I am trying to taper zoliclone at mo dry cut every 2 weeks.
Then 0 5 clon. I have been tokd buy scales and it will take me 285 days!! Can you water taper clonazepam. If so how.
I was ok but switched to 4mg diaz from 0.5 clon and got bad and reduced by mg nkvembet April. Hyper sexual so bad hours at night legs thrashing head rolling soo bad couldnt kerp still. Then gp switched me back to clon and not nuch has changed. I feel very ill
I am so sorry that you are going through this very difficult taper, basten. 🙏🏻
May I ask if you have heard of the Benzobuddies forum? The reason I ask is because I, personally, found the forum and its members to be especially understanding and helpful.
I do know that you should only taper one med at a time and that taking it extremely slow and letting your withdrawal symptoms dictate the next cut, is vitally important.
Each one of us is completely unique when it comes to tapering off a benzodiazepine, this is why it is a good idea to check out Benzobuddies.
I have been there, done it and am doing well. It is absolutely doable, providing it is done slow, slow and slower.
Hi Basten - Not sure if you are aware of this but 0,5 milligram of Clon is equivalent to 10mg of Diaz so if you were switched over to 4mg of Diaz - then that is a big drop - and would explain your bad withdrawal symptoms. Your Dr should have started you at 10mg.
Also I would just stick to tapering off the zopiclone first - or you wont know what's going on.
Finally join Beating Benzos on fb - you will get a wealth of knowledge and a load of help and encouragement - the admins are fab.
I wish you well - take it slowly and you will recover - and get free from these horrid drugs.
Thankyou. Ive joined them. Psych said 0.5 clon is equiv to 4mg. I had a small panic switching then becane drugged up .Yes sticking to one zop at mo. You read so many different things !!
I agree with Georgie777.
.5mg of Clonazepam is equal to 10mg of Diazepam, so yes, a big drop.
Oh ok. Psych said 4mg is equiv to 0.5 clon but someone else told me she wrong!
If you look up The Ashton Manual - it gives you the equivalent of diazepam for all the different benzos including zopiclone. 0,5 is equivalent to 10mg of diazepam. 1mg is equal to 20mg. The Ashton Manual also tells you how to taper in a safe way.
The Ashton Method is what was used in my getting off 30 years of Xanax .
My psychiatrist happens to be a specialist in Benzo weaning. It took time but
was done slowly and safely. 
xx
Have you finished your taper now Agora1? I hope you are well. It sounds like you had an excellent psychiatrist who knew her stuff - unlike Bastens 😱 x
I went through this many years ago.
I couldn't believe how much my medication was holding me back
once it stopped working.
I feel amazing now. Clear headed, full of energy and love of life.
It's a matter of finding what works best for us. Once it no longer helps
time to move on. xx
Oh that's fantastic. I have 3mg of Diazepam to go - but I already feel sooo much better. I used to be on zopiclone too but I was taking them like smarties - they were so addictive -I stopped them cold turkey and OMG did I suffer - I couldn't even walk. This lasted at least 12 months - my balance was awful! Ive dropped the diazepam very slowly from 15mg to 3mg. You know - I so regret ever getting on these awful drugs - it's only now I can see how they completely messed up my whole life - work and relationships - yet I thought they were helping me🤨🤨 x
Thanks. Yes she lucky to have a psych who knows about benzo taper. I see you ctd zop and hell.I reducing it .i feel awful. Brain dead cant think back ache brain wakes at 4 a.m. but i cant move come round.
Still on 0.5 clon and 15 mirtaz.
I cant take nuch more.
2019 i was on amitryp zop clonaz mirtaz risperidone ( wasnt prefiabetic then). Woke at 5 (ugh!) But up and out bright by 7.30.
I stopped the amityp and risperidone
Hi Basten - I couldn't taper the zopiclone - because breaking it gave me the most AWFUL taste in my mouth and it lasted all day. I wouldn't recommend doing it cold turkey tho - it was hell and I suffered brain zaps and my whole body kept going into spasms/little type seizures and I had panic attacks and couldn't leave the house and it affected my balance - I kept falling backwards. I couldn't sleep and when I did for ONLY a couple of hours I was having awful dreams. I was taking a lot more than was prescribed tho - so sometimes up to five 7.5mg pills. I did take more diazepam to compensate when I stopped them - but it took about 12 months before my balance rectified itself and then I tapered the Diazepam. I was offered amitripiline too but I read the side effects and refused to take them. Please don't go by my experience tho - things may not be as bad for you - you are tapering it and was hopefully just taking your prescribed dose.
Oh my goodness!!! Yes the taste is disgusting!! I missed a night a year ago. I never slept even with clon and amitryp which had taken night before first time abd skept so thought ok ill stop the zop now.. Out lunch next day eating. Suddenly i stopped. Everybody seemed to be talking so loud knives forks plates clattering i had to go sit in car panicky. Ok then about 8.30 pm suddenly the pressure in my head was awful. Told daughter ive gotta go bed. Took a z and went away!! So yes trying to cut it is hard as can onky do quarter off at time.I too would take and wake at 4 take one and nothing at all...didnt fall back to sleep. I did double up a few times.
I cant stand deeams they so vivid . I woke suddenly the other night upright in panic. I am not digesting sugars carbs fats and if i eat i go bed awake and like you say feels like im going have seizure. Legs thrashing head wont keep still i cant kerp still grab pillow and grasp it and it can go on hours till drugs kick in. I dont know whats going on anymore.
The other night id eaten biscuits in day and then dinner and apple pear. Wide awake all night despite clon zop and mirtaz thrashing all time. I have bad acid and shiuldnt eat before bed but thrashing so bad i got up had porridge back to bed fell aslep an hour then awake hyper again and thrashing soooo bad. Got up felt awful. Stupidly i felt real rough i wanted to skeep but coukdnt so took 4mg melatonin!! 10 a.m. !!! Still no sleep felt worse. Why i did it i dont know. I still feel like shite waking uf i sleep. My brain starts to wake abiyt 4 but im zonked . I struggle to get up feed cats and most days go back to bed.
Wow 5 of them. How awful to lose balance sooo long. Ive had zop on off years stopoed no probs now 3 yrs and ive got big probs.
Do you sleep better now. One gp old said Linda keep taking your zop you need your sleep!!! I had no idea what a benzo was either. Just took for sleep!! Have had panic since on them once twice never ever before
Well i am scared i admit. I had an accident and broke hip 12 weeks ago. Cant drive go shops still so thats got me down as lady lost control of her car hit window which blasted me off feet. Taking on reducing meds is tough when like this but people have done it. Thankyou for that. The docs and psychs dont have a ckue re withdrawals and psych said oh such and such wouldnt do that but it did .
I think younger ones are not presribing so readily. They just let me have them tooo long☹☹🤬
Im down to 3.725 zop in last 10 days. Very depressed crying all time. Still.on 0.5 clonaz abd 15mg mirtaz. Sleep till 5 but have woken anxious dont want to get up. Feel brain dead still. Next i will cut the 3.725 in half 2 weejs then quarter tgen stop.
P s. Mentioned Ashton to psych. Never said a word. Hated i went on forums disputed stuff she said. She tokd me i can just stop Mirtazapine!! She discharged me back to gp.
Been with mental health 30 years. Stacks of meds she pointed and wrote down and i didnt stick to them or tampered. Well i reminded her some i was still drinking on, some the weight was crazy, some made me feel ill or i felt better so stopped!! I will have nithing i hope to do with them anymire im 72 and tired. My friends friend has had same probkem older now like me been with her peolle 40 years... now dumped!! When you get old they dont want to know. I have been labelled anxiety personality disorder now!! Years ago was told rapid cycling!! So i just accept im a nutter at 72 whose worn out and had eniugh and dont want therapies etc. Done them and i havent changed. I was in a lot of pain once and the said you refused to attend classes. Yes i couldnt i was in pain. I have been stamped and labelled And put out to pasture to stumble on own😄😄
Linda - once you get off these vile drugs - I promise that you will feel a totally different person. But - it has to get bad before it can get better.
You have to stick with it - and be strong - and be prepared for your sleep to be disturbed.
I would say Zopiclone is the WORST of them all to get off. Tackle this one first.
I used to read in bed and just accepted I couldn't sleep - my legs were twitching all the time - so I had to accept it. It slowly got better.
My sleeping is not great now - but I dont worry about it - I don't feel so depressed like I did when I was on the Zopiclone - so I can cope better with it. I get up early and I go back to bed the next day or 2 - 3 hours. I really am feeling better all the time.
I have no faith in doctors at all -for anything - not just the benzo hell.
You will f ind a wealth of support on Beating Benzos and it really helps to know you're not the only one struggling. And there are loads of posts everyday and lots of positive posts too.
I couldn't read a novel or a newspaper because my head was mashed - but I could read biographies of drug/alcohol addiction and benzo hell books. On beating benzos there is a section where you can see all the recommended books.
Get the book I'm Dancing as fast as I can - by Barbara Gordon off Amazon. Ive read it loads of times - it's a fantastic book and you wont be able to put it down - she stopped diazepam abruptly and ended up in a mental hosp for months. The time just goes when you get your head into that.
Honestly stick with it - you will be a different person - and give time - time x
PS These psychiatrists have a lot to answer for from what I've read. Thank goodness I've never had any involvement with any.
Thankyou. I think once i start writing it just pours out! Yes i feel rough. I suffer pain and sleep is my respite thats my worry. For 3 years after insomnia bad ive just gone off to sleep. Accept sleep can be issue and try not to get to me. I cant read anymore concentrste either just read abiut drugs yes. I will try find the book. Ive been in pain eating 6 yrs and i am worried about sleep panics more pain cos the stories ive read put the fear in me!! I once asked for Zolpidem cos of rottenntaste of zop. Next day i went loopy!!! Did t twig it was the med.
Yes doctors dont understand and you lucky no psychs as they understand less.
Ok thankyou for all your patience and tine its so nice to not feel so alone and given encouragement
I cut my zop by quarter again the other night. My insides were burnibg all day but i suddenly changed the bed washing made soup cleaned the freezer ended up crashing in pain crying.spoke to a gp but he wasnt interested in anything except hell write to gi again re tests. But since then i added a tiny bit more back last night as pill cutter not accurate. Todsy i am sooooo weak depressed cant sleep after waking at 4vagain. Reducing must ghave given me a burst of energy onlt to crash today. I feel dreadful
Just cut a tiny sliver off with a sharp pair of nail scissors - don't try to rush things. What mg were you on to start with? and did you only ever take the same dose?
Oh ive bern cutting quarter every two weeks. Yes only ever took 7.5. Now take one 3.725 plus an eighth of a 3 7.25. I feel weak lethargic.Sometging isnt right when i eat. If i eat a biscuit after dinner at 6 im high and at 11 awake all over place hyper sexual awful tight around middke burning for ages until drugs kick in. Samevif eat 2 bits bread with salad ir
Or fruit after dinner. It awful.
I had to call doc she writing again to Gi to try get my manimetary and Bravo quicker. I can deel food in my back .a dinner out with daughter and pudding at 2.30. Ok but by 7 i could barely talk in such pain. I am worried after 6 yrs acid that its a c somewhere.
Thankyku. Ill slow it down.
How often did you shave bjts off? Every 2 or 3 weeks ?
Sorry for mistyping
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