Klonopin addiction

[gordie12]

I have been taking 1 mg of Klonopin for 3 years now. 0.5 in the morning, 0.5 at night. I don't like the person I am on this drug. My family says I'm not the same and I look emotionally flat and not sad but not happy either. My pdoc was very upset that my psych doc put me on this for so long since it's potentially addicting. He tried me on a taper schedule that was too quick; I cut my night dose in half for 2 days and couldn't even make it through the two days. Last year I quit cold turkey which landed me in the hospital for 3 days.

Is this possible to come off of this drug???? I don't want to go to a detox center because I heard that's hell too. I was going to try cutting my night dose by 1/4 instead of 1/2 and seeing how that goes. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Blasterboy]

Fortunatly your on a very low dose of this drug any how and so with some determination and patiance your chances of coming of it are very high. I currently take 2.5mg a day for damage nerve pain and I can take up to 6, but I've never done that, the very idea of it sends shivers down my spine, I'd rather suffer (I hope I never eat those words.)

Just found out that 0.5mg of klonpin is the same as 10mg Valium, it's potent stuff. That Ashton report is great, packed with info!

Best Wishes anyhow.

[gordie12]

Thank you for your kind words I am taking my full 0.5 in the morning and 0.375 at night (I cut my night pill into fours and take 3 out of the 4 sections)....I feel ok so far, only day 2 though. It is a taper schedule I found by doing some research on how to taper relatively low doses of Klonopin....

This is going to be extremely slow going but I don't care how long it takes at this point. If I feel ok at this dose, how long do you think until I cut down again? Everything I've read says it varies from person to person. One person might take weeks before tapering down again, another might take days.

I checked out the Ashton manual, very good information. If this slow taper doesn't work, I will print that out and give it to my doctor.

Thanks again.

[jam338]

Gordie, a couple of more things you need to know.

1. There is a study discussed online warning about do NOT take antihistimines during a benzodiazepine detox; antihistimines may increase the risk of seizure by lowering your body's threshold of tolerance against it [Seven C. Schachter, MD, March 2004].

2. Also, other online source information suggests taking the OTC supplement Taurine can help lessen seizure risks. It allegedly has anti-convulsive properties. Whether there is absolute concrete medical evidence or not, I would take it as a precaution. It is inexpensive around $5 at a good health food store; discount drug stores are not likely to carry it. Call a few local health food stores to find one that does. One manufacturer, and I am sure there others, is NOW FOODS in Bloomingdale, Ill; they have a website online.

[Blasterboy]

Doesn't Taurine have stimulant properties? They use it in Red Bull hence the Taurine/Taurus = Bull........