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Using Tegretol To Wean Off Klonopin...should I
John H






Posted: March 7, 2005, 1:59 PM
I have been on Klonopin for 8-10 years. I tapered off from 1mg to 3/4 in a one month period. I then went from 3/4 mg to nothing in 4-5 weeks. I have been off the klon since 01/31/05 and was going crazy. Anxiety, fear, fear to be alone (was to be married last month, not now because of this), de-personalization feelings, depression etc. Last week they put me on 100mg of Tegretol. I wanted to know if anyone has been through this approach and if the Tegretol will stop the Klon withdrawal process? Has anyone tried the Tegretol with a sucessful Klonopin recovery??? Am I stopping my recovery from the klonopin on the tegretol? I need some hope.
Thanks,
John AZ


Posts: 1928
Joined: September 14, 2004


Posted: March 7, 2005, 8:35 PM
I would be looking at an SSRI antidepressant (paxil, zoloft, efexor) for what you are going through, not tegretol

--------------------
A Buddhist Lama once said to me, "Do the opposite of whatever I tell you."
So I didn't.




Get Help for Codeine Addiction Here


Posts: 317
Joined: February 3, 2005


Posted: March 9, 2005, 2:49 AM
John, About the tegratol, it is an anticonvulsant and is used epilepsy as well as for mood stabilzation with bipolar disorder along with other medications. you might talk to your doctor or pharmacist about it.I find that sometimes the pharmacist take more time than some doctors.
I was wondering why you are coming off of the klonipin? Do you have an anxiety disorder? Did you take it for that purpose? It is prescribed for anxiety and for mania too. I don't mean to be nosy, but was just wondering.

I've been right where you are and it's hell. I take 1mg of klonipin along with an antidepressant and a mood stabilizer for bipolar 2 disorder. I have gone off of k several time, and have always gone back on it because I felt better on it.
Of course we are better off without having to take medication but sometimes it is necessary. The only problem I have with the 1mg I take is.. I have some short term memory loss. It seems like I have not had any problems with tolerance and for that I am grateful. I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I have to weigh the hell I would go through getting off of it. And.. on the other hand I would like to have good recall. So. I am in between a rock and a hard place.
I feel stable right now, but recently I have thought very seriously about doing it again. I don't abuse the dosage and my psychiatrist seems to think it is ok. I just don't know if I want to go through it again.
Judy

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If you learn from your suffering, and really come to understand the lesson you were taught...
you might be able to help someone else who's now
in the phase you may have just completed.
Maybe that's what it's all about after all...
~ Anonymous ~


Posts: 2
Joined: March 8, 2005


Posted: March 9, 2005, 9:00 AM
Judy,
I seem to have some social anxiety in life. I was put on the Klonopin years ago. It always made me depressed, memory loss and I could not think straight on it. They always put me on anti-depressants through the years that never really worked. I just want to be off the Klonopin with all that I have read on it. That it should only be used for 2-4 weeks and not 10 years like myself. I must learn to deal with life on it's own terms or at least try it for awhile. And yes, it is hell getting off. I have never experienced anything like this before.


Posts: 317
Joined: February 3, 2005


Posted: March 9, 2005, 8:13 PM
John,
I'm so sorry you are having such a difficult time. I wish I could help, but can write to you and help you through this and there are a lot of people here that will do the same.
I understand completely. I do believe k can make you depressed because it is a depressent on the nervous system. I just hope you are working with a doctor on this. I agree, ten years is too long. I'm surprised that they prescribed for that long. I have only been back on it for a couple of years, but I too would like to not have to take it. I do know that there is a withdrawl that is done using a water method that seems to work.. I belong to a group on yahoo and they posted it on there a while back. I can see if I saved it or not. It sounded like a science project with all the things you had to do about crusing the pills, watering them down, taking them through some sort of process, but it seemed to work for this person without a lot of w/d. Also, are you taking anything like benadryl or something to help calm you. It is an antihistamine, but should help you to relax and sleep .
I had a doctor 3 years ago that up and just up and retired. He was seeing me because of a good friend of mine because I didnt have insurance at the time.
Anyway, I had to go off cold turkey because he simply would not return messages, which I think was very unprofessional, and I should have sued his butt. Anyway, I went to my local University Hospital, sliding scale fee.. and they would not prescribe k at all. They gave me neurotion which they said would help. Again, it's an anticonvulsant and didn't do much good.
So.. I went through the hell you are going through, except I didn't have any at all. I borrowed some zanax frm a friend for the worst of it, and that helped short term. I didn't know this message board existed then or would have come here.
Two years ago I got insurance again and went to a doctor I had seem back in the 80's that I trusted very much. She put me back on it because I was having so much anxiety. So.. that is my story. I also take lamictal and lexapro,one is for bipolar2, rapid cycling and mood swings, mostly depression though. I have learned to overcome that in a lot of other ways. Hopefully one day I can be off all meds, but until then I work with the tools I have, one being medication.
Judy

--------------------
If you learn from your suffering, and really come to understand the lesson you were taught...
you might be able to help someone else who's now
in the phase you may have just completed.
Maybe that's what it's all about after all...
~ Anonymous ~
darkness






Posted: March 11, 2005, 9:06 AM
Hey judy have you ever been on just the antidepressant and mood stabilizer alone without the Klonopin? If so how did you cope then?

John H you might want to check out the forum on www.benzobuddies.org they might be able to help you.


Posts: 2
Joined: March 8, 2005


Posted: March 11, 2005, 1:02 PM
Darkness,
I was unable to get into any of the sites that were listed as www.benzobuddies.org. Do you have a different URL?
Thanks,
John AZ
darkness






Posted: March 11, 2005, 10:27 PM
Try it again, the server was down yesterday, it should work now.


Posts: 317
Joined: February 3, 2005


Posted: March 11, 2005, 11:08 PM
darkness and John,
Dang.. just wrote a long reply and lost it, my puter is acting funny.
To answer your question, yes, I have been on other meds without k.
Actually off of all anxiety med. from 78-97 when my mother passed away and I had severe anxiety. I had taken tofranil for years for depression, but had never been diagnoised with bipolar until about 99, I believe, give or take a few years.
During that time I had hypomanic eposoides, but I just tried to cope with it.
I changed drs. and she told me after seeming me for about 6 mo. that she could see the pattern for bipolar 2, with the mixed moods and rapid cycling of the moods, from elated, agitated, no sleep for days at a time, productive in some wasy but not able to concentrate, to hitting bottom and having depression.
That is when I was put on meds. for bipolar witht the combination of k, mood stabilzer and atidepressant. What has your experience been, darkness ifyou don't mind me asking?
John, I hope you are doing ok. If you need to talk to someone I can send you my email, you can write and I can give you my phone number.
I'm at judyinkyjc@aol.com I would be glad to help you if I can.

Judy

--------------------
If you learn from your suffering, and really come to understand the lesson you were taught...
you might be able to help someone else who's now
in the phase you may have just completed.
Maybe that's what it's all about after all...
~ Anonymous ~


Posts: 317
Joined: February 3, 2005


Posted: March 11, 2005, 11:26 PM
John,
You said in your post that you had been off k for awhile. Are you saying that you went cold turkey and had all these symptoms, and then went back on and are now tapering? I am a little confused. Have you thought of going to someting that has a shorter half like to get off of k? Either way it will just take time and patience and a lot of support.
I hope you will continue to post, there is alot of support here.
Judy

--------------------
If you learn from your suffering, and really come to understand the lesson you were taught...
you might be able to help someone else who's now
in the phase you may have just completed.
Maybe that's what it's all about after all...
~ Anonymous ~
Girl






Posted: June 10, 2016, 11:05 AM
I have been on benzos since I was 18 to try to curb my general anxiety disorder. once my doctor had me on 90mg of Xanex a month, which caused me to attempt suicide numerous times. after having my son, I decided to go back on the antianxiety meds, but NEVER XANEX. they put me on 1mg kpins 3x day..... I've been on that for about 3 years now. suddenly, I decide to go see a psychiatrist to get my meds regulated because I felt I was completely losing it, ws on Cymbalta too and had been trying different depression meds. the psyc said to get me completely off benzos (she doesn't care for them) so she prescribed me lithium and tegretol. the tegretol was to help wean me off the kpins as I could have seizures if I went cold turkey. to be honest, I'm terrified of not having the kpins because none of this says anything about anxiety. she basically said I have hypomania and I need to be "brought down".... she's hoping the lithium will get rid of the anxiety altogether since I won't be so manic. so what am I supposed to do about the debilitating anxiety in the meantime?!?!
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