Panic Attacks Support Group

A panic attack is a period of intense fear or discomfort, typically with an abrupt onset and usually lasting no more than thirty minutes. Symptoms include trembling, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, nausea, dizziness, hyperventilation, and sensations of choking or smothering. Panic attacks can be very sudden, appear to be unprovoked, and are often...

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Coming off of Klonopin

Kuno78
Kuno78
I was taking 2 mg a day, and have so far cut back to 1 mg a day with little side effects. I plan to now try alternating between 1 mg and .5 mg a day. My psychiatrist said something which scared me. She claims that it is the last remaining medicine that is the hardest to come off of. Has anyone here come off of klonopin and did you have any symptoms?
deleted_user
deleted_user
If you have been on a medication a while, you WILL get symptoms if you go down too fast. Just take it very slow and don't rush things. You won't be doing yourself any favors by going too fast. Alternating between 1 and 5 mg a day doesn't sound like it is slow enough. What did your shrink tell you to do? If you start feeling bad, just go slower. Remember it can take a year or more to get off some medications, including SSRI's.
Kuno78
Kuno78
Well, I just tried going down last night and had a bit of a reaction. I skipped my nightly dosage and I could not sleep and felt like I was burning up. I'm somewhat dissatisfied with my shrink as she will not tell me what is best. All she ever says is, "Well, what would you like to do?" I don't seem to be getting any support from her whatsoever.

I am starting to feel anxiety again since trying to go off of klonopin, but that is to be expected. This morning, I could have sworn I was going to have my first full blown panic attack in over a year, so I am very scared about doing this. Maybe alternating between 1mg and .75mg would be wiser?
deleted_user
deleted_user
What other coping mechanisms do you use for your panic attacks? The reason I ask is because you stated you thought you would have a panic attack and you haven't had one in a long time. Do you have a plan to cope with the anxiety and panic while coming off of the Klonopin and while you are on it?

Is there a rush to taper off the drug? I hear Klonopin is very difficult to come off of. I am currently taking .25 mg 3 times per day. I don't want to be on it much longer, but I'm definitely noticing my body is becoming dependent. My body knows when it's 8am, 2pm, and 8pm now.

Not a good sign that your psychiatrist didn't give you a plan of action that is more definitive. Have you tried asking your pharmacist? I have heard that it can take several, several months to wean off of Klonopin.
Kuno78
Kuno78
I have learned a lot of coping techniques such as breathing exercises, plus learning adrenalines role in panic attacks has helped along with just telling myself that it is all a trick of the mind. Although my husband disagrees in believing that I have simply learned how to fight panic off by my own, I think it was the medicine preventing it and I am terrified to be without it. I have to admit that I may be rushing as I want to have kids as soon as possible, but as I have said before I am not getting any feedback from my doctor so I really have no idea. I did go down an entire miligram in a month and a half, basically because I was supposed to take .5 mg 3 times a day was kept forgetting the middle dose.

I have to admit that I have been feeling awful all day, like I am on the verge of an attack. I also can't seem to get much sleep since I get anxious the second I lie down.