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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 Siraris on September 19, 2004, at 1:10:07
I was just wondering. I have been on it for 6 years... and I want to get off. I read the http://www.benzo.org.uk/pixie.htm site, but I have heard that a lot of sites make BS posts about Benzos. I raised my dose to 2 MG about 4 months ago, and I wanted to go down to 1 mg, so I dropped to 1 mg right away. I started getting headaches/ears got blocked every once in a while and I felt kinda faint for about a week, and then today, I went out to a party and I got this really bad headache and as I was walking home I started to get anxiety, because I thought maybe there was something more wrong.
I have been doing Craniosacral therapy and Visceral Manipulation for the past 3 weeks and it has been working wonders. I found out that I do not have anxiety, my head was compressed because I was caught in the birth canal when I was born, and that caused pressure on the front of my brain as well as messed up my breathing. But the woman I am seeing is fixing me.
But that's another story that I will post. Just for now, if someone can post about the Klonopin thing. I could not handle having 4 years like that, I would kill myself or my P-doc. I mean heroin addicts don't even go for that long, and they can get off.
Posted by Glydin on September 19, 2004, at 11:57:25
In reply to Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by Siraris on September 19, 2004, at 1:10:07
> I was just wondering. I have been on it for 6 years... and I want to get off. I read the http://www.benzo.org.uk/pixie.htm site, but I have heard that a lot of sites make BS posts about Benzos.
~~~I believe there are alot of misinformation about the PROPER use of benzo's.
I raised my dose to 2 MG about 4 months ago, and I wanted to go down to 1 mg, so I dropped to 1 mg right away.
~~~Maybe that was too big a decrease for slow weaning. Was the 2mg dosing working for you? Being intrusive, 2 mgs is not a particularly higher dose. If it was working... why discountine unless there were having untoward issues with your use? Granted, this question is none of my business. On a personal commentary however, I try to not "buy into" the negativity about benzo's because it simply isn't what I've found to be true for me and we all find our own truths.
> I have been doing Craniosacral therapy and Visceral Manipulation for the past 3 weeks and it has been working wonders. I found out that I do not have anxiety, my head was compressed because I was caught in the birth canal when I was born, and that caused pressure on the front of my brain as well as messed up my breathing. But the woman I am seeing is fixing me.~~~That's an interesting "take" on things. Again, we all find our own truths.
I do think folks can successfully discontinue benzo's. I have been off K at times, but, for me, I have an anxiety disorder that's treated with a benzo and discontinuing is not something I desire to do. I function better and have an improved quailty of life when I'm "on" it. I do support anyone that does make the choice to discontinue. A ***very*** slow taper maybe would work better for you due to the length of time you have been on it. A think a successful discontinuing can depend on a good, workable weaning plan.
Good luck
Posted by woolav on September 20, 2004, at 11:25:40
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by Glydin on September 19, 2004, at 11:57:25
Hi, I just wanted to say I took xanax for about 5 yrs. Everyday 2mg at least. I just switched to 3mg of klonopin and my pdoc told me that xanax was harder to get off of than klonopin. And I havent had any withdrawls from the xanax. So, who knows....
S
Posted by cubbybear on September 21, 2004, at 23:28:04
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by woolav on September 20, 2004, at 11:25:40
I had been taking Klonopin, as much as 4 mg. per day, back in 2002, then decided to wean off of it last year. It took me many months to do it, going down VERY slowly every couple of weeks. A few times I had some withdrawal anxierty or insomnia but eventually I prevailed because I decreased as slowly as possible AND I substituted an equivalent dose of Valium (Alprzolam) toward the end of my taper. I know very well about the benzo.org website and it sure is enough to scare anyone needlessly. But they do have very useful conversion and tapering charts for you to use. Good luck--it CAN be done!
cubbybear
Posted by Siraris on September 21, 2004, at 23:54:11
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by cubbybear on September 21, 2004, at 23:28:04
> I had been taking Klonopin, as much as 4 mg. per day, back in 2002, then decided to wean off of it last year. It took me many months to do it, going down VERY slowly every couple of weeks. A few times I had some withdrawal anxierty or insomnia but eventually I prevailed because I decreased as slowly as possible AND I substituted an equivalent dose of Valium (Alprzolam) toward the end of my taper. I know very well about the benzo.org website and it sure is enough to scare anyone needlessly. But they do have very useful conversion and tapering charts for you to use. Good luck--it CAN be done!
> cubbybearThank you for this. I have been taking 2 mg a day for the past 4 months... I used to be on 1 mg a day but I had to move up to 2 because I started having some bad attacks on the El here in Chicago. I wanted to ask you, when you said you started having anxiety again, did that subside? I dropped down to 1.5 mg from 2 a few days ago, and I can function ok, but I was at my friends and I started to get very dizzy and disoriented for no reason.
The whole reason I want off the Klonopin is because it's WRONGLY PERSCRIBED. You are only supposed to take it sparingly, and it is HIGHLY addictive. I also have been seeing someone who is a master at Craniosacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation. She told me the reason I have anxiety is because of the pressure that is being put on my face, from being caught in the birth canal when I was born. Being caught in there caused my head to form incorrectly (nothing visible to the human eye) but the pressure is not only causing me to have breathing problems but it's also pressing against the emotional centers in the front of my brain. I am getting relief, and my panic attacks are a lot less potent then before, but they are still there. I still have about 5 months of work with her, she can't do it too fast, because my body needs to heal, but there is hope.
I also finally came to a realization, to anyone who reads this post. Doctors put you on these meds because they think you are weak, and all they do is shut your body off to feeling. All Klonopin does is make you stop feeling. Anxiety/Panic disorder is not some mysterious sort of ghost that's inhabited your body, it's something physical that is causing it, in almost every case. There is hope out there, you just have to find the right path, and the strength to overcome it. I am on the path, I hope... it's very scary, especially dropping my meds, and not because I am afraid of dropping them, just becuase of the side effects.
I'd like to keep this discussion going, so please post your thoughts if you want.
Posted by Glydin on September 22, 2004, at 7:30:08
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by cubbybear on September 21, 2004, at 23:28:04
>
> The whole reason I want off the Klonopin is because it's WRONGLY PERSCRIBED. You are only supposed to take it sparingly, and it is HIGHLY addictive.~~~Repectfully, that was not the case for me and that isn't my belief for me. I respect your thoughts, but please keep in mind, others may not find those statements true for them.
> I also finally came to a realization, to anyone who reads this post. Doctors put you on these meds because they think you are weak, and all they do is shut your body off to feeling. All Klonopin does is make you stop feeling. Anxiety/Panic disorder is not some mysterious sort of ghost that's inhabited your body, it's something physical that is causing it, in almost every case. There is hope out there, you just have to find the right path, and the strength to overcome it.~~~Again, I do hope you find your path and hope, for you, great success. I hope you will respect the paths others choose for the treatment of a very life impacting disorder. I would never attempt to offend or make blanket statements about your choice, I wish you would be repectful if others (like me) choose different paths.
Posted by Larry Hoover on September 22, 2004, at 9:23:19
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by Siraris on September 21, 2004, at 23:54:11
> The whole reason I want off the Klonopin is because it's WRONGLY PERSCRIBED. You are only supposed to take it sparingly, and it is HIGHLY addictive.
That information is not consistent with medical literature. I'm only saying that because others may have different interpretations. It may be wrongly prescribed for you?
> I also have been seeing someone who is a master at Craniosacral Therapy and Visceral Manipulation. She told me the reason I have anxiety is because of the pressure that is being put on my face, from being caught in the birth canal when I was born. Being caught in there caused my head to form incorrectly (nothing visible to the human eye)
The neonate's skull is both flexible and resilient. Every child is deformed during birth. Within days, though, the normal shape is restored.
> but the pressure is not only causing me to have breathing problems
There is no frontal process that affects breathing.
> but it's also pressing against the emotional centers in the front of my brain.
The emotional centers are in the limbic brain, at the rear bottom centre of the cranial vault.
The frontal brain does not even develop until many years after birth. Adolescence, for example, is characterized by massive frontal lobe development activity.
> I am getting relief, and my panic attacks are a lot less potent then before, but they are still there.
I think that's wonderful. I am happy for you.
I am concerned about the logic underlying the therapeutic response. I just didn't want anyone to accept these ideas without contextualizing them.
> I still have about 5 months of work with her, she can't do it too fast, because my body needs to heal, but there is hope.
Could you describe the treatments a little bit? I'm wondering what she does to treat you.
> I also finally came to a realization, to anyone who reads this post. Doctors put you on these meds because they think you are weak, and all they do is shut your body off to feeling. All Klonopin does is make you stop feeling.
I'm sorry, but comments like that can be taken as putdowns by people who accept their doctor's care. Please be civil, and respect that others may have differing opionions. If you merely substitute "I" for "you", and interpret your own personal experience, it is not seen as a judgmental critique.
> Anxiety/Panic disorder is not some mysterious sort of ghost that's inhabited your body, it's something physical that is causing it, in almost every case. There is hope out there, you just have to find the right path, and the strength to overcome it. I am on the path, I hope... it's very scary, especially dropping my meds, and not because I am afraid of dropping them, just becuase of the side effects.
I pray for your strength and wellness.
> I'd like to keep this discussion going, so please post your thoughts if you want.
>Take care,
Lar
Posted by cubbybear on September 23, 2004, at 10:47:36
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin?, posted by Siraris on September 21, 2004, at 23:54:11
I wanted to ask you, when you said you started having anxiety again, did that subside?
In one instance it did, after about 10 days; in another instance, after less time. Keep in mind that every person reacts differently to every drug as well as every attempt to withdraw.
Posted by cybercafe on September 24, 2004, at 3:11:11
In reply to Re: Has anyone successfully gotten off Klonopin? » Siraris, posted by Larry Hoover on September 22, 2004, at 9:23:19
i can take 10 mg one day (2 mg + 4 mg + 4 mg) and then if i am not socializing the next day just take none ...
though after 5 years or so i feel like i'm starting to need more (or am socializing more? taking more leadership/bolder roles/moves?) so i would really like to get some psychotherapy and am in fact going pretty hardcore
This is the end of the thread.
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