07-20-2017, 12:54 AM
I think at one time or another I have tried all of the Benzos. I have a love-hate relationship with Clonazepam, but have been on it for over a decade. I think it affects everyone different, as do most medications, but tapering off of it from 4mg after 8 years was the worst experience of my life. I had previously tapered off of 1-2mg with no problem. With the higher dosage, which was required to keep the panic attacks at bay and help with an insomnia problem that I have had for decades, I worked with an M.D., who was an addiction specialist, and it took 8 months to get off following the Ashton Manual. I was completely off of it for a total of 3 months. That was 11 months of no sleep, constant anxiety, an inability to work, paranoia and a whole bunch of other side effects. I remember telling my original prescribing internist how it was affecting my job and life and how I needed to get off of it and his reaction was a surprising "just stop taking it." That's how little most GPs/Internists know about Benzos. You can't just stop.
Anyway, I'm going to be hypocritical and tell you to avoid this highly addictive drug, although I myself still take it. Like others have said, it keeps me stable and semi-sane. If you haven't started, don't. It is true that you have to keep taking more and more for it to work. There was an article in Vice a couple of years ago that said it was more addictive than heroin, if you can believe that. In my experience, 11 days in Hong Kong without it and stuck in a hotel room by myself, experiencing almost every single side effect that Wikipedia or any other website lists, was torture. Fortunately, I had a friend who was able to get me enough to get back home to the U.S. That was a situation that I never want to be in again, and wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
Be well.
Anyway, I'm going to be hypocritical and tell you to avoid this highly addictive drug, although I myself still take it. Like others have said, it keeps me stable and semi-sane. If you haven't started, don't. It is true that you have to keep taking more and more for it to work. There was an article in Vice a couple of years ago that said it was more addictive than heroin, if you can believe that. In my experience, 11 days in Hong Kong without it and stuck in a hotel room by myself, experiencing almost every single side effect that Wikipedia or any other website lists, was torture. Fortunately, I had a friend who was able to get me enough to get back home to the U.S. That was a situation that I never want to be in again, and wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
Be well.