Having to withdraw from Klonopin, direct taper-diazepam or ??

[Brac]

This is not a real case of substance abuse since I took the drug as prescribed, but I cannot find a better place so I am posting this question here.

I have been on the drug for about 10 years, for over 5 years at 2 mg a day, taken in the evening.
Prescribed as a muscle relaxant and for neuropathic pain but that is no longer an issue. Dependency is.

This drug always had some unusual properties and paradoxical or troublesome side effects, but I could tolerate them easily. No longer.
The past few years my health (physical, and as a consequence ´mental´ too) has declined seriously and it´d incredibly hard to either tolerate or taper the drug. I simply took it too long.

Typically, this drug is either tapered directly or one switches to diazepam. I did try diazepam, and for me it is a completely different drug. Short acting too. (´ half life´ vs ´duration of action´)
Diazepam was hard to tolerate, and I know it will take forever to get it out of the body if I would start a taper.

Doctors have been no help, on the contrary. In my experience they generally don´t have a clue. This drug is not commonly prescribed here.

What are my options, really ?
One the one hand there is the ´taper the drug directly´ school and on the other hand there is the ´Ashton cult´, to put it not so subtly.
I have read the Ashton manual, the promotional material. But the fact is that the ´duration of action´ of diazepam is shorter than clonazepam/Klonopin. The half life of both drugs is long.
The ´clonazepam vs. diazepam´ section of the Ashton manual is mostly nonsense. She did not taper people off clonazepam in her clinic. For me, all benzodiazepines are NOT the same.

Typically, people either taper the drug directly or they switch to diazepam. But what if both are problematic ?
I believe that my problems are partly due to some of clonazepam´s unusual properties (e.g. binding to receptors, serotonin). It´s also the case that I cannot split the dose in an afternoon dose and an evening dose.

I have no theoretical framework beyond the ´Ashton method´. Which is at least partly incorect.

Suggestions, advice ? At one point I considered a ´C-T´ with carbamazepine, but at this point that might just make things worse.

[clean_in_ks]

If I have my math head on straight....there are 4 (0.5 mg) doses in what she's currently dosing (2 mg).  Definitely, cutting by half would be crazy!  But I'm not sure there is only one way to taper benzos either.

I didn't realize you could take anything lower without shaving a 0.5 tab or using a water dosing reduction.  As Gnarly said, no method will be w/o discomfort and w/drawals....but hopefully she'll find a way that works for her~  

[Brac]

Well, at this point I don't believe a regular, direct taper would work.
I have plenty of experience at this point. Too much.

I don't really know how to explain my issues with this drug well. I haven't been 'fine' for a long time. Very poor physical shape. Body functioning poorly. And this is a very physical drug. If I were in excellent health I wouldn't be having these issues.
A very messy drug. Neurologically, endocrinologically (if that's a word)

I think I require either a taper with a different drug, or some add-on (I have considered antidepressants and antipsychotics to deal with clonazepam's sertonergic properties, but I can't think of a way that would not introduce other issues) This is a very not-benzo type benzo ...

If I were to take a different benzo for a taper, it would definitely help if it had a long duration of action. Not long half life, but duration of action.
Diazepam has a short to medium duration of action, a very long half life and it accumulates in tissues dramatically.
Are there any non-diazepam like drugs (not Librium, prazepam etc) that could be used ?

Any suggestions ?
I have that 'Ashton resource', which amounts to pretty much nothing since it's just not correct regarding Klonopin vs. Valium for the most part.
I'm taking a single dose of clonazepam a day, not multiple doses a day so her crossover schedules do not apply.
Her experiences 'a benzo is a benzo' are not mine.
I can't taper just by 'symptoms', since I've been having 'symptoms' for quite some time. If I were to try diazepam again, I don't really have a framework/point of reference.

So, back to my 'other benzo to taper', 'add on drug(s)', something else ?

[vicki595]

Are you unable to drop by 0.1mg at a time?

Connie- My "cutting the dose in half" comment was not directed at you. The OP made a statement about half the dose not having half the effect...

Maybe there's someone hiding around here that has some other ideas but, really, your situation is unusual and complicated and most likely requires a medical expert. As I suggested: try speaking with a pharmacist about compounding the Klonopin for you and find a doctor in the US who has more familiarity with this drug.

[clean_in_ks]

♥♥♥  Thanks for the clarification~

[Brac]

I don't live in the USA but in a small country in Europe, there is a shortage of doctors and the quality is mediocre in general at best.

I don't have a doc who 'has the answers'. Being unable to get help with problems caused by medications is not uncommon.

[Brac]

You're not suggesting that I try to find a doc on the other side of the Atlantic, or are you ?