HealthCareMagic is now Ask A Doctor - 24x7 | https://www.askadoctor24x7.com

question-icon

How To Safely Stop Klonopin Intake?

default
Posted on Tue, 3 Jun 2014
Question: I take .5 klonopin once daily and I am wanting to stop taking it after being on it for about 11/2 years. How can I do this safely?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
Slow and steady wins the race

Detailed Answer:
Thank you for asking!
Klonopin is an anxiolytic and sedative hypnotic and its use has been prolonged in your case. Now skipping it will lead to withdrawal syndromes like alcohol withdrawal and it needs a close monitoring and expertise of an addiction medicine specialist to help you with that.
Sedative hypnotics withdrawal is treated with substituting drugs that have a long duration of action, either a benzodiazepine or phenobarbital, in a maintenance dose for a few days followed by a gradually decreasing dose over 2-3 weeks.
In nut shell it should be slow and gradual. I suggest you seek help of an addiction medicine specialist to help you with this under the weather timings and minimize the effects for you. Doing it on your own would be a bit more troublesome. But you can do it by slowly decreasing the dose, like half pill 0.25 for a week or two then half pill on alternate days for a few weeks, then half pill twice or thrice in a week for few weeks then half pill once in a week only for some time and then stopping it completely eventually.
I hope it helps. Dont forget to close the discussion please.
Regards
S Khan
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Shafi Ullah Khan

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2012

Answered : 3613 Questions

premium_optimized

The User accepted the expert's answer

Share on

Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties

159 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM Blog Questions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction
How To Safely Stop Klonopin Intake?

Brief Answer: Slow and steady wins the race Detailed Answer: Thank you for asking! Klonopin is an anxiolytic and sedative hypnotic and its use has been prolonged in your case. Now skipping it will lead to withdrawal syndromes like alcohol withdrawal and it needs a close monitoring and expertise of an addiction medicine specialist to help you with that. Sedative hypnotics withdrawal is treated with substituting drugs that have a long duration of action, either a benzodiazepine or phenobarbital, in a maintenance dose for a few days followed by a gradually decreasing dose over 2-3 weeks. In nut shell it should be slow and gradual. I suggest you seek help of an addiction medicine specialist to help you with this under the weather timings and minimize the effects for you. Doing it on your own would be a bit more troublesome. But you can do it by slowly decreasing the dose, like half pill 0.25 for a week or two then half pill on alternate days for a few weeks, then half pill twice or thrice in a week for few weeks then half pill once in a week only for some time and then stopping it completely eventually. I hope it helps. Dont forget to close the discussion please. Regards S Khan