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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by wearybuthopeful on April 22, 2005, at 10:09:54
Hello all. I could use some help. After being on Clonazepam for several years (most recently at 1 mg. at night for sleep & anxiety) my doc wants me off. He insists I taper in one month and I'm down to .25 mg. I've been using Benadryl and sometimes Tylenol PM. Went up to .50 one night, but will run out of meds quickly if that rate is continued.
Now I have terrible rebound insomnia. I've recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (autoimmune hypothyroid) and I'm on meds and I'm a little better, but long road ahead.
This doc insists that I do this in a month so going back to him is not an option.
Please - any ideas out there? I could really use some help. Having trouble keeping up with a heavy workload due to little sleep and stress.
Thanks so much.
WBH
Posted by SLS on April 22, 2005, at 11:56:25
In reply to Clonazepam tapering crisis - suggestions?, posted by wearybuthopeful on April 22, 2005, at 10:09:54
> Hello all. I could use some help. After being on Clonazepam for several years (most recently at 1 mg. at night for sleep & anxiety) my doc wants me off. He insists I taper in one month and I'm down to .25 mg. I've been using Benadryl and sometimes Tylenol PM. Went up to .50 one night, but will run out of meds quickly if that rate is continued.
You might want to place the burden on the doctor to manage your discontinuation of Klonopin. Call him and let him know the trouble you are having. Let him come up with a taper schedule of his own. Maybe he'll see the need to provide you with more medication.
Aside from insomnia, what other withdrawal symptoms are you experiencing?
- Scott
Posted by wearybuthopeful on April 22, 2005, at 20:18:44
In reply to Re: Clonazepam tapering crisis - suggestions?, posted by SLS on April 22, 2005, at 11:56:25
> > Hello all. I could use some help. After being on Clonazepam for several years (most recently at 1 mg. at night for sleep & anxiety) my doc wants me off. He insists I taper in one month and I'm down to .25 mg. I've been using Benadryl and sometimes Tylenol PM. Went up to .50 one night, but will run out of meds quickly if that rate is continued.
>
> You might want to place the burden on the doctor to manage your discontinuation of Klonopin. Call him and let him know the trouble you are having. Let him come up with a taper schedule of his own. Maybe he'll see the need to provide you with more medication.
>
> Aside from insomnia, what other withdrawal symptoms are you experiencing?
>
>
> - Scott
>
Scott - I hope I'm posting in the right place! I guess I should clarify.He IS the one who came up with this taper schedule, not me. I wanted go do it more slowly
I guess I could still call him and see if he'll change his mind. He's somewhat rigid unfortunately.
The only symptom I'm having aside from rebound insomnia is anxiety.
Thanks.
Wbf
>
Posted by Mr.Scott on April 25, 2005, at 23:00:46
In reply to Re: Clonazepam tapering crisis - suggestions?, posted by wearybuthopeful on April 22, 2005, at 20:18:44
Or perhaps ask him for a substitute such as neurontin, or trazodone, or one of the non-benzodiazepine sleeping pills. You're near the end. The good news is that after you stop that last dose you'll be in the clear after a few weeks.
It's worth sticking it out especially if you can get something to help smooth the journey.
Scott
Posted by reefer on April 27, 2005, at 19:11:09
In reply to Clonazepam tapering crisis - suggestions?, posted by wearybuthopeful on April 22, 2005, at 10:09:54
Either your doc is nuts or he does it like this cause some people just dont have very big problems coming off benzos unless they make it a big deal in their heads. But for most people i think that after several years on about 1 mg going to 0 in a month would be waaaaay to fast. My original plan was to cut my dose by around 0.05 mg's every two weeks when i reached 0.5 mg/day. I reached 0.5 mg/day about a week ago and i'm either going to get off pretty fast using an anti-epileptic or stick to the original plan and go very very slowly. Might also try some diazepam substitution, i.e drop to 0.25 clonazepam and add 5 mg diazepam then drop a mg every day of the diazepam for 5 days. Should make it a bit smoother.
Posted by wearybuthopeful on April 30, 2005, at 22:20:28
In reply to Re: Clonazepam tapering crisis - suggestions?, posted by reefer on April 27, 2005, at 19:11:09
Thank you so much. I pick the "nuts" explanation, perhaps laced with a bit of sadism. He KNOWS that I want to get off the medication and then I don't lie about my circumstances. When I left a message 2 weeks ago re: diazepam, he rejected that idea out of hand. I read about that approach on reputable Web sites. So I guess I'll just do the best I can.
WBH
Either your doc is nuts or he does it like this cause some people just dont have very big problems coming off benzos unless they make it a big deal in their heads. But for most people i think that after several years on about 1 mg going to 0 in a month would be waaaaay to fast. My original plan was to cut my dose by around 0.05 mg's every two weeks when i reached 0.5 mg/day. I reached 0.5 mg/day about a week ago and i'm either going to get off pretty fast using an anti-epileptic or stick to the original plan and go very very slowly. Might also try some diazepam substitution, i.e drop to 0.25 clonazepam and add 5 mg diazepam then drop a mg every day of the diazepam for 5 days. Should make it a bit smoother.
Posted by wearybuthopeful on April 30, 2005, at 22:28:02
In reply to Re: Clonazepam tapering crisis - suggestions? » wearybuthopeful, posted by Mr.Scott on April 25, 2005, at 23:00:46
Scott, thank you. You know, I may ask about trazadone. I used it years ago (25mg?) with a different MD and felt so lousy in the a.m. that I discontinued it. Maybe it's worth another try. To complicate matters, I'm also being treated for Hashimoto's Disease which wasn't diagnosed until I was a complete wreck. Oddly, the fatigue associated with hypothyroidism doesn't make me sleep. Take care.
WBH
Or perhaps ask him for a substitute such as neurontin, or trazodone, or one of the non-benzodiazepine sleeping pills. You're near the end. The good news is that after you stop that last dose you'll be in the clear after a few weeks.
>
> It's worth sticking it out especially if you can get something to help smooth the journey.
>
> Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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