I am so afraid of future side effects, I keep trying to stop meds but i go back to them.?

Hi,

Expand this post...

I just read your posting and since I have been in the same situation, I wanted to try to help. As you know, clonozapam is the generic version of Klonopin. This is a member of a large class of drugs known as benzodiazepines. You've heard of valium (diazepam), ativan, xanax, etc. These are other "benzos". These are incredibly addicting drugs, not so much psychologically, but neurophysiologically. Stopping them typically requires a "step down" from clonazepam to valium to no benzo at all. This can take a long time, and getting a script for valium from most M.D.s and D.O.s is extremely difficult. The feelings one has when trying to stop clonazepam by simply taking smaller and smaller dosages (some people use a razor blade to shave off a portion of a tablet) are horrible. If you haven't already, I'd like you to visit a website called "Benzo Island" to gain a British perspective on these meds and how to get off of them as painlessly as possible. It was only through the help I gained from this website, and by copying medically-oriented portions of it off for an M.D. who, fortunately, read what I gave him, that I was able to get off and stay off of the benzodiazepines. From a neurochemical standpoint, these meds feel, to me, like "fish hooks" in the brain. Try not to come down on yourself for wanting relief from anxiety. Our society is full of causes, and people who try all kinds of ways to avoid it. Sadly, while they work so well, benzos are not a good way to avoid the pain of anxiety. I sure hope this helps, and I wish you the very best of luck. If you stay with the program outlined in Benzo Island, I'll bet you'll succeed. Take care. Randy