My dr gave me a rx for klonopin and restoril. I have been taking one or the other to help sleep at night. I wasn't aware they were in the same drug category...The klonopin I have been taking .25mg for about a month, a couple nights ago I tried taking half of the .25 mg (1/4 total of the .5mg pill) I got extremely anxious at the grocery store and I was very sick to my stomach all day. So that night I took .25mg again and felt better..I am so worried about this, I got the klonopin for anxiety, and now I am feeling worse than ever about stopping...Am I just being paranoid, or am I having withdrawals after only being on .25 for about a month? Last night I only took 1/4 pill again, am I making this worse? should I stop all together? I just dunno what to do. Thanks so much

Does anyone have any ideas? I am really worried...I am not feeling so well...

Shana,

It can be difficult weaning off any drug. I also take Klonopin for anxiety, but I don't take it on a schedule..only as needed. I had been addicted to Vicoden for a few years, so I found out what withdrawls are like. It sounds to me like you do suffer from anxiety, but I'm not a professional. So you have two issues: getting off Klonopin, which is why you chose this board, and anxiety, which is probably why you started the Klonopin. I recommend talking to the doctor that RX'd the Klonopin. You can't just stop it when you feel like it, but you can taper. You may experience breakthrough WD's and anxiety of course. More importantly, make sure you continue to treat your anxiety with something. If you switch to something else, it will be uncomfortable, but I know it helps to be educated and understand what you are feeling is normal.

Did you say why you were on the Klonopin in the first place? Maybe you did. Have you been on the anxiety board here on healthboards? It is a good source for not only anxiety, but to talk about the effects of the different drugs prescribed for it. Unfortunately, many of us are guinea pigs when it comes to any drug RX'd for anxiety, depression, and even pain management. One doc will prescribe it, and then they don't have a clue as to how to get you off of them without discomfort, or how to treat the ongoing symptoms. But they are obligated to help you if they RX'd it in the first place. So talk to your doc and insist on some assistance. I hope you do well getting off of it if you are ready.

Lisa

Lisa,
Thanks for your reply. I was prescribed it for anxiety, but I would gladly go back to that, after how I have felt without the klonopin..so scary. I thought I would be ok taking that small of a dose for only a month? I have a lot left, so I will try cutting down little doses at a time, and hope that is tolerable for me..With having anxiety too, I think the withdrawal freaks me out even more, and makes it much harder..
Thanks again

ShanaLeigh,

WD anxiety is interesting. I always wonder "am I anxious b/c I am running out, or is it WD symptoms?" I think a bit of both. There are many here who have experienced anxiety with WD's that were never diagnosed with any anxiety before the drugs. So for us who had been dx'd with anxiety, if you go through WD's, the anxiety can be more worriesome. It's hard to know what your level of anxiety is without any drug at all. I wanted to start from scratch, but the Psychiatrist said bad idea about walking around without any drug to help my original anxiety. Who knows..they all say different things. I've learned more here and on the anxiety board than with any doc.

Lisa