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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cubbybear on March 28, 2004, at 4:25:39
I've been able to fully quit Klonopin after many months and a few people asked that I post the reduction schedule that I used. I'm posting it below with the withdrawal effects that I experienced. Obviously, what worked for me and what I experienced will not be the same for anyone else. But you can see that the keys to my successful tapering were 1) going down in very small increments, beginning with the 2.75 mg dosage and 2) switching over to the equivalent amount of Valium when I was at the .125 mg. mark. My beginning (high) dosage was 4.0 mg. during the summer of 2002.
2002
8/2- 4 mg.
12/13-3/875
12/20-3.75
My tapering was then put on hold because depression had worsenedThis was a period of incapacitating depression, during which I had tried Zoloft and then Moclobemide. Neither AD was good for me. Insomnia was a major side effect of the depression, so I used Klonopin mostly as a hypnotic. The depression went into remission with Parnate in March, 2003 and so I felt that it was time to resume the Klonopin taper.
2003
3/19-3.5 mg
3/26-3.25
4/2-3.0
4/9-2.75
4/16-2.5
At this point, I experienced very uncomfortable withdrawal anxiety. My pdoc refused to write a Rx to let me backtrack. So I changed my dr. and went back to previous dosage.4/24-2.75
5/14-2.625 mg.
5/21-2.5
5/28-2.375
6/4-2.25
6/11-2.125
6/18-2.0 mg.
6/25-1.875
7/2-1.75 mg
had mild anxiety on 7/8, reduction put on hold
then I went back to higher dose
7/12-1.875 mg.
7/23-1.75
8/4-.1.625
8/14-1.5 mg.
very mild anxiety on 8/19 for 3 days8/25-1.375
9/4-1.25 mg.
mild anxiety and fatigue on 9/8 (one day only) insomnia and fatigue but not serious9/17-1.125 mg.
9/27-1.0 mg.
insomnia starting on 9/30, on/off10/9-.875 mg.
insomnia straight off10/22-.75 mg.
11/3-.625 mg.
11/16-.5 mg.
12/6-.375 mg.
12/8-.5 mg. (had intestinal infection and mild anxiety, decided to backtrack on K. dosage for a few days.12/13-.375 mg.
12/25-.25 mg.2004
1/6-.125 mg.
1/19-0 mg.
I had planned to gradually increase the number of days without any Klonopin, but this didn't work out very well. I was afraid of experiencing withdrawal anxiety at the lowest dosages so I wound up backtracking a bit
2/2-.125 mg.I then switched to nearly the equivalent dosage of Valium
2/6-2 mg.Valium =.1 mg Klonopin
2/12-1.5 mg.=.075 mg. Klonopin
2/20-1 mg.=.05 mg. Klonopin
2/27-.5 mg.=.025 mg. Klonopin
3/5- 0 mg. STOPPEDExperienced no withdrawal symptoms of any kind after stopping the Valium
Posted by gheld on March 28, 2004, at 8:25:31
In reply to Klonopin Reduction Schedule--As Promised!, posted by cubbybear on March 28, 2004, at 4:25:39
I had a similar reduction schedule and have been Klonopin free for 6 months.
During that time there was some rebound anxiety in progressively smaller amounts. None that got "out of hand". I believe I now can separate anxiety from reality when it occurs and let it go. I certainly carried, and still carry, an emergency supply of Klonopin with me always.
It's a real high to be med free.
Insomnia is still a problem, though. It has been for years and I suspect it's something I have to live with.
Good luck and don't give up now when and if you get a twinge of the old stuff.
This is the end of the thread.
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