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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by ncrainbow on April 27, 2008, at 18:43:45
I posted this on the withdrawal board but I am knew to psychobabble and didn't realize that the withdrawal board gets such slow trafffic compared to this board so I am reposting a shorter version...
Due to a recent diagnosis of cyclothymia, my doc (whom I think is quite good) put me on Lamictal which I had to quit due to the evil rash.
So now I am taking 2 mgs of Klonopin every day to help get me off my daily 40 mgs of Celexa without all the terrible side effects. I have been taking Celexa for 8 years. I also quit my daily 10 mg of Dexedrine.
He thinks the Celexa may be doing more harm than good since my big issues are daytime fatigue, lethargy and then rapidly cycling to hypomania. I am pretty much sleeping or racing around on a daily basis...not much inbetween....except of course tunneling in on the computer for hours.
So, my question for you guys after reading all the trouble people have going off of klonopin is whether taking 2mgs of klonopin a day is just going to set me up for one more painful withdrawal?
He has also just started me on 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL, which so far I love...but its only been a week. The klonopin/wellbutrin mix seems to be workng for me except that I am pretty sedated in the mid-morning even though I take the Klonopin at night.
I know my case is weird in that despite the labels, I realy just have some strange hodgepodge of narcolepsy, ADD, and hypomania. My doc says it is basically that my body fails to regulate my energy levels on a daily basis which is kinda like cyclothymia. Especially if I am willing to think of lethargy and fatigue as depression.
The good news is the current brew is working...the bad news (based on what I have read here) is that someday I am going to have to suffer through coming off klonopin.
Any thoughts?
Posted by 4WD on April 27, 2008, at 20:02:30
In reply to Question about Klonopin, posted by ncrainbow on April 27, 2008, at 18:43:45
I am in the midst of coming off Klonopin. The trick is to do it very slowly. Actually, I am replacing Klonopin with Valium. I go down on the Klonopin by .5mg a day every two weeks. Like for the last two weeks I was taking 1.5mg a day. Starting Wed. I will go to 1mg a day for two weeks. If I don't feel ready I will stay there for three weeks. My pdoc says the trick is to go very very slowly. Two months ago I was taking 6-8 mg of Klonopin a day and now I'm taking 1.5 plus 15mg of Valium. That's equivalent to 2.5mg of Klonopin a day according to the Ashton manual. The reason I was able to taper so quickly, though (the first month of tapering was done rapidly) was because I started Nardil and for the second and third weeks of therapy it really reduced my anxiety so I could get away with reducing it quickly.
So the answer is "it depends." The major problem is not the tapering. The major problem is the possible return of symptoms. Do you have an anxiety disorder that will make you scared again if you discontinue Klonopin? Or are you taking it solely to help you get off Celexa?
The length of time you are on it makes a difference too. How long do you plan to be on it? k The shorter the time you are on it, obviously the easier it will be to get off it.
Hope this helps a bit.
Marsha
Posted by Phillipa on April 27, 2008, at 20:22:23
In reply to Re: Question about Klonopin » ncrainbow, posted by 4WD on April 27, 2008, at 20:02:30
Agree with above poster. Phillipa ps for now don't worry about klonopin withdrawal get stabalized first.
Posted by ncrainbow on April 27, 2008, at 20:35:01
In reply to Re: Question about Klonopin » ncrainbow, posted by 4WD on April 27, 2008, at 20:02:30
Thanks for the advice....
In answer to your questions I only plan to be on 2mgs which I take at night (which feels like a lot to me given the foggy feeling and the mid-morning napping)....for a couple months until we are sure the wellbutrin is at the right dose and the celexa withdrawal is over. Given a previous bad experience, I was very nervous about coming off of it..especially so fast...like basically a 2 week period.
Amazingly its been fine so far other than the sleepiness (but then again everything makes me sleepy) and the foggyness. I feel a big improvement in my mood.....I am unsure if that is the absence of the celexa or the presence of the klonoopin or wellbutrin....my guess it is the Wellbutrin but who knows.
I guess we shall see but it is good to hear that I don't have to come off fast and that a slow taper from 2mg should be okay.
To answer your last question, I did have anxiety/panic disorder 8 years ago, thats how I got on the Celexa in the first place but it went into remission and I haven't had any significant episodes since. (except for 3 years ago when I decided to try to wean myself off the celexa and had 2 weeks of craziness.) I am now of the belief that a little bit of benzos is not such a bad thing. :)
Posted by francineus on April 30, 2008, at 18:13:54
In reply to Re: Question about Klonopin, posted by ncrainbow on April 27, 2008, at 20:35:01
It's not so bad to get off of it. Just taper down slowly. I had no problems.
Posted by Robert35 on May 1, 2008, at 1:32:38
In reply to Question about Klonopin, posted by ncrainbow on April 27, 2008, at 18:43:45
> I posted this on the withdrawal board but I am knew to psychobabble and didn't realize that the withdrawal board gets such slow trafffic compared to this board so I am reposting a shorter version...
>
> Due to a recent diagnosis of cyclothymia, my doc (whom I think is quite good) put me on Lamictal which I had to quit due to the evil rash.
>
> So now I am taking 2 mgs of Klonopin every day to help get me off my daily 40 mgs of Celexa without all the terrible side effects. I have been taking Celexa for 8 years. I also quit my daily 10 mg of Dexedrine.
>
> He thinks the Celexa may be doing more harm than good since my big issues are daytime fatigue, lethargy and then rapidly cycling to hypomania. I am pretty much sleeping or racing around on a daily basis...not much inbetween....except of course tunneling in on the computer for hours.
>
> So, my question for you guys after reading all the trouble people have going off of klonopin is whether taking 2mgs of klonopin a day is just going to set me up for one more painful withdrawal?
>
> He has also just started me on 150 mg of Wellbutrin XL, which so far I love...but its only been a week. The klonopin/wellbutrin mix seems to be workng for me except that I am pretty sedated in the mid-morning even though I take the Klonopin at night.
>
> I know my case is weird in that despite the labels, I realy just have some strange hodgepodge of narcolepsy, ADD, and hypomania. My doc says it is basically that my body fails to regulate my energy levels on a daily basis which is kinda like cyclothymia. Especially if I am willing to think of lethargy and fatigue as depression.
>
> The good news is the current brew is working...the bad news (based on what I have read here) is that someday I am going to have to suffer through coming off klonopin.
>
> Any thoughts?
>Hi ncrainbow,
Like Philippa said: I wouldn't worry too much about Klonopin.
It's great wellbutrin is starting to kick in and also the fact that it works so well right now together with klonopin.
When you stabilize on wellbutrin you could slowly decrease the klonopin or consider a shorteracting benzo like valium (klonopin breaks down too slowly to become less active during daytime even after taking it at nighttime).
It well could be that wellbutrin will make you less sleepy when it really starts to work.
(If daytime sleepiness remains a problem later you might discuss adding provigil with your doc., which is something different than ritalin etc.. )Robert
Posted by ultra on May 4, 2008, at 11:40:56
In reply to Re: Question about Klonopin, posted by Robert35 on May 1, 2008, at 1:32:38
I was taking 3 mg of Klonopin and am now down to 1.5. It has been tough, but I have been on it for years.
Posted by Hitman60 on May 6, 2008, at 11:35:09
In reply to Re: Question about Klonopin, posted by francineus on April 30, 2008, at 18:13:54
> It's not so bad to get off of it. Just taper down slowly. I had no problems.
Yea I am only on .5 mg one time a day, and I worry about the taper. I am on a water taper which will take 60 days. I cut it only 20% every two weeks. That is a bit slower than the suggested literature, but I want to minimize symptoms. I empathize with you. Luckily, I take no other meds....Weened off of Prozac a 5 months ago.
Posted by Hitman60 on May 9, 2008, at 10:47:24
In reply to Re: Question about Klonopin, posted by Hitman60 on May 6, 2008, at 11:35:09
Ok, I readjusted my taper from off of .5 mg and it will take until early August to get off.
Am I crazy but this is only day 5 and I noticed a bit of a sinking feeling and tinkling fingers, plus acid reflux( which probably has nothing to do with tapering)
Would love to hear from other folks who taperd from Klonopin after being on it for a few years and how they did.....I am a bit scared
This is the end of the thread.
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