Author: Alex Thompson

What is the best way to taper off Klonopin?

We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers.

Connect with thousands of patients and caregivers for support, practical information, and answers. In our latest question and answer, the pharmacist discusses how to safely taper and discontinue Klonopin (clonazepam). This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference.

1. If your withdrawal symptoms become too much to handle, your doctor can slow down the taper and even increase your dose.
2. Some studies suggest that withdrawal is more successful when done with psychotherapy (talk therapy).
3. Klonopin (clonazepam) is a benzodiazepine medication used for a variety of indications including anxiety disorders and insomnia.
4. If you do not have health insurance, you can go to a community clinic in your area.
5. When it comes to deciding how much to lower each dose by, recommendations vary.
6. The best way to taper off a benzodiazepine is to slowly reduce the dose of the benzo itself.

The best way to taper off a benzodiazepine is to slowly reduce the dose of the benzo itself. However, in the last stages of a benzo taper, additional medications are sometimes needed to help the person as they become completely benzo-free. Some common medications include anticonvulsants and antidepressants. In a substitute taper, a short-acting benzodiazepine is converted to a longer-acting alternative like clonazepam to better ease you off without withdrawal symptoms. The clonazepam dose is then slowly decreased over time until you are at a low enough dose to fully stop taking the drug.

How To Stop Taking Klonopin

If your withdrawal symptoms become too much to handle, your doctor can slow down the taper and even increase your dose. The dose reductions are so small though, that you may not even notice them after the first couple of weeks. The best way to successfully quit Klonopin is to follow a slow tapering schedule. Tapering, which means gradually reducing your dose over time, is also the best way of preventing severe withdrawal symptoms. Anyone taking benzodiazepines for longer than three to four weeks, even people taking them exactly as directed, can experience withdrawal symptoms.

Buspirone is an anti-anxiety drug that has not shown a benefit in helping relieve symptoms during a benzo taper. Like all benzodiazepines, Klonopin is a controlled substance due to its risk of dependence and abuse. Rehabilitation facilities can help individuals overcome a problem with benzodiazepines like Klonopin.

What Is Klonopin Tapering or Weaning off Benzodiazepines?

This is because tapering allows the central nervous system to slowly adjust to the removal of the drug. Klonopin tapers are best conducted under the care of a physician, such as in an inpatient medical detox environment. They will be able to determine the safest taper schedule for you based on a variety of factors, including your medical history and any other substances that you may be taking. This is because, after several weeks, most people develop a physical dependence. So, when someone is dependent on a drug like Klonopin, they will experience withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking it or reduce their dose. For those treating panic disorders, a more prudent approach is often recommended.

If you or someone you love needs help stopping Klonopin or another benzodiazepine, our team at The Recovery Village is here to help. Strategies for tapering off Klonopin can be effective at reducing withdrawal symptoms. Tapers should be supervised by your doctor or done at a rehab facility. To maintain normal functioning, the body develops a tolerance to excess GABA. When benzos are removed from the system, it leads to higher-than-normal GABA levels, which leads to overexcitement of the CNS.

Compared to only 48 percent of patients who exclusively tapered and 54 percent of patients who exclusively received cognitive-behavioral therapy were able to completely stop using benzodiazepines. The results of this study indicate that cognitive-behavioral therapy is able to greatly help people overcome their Klonopin addiction when combined with a slow taper. Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.

We and our partners process data to provide:

The Practice Guidelines For The Treatment of Patients With Panic Disorder recommends to discontinue over 8 to 28 weeks, and not to decrease your dose by more than 10% per week. This slow approach is done to avoid relapse or “rebound” of panic/anxiety symptoms. Tapering off Klonopin enables people who are dependent on the medication to slowly and safely lessen their dosage. Without supervision, Klonopin detox can result in seizures and can be life-threatening. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

Using additional treatment strategies like therapy can help a taper’s chances of success. This is especially true if you have been on the drug long-term. Luckily, a tapering strategy can be used to get you off the drug completely by giving you progressively lower doses.

Clonazepam, often prescribed under the name klonopin, is a medication usually prescribed to treat conditions like seizures, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and panic disorder. Since clonazepam can help you feel relaxed and euphoric, it’s possible to become addicted. Withdrawing from clonazepam can be difficult because you can experience withdrawal symptoms.

When tapering off Klonopin it’s important to note that the Klonopin withdrawal schedule will be different for everyone. The best way to get off Klonopin without experiencing withdrawal symptoms is to enlist the help of your family physician or enroll in either an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Either your family physician or a rehab clinic will start your detox process by creating an individualized taper.

What is the most important information I should know about Klonopin withdrawal?

In the third week of tapering, have them drop to 25 percent of their original dose or 0.5 mg. In the fourth week, have them lessen their dose to 12.5 percent or .25 mg daily. Finally, by the fifth week, they should discontinue their dosage completely. The duration of a taper depends on how long a person was using Klonopin. Additionally, if a person is thought to be at a high risk of overdose, it could be in their best interest to attempt a more rapid taper. Medical detoxification from benzodiazepines often involves tapering down from the drug.

In fact, the longer you draw out your Klonopin taper, the less likely you are to experience any withdrawal symptoms at all. In terms of an actual taper, one source recommends to consider reducing the dose rather than extending the dosing interval. In other words, slowly reduce the amount of Klonopin you take per dose as opposed to taking it less often. A medically supervised taper can help you stop taking Klonopin without suffering the effects of withdrawal.