I just got in this new doctors' office and I let them know that I had been out for two days(I was taking 2 to 3 1mg klonopin per day) and they put me on something called Vistaril and I feel like I am dying! My anxiety is through the roof! I've had a few pretty bad anxiety attacks and I haven't slept in 2 days. I called to let them know and they switched me to Buspar and I haven't heard of that either so I looked it up and it is the generic for Welbutrin, which I am already taking and it's in their files! Does anyone have any recommendations???
Has anyone been on xanax or klonopin and been cut off cold turkey?
Question posted by Mike45245 on 30 Oct 2012
Last updated on 5 December 2023 by WildcatVet
This question has also been asked and answered here: Klonopin vs Xanax - How are they different?
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13 Answers
WildcatVet
5 Dec 2023
Hi, Mike!
I’m sorry I can’t help with your question but I just wanted to let you know that BuSpar is buspirone and Wellbutrin is bupropion.
I’ve taken buspirone for many years with excellent results but it doesn’t work for everyone and it won’t help with your withdrawals.
Judyrae59
4 Dec 2023
I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through.
In January 2020 I went in to see my psychiatrist who I had been seeing for 5 years. First thing out of her mouth was "I'm not refilling your clonazepam." I was taking .5mg once a day before bedtime. I asked why and she said "it causes Alzheimer's." I told her that wasn't true as I had been following that particular study and it hadn't been proven yet. She said " Well I'm still taking you off of it and you called your pharmacy for a refill and they gave you a refill for 1mg and it only suppose to be .5mg."
I told her I called my pharmacy to refill my prescription for my clonazepam and they said I didn't have any refills so they would need to call you and get a refill. YOUR office sent my pharmacy the refill for 1mg instead of .5mg so I just cut them in half. That is YOUR office's fault NOT mine.
She said, "I'm still not refilling it." I said what about the dangers of taking someone off of clonazepam cold turkey who's been on it for 5 years. It says in the directions NOT to stop taking the medication immediately, but to SLOWLY withdraw from it under your doctor's care. She blew me off completely and ignored everything I said. I had 3 tablets let.
3 days later I ran out and the 4th day the HELL STARTED. I went through hell for an entire year before I felt like I was going to live.
I filed a complaint against her with the American Medical Board of California. This group is nothing but another group of doctors who review complaints about doctors - doctors reviewing their peers. One year later I received a letter from the American Medical Board of California telling me they AGREED with my former psychiatrist and what she had done was within "normal medical procedures." At that point there was nothing more I could do and I had already gone through hell and out the other side, but the damage she did to me will never be repaired.
I'm telling you all of this because people told me to file a complaint against her and she couldn't do what she did.
Well I did file that complaint and a medical group of her peers told me she did nothing wrong and she was "acting within normal medical guidelines." They had all my medical records from her office as far as I knew because I had to sign a release in order for the group reviewers to get my records. Whether she gave them everything or not I don't know.
From what I am seeing and experiencing these days doctors can do whatever they want and are not being held accountable for it. If they're having a bad day and you have an appointment that day, watch out, you may get your meds pulled or whatever they feel like doing.
Going from clonazepam to Vistaril (Hydroxyzine) is like going from two Advil to one. You might as well spit into the wind because there is absolutely NO comparison.
When I was taking Clonazepam I was ALSO taking 25mg of Vistaril (Hydroxyzine). Vistaril does help anxiety, however, you would need to take at least 400mg a day.
Personally, I would contact your new doctors office and ask them if they have your records from your prior doctor. If they don't fill out a form to have them released to the new doctor and if you can, physically take that form over to your old doctor's office and ask them to have your records ready for you to pick up at the end of that day or the next. They will probably charge you. $25-$50, but at least you will have them and can hand walk them back to your new doctor. In the meantime you can read through you file and see if there are any negative comments about you and Klonopin so you know what you might be up against and can be ready to talk to your new doctor about it. If there's nothing negative in your file your new doctor should explain in detail to you exactly WHY he is not giving you Klonopin. However, don't expect the new doctor to just give you the klonopin like you want him to.
If he won't give it to you ask him to up your Vistaril to at least for starters 250mg if you're not taking that much already and see how you do.
The AMA & FDA could care less how taking a person off of benzos COLD TURKEY makes a person feel or what it does to them until they are hit with a lawsuit. Same goes for your doctors. They aren't the ones who are having to suffer the withdrawal symptoms.
Blessings,
Judy
Quando62
2 Dec 2023
Ask for Clonidine, it is a blood pressure medication that helps withdrawals from Benzos. I had 3 seizures taken off of 8mg Xanax cold turkey 10 years ago...
Andrew69Sparks
1 Dec 2023
Sounds like we're all having similar issues. My problem is if it says to take 1mg a day I'll take 3 or 4. Never had seizures coming off benzos, but have had at least 7 seizures coming off alcohol cold turkey, which I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
I've taken all the benzos over 30 years to slow down the drinking and stop and what has gotten through to me is they all are, in one degree or another, essentially the same; some stronger than others, like Ativan or Librium are plenty strong. I'm going to my doctor Tuesday and asking for 2mg tablets of Clonazepam twice a day since the script can't get refills. You have to go back to the doctor every month and spend money just for the script. With the 2mg I can cut them half and make them last longer. Being disciplined is essential but easier said than done. I've been turned by doctors until I found one who would work with me at Rapid Care. In closing I'm trying to stick to what is prescribed.
To all of you, I feel your pain!
Susie8isenuf
7 March 2019
I was on klonopin 1 mg for 25 years and my family doctor took me off and put me on trazodone and cymbalta. Neither of these help, plus my hair is coming out and I don’t sleep. I’ve been off klonopin 6 months, the ringing in my ears is bad because klonopin is one of few drugs that stop ear ringing .
Does anyone know why doctors want us off klonopin.
Dajjal
1 July 2015
Hey mike, I want you to try hyperventilating, do that for an hour or so then find a place to do some exercise. The abdominal area is where most of your misplaced energy is stored, so 60 or so sit ups and curl ups, and then back to hyperventilating, and get into it, the hyperventilating gets you excess oxygen and removes a lot of bad toxins, its fun, you get confused and calm, but remember, exercise, then hyperventilate, also, have you tried switching to a vegetarian diet.
Let me know if you have any questions
Nathan
Dopetron
19 Nov 2012
Klonopin has a long half-life. I didn't have my first seizure until day 4 of going cold turkey. I was taking a very similar dose…3 k-pins a day. Immediately before I ran out of benzos, I acquired 60 1mg Xanax and went through those in about 3-4 days. Quitting benzos cold turkey is about as smart as driving blindfolded. I had 3 seizures that I know of, and each time I ended up on my hardwood floor, surely hitting my head. I literally could not separate my dreams from reality. I felt like i suffered brain damage I'm now 7 weeks clean, but my body still twitches and I occasionally have an intense ringing in my ears.
Inactive
21 Nov 2012
Hello Dopetron, depending how long you were on the benzos? What you are experiencing with ringing in the ears and body twitches are from protracted w/d and for some people it lasts for months and at times years. I hope you get to feeling better soon! Good luck!
Benzo10
5 Dec 2012
May I ask you how long you were on Klonopin before quitting benzos and going through those withdrawals (which I have experienced before as well, hence my presence here)? I've been on for the last 36 days, but varying doses between 1.5mg a day of Xanax to 9mg a day of Xanax. I have some valium (and a little Xanax left) to wean down but I don't even know if it's necessary, if 36 days is long enough to have caused my body to go through withdrawals when I quit? Thanks for your post and thanks in advance if you choose to answer my question.
Dopetron
5 Dec 2012
Before I was prescribed Klonopin, I was getting Xanax on the street. I would usually get 20 to 30 2mg Xanax and I didn't really space out my doses. As far as your concerns about w/d's occurring after 36 days of use, I would venture to guess that you're likely going to suffer some withdrawals. I could be wrong though. One time, I couldn't get any Xanax and I had to wait about 3 to 4 days before I was going to get my next score. I gave somebody the money and was going to wait at home before she could get it, and on my way home I had a seizure in my car and I ended up driving onto the freeway and driving off of the on ramp. It was an absolutely horrific experience. After that I was put on Klonopin, 1mg three times a day. I was on it for about two years on relatively the same dose. I never could get below 1 mg twice daily.
As of this date, the tinnitus has almost completely gone away. I can't really remember the last time I felt the ringing in my ears. As far as the body twitching and the restless leg syndrome, it has relatively subsided. I get the twitching mostly at night and it doesn't bother me really at all. It's just something that I notice. I still have some back cramps and back pain but again it's not something I really want to complain about. I'm fully aware that I probably have protracted benzo withdrawal syndrome. Educating yourself about benzos really helps alleviate some of your fears.
Dopetron
5 Dec 2012
To further clarify, I would take up to 10mg of Xanax a day for about a week or two, and stop for about 5-10 days before starting again. I definitely would have w/d's after 36 days of continuous use, but I must stress that everybody reacts differently to benzos. If I can recall correctly, I was taking 8-10mg of Xanax continuously for about 3 weeks when I had my seizure behind the wheel.
Inactive
31 Oct 2012
Hello Mike45245. Yes years ago. Off from two. I suggest you get a hold of your previous physician, and have your file transferred to the new doctors office. That should rectify/or mend the problem (hopefully) Regards pledge
cwake19
31 Oct 2012
Yeah I hate that doctors and medical providers are so afraid to prescribe benzodiazepines these days. As my psychiatrist has said "they're one of the safest classes of drugs ever"! Instead people come in to a new doctor after being on a benzo and they through something at them like Vistaril, an AAP, or buspar because they don't want to prescribe a benzodiazepine. I think it's ridiculous and as another said, inhumane that a doctor would put you on an antihistamine like hydroxyzine (Vistaril) after being on 2-3mg of Klonopin per day.
Get to the ER or urgent care immediately because you're at seizure risk as the others have said.
Prayin for you, good luck.
kaismama
31 Oct 2012
I would love to be able to compile a list of all the docs who have pulled stuff like this, maybe then they'd see how wrong they are. They are endangering patients instead of helping them. I'm sure the ama would not approve. I'm also sure even the unfeeling DEA doesn't mean for us to be endangered while we're taken off of them.
cwake19
31 Oct 2012
Indeed, last year I was on Xanax daily and saw a psychiatric nurse practitioner for the first time and he put me on zyprexa instead. Totally scared the crap out of me. I immediately went to my family doctor and he put me back on klonopin to help thank god. But that NP absolutely refused to prescribe a benzo even though I was already on it. Idiot.
kaismama
31 Oct 2012
I just had an np refuse to increase the dose of tramadol I'm on, even tho it was within the norm and I'd been on it before. I just went to the doc.
Don't these people realize that they risk you seizuring, or don't they care? I don't care what they think, benzos are way safer then anti psychotics, and if you're being treated for anxiety, anti psychotics are a terrible choice. Benzos don't cause things like tardive dyskenesia. Just because dumb people abuse benzos, it doesn't mean that they are bad drugs.
Dumpster Diver
31 Oct 2012
Amen! Benzo's are such an important part of lots of patients medication.
They really work, thats why. cwake19, how are You doing? We really care!
Dumpster Diver
31 Oct 2012
cwake, We care about everybody, but I meant Mike, keep in touch... D.D.
Inactive
1 Nov 2012
Cwake19, Good call for him to get into ER. I am so fed up with some of these drs. As you said benzos dnt do harm to our body like so many other meds. Shortly before my mother passed away she was in the hospital and all her meds were taken down with her when she was admitted, and none of the doctors would give her xanax that she had been taking for 15 yrs and she suffered 2 seizures then when her private dr came in he was so upset, but the following day the hospital did the same thing. I am so frustrated with so many in the medical profession.
kaismama
1 Nov 2012
And you just pointed out a big problem in health care. The primary docs don't follow the patient in the hospital. I have a real problem with not having the doc you know and can trust, and having him write the orders.
Inactive
1 Nov 2012
Kaismama Yes I agree it's a big problem to me anyway. When I was in the hospital back in 2008 my dr that I had for 9 yrs didn't come once and I was in there for about 3 months, then when I made an appt with him he had no clue what was going on. Very frustrating.
kaismama
1 Nov 2012
Our docs here are linked in with the hospital so they can get all the info, but the docs you get in the hospital don't know you, and any quirks you may have or what worked or didn't once before. I just don't see how you can get optimum care.
Inactive
1 Nov 2012
For me and many others where I live dnt get the best care. That's why I go up north here in calif to a university that has some of the best drs in the nation UCSF.
Dumpster Diver
31 Oct 2012
Wow Mike, that is really inhumane in the free world. I don't know why you changed Dr.'s, but you need help ASAP. It happened to me a long while
ago when I got locked up. I thought I would die. I was on 3 mgs of the
real Klonopin a day. I never got in trouble again. Unbelievable!!! I would go to the ER right now. You could have seizures! And get a new DR. Feeling for you,
D the Square
angel1662
30 Oct 2012
Hello mike45245,
I already answered this, but after I answered I went back and did research, buspar is not the generic for wellbutrin, the med which u probably got confused is called bupropion, that is wellbutrin's generic not buspar, buspar is used in the treatment of panic attacks/anxiety amoung alot of other things that u can google and see what else it can be used for...
kaismama
30 Oct 2012
Buspar isn't the generic for wellbutrin, its for anxiety but it won't do anything for you now. You have to take it every day, and it takes a few weeks to work. This doc is being unethical not giving enough to wean off of it. I'm not sure how the DEA has managed to make docs not give a dam. Buspar is buspirone, wellbutrin is buproprion.
Inactive
30 Oct 2012
Hello Mike, the medications you say you are taking take a few weeks to work. You need to talk to your dr asap as you are going through withdrawals and no dr should allow that to happen. You need to titrate down slowly. I use to take xanax and it took me 18 months to taper down and be done with it. I hope your dr does something for you. Best of luck... pamee
Inactive
30 Oct 2012
Mike- buspar is for anxiety, but it takes 3-6 weeks to feel the benefits of it also, it is a weak medication for panic attacks. My heart goes out to you, I have been there and it's very painful. Because the benzos are now on the controlled substance list dr's dnt like giving it, so possibly you can plead with your dr to taper you slowly.
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klonopin, vistaril, xanax, anxiety, panic disorder, doctor, cold turkey
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