Clonazepam for Benzodiazepine Withdrawal User Reviews (Page 4)

• Benny
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 23, 2023

"I was prescribed clonazepam 2 mg per day 9 years ago and I have never taken more than that. In the summer of 2019, I had 5 weeks of severe insomnia while on this drug. My psychiatrist added sertraline to help with the anxiety. I began a very slow taper in November 2023. My plan is to reduce by 1/8 of a milligram every month. I am now taking one and three-quarters milligrams per day and have been doing okay. I realize that it can take up to 2 years to safely wean off a 2 mg per day prescription."

• Donna
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 30, 2021

"My story is one of finding out how to taper clonazepam. I'm almost 55 now and feel like this drug is just really bad for me. I've been on it since 2009, so approximately 13 years as well as on 2 other benzo's and 75 mg Seroquel to sleep. My initial starting dose was 7.5 mg!!! I had no idea what kind of drug this was. Years later I found out it's an anti-convulsant and I was also taking 180mg oxycodone a day for 8 years because of having muscle aches which made it impossible to walk 400 meters. A quarter of a mile. In the last few years I've had infarcts in the brainstem (pons, thalamus). In 9 months I quit the oxycodone and considered myself clean. The clonazepam I tried taking 1 tablet of 0.5g a month less. Now I only use 2mg at night along with 5mg nitrazepam and 100mg oxazepam and the Seroquel. Now I visit a USA website and find out how dangerous it can be to rapidly quit the remaining amount of benzo's I still take. But I feel sick all day every day."

• Never...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 19, 2021

"I was prescribed 5mg at bed time for a year because of severe PTSD. At first it helped with acute anxiety. Nobody explained or warned me of how this drug works, so I just blindly took it, thinking that such a small amount is harmless. Had I known better, I wouldn't have taken it every day. Six months in I became agoraphobic and couldn't feel anything: happiness, love, excitement, etc. It made me tired, lose my hair, coated my tongue, caused pain, and the worst sense of impending doom and anxiety. This drug is so dangerous and downright evil. It's only meant for short term use. I will NEVER touch the stuff again! If I could give it a zero I would."

• Macki...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 1, 2021

"I took clonazepam 2 month, 2mg a day. I didn’t know that I would have a withdrawal, wasn’t educated on the drug. It was the most awful thing that has ever happened to me. I felt like I was going to die. I wouldn’t wish this nightmare on the worst scumbag on earth. I was scared to death of having a seizure, my heart was beating harder than on amphetamines. I had some weird and awful neurological symptoms that persisted for months. Even now, when I drink a couple of beers, the symptoms come back ( vertigo, feeling like the floors are too high, weird tremor) I’m free for almost 1 year now. I will never ever touch a benzo of any kind. You would have to hold me at gun point to have me contemplate touching that awful drug. And even then, I’d probably say : Bullet please. If you read this, please do not take this awful thing. I promise you that there is nothing good in it for you. There are better way’s."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 29, 2021

"I got initially prescribed .5mg which got bumped to 1mg within a month. I’ve been on this horrible drug for almost 8 months now and I’m withdrawing which is terrible. This drug has ruined my life, my relationships, and overall my ability to function like a normal person. My previous psychiatrist (in between at the moment) forgot to fill my script and I’ve been doing everything to try and get a hold of her because I am violently shaking, vomiting, sweating ,can’t concentrate there’s ringing in my ears and I’m going through the nightmare of cold turkey. It’s only day 2. I wanted to taper but now I don’t even have that option. I would go to the hospital but I’m afraid of getting thrown into rehab when I’m currently in the middle of taking a bunch of exams. STAY AWAY FROM THIS DRUG AND EVERY BENZO. NO ONE SHOULD BE PRESCRIBED THIS STUFF"

• Sandi...
• January 31, 2016

"I have been percribed a multitude of medications in the last year and a half or so. As it turns out I have been very sensitive to the first 2 types of antidepressants.cipralex was the first then zoloft. I have been diagnosed with what the Dr said as a" high anxiety mood disorder" It seems that life as I once knew it has melted away and I feel so ashamed and empty. The zoloft was such a horrible experience for me. I also was perscribed clonazepam 0.5mg =3"

• Baddone
• September 18, 2021

"I started on Klonopin maybe 12 years ago. As needed. December of 2020 started taking it every day for about 6 weeks. 1mg. Stopped taking it and it was a nightmare. Ended up in an emergency room. Psych hospital. They gave me 11 Ativan to wean me off it and that was it. Cold turkey. I can't begin to describe the misery. High blood pressure. Tinnitus, heart racing. Really crazy. The only thing that got me through was CBD oil. Yes, CBD oil. I still suffer from side effects of cold turkey and am actually thinking about going back on Klonopin. I'm 75 years old. I think, why not just regulate it. And live the rest of my life happy. Doctors keep trying to put me on SSRIs but too many side effects. Escitaloprám. Anyone else try this stuff??...Diarrhea, insomnia, I had none of those issues with Klonopin. I just feel so much better on Klonopin."

• Simon
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 7, 2022

"\I was on this drug for 3 months 1mg. It was 0.5mg in the morning and 0.5mg at night. When I tried to taper off, I did it slowly and I somehow cut that 0.5mg in the morning. But this happened next - I started feeling really bad withdrawal symptoms even while on 0.5 at night. So I stayed for a while like that, but the symptoms became more and more intense, so I put myself to the hospital to finish journey. They took it away immediately and 0,5mg I kinda going cold turkey. Trust me. If not other benzos that keep me as still as possible, I’m still going threw some nightmare now….. Even this 0,5mg is a huge deal to withdraw. So: 1. Either you taper off slowly and this takes months. 2. Or you go to some detox or hospital, where they help you take it away. I guess both options work, but to sum up - this is a terrible benzo to wean off. I don't like my doc, who put me on this stuff."

• a mir...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 12, 2023

"I inherited panic disorder, and after trying numerous medications over the course of two years, Klonopin was the only one that made life possible for me. I started taking it when I was 16 years old, and now I'm 40. At one point, I was prescribed an insane amount of 6mg per day for 10 years. However, after moving to another state and being told that it was an excessive dosage, I personally took it upon myself to gradually reduce my intake to 4mg (1mg tablets) per day. During the process of tapering down, I used Xanax temporarily and another drug commonly used for alcohol detox to help ease any side effects. Surprisingly, I didn't notice any significant side effects during this period. I successfully managed to reduce my dosage over time. However, I have experienced two seizures in the past from abruptly stopping the medication, which scared me. These seizures occurred when I was not fully aware of my surroundings, and they happened fairly quickly. That's why I'm currently taking 4mg per day and planning to slowly taper off completely over the course of a year while using other strategies to help alleviate any side effects. Klonopin has been the only medication that has effectively prevented severe panic attacks for me, which sometimes lasted for days. It eliminated symptoms such as out-of-body experiences, body twitches, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, profuse sweating, and the feeling of a heart attack. It provided immediate relief. I've already succeeded in reducing my dosage from 6mg to 4mg, and I believe that with a gradual and long-term tapering-off plan, I can successfully discontinue the medication completely."

• Julz
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 13, 2022

"I was prescribed Klonopin in 2015 for anxiety. I took it off and on until my mother passed in 2018. Since that time I have been taking .05mg nightly. Recently my PCP increased my dose without consulting me, then 2 months later just stopped them. This medication has been extremely helpful and probably has saved my life. My PCP gave no reason for their action and I now am waiting to meet with a psychiatrist. I found my family doctors behavior to be highly unethical and unprofessional. I had to beg for a taper to get me to my appointment with a real mental health professional. This is not the medications fault, but the "doctor" who felt the need to fix what wasn't broken. I highly recommend this medication. .05mg nightly to allow my mind to rest has been a true gift."

• Nina
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 23, 2022

"I took Clonazepam for a year and the dose was 0.25 once a day for anxiety and insomnia. I decided it was time to stop. I am probably at around week three and I wasn't expecting severe withdrawal symptoms as I felt that my dosage was low. It has been a rough few days with insomnia, nausea, and some anxiety. I think doctors should probably look to alternative medicine as most anxiety medications have side effects and are difficult to withdraw from, not to mention that they just aren't good for you long term. The lure of the benzos is that relief is instant, with minimal side effects initially. Looking forward to feeling better, and have learned a very hard lesson. I am going to pursue natural methods to ease my anxiety and work on coping strategies instead of taking medications that just mask the problem."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• November 11, 2021

"This medication is extremely dangerous and they do not even tell you how severe the effects of this withdrawals truly are. I was on clonazepam for almost two years and it’s been almost 2 weeks since I’ve last taken the medication and this is the peak of the withdrawals. This medication is NOT intended for long term use AT ALL. Make sure to always ask questions too!!"

• TG21
• Taken for 10 years or more
• April 19, 2022

"I’ve been on 8 mgs of clonazepam for 30 years I suffered a lot of trauma in my childhood and in my adulthood I had severe social/agoraphobia. I’ve been on every antipsychotic antidepressant and was also on 600mgs of pregablin for 10 years for neuropathic pain and GAD. I am an addict firstly alcohol then heroin I've done lots of detoxes cold turkey I have tried 3 times to come off of the clonazepam as I was told they’re what’s making me relapse I came off of the pregabs and did an opiate detox and a benzo detox one month ago I am over the rest but this clonazepam is the worst. I feel suicidal I've been hallucinating and everything, there’s much more but I can’t get it all on one page. Please any help, the rehab sent me to the hospital who said I have psychosis but told me the rehab won’t take me back so to get a train all the way back to my home town with no meds and I now have to reregister with my GP"

• Red
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 8, 2022

"I was prescribed 4 mg of klonopin a day for panic attacks and anxiety. I took 1 to 4 (1mg) klonopin a day for over 4 years. I quit cold turkey after 4 years and I had no side effects that I noticed. It is concerning when it seems that everyone is having devastating side effects coming off klonopin...and some with very small doses. I rate klonopin a 10 and I think it was incredibly helpful for me. I now take it when I have major anxiety. I'll take it for a year straight and sometimes for just 1 or 2 days. I usually stop taking it when I feel I don't need it and I've never tapered off it. I will take ¼ gram to ½ gram. Then I just stop after I feel ok. The time between taking klonopin regularly is usually 6 months to several years. Klonopin has been a major help for me. I would highly recommend the drug for anxiety and panic attacks if I hadn't read these posts. I read that klonopin is taken for intoxication as well. I get no "buzz". If I take >1mg I get tired though."

• DeeDee
• July 15, 2021

"I’ve been on this tablet for two years. I’ve tried to quit taking it but the withdrawal symptoms are over whelming. I have not slept in over four days. I have terrible headaches mood swings, the worst anxiety, blurry vision, poor concentration and no appetite to name a few. I started off with rivotril after having anxiety prior to a surgery I’ve had. The anxiety was terrible and I had to sleep. My doc prescribed this drug to me. Had I known it was a benzo I would never have taken it. Now I’m falling apart and my doc said I can do more damage than good so I need to restart. I just suffered my self for 8 days of not taking it."

• Jeremy
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 12, 2021

"My experience with Xanax as been devastating. I am, well was 280 lbs and I was taking way too much a day for years and years. My tolerance is so high to the point where I couldn't just stop or I would have died. I went to rehab to taper but they wouldn't let me when I got there. Some of these rehabs will tell you anything over the phone to get you there and when I asked them about it they told me they do that to save lives... smh. Most will tell you what you want to hear just to get you in the door for your insurance money this has happened to me twice. But long story short I went there 3 diff times to states away from where I live in NY. So it's not like I could leave or whatever so I just stayed and I've been clean from heroin for over 8 years and just got mixed up in a unit that deals with opiates not benzos. So I was the only one in my unit that was there for benzos everyone else was alcohol opiates and Crack cocaine So I'm now struggling with the withdrawal I can't just cold quit"

• PTSDa...
• October 18, 2021

"I have used Clonazepam on and off for the last 4 years, each time not using them for any longer than two & half months and tapering at the end of each session, approximately two or three times a year. It addresses my anxiety and anger issues, however after 2 months or so I feel emotionally numb which isn't healthy. I finally sort out a psychiatrist and after lengthy discussions had a diagnosis of PTSD, OCD, anxiety and insomnia. I explained how I had been treating myself and he advised Remeron/Mirtazapine. This kicked in after two weeks and my PTSD episodes, OCD were and remain controlled. For the anxiety, they do work quite well, however, I have had to resort to Klonopin, when I have had 'break through anxiety attacks'. I am now facing tapering the Klonopin, I am not apprehensive, especially as the Remeron will assist during the reduction process. I have had 15mg a day, so the process (for me) is 7.5 for 4 days and 3.25 for 4 days. After which I will be good."

• Sephu...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• August 30, 2021

"Story time: I’m 25 now tempering off self medicated meds. When I was 21 I started to do meth like a total idiot and realised I was gonna ruin my life and quickly stopped to deal with the withdrawal of that disgusting drug I started to take Xanax. But I quickly noticed that yes it helped with the withdrawal and my body felt great but 2mg of Xanax everyday started to change how I was as a person I went to get help from a psychiatrist and they gave me over the counter medication that causes heart problems with long term use ( did some research ) while doing research I came upon clonazepam. I started off by taking .5mg in the morning and .5mg at night it worked magic. But sometimes I will still have the strongest panic attacks you could ever imagine, we are talking about full blown you think your having a heart attack it feels like a heart attack, not fun. Time to stop I say going from 1mg-0.5mg not recommended.so what I did was .25 morning .5afternoon slowly stop .25 in month time and then .5"

• Pike
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 18, 2021

"Was on 6mg a day for 15 years and I switched to bromazepam doctor said I should be fine well it's been 6 months and I am far from fine. I want to find a different benzo I will not go back on clonazepam ever ever again but there must be another one. Bromazepam is no good at all. I figured they would work I think they are the strongest benzo going - I mean I am not a doctor lol so yeah what should I do? What is the best benzo ?or strongest out there. Leave me your opinion. Thanks."

• Skiebs
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 2, 2021

"I have been on clonazepam (started at 1mg and went up to 1.5mg) and started in November of 2019 after the passing of my Grandmother and things just got hectic.. Already had been clean from opiates for 3 years, and dabbled in Benzos when I used heroin.. I started having panic attacks and eventually went to the E.R because of them and thats where it started. The Klonopin WORKED, I no longer have panic attacks but I also don't feel 100% myself and I still do sometimes abuse my medication - but I still try to take it the right way. Maybe I am torturing myself but idk, I don't really see myself coming off them and I wouldn't shame anyone for not. Just like I don't shame anyone for drug use. I abused my meds this month only .125 till refill day. Feeling tired, anxious, numb on skin, and not sleeping well, cold sweats, thats 3-4mg for 2 weeks to .125 for a week. 2 more to go till refill. Don't be dumb like me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 3, 2023

"Last year I got the flu shot, and I got the flu regardless. I was taking Nyquil, Sudafed, and ibuprofen. I had a diabetic check-up. Plus, I needed refills on my clonazepam. So they did a UA at this clinic. The CPN came right back saying I had a micro trace of meth in my system. My diabetic check-up was totally forgotten, and her demeanor towards me changed immediately. I told her I had more sense than that. But she was adamant. So my labs got sent to another lab for confirmation. So for 3 months, I went in monthly like they asked me to. Now my regular PCP was a new doctor to the clinic. And each time they were supposed to be checking my urine for my clonazepam, which I had in my system. Instead, my labs were sent elsewhere because the doctor was drug testing me for methamphetamine, not my clonazepam. On my diabetes check-up 3 months from my last, my real PCP walked in and flat out told me the doctor was cutting me off my clonazepam. Now I'm sick and have anxiety."

• Prit
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 30, 2020

"I've finally come off clonazepam after taking it for 10 years. I started on CBD oil . I weened off slowly and am sleeping like a baby. Good luck all."

• Erin
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 16, 2019

"No, just no. Never take this. This should be illegal. I am stuck on 0.5mg wouldn’t wish it on anyone. Memory loss, anxiety, paranoia, palps, full intense body pain, losing your mind, run away."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 1, 2019

"Do not take this drug. It destroyed my life when my GP didn’t tell me and said it was a sleeping pill. I lost a year of my life to benzodiazepines withdrawal."

• Damaged
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 26, 2019

"The worst drug; will destroy your life."