Question about Benzos
 

Ok I have been on 3 mg of Klonopin for 10 years. At first it started off just 1 mg twice a day now I take 1mg three times a day. Never abused them, they are for panic disorder. (so I was always afraid of running out to abuse em lol)

Well I had a Psychiatrist in Wisconsin who never changed my dose. Since moving to Indiana I just seen my new Psychiatrist yesterday. I told him I wanted the panic to stop. SO he put me on Effexor and has me coming off the klonopin in one week? Is this ok?
Today I will take 1 mg 2 times
Tomorrow will take 1mg only once
Next day 1/2 mg twice a day (do this for 2 days)
then he gave me a prescription for 1/2 mg
He told me to crack those in half and take 2 (am pm) on that day
Then the last day only take half of on pill

Now to me this seems kind of fast but I am no Psychiatrist!
Just wondering if this is to fast for as long as I have been taking them.
Thanks for any input.

:Xmassa

Listen to the doctor.

Go to NA meetings and learn how to deal with panic, anxiety, and everyday life, without the use of drugs.

It all worked REALLY well for me, after I got over being my own worst enemy for trying to questions the doctor's knowledge.

I am FREEEEEEEEE...!!!!!!

Keep coming back. ;)

Sounds kinda fast to me but I ain't a doctor. Remember that a lot of doctors know very little about the drugs they prescribe. From what I understand the best way to quit benzos is slow tapering. I'd get a second opinion just like I'd get a second opinion for any other diagnosis I received and questioned.

Thanks windysan....I agree (sorta fast) I have been reading and it looks like most people say you should taper one week for every year you have been on Klonopin. (10 weeks sounds long but better than just one) I really dont want to feel the withdrawals from benzos as I heard it is worse than vicodin W/D'!! But I never abused them so it may be different? But it seems the klonopin is not helping the panic anymore. Lets see how the effexor helps!

Benzos are dangerous to detox from, and it's a gamble to come off of them quickly, or like I did, cold turkey. Here's my experience:

When I went to detox, I was coming off an addiction that included at least 480mg of oxycontin (that dose barely kept me from getting sick), 60mg vicodin, and anywhere from 30-100+mg Valium a day. I know that Valium mg and klonopin mg are not equal, and I prefer not to dig into the details and start giving authoritative information about that sort of thing. I think it's unnecessary to try to quantify the amount and number of street drugs I was also using.

I detoxed in-patient refusing all meds for detox. I was told the consequence for refusing detox meds was that my vitals had to be monitored every hour. So be it. I had nurses on me with blood pressure cuffs and stethoscopes in the middle of the night (which didn't matter; I didn't sleep much anyway).

Three weeks into it after I had been transferred to rehab, I was still testing positive for benzos. I had some pretty serious anxiety attacks that I had to pray my way through. But I was sick of the junk, and if I was going to live, I didn't want any more crap in my blood stream.

So, I'm one person who got through it without seizures or meds to counteract the meds. I wouldn't recommend it. The whole ordeal was painful beyond description (I have multiple chronic pain conditions besides).

Having said that, I detoxed a friend in my living room on the advice of detox nurses. She had tried and couldn't get into a medical detox, and she was determined to stop. The one thing they asked when I called for advice was, "How close are you to the nearest hospital in the event she seizes?"

Make sure those around you know what you're doing and know what to do if you have complications.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

Lugnut, I highly recommend not coming off that quick. Please search the web for tapring advice. Im a member of a forum that helps people get of benzos. Im tapering off now using milk titration. Its not safe to come off to quick as you can have long lasting wd syptoms. Please, Please do some research before cutting to quick. email me if you want the name of a website that can help you.

Michael

Hey Sugah, I also tested positive for benzos about a week and a half into rehab. I swore up and down I hadn't taken any and I think they believed me. The first week I couldn't talk right(I sounded like a buzzing sound in my ear when I talked), I stuttered, I fell down when walking, I spilled drinks down the front of my shirt. My compadres in rehab thought I was ********. One night about 2 and a half weeks into rehab I sweated the bed down many times one night(this happened every night but not this bad) then I woke up early in the morning and I was fine. I could talk, walk, eat, and not look ********. My compadres were like...."wow, you aren't ********".

I felt like a ****** also in rehab. The first day in group, I chit my pants, LMAO

It was an ice breaker for sure,

Michael

I took a crash course in humility and humiliation. Ten days. Ugh.

Just for today, we never have to live that way again.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

Boy oh boy would I get a second opinion. IMHO thats way too fast.
My syke doctor wanted me to wean off 1/4 mg klonopin per month but that would have taken me 4 years to wean, and that was just too long.

When at a med detox I told a doctor there that my own GP doctor, had me coming off 2 mg per month and the detox doctor wanted me to give him the name of the doctor who did that. The detox doctor was very pissed. He said it was way too fast.

I can only say from my own experience that weaning from 2 mg per month is too fast...
really, whats the point in rushing?
With benzos, slow seems to always be the buzzword

I agree with most of what I’ve read here. Listen to your doctor. Keep him (or her) informed as to how you are doing. If you feel the need, get a second opinion. But be warned, you will probably get different opinions if you see both an addiction doctor and psychiatrist. Nevertheless, pick one and stick with that one. Maybe the Effexor will help you come off the benzos.

:Xmastd