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Thread: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
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    134

    Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    Quote Originally Posted by Athena27 View Post
    Hy i'm new on this forum. It has been on month since I am on Rivotril. I began at 2 mg (because I took other medication before). it was too strong my doctor told me to find a dose when I sleep well and I have energy. So I was able to go down by quarter to 1,25mg in three weeks (1,50,1,35,1,25). I try a quarter less but I didn't work, too fast, bad condition. My doctor told me to stay on a dose for a month and after we will talk about going down gradually. I would like this steady dose to be 1.12mg but I'm afraid to try again. Maybe I should wait to do 14 consecutive days. It's has been 7 consecutive days on 1.25mg. I tough that maybe after 10 days I could give it a try before going back to work (july 7). I think i will be a little bit less tired in the day. Or maybe I should simply stay put at 1.25mg and wait for my doctor order ?

    Do you know people who take 1mg to 1,25 mg a day for less than 2 months at a steady dose who was able to go down well gradually ?
    Personally I don't know anybody, no. And I can't really compare it to myself because I've been on them for so long. What do you mean by gradually ? When is the start and where's the end? After two months, actually it takes approx. 4 weeks, your body starts to be addicted to benzos, so I don't quite know.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Posts
    2

    Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    hi
    i was on rivotril for a month .5mg at night
    and .25mg in the morning

    i was doing ok till i finished my dose for a month

    but after 5 days i started getting chest pain restlessness all of it again

    could not eat no hunger

    i had a .5mg after 5 days and felt better that evening

    the next morning it all started again

    my doc told me to go back on it for a month same dose

    i am worried if i should go back or just stay away from it

    any sugstions would help

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    134

    Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    Quote Originally Posted by kau View Post
    hi
    i was on rivotril for a month .5mg at night
    and .25mg in the morning
    i was doing ok till i finished my dose for a month
    but after 5 days i started getting chest pain restlessness all of it again
    could not eat no hunger
    i had a .5mg after 5 days and felt better that evening
    the next morning it all started again
    my doc told me to go back on it for a month same dose
    i am worried if i should go back or just stay away from it
    any sugstions would help
    I am not a doctor so anything I say here, DO take into consideration that I could be wrong. I am going by experience with the same drug, but it could behave differently from case to case depending also on how much your body IS or HAS BEEN addicted to it, and whether the symptoms you're feeling are withdrawal symptoms or if they're psychosaumatical symptoms that are only "tampered" with the Rivotril. I would suggest it's the latter one, considering you were off the Rivotril for ONE month before getting any symptoms, from what I understood. Withdrawal symptoms normally kick in the first 48 hours and become insanely unbearable if you go cold turkey (which can also be life threatening in some cases, so not advisable).

    As for your case in particular, how old are you? Do you have any OBSERVED cardiac illness, clogged arteries or malfunction (referring to the chest pains)? If you are young (say below 50), I'd try to stay away from it, especially if the chest pains aren't that considerable or not too frequent. Please give me more details. When not taking the medication, how often do you feel this pain, and is it bearable?

  4. #34

    Smile Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    Quote Originally Posted by Cathy V View Post
    Hi there, im surprised they took you off it so suddenly after so long taking it. Even a relatively small dose should be reduced in stages...half then quarter etc. At least the doc has told you to reduce them gradually by the sound of it. I came off tranxene and ativan a long time ago now, but still remember the withdrawal and what you describe is typical withdrawal. I went on to be a volunteer with the charity Mind, helping ppl withdrawing from benzos. Its not easy and its not comfortable but you'll be ok, and you won't die ok? please dont get yourself into more anx about dying this way coz you wont.

    Her if you want to talk ok?
    Cathy xxx
    Hi Cathy.

    Your post to the member that started this thread was really inspiring to me. I am being treated for benzo withdrawl (Alprazolam) with Clonazepam...well at least I was. My doctor dropped me cause I didn't want to taper down last week because I had Law School midterms. I have just been taking propanolol and that def helps with the physical symptoms. Any Suggestions?
    -Jim

  5. #35

    Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    I'm brand new to this site so I don't know to whom I should address this. Please help! I was put on Klonopin in 2008 although the doctors I have now are furious about this and tell me (as do several written reports) that Klonopin should NOT be given to people who have severe depression and/or sleep apnea (as it affects the respiratory system!). Because last year I had ECT treatments (make sure if you do this they get the anesthesia right because, on my first one, I FELT it and the memory of it remains in my 'gut' and caused severe thanatophobia which I cannot shake!). I have amnesia for the past four years (!) with spotty memory for before that, and cannot remember why the psychiatrist (at a county run mental health center--avoid if you can afford it as ours, at least, had only one psychiatrist for hundreds (maybe thousands) of patients and changed their psychiatrists like you'd change your underwear!) prescribed this for me. I KNOW for a fact that I did not have panic attacks or such severe depression before I was placed on the Klonopin. My son, with a psych. degree, advises me that the following symptoms began before the ECT treatment but after the Klonopin. I now have severe panic attacks any time I wake up from sleep whether in the morning, or even from a brief nap of 15 minutes. For some reason these seem less intense if I sleep sitting up. It is not caused by my sleep apnea as I use C-PAP and have been sleep tested again very recently. I have been weaned off the Klonopin gradually in half mg. steps over about a 4 month period from 1mg. twice a day to none. I am still waking up with panic attacks after sleep (though not as bad) and my last dose of half mg Klonopin was two weeks ago. The attacks consist of a deep gut reaction of fear,shaking (especially my neck and head), very dark thoughts of hopelessness that this is never going to stop and about death, sometimes suicidal thoughts, chest constriction, upper abdominal pressure as if someone is squeezing me just above my stomach, "electrical shock" feelings and "icy-hot" feelings from my hands up to my shoulders and across my whole chest and down through to my gut. Often my head feels flu-like (wooziness and a strange feeling like my head is stuffed with cotton wool, not just where the sinuses are but all through and especially through the back of my head. Crying jags are common upon waking and throughout the day. Every time I gave up another half a pill, I was screaming for the next two days and throwing myself onto the floor in an agony of anxiety. Strangely, after the removal of the last half mg. this reaction came later, about four to five days after. Please, please advise me from your experience if this is normal and will go away soon! My doctors seem to think it will but, also having OCD, I cannot get unstuck from the thoughts that this is forever and this only worsens the panic and depression. Thank you so much for having taken the time to read this long letter! Siddigfan PS: During the early stages of withdrawal, I had horrific feelings of chest pressure and projectile vomiting and, thinking I was having a heart attack ended up in the hospital, where my heart was ok'd, so it's neither the heart or the head (I would like to believe, though need to check this, that the doctors for the ECT treatments checked out my brain for tumors, etc. and I know my thyroid was checked. I have had temporal lobe epilepsy since 1978 after a car hit my moped and i sustained a very minor head injury with concussion and seizures started up about six months later but I never had panic attacks all these years till after the Klonopin started. I was, according to my son, having panic attacks while ON the Klonopin and extreme anxiety resulting in some form of catonia and extreme suicidality for which the ECT treatment was evidently prescribed. Stay away from Klonopin. My three doctors, all very professional and educated, say it is a very bad drug and should be taken off the market! WEAR A HELMET, even on a short bike ride! It does not take a severe head injury to set off epilepsy! I MUST spread the word on that so no one else suffers as I have suffered!!!

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
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    Lightbulb Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    Bump
    for the benefit of the link to benzo withdrawal manual

    Quote Originally Posted by decca View Post
    I thought the recognised method of Benzo withdrawal was to cross over to an equivalent dose of a benzo with the longest half life IE; Diazepam.
    Then to make cuts of 10% each fortnight, it takes a long time but the withdrawal is easier tolerated.
    Re; Professor Ashton , copy of which is available here - http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/

    But I'm not sure it would be good or not to reinstate at the stage you're at.
    Maybe Cathy could advise further.
    Decca

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    This is a very old post.

    Ashton is popular but there is a second way to do withdrawal if that way doesn't work. It uses Diazepam too. But has a different theory. With this one you don't taper. You extend the time between doses as far as possible and then take the full dose. When you are managing better than twice as long between doses you cut the dose in half and do it again. The theory is that if you taper the taper only increases the bodies desire which isn't being satisfied. This way it gets what it needs, just not as often. You also can't (don't) taper till your body is ready. There is no fixed time line, your body decides.

    ---------- Post added at 23:29 ---------- Previous post was at 23:28 ----------

    Just another of those things not on the internet.

  8. #38
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    Smile Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    So Davit, I wonder if I could do the same with clonazepam, without having to use diazepam at all? Your suggestion actually seems less complicated than the Ashton method. Less complicated is good! I'm so grateful that you are following up with my posts. I can see that you have a caregiving nature. Blessings on you!!!!

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
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    Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    I think it works for everything except Ativan, but if you go to Astons site you can look up the half life of Clonazepam, in comparison to Diazepam.

    Switching to Diazepam was originally meant to get people off Ativan without them getting seizures.

  10. #40
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    Thumbs up Re: Benzo withdrawal (Rivotril, aka Klonopin)

    I'm bumping this because I need to come off of clonazepam and maybe someone else will find this helpful as well!!


    Quote Originally Posted by Davit View Post
    This is a very old post.

    Ashton is popular but there is a second way to do withdrawal if that way doesn't work. It uses Diazepam too. But has a different theory. With this one you don't taper. You extend the time between doses as far as possible and then take the full dose. When you are managing better than twice as long between doses you cut the dose in half and do it again. The theory is that if you taper the taper only increases the bodies desire which isn't being satisfied. This way it gets what it needs, just not as often. You also can't (don't) taper till your body is ready. There is no fixed time line, your body decides.

    ---------- Post added at 23:29 ---------- Previous post was at 23:28 ----------

    Just another of those things not on the internet.

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