Posted by Mildred on May 5, 2005, at 7:00:46
In reply to Re: Going Off Klonopin » Mildred, posted by electricstorm on May 5, 2005, at 0:02:54
>> If you ask me, you're tapering too quickly. You're decreasing your Klonopin intake by 50% over the course of two days. You've obviously developed a chemical dependence on the drug. It sounds like you're experiencing myoclonic jerks or possibly even some type of seizure activity. Of course, this is impossible to know without knowing more about you and your medical situation.
I had a seizure disorder as a child - it was diagnosed as petit mal epilepsy, though I am not sure that that was the correct diagnosis. I outgrew the disorder, but the seizures have been brought on from time to time by some medications (which I promptly stopped - or in this case, added back . . .)
>>I would suggest that you go back to where you started and taper much more slowly.
After my disastrous initial attempt, I started cutting the .5 mg tablets into 4 pieces (I had actually only been on .5 mg/day, not 1 mg - I got confused . . . And I had cut down to .25 mg every other day as opposed to .5 mg) For 2 weeks, I took .375 mg (.125 3 times/day), and did fine - except that I am not sleeping at night. Then this Sunday, I cut down to .125 mg twice/day, with no additional negative effects yet. That is the amount I was taking when I had the little seizures, but now I am taking it in 2 doses/day instead of one.
>> At the very least, I would speak to my doctor.
I have been doing all this under the advice of my doctor. He suggested the original taper schedule in the first place. He really doesn't seem to be very helpful when it comes to tapering off drugs. I had a problem with lexapro (ended up back on it), and he just told me that he never heard of anyone having problems when going off of lexapro before.>>I speak from personal experience as I made several failed attempts - all under the watchful eye of some of the best doctors I could find - to free myself of .5mg of Klonopin which I took for 11 years.
Wow, and I thought that was such a small amount and I was on it for a couple of years only - it didn't even occur to me that I would have difficulty discontinuing it. I don't know why it didn't occur to me,though; I am extremely sensitive to meds.
>> It actually turned out to be fairly simple. I cut the .5mg tablet into eights.
You divided your .5 mg tablets into eighths? How did you do that without crumbling the pills? I don't think I can cut these pieces any smaller. I will give it a try, though - I am not looking forward to the next cut, which would be only once/day. I was planning to give this 2 more weeks before doing that. Do you have any suggestions for successfully cutting the tablets into those tiny pieces?
>> I hope the above helps.Thank you so much - yes, that is a tremendous help! I will follow your suggested taper schedule from this point forward - :)
poster:Mildred
thread:464665
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050424/msgs/494001.html