Posted by cubbybear on December 17, 2003, at 2:23:54
In reply to Re: klonopin withdrawal/need advice on tapering, posted by jbs on December 16, 2003, at 20:48:07
Hi,
I realize now how important it is to keep checking this board on a daily basis. I got sidetracked for a couple of days and would have responded sooner for you.
I started taking Klonopin at a 4 mg/day dose back in Aug. 2002 in order to cope with insomnia during worsening depression. I got to a point in which I felt I could start a taper. I got down to 3.75 mg, then when the depression intensified, my doctor kept me on that dosage for a few months. Finally the depression went into remission and I began to taper again. I started doing something like .25 mg every week, then hit a wall of anxiety at something like 2.75 mg. I went back up to 3.0 for about a week then started an ultra-slow taper. In no way do I want to encounter that miserable anxiety again so I've long accepted the fact that I have to go at the rate of .125 mg. every 10 days- 2 weeks. I'm now down to .375 mg (that's 3/4 of a .5 mg pill) and have been doing well for the past few months. At worst, I will experience a couple of nights of insomnia when I begin a new, lowered dose, but I can deal with it.
I also use a pill cutter since the only way to come up with .125 mg increments is to cut the pill twice.
When I get down to my last .125 mg., I plan to do something like this: take it for 14 days, skip one day, take it the next, skip 2 days, take it the next, skip 3 days, etc. etc. Assuming I'm feeling OK when I can go perhaps 10 days without any, I will say, that's all folks! No more Klonopin. . .and hope I don't get any delayed reactions later.
So, the answer to your original question is, try going down very, very slowly and get yourself a doctor who can help you along with it. (I just don't like the idea of your doctor having you take Xanax during the tapering, since you're merely replacing one problem with another potential one).
Feel free to ask me anything elsecubbybear
poster:cubbybear
thread:289805
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031213/msgs/290839.html