I just want to put this out here and trying not to be controversial just sharing my experience. I was put on .5mg of Klonopin at age 24 when they discovered I had Mitral Valve Prolapse. I thought it was to keep my heart rythm in sync. Had no discussion..just told I would need to take it. About a year later I started having severe panic attacks and went to ER and they upped my klonopin to 1mg and said that would help. Needless to say I have been on it (up to 3mg since my dad passed from former 2mg) for 26 yrs. now.

On July 30th or 31st I had one left and called my pharmacy and asked them to fill the prescription they had on hold for me. They said insurance wouldn't allow me to fill it until the 5th. I have never taken more than prescribed. I asked if I could pay for it would they will it..no they again said insurance wouldn't allow it until the 5th. By the 2nd day I hadn't slept and had flu-like symptoms and muscle spasms in feet and hands and neck. Throwing up and diarrehea with horrible stomach cramps. Could barely walk from the bedroom to my bedroom and back. I ate a sleeve of saltine crackers and a sprite everyday for 5 days..that's all I could hold. The worst was the intrusive obessive thoghts that ran over and over in brain to the point of being unbearable. Yes I had been severly stressed before for quite awhile but this was what sent me over the edge. I was going to give it 10 minutes to shut the hell up (my brain) or I was just gonna take an assload of pills. I simply wanted quiet in my head and rest. I prayed help me help me over and over in my head and a miracle happened and my mind just stopped ruminating and was silent. But..I was so weak and at one point I had flashing signals in my eyes and I thought I was going blind and got scared and just laid down and closed them. I'm feeling better bit by bit everyday but still not right.

Question or opinions...Have you ever went through a benzo withdrawal or anyone succesfully ever gotten off of them. I was doing research and found others who had tried to commit suicide after being on benzo's and said they actually had less panic attacks when they got off but it was hell to get through. 

Talked to my pdoc about this this morning and when I voiced my fears that there may come a time when a doc just stops prescribing them and then I'm on my own or have to travel and they only transfer the script one time. I feel like a slave to this drug. He said it was nothing to worry about docs weren't going to stop prescribing them and that I would need to take them the rest of my life but when I'm 60 I'll need to switch to a shorter acting one(??). He brushed it all off as no big deal when. I know better tahn to stop them cold turkey. I;m surprised I didn't have a seizure but could my brain ever recover. A part of me just wants to know what it is like living more clear headed and it's obviously a very dangerous drug but the other part is scared to death of suffering. It was the sickest I've ever been and that's saying something. Lost at least 5lbs. in 5 days that I couldn't afford to lose and still don't have my strength up. Opinions...advice..experience??