I have been taking 1 mg of Clonezapam every night at bedtime for the last eight yrs. Is there anyone out there that can tell me what to do or can i just stop taking it myself... needing help PLEASE... luclocket
Clonazepam - How should I stop taking this?
Question posted by lucylocket on 26 July 2008
Last updated on 26 February 2020 by edgar2prado
12 Answers
edgar2prado
26 Feb 2020
It is true that suddenly stopping taking clonazepam can have very serious, even deadly consequences.
The recommendation of tapering off the dose at a rate of 0.125 milligrams every two weeks seems cautious enough. And in line with what I have read in other medical websites. Still, if you have problems (read about benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome) you should not hesitate to get medical attention.
I have a comment.
A distinction should be made between dependence and addiction. You will develop extreme dependence on clonazepam if you take it long enough order to control your symptoms.
Addiction comes with cravings, tolerance, more craving, and augmenting the dose. It also causes mental instability, and usually very serious health, personal, and social problems.
Dependence is merely needing the medication for the treatment of a condition and, if suddenly discontinued, having having both your previous symptoms (and with clonazepam other problems) reappear with extreme vengeance.
I will give a personal example.
Once I ran out of clonazepam but was able to get an appointment with a doctor a few days later.
I thought everything was going to be OK. Two days later I started having the symptoms of what would become a severe benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome. The terrible thing about that was that I did not crave clonazepam at all. I didn't know what was happening to me until I searched my symptoms on the internet and found out about the consequences of sudden withdrawal.
Like most of you I had been taking the same dose for years and had become complacent about how normal (i.e. - free of anxiety) my life was. Stopping clonazepam suddenly taught me about how dependent on it I was. But the absence of cravings alone should make it cleat that this was not a case of addiction.
Nobody would say that people with epilepsy taking anticonvulsants for life are addicted to them. And having seizures as a symptom of sudden withdrawal is proof that they are drug addicts.
This probably applies to almost everyone here in relation to clonazepam.
muhammad66256
5 Jan 2018
taking for 12 years
Mikey69
21 Sep 2017
I took this medicine for 13 years 3mg a day. I decided a month ago I would get off this medicine, glad I did. All started last year when I went golfing with a friend. I got home and for some reason sick to my stomach. I was rushed to the ER. They said It was dehydration. A few months later back again same symptoms. They're saying it may be internal. 3rd time to the ER I finally woke up. Lots of good advice I found coming here. I'm on day 3 no pill nothing. I did detox myself for a little over 24 hours, I don't suggest it though. You need to wean off very slowly. Do not take Nyquil or any crap like that. It will intensify your withdrawal. Wean off slowly that's all you can do. This was the scariest thing I've ever been through, but it's possible! Thanks for all the advice on here. Even in the darkest times, I was able to keep my faith wich ultimately guided me through"
Mikey69
21 Sep 2017
The Mental game will drive you nuts. Just stay calm and think about not ever having to take this medicine again.
1Praying4help
18 Dec 2017
Can you tell me how you with drew from this drug. I have been on this drug for over 10 years 2 mg A-day. . I have tried cutting down on my own which was not successful because of such terrible side effects. I do not want to be on the strug but he has no interest in how been me get off so he discharged me. Now I cannot find a doctor to help me or prescribed this medication so I can start the tapering process. I have searched everywhere called clinics hospitals mental health centers and no one will perscribe me this medication. The only way they will help me is if I enter a detox program for at least 2 weeks. This is ridiculous . If I need one has helped or answers I would appreciate any. Please help
Thoth
7 April 2018
How did you take 3 mg for 13 years and successfully come off of it by detoxing for just 24 hours? It took me three months to get off of 1.5 mg... after taking that dose, basically, for three years. I know everyone is different... but jeez.
Suziq82
28 June 2018
Mikey..by day 3 you wouldn’t even be feeling real withdrawals though..don’t they start after 2-4 weeks in acute phase. 1-5 days is typically the beginning of withdrawal but they peak during the first month off. How did it wind up going?
shaynes302
4 Dec 2018
Any help would be great. I was also on 3mg a day I have been tapering for about 4 months and now I take .5 a day but can’t seem to go any lower. All I have are 1mg tablets so it’s hard to break it down. Any suggestions?
Gsparks6701
6 Jan 2019
THROW A 1 MG PILL INTO 150 MG OF MILK . LET TABLET DISOLVE then pour into jar , shake and take 1 mg off... drink the rest . Next day take 2mg off , next 3mg... in about 75 days you will be benzo free...
Jer Hall
13 July 2013
Klonopin is extremely difficult to kick, I've done it a couple times over the past 10 years. You need to get a pill cutter and cut about 20% at a time. It takes a while and don't let your guard down. Both times I remember thinking I had it beat after a few weeks and then realizing I was very much in the thick of it.
The withdrawal symptoms were awful. I had trouble sleeping, felt achy, even confused at sometimes. I was also very sensitive to caffeine, alcohol, nicotine - these seem to exacerbate the withdrawal symptoms.
I had horrible anxiety and any sort of surprise made me feel like I had jumped out of my skin.
Another thing that made it extremely difficult is the medication had the side effect of helping with my sensitivity to bright light like fluorescent lights in offices and especially car headlights. That came back with a vengeance.
I strongly recommend doing this when you can take some time off from work if at all possible.
klr650hack
2 Jan 2013
sorry some people talk like they think they know something !!! i take 2mg a day and ran out 3 times and had what they call rebound effect and i crashed hard couldnt sleep sweats once i was up for 16 days no idea why and ended up in the hospital hallucinating feeling like i was having a heart attact sky high blood pressure and i have ptsd and panic issues and want to get the helloff of the to because of the fear of running out!!!
Breson28
6 Feb 2012
I've been taking this medicine for 3 years. My doctor has always told me to never quit cold turkey. I had to recently change doctors and he will not prescribe me this medication. I dont know what to do.
hopeful_cierra
26 Feb 2012
I don't understand why your new Dr would do that. It is very dangerous to just stop taking it cold Turkey and if he knew what he was doing he would know the risks of seizures. I would go ask him to explain himself, talk to his superior, or change doctors.
Inactive
26 June 2011
This medication if taken for a period of time must be tapered off slowly.
It is very important you talk to your Doctor, too.
zozimus78
2 Feb 2011
Clonazepam is an extremely HIGHLY ADDICTIVE benzo. As one poster wrote, you CANNOT go cold turkey, as you take the risk of having seizures, which one gentleman did in the program one night, as he stopped his benzo cold turkey.
@Buffy1959 you really should look at the schedule of this drug before you go spouting out that it is a highly addictive benzo as it is a schedule 4 drug. This means that the likely hood of becoming addicted to this drug are very low.If it were in fact highly addictive and you couldnt just stop taking it then it would be a schedule 3 or above. However I do agree that if you have tried to stop cold turkey and it is causing your symptoms to come back or even adding new ones, tapering down your dose by the above stated 10-20% at a time is a great idea.
CSA Schedule
* Schedule 4 The drug has a low potential for abuse relative to the drugs in schedule 3 The drug has a currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States. Abuse of the drug may lead to limited physical dependence or psychological dependence relative to the drugs in schedule 3.
Please note that the least addictive drugs are schedule 5 and this is on a scale from 1-5. Schedule 1 being the most addictive etc...
annaizmailova
20 March 2012
Benzos ARE extremely addictive drugs and the most dangerous to withdraw from (alcohol takes the 2nd place and opiates come in 3rd in regards to how intense & dangerous the withdrawal symptoms are). Obviously, you've had no personal experience with taking them (and good for you), otherwise you wouldn't just dismiss it as a schedule 4 drug. It's a huge mistake to assume it has low tolerance for addiction. I've had easier time weaning off Oxycontin than klonopin / valium.
Gsparks6701
24 Nov 2018
If you only use it for 2 to 4 weeks max. Educate yourself!
Jax1987
6 Jan 2019
Zozimus78 no buddy is correct. You should check your info again.
Jax1987
6 Jan 2019
Buffy I meant not buddy
Buffy1959
1 Sep 2010
I have just completed an intensive outpatient rehab program, which was quite eye-opening regarding these drugs that are prescribed by doctors. I took 1 mg of Clonazepam for about 7-8 years, every evening to help me to sleep as I was diagnosed with myofascial pain syndrome, which is where your muscles do not relax enough, so you can have muscle cramps, etc.
Before I was allowed to enter the rehab program, I was told that I had to have a tapering-off schedule from my doctor. Clonazepam is an extremely HIGHLY ADDICTIVE benzo. As one poster wrote, you CANNOT go cold turkey, as you take the risk of having seizures, which one gentleman did in the program one night, as he stopped his benzo cold turkey.
I tapered off by taking .75 mg. for about 4 days, then took .5 mg. for a week, and then .25mg for two weeks. You don't feel very well when you start to decrease your amounts, but it is well worth it, as your brain is already addicted. It's too long to explain about brain addiction, but any type of addictive substance will change your brain and create addiction after so many uses, and your brain will never be the same.
My doctor prescribed me Trazadone, which is non-addictive sleep aid. If you take them, be carefully initially, because you can get "Trazadone hangover". They are strong until your body gets use to it.
Good luck.
Robert_325
27 July 2008
You tried to taper off 50% of your dose after eight years. That is way too much. Break off the smallest piece you can. Even get a single-edged razor and do it. Don't cut back by anymore than 10-20% at a time. If you are tapering properly you will feel very few w/d symptoms. Be prepared for this taper to take a long time if don't want to suffer.
paulonci
30 Dec 2018
I am 73 and have been taking Clonazepam 2 mg a day for over 20 years. My doctor at the VA did not tell me in depth how to step down or the side effect of this step down at all. I had to research and do this on my own. Glad I found this web site or I may have died. I had every symptom there is for this step down yet my doctor did not warn me at all just said to step down and from 0.25mg clonazepam to nothing which is totally wrong. I need to even step down to smaller portions than that to step down correctly and not get all these side effect. Thank you for saving my live. I just now took 1/3 of a 0.25mg clonazepam to stop these side effect which have gone on now for nearly a week. But these side effect were getting worse and worse so did my own research on this and found this web site.
lucylocket
27 July 2008
Thank you. I only took half last night but feeling really nervous... STRANGE SYMPTOMS...
dragonfly2852
4 Aug 2016
For one thing, cutting your pill in half is noble, but way to much! You have to do it in quarters. I have been on klonopin for the same amount of time, and I am working with my doctor. I was taking two 1 mlg. a day. I tried cutting it in half, and I got very very sick. I am 64, so, I was worried about a seizure or stroke. Work with your doctor. Mine gave me a new script with .5 mlg. So... I cut one of those in half for a week or two, depending on my symptoms. Then I keep cutting those back in that manner. It will take me almost two months to be safely off them. It will be worth taking your time. Hope that helps.
nanagizer
6 March 2017
I am desperately trying to get off as well. Been taking .5 to 1 mg every day for years. When I take just .5 for several days at a time, I feel really wierd too and don't sleep well. Been combining with .5 mg ambien to help but want to be done with it all!!! Just don't know what to do for sleep... :(
Mikey69
21 Sep 2017
Were you successful?
lorlisi86
6 Nov 2018
I know I'm late on this post, but I was told by my doc to wean off by a quarter of a piece each week. I'm sure you've weaned off by now, hope you are doing and feeling great w/o the medicine.
Robert_325
27 July 2008
Coming off benzos is difficult but it can be done. You have to taper very slowly after taking klonopin for so long. You are not on a high dose, but it's been a long time. You need to break just a little piece off the clonazepam taking just a little less each day. You will feel the anxiety, restlessness, etc of detox. Not much to keep that from happening. But don't cold turkey, it can be dangerous. You can have seizures, electric shock syndrome, etc from benzo w/d. If you find that you just can't do this then I would recommend seeking professional help. Let us know how you are doing. You will receive lots of support here. Good luck.
Gsparks6701
27 Oct 2018
You do not taper once a day. You ask your doctor for .5 mg pills so you would have two pills and you cut 1/4 0.125mg every 2-4 weeks. When you get down to 0.125 cut that in half and taper that every 2-4 weeks
Inactive
20 Jan 2019
cvs pharmacy just told me that I can not get my clonazepam because they are not making it anymore, I am scared how can I tapper off if I can't get any. I have been on clonazepam for 25 years. what should I do?
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Further information
- Clonazepam uses and safety info
- Clonazepam prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Clonazepam (detailed)
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