excellent idea.

Hopefully you and your shrink will come up with a good game plan tomorrow for managing the anxiety and the process.

RedCasey

I also quit klonopin when I stopped drinking. For me the withdrawals lasted almost a month. I sweated profusely and my hands shook like crazy. Probably a combination of quitting the alcohol and the klonopin at the same time (I was a daily drinker). I was know now I was dumb to quit without tapering off as withdrawals can be very dangerous, my friend had a seizure. The good news is that now life in indescribably better and I wouldn't go back to my old life for any amount of money. It gets better, unless you go back to drinking or using.

TiredEnough

Good on you for tapering. I ct'd valium and ativan after years of use and it nearly broke me. It made hydro and oxy wd's look like a birthday party.

Fishinainteasy

Tired. That's nuts. Can't believe you did that. From all the posts on here it does not seem nearly as hard it scary as before.

TiredEnough

I was stupid for doing what I did but I didnt know better at the time. I moved to cut off my hydro and oxy supply and my benzo supply went with it. I detoxed the opiates over a couple of weeks and thought I was done. Then I realized my 20 mg of valium and 5 mg of ativan was out. I didnt think it would be a big deal but I got slammed hard on day 2. Took me a month to get somewhere near normal. Also, no one knew I was using so I had to pretend nothing was wrong. Damn, what a time.

It was pure hell and I would never, never take either again.

Anna

I've never taken medication for my anxiety because everything I've read about it scares me. I hope that you can be patient with tapering off the klonopin.