My current Klonopin experience / story .... I could use some advice or input. what do you think?

[neverwarned]

I've been on 1mg Klonopin for 5-6 years now and my psychiatrist gave me no choice but to star tapering me off, she cut my dose in half to 0.5 mg on day 6 I noticed pressure on my chest / anxiety for no apparent reason except withdrawal was starting and on day 8 I could no longer tolerate it and my VSS / HPPD came back full force and caused me even more destress as I had seemed to forget / not see in my face symptoms for years and now they are back, talk about flashbacks to the worst part of my life.  So, I immediately increased my dose back to 1mg and my VSS /HPPD is still here a month later. I started doing research on day 7 and found out 50% taper was way too fast and dangerous and I no longer trusted my psychiatrist so I found the "Benzodiazepine Information Correlation" online and there was a Chemical Dependency Doctor here in Sacramento California and I went to see her and she is an angel and will work with me to slow taper off if that's what I want to do, and can take a year or two to taper somewhat comfortably in comparison to most taper programs , its patient led tapering program and she advised to me because of my withdrawal symptoms and VSS/ HPPD that I increase my dose to 1.25mg spread at .75mg in the morning and .5 in the evening to help me stabilize as I was feeling like I was dyeing and I felt like I was going to lose all the progress I've made in my life and I now have a family of my own worry about and take care of and I've been at that dose for two weeks now and my anxiety is stabilizing but my visuals remain the same except I just realized yesterday that I have stopped using my eyedrops that I have always used when I have VSS/HPPD symptoms because of extreme dry eyes I always used eye drops in the past when my symptoms were extreme before the Klonopin helped ad all of the sudden my eyes aren't dry anymore "hoping things will get better".  while ok Klonopin for those 5-6 year my symptoms started to fade but they were still there but hardly noticeable to a point I just didn't care and I feel that if this Trama didn't just happen I would be able to stay on the Klonopin 1mg for the rest of my life because I used the same dose at the same time every day and never really noticed any kind of high from them after a couple months and I was not seeking to increase my dose because I felt I didn't need to because everything seemed to be manageable during that time . Klonopin helped me with VSS /HPPD , daily headaches and Migraines along with my agoraphobia, panic disorder, GAD, social phobia/anxiety. If I can stabilize and my visuals go back to hardly noticeable than I will do anything I can to stay on Klonopin because I have to be functional not only for me but for my Family.  I had no symptoms or any bad side effects from Klonopin except some memory issues that were manageable and worth it for me. 

[AF44]

On 1/21/2024 at 10:31 AM, neverwarned said:

I've been on 1mg Klonopin for 5-6 years now and my psychiatrist gave me no choice but to star tapering me off, she cut my dose in half to 0.5 mg on day 6 I noticed pressure on my chest / anxiety for no apparent reason except withdrawal was starting and on day 8 I could no longer tolerate it and my VSS / HPPD came back full force and caused me even more destress as I had seemed to forget / not see in my face symptoms for years and now they are back, talk about flashbacks to the worst part of my life.  So, I immediately increased my dose back to 1mg and my VSS /HPPD is still here a month later. I started doing research on day 7 and found out 50% taper was way too fast and dangerous and I no longer trusted my psychiatrist so I found the "Benzodiazepine Information Correlation" online and there was a Chemical Dependency Doctor here in Sacramento California and I went to see her and she is an angel and will work with me to slow taper off if that's what I want to do, and can take a year or two to taper somewhat comfortably in comparison to most taper programs , its patient led tapering program and she advised to me because of my withdrawal symptoms and VSS/ HPPD that I increase my dose to 1.25mg spread at .75mg in the morning and .5 in the evening to help me stabilize as I was feeling like I was dyeing and I felt like I was going to lose all the progress I've made in my life and I now have a family of my own worry about and take care of and I've been at that dose for two weeks now and my anxiety is stabilizing but my visuals remain the same except I just realized yesterday that I have stopped using my eyedrops that I have always used when I have VSS/HPPD symptoms because of extreme dry eyes I always used eye drops in the past when my symptoms were extreme before the Klonopin helped ad all of the sudden my eyes aren't dry anymore "hoping things will get better".  while ok Klonopin for those 5-6 year my symptoms started to fade but they were still there but hardly noticeable to a point I just didn't care and I feel that if this Trama didn't just happen I would be able to stay on the Klonopin 1mg for the rest of my life because I used the same dose at the same time every day and never really noticed any kind of high from them after a couple months and I was not seeking to increase my dose because I felt I didn't need to because everything seemed to be manageable during that time . Klonopin helped me with VSS /HPPD , daily headaches and Migraines along with my agoraphobia, panic disorder, GAD, social phobia/anxiety. If I can stabilize and my visuals go back to hardly noticeable than I will do anything I can to stay on Klonopin because I have to be functional not only for me but for my Family.  I had no symptoms or any bad side effects from Klonopin except some memory issues that were manageable and worth it for me. 

I have been on Klonopin for approximately 14 years and thank the Lord no one has ever tried to take me off of it (knock on wood.) The way your psychiatrist tried to taper you off of it was egregious and extremely irresponsible to the point of causing harm. I’ve always bitched that doctors have no clue how to taper anyone off any psych med, which I fail to understand. Even a slow taper is difficult to get through, and takes time. But it’s especially dangerous when it comes to benzos. Not only mentally, but physically. I totally get it…I’m scared that eventually I will be taken off my Klonopin and I can’t be…I have a family and responsibilities and I want to be around to enjoy my loved ones and my life. So cruel for someone who is supposed to be a professional to do this to someone.