Klonopin withdrawal and what is causing my symptoms?

[3wooddriver]

A couple of things Im hoping to get some feedback on, to piggyback off a previous post I made....

My therapist confirmed that my clonazepam dosage (.5mg) once daily can create dependence and tolerance in as little as 2 to 3 weeks. She said I should continue to take them as needed until Im comfortable, and she'll get me off of them later, once the anxiety and depression subsides. Is that true? Or how true? For that small dosage, I didnt believe that it'd ever be an issue. Now I dont know if what Im experiencing is withdrawal or my anxiety, or any of the issues Im about to mention, and I dont know what to do about it. I do know that when I don't take one though, I feel pretty crappy. Im just getting really frustrated and annoyed because all of my doctors give me different opinions in a sense and everything is an experiment. My GI dr says "Lay off eating wheat for two weeks". My therapist suggested "lets up the prozac". My cardiologist offered "how about you try a beta blocker instead of Klonopin". My pcp and endo think "your testosterone is a little low, theres your problem...".

What do I do? Am I overthinking all of this and just throw caution to the wind? Easier said than done, I know. Is it all just a guessing game until I get mentally healthy? Ive felt sad and anxious and tired and sick for the better part of the last few years and nothing gets better for any extended period of time.

[Lostjoy]

The dose of clonazepam you are taking is not very high. You should be fine if and when you decide to wean off of them. I took it before. It worked really well for my anxiety. You might have a little discomfort the first few days.

[3wooddriver in reply to Lostjoy]

I dont know why I resist taking them sometimes. They seem to help me feel better but I tend to attempt to get through a bad day without them, and just push through. I mean I don't do that with my thyroid med for instance, so why do that with Klonopin? Just take one as needed and not torture myself. Agree? Ugh.

[Lostjoy in reply to 3wooddriver]

Probably because of all the talk about addiction. I would do the same thing. I like to believe our anxiety is temporary, and we won’t need the meds long term.

My older sister told me I wasn’t going to be able to get better if I’m not eating or sleeping. The Benzo provides relief in order to eat and get the rest you need so your brain can get back to normal.

That’s just how I see it anyway. I’m one year in with this and so ready to feel normal again with no meds.

[JoseLuis25]

You should begin to wein of the medication. It's not going to be easy but definitely do-able. You just tell your doctor to begin lowering you're dose little by little. Keep In mind that this is all a mental game so let your doctor know what you want but not to tell you how or when the dose is being lowered. If you know your dose is being lowered you will begin to second guess the whole process... this will facilitate your journey. You can always also begin to split the pills if you want to do it yourself. Good luck and be strong. Remember, there is no rush in lowering each dose. Take your time.

[tashalyn]

“Can” “not likely” is the word you should use. I have been on it for 4 years at a high dose I may say, and haven’t experienced any of that- except for suicidal ideation which I have had all my life