High dose klonopin dependency

[angiebaby69]

My brother has been on klonopin (2mg/4x day) for 20 years for an anxiety disorder.  He also has OCD and clinical depression.  He was also dependent on opioids (oxycontin, percoset, dilaudid). Because of his dependency on prescription drugs his life has become a nightmare, he has filed for bankruptcy, his car has been reposessed and he is in danger of losing his home to foreclosure.  He went through detox for the opiods last month, and was trying to get into a treatment program.  No center inpatient or outpatient would take him as long as he was on the klonopin.  So, he went into a 2 week extended benzo detox program for the klonopin.
He left the program AMA after 10 days suffering with extreme withdrawl symptoms, and has since proceeded to get back on the klonopin (2mg/2Xday).  No rehab program will take him as long as he stays on the klonopin, so he is going to try to taper on his own.  I don't think this will work, and am worried that he will soon be back on the 8mg and possibly back on the pain meds as well.   Are there any other options for long-term recovery?

[angiebaby69]

Thanks for your post ... my brother did exactly what you suggested.  His insurance had run out in November, so he was no longer seeing the psychiatrist who had prescribed the klonopin.  He finally went back to him and the doctor has agreed to work things out with him.  

[angiebaby69]

I thought the whole thing was extremely odd, but no benzos were allowed in any of the rehabs, inpatient or outpatient.  Even though he no longer has insurance, the psychiatrist who was prescribing the klonopin agreed to "work things out financially" because he could see what a mess he was in.  So, he is keeping him on 4mg for a few months, then will begin a slow taper.  He does want him to see one of the counselors in his practice to help with the process.  

[gnarly_1]

HI he need to get ahold of the doctor thats prescribing the klonopin and tell him he would like to be tapered off of it....he is on a really high dose and its going to take a wile to get him off it
it comes in smaler pills .50 and they will bring him off according to his doctors orders but expect this to take several months this is not comfortable to do especially with anxzity disorders ...I tspered odd xanex 4mg and it took 6mo so be pacent good luck and God bless...Gnarly  

[hiskidd]

What does his doctor say? Benzos are tricky. This sounds a little odd, since you would think most rehab places might even prescribe a benzo to help the anxiety from the opiate WDs. Every time I see something like this, I remember a doctor in Europe who said, "With benzos, there no such thing as tapering too slowly." Keep an eye on him.