Pdoc: Maybe you should go off benzos, there are much safer alternatives, how long have you been on klonopin and what was your starting dose?
Me: I’ve been on it for over 3 years, my starting dose was 1.0 now I’m on .5 per day.
Pdoc: Yes but many people increase their benzo dosage over time, it’s a slippery slope.
Me: I’ve gone down…
Pdoc: Hmmm, you should consider trying gabapentin. It’s much safer and less addictive and many people says it works as well for them as benzos.
Me: I’ve tried gabapentin, it made me more anxious!!! Klonopin works perfectly and I’m on a very low dose!
Pdoc: Just think about trying the gabapentin.
Me: Ok…
I had the same thing. was quite annoying, I didn’t reduce the daily dose but cut down from daily to only taking it a few days a week and they just eventually decided they werent gonna give me any more and that was that. Now on pregabalin which does nothing positive for me whatsoever
That’s the real danger with benzos: switching doctor. And hey presto they decide to take you off it because different doctors have different views about them. That was a huge factor in me deciding to go off benzos.
My friend who I told I can’t hang out with anymore yesterday. Went up quickly to 6 milligrams. And he would eat all 6 at once (yes eat, not swallow, he’d chew it up so it hit him harder). The doctor told him he could chew it up. He told me he felt nothing. He’s off benzos now…fortunately wasn’t on it very long. When I told him I was on .5 he said “Wow that’s nothing…it’s probably because I’m bigger than you”…Sure he was 40 pounds more but that shouldn’t allow him to take 12x more. He’s a big addict and he left me a phone message yesterday very passive aggressive and trying to tell me I have a problem and not him…since I said I can’t hang out with him anymore because his substance use after he almost died in February. I told him I had 2 beers the other day. And he says I’m the one with the problem when he told me he had 9. He’s very sick. He ended the message with “Maybe I’ll see you at an AA meeting one day” Found that quite rude.
Been on Clonazepam for 7 years, 0.5mg up to 1.5mg a day, usually 0.5 or 1mg is enough. When having more symptoms I sometimes even take up to 2.5mg a day. Still works like day 1, I call Clonazepam my primary antipsychotic because I think my positive symptoms are anxiety related. My new pdoc wanted me to get off of it, my answer was straight forward, there’s no ■■■■■■■ way you decide for me what works for me. There is no ■■■■■■■ way I will quit Clonazepam, end of story.
My regular doc tapered me off 2mg Ativan a day because he says the mental health community doesn’t want us using it anymore. A month later my pdoc offered me Ativan 2mg prn. So now I pop two if I have to leave my house, but I think its causing blackouts. But no, because I’m losing time with or without the Ativan. So I don’t know if I should take it or not. Somethings going haywire right now but I don’t know what. Too much stress perhaps.
Before I was mentally ill (like crazy MI, like I am now), I took .5 to 1mg Xanax a day. I took that for years. Never went up. Took it for anxiety. I also took Adderall for ADD. Extremely low dose that never changed. They both really helped me.
Had my first psychotic break, went in the involuntary ward and they didn’t give it to me. They only gave me Risperdal. Never taken it since. I ended up moving in with my dad an hour away from my old doc. I also got a pdoc for the first time. No pdoc will prescribe it.
I miss my pre-MI life. Xanax really helped with my anxiety and Adderall really helped with my ADD. Now I am anxious and can’t focus and there isn’t ■■■■ anyone will do about it. It’s a different world now. #1 problem is keeping me out of the hospital and the luxury of taking care of my anxiety or ADD is long gone. Oh well.
I had to stop seeing the psychiatrist who prescribed me klonopin because I couldn’t afford decent health insurance anymore. It helped me a lot. I wish I could at least have a PRN. I wasn’t addicted, it just helped my anxiety.
Ya, I miss my old gdoc. He was very kind, caring, non-judgmental. I never had a problem with my Rx’s. They worked and never had to be increased. It sucks. Unless I can afford to move back there, I can forget about taking those meds again.
I use 2 mg Ativan for leaving my house but they do seem to be tighter with the benzos these days. I think they think we abuse them. They should walk a mile in our shoes and see how much Ativan they need. lol
Found that quite rude.
