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Getting off of meds - help

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michelle5714
michelle5714

Okay so I've been taking a very low dose of klonopin (.25mg a day) for a few months now. Maybe 3-3.5 months at the most. By personal choice and the fact that I'm also about to lose my health insurance (I have Medicaid right now but no longer qualify, I'll be talking to a social worker at my doc office to see if I can qualify for help with health insurance) it's time to get off the klonopin. Well that and because you obviously shouldn't be on benzos daily for a long time. ANYWAYS lol I spoke with my doc about a tapering plan - I know I'm on a super tiny dose but I want to be as safe as possible and make sure there's little to no withdrawal effects - and she didn't really provide a clear cut one. So I spoke with my friend that works in the pharmacy and he also spoke with the head pharmacist that's been there for like 20 years and she said this

"if she wants to go fast, just have her take 1/2 tab daily for 2 weeks, then stop. If she wants to go slow, 1/2 tab daily for 2 weeks, then 1/4 daily for 2 weeks, then stop. She's not taking that high of a dose to worry about withdrawals"

Does this sound like a good tapering plan? I would think that I'd have to in the end take them like every day then every other day then every three days etc

0 likes, 11 replies

11 Replies

  • diane524
    diane524 michelle5714

    Posted

    I think the tapering down to the 1/4 then taking every other day then every two days etc would work well.
    • michelle5714
      michelle5714 diane524

      Posted

      So like half of the .25 for two weeks then half of .25 every other day for two weeks?
  • g.90572
    g.90572 michelle5714

    Posted

    Get an extra prescription before your insurance runs out
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 michelle5714

      Posted

      You could even have the dr. Call it in at a hughr dose. You can try that or as a klonopin wafer is the half of .o25 dose and or larger dose and break the pill to the dose you use. Then youd have two extra bottles to tapper slowly.
    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67

      Posted

      the wafer would be a different perscription hopefully accepted. Giving you a lot of room to taper slowly.
    • michelle5714
      michelle5714 lisalisa67

      Posted

      I have enough. I have about 40 .5 mg pills which is more than enough to taper over the course of 4 weeks especially with the minuscule doses im taking. I could probably just quit but won't because you shouldn't quit them cold turkey ever

    • lisalisa67
      lisalisa67 michelle5714

      Posted

      Dont cold turkey i have done  this wean about 22years ago. When it first was being used, do the taper. Much better to taper slow. I did it too fast. Im here and im fine but i ran into a two week period of hell. I didnt wean much they didnt know. But even as i did i was fine in a month just had a really bad two weeks time period. So if yiu taler slowly youll be perfect and thats so much better. But youll need good self calming skills and something alternative to have to fall back on if the anxiety returns. It might not you never know. 
    • michelle5714
      michelle5714 lisalisa67

      Posted

      I'm not, I already stated that lol. I would never. I think 4 weeks is a slow enough taper for only taking .25 mgs a day. That's it. And that's a tiny dose. Now this would be different if I was taking like 2 mgs a day for months but I think the plan I have is a good one. I'm just ready to be off.

  • johnkov
    johnkov michelle5714

    Posted

    Hi Michelle,

    A lot of research has been done on this topic and I would advise googling the 'Ashton manual', which describes the most feasible withdrawal strategies. In your case it would make sense to switch from 0.25 mg klonopin to 5 mg of diazepam and then reduce the dose to ½ tablet (2.5 mg) after a week. After 2 more weeks you could try to quit (or take 1/4 tablet, if needed).

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