Overcoming Klonopin

[WebDevElijah]

 

I started taking Klonopin for panic attacks 18 years ago, and it seemed to work for a while. Over the years, my dose slowly increased, and my personality changed. I became someone who didn’t care about others, whether they lived or died, succeeded, or failed. In fact, I found satisfaction in others' failures. I didn’t like who I had become, so without doing any research, I decided to quit Klonopin on November 30, 2009.

 

The first day after quitting, I woke up with a hot metallic taste in my mouth and decided to quickly search for Klonopin withdrawal symptoms. I found a site listing symptoms such as metallic taste, increased anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia—all symptoms I already had. I thought I could handle it. But on day three, everything let loose. That night, I woke up in sheer terror and panic. The days that followed were even worse, with unbearable pain and a burning sensation on my skin.

 

Before quitting, I had several tests done, from brain scans to a colonoscopy, and was given a clean bill of health. Knowing this, I was sure these symptoms were from Klonopin withdrawal.

 

Because of the pain and severe insomnia, I began abusing Ambien and sought a refill for an old Percocet prescription. My addiction to both soon spiraled out of control. Once my doctors became aware, they refused to renew my prescriptions. By the end of April 2010, I ended up doing another cold turkey for both Ambien and Percocet. Stopping these drugs abruptly didn’t seem to change much mentally or physically. The waves of symptoms continued even while I was on them.

 

I’m not proud of this period in my life and feel disappointed that I let it happen, but that was who I was. I am no longer that person.

Even though things seemed to improve somewhat, I felt like a lost soul and wondered if this would always be my normal. My family even pressured me to reinstate the medication, saying that some people just need to stay on it. That was when my wife started researching and found Benzo Buddies. I’ll never forget the first time reading posts on the forum—it answered so many of my questions, and I felt immense relief.

 

After joining Beating Benzos, I experienced many ups and downs. One of the darkest times was a severe reaction to a Cipro steroid, which felt as intense as my earlier Klonopin cold turkey withdrawal. I didn’t think I had the strength to make it, but somehow, I pushed through. Over time, the intensity of the symptoms decreased, and the windows of relief started happening again.

 

About three weeks ago, I woke up, and my wife pointed out how clear the whites of my eyes looked. When I checked, they were white! Since then, my sleep has returned, and I haven’t experienced any mental or physical issues. I’ve tested myself by going out in public and doing intense workouts, and I no longer have muscle weakness or anxiety around people.

 

I am now symptom-free and feel confident I am completely healed.

 

Although I did everything the wrong way, my story shows that even a long-term benzo user like me can heal. Take your time, follow your taper plan, get support, ask questions, and research as much as you can.

 

 

You will heal, and one day, you’ll realize the fight was worth it.