Klonopin Withdrawal Duration - How Long Does it Take

Klonopin withdrawal duration – How long does Klonopin last in your system?  I will go by my own personal experience.

I had a IT job for twelve years at a major company until I recently lost it this past April (don’t worry, I found a better job J  ).  When I was there, I would start off with a big amount such as 2mg.  Then, after three hours, I would find my body and mind “shutting down” and I would take a half a pill which was 1mg.  I would have these pills divided up beforehand, so whenever I needed it, I could reach in and pop it in my mouth, swallowing it without water.  I felt like a professional pill popper.  I would train myself not to take any before the three hour mark, and there were times I didn’t take it until the four hour mark.

Now on my days off from work, I would either take NO klonopin, or 1 mg.  This small dosage would last all day for me – that’s because I’m always anxious at work and I had to have the Klonopin, but at home – I didn’t.  Now my work schedule was like this though – I worked three or four twelve hour days and then I would have three or straight days off.  This was a great schedule for me. 

On my first day off from work – I didn’t need Klonopin at all, so I usually went without it.  Now the second day, I would start feeling the effects of not having Klonopin within my system, and would try to go all day without having the crap in my system.  This is when I turned to hypnosis, or meditation, and it would usually help me get through the day.  However, before my three / four days of time off was up per week, I would usually end up taking 1 mg of Klonopin.  For some odd reason, I just didn’t need the Klonopin when I was off from work.  However, at work – it was a different story, and I took it every three to four hours.

So you are probably wondering how much you should take.  Well, if this is your fist time taking a benzo, then you should start out with .25 mg – but again, this is up to your doctor.  The doctor will probably want you to see him/her in four to six weeks after you start.  Do me a favor.  Don’t ask for more when you go back in the second time.  This will be rough when you try to stop. 

Also –you are probably wondering about how long it will take to withdrawal from Klonopin.  Well – your not going to like the answer, but after reviewing hundreds of case studies – it will take up to a couple years, maybe longer.  However, I’ve known people that take only two months to get off the stuff as well.  Again, it really depends on your chemical makeup – and if you have an addictive personality or not.  The most important thing to remember is this:  take your time withdrawing from Klonopin (or Xanax).  Do NOT go cold turkey.  Set goals.  Expect yourself to retreat at times – BUT ALWAYS TAKE YOUR TIME WITHDRAWING FROM KLONOPIN.

Klonopin

I thought I would write a little bit about Klonopin itself.  This is intended for anybody that has some type of anxiety disorder in their life and is thinking about taking either Klonopin or Xanax.  Indeed, they both work, however, there is some consequences when taking these type of medications.  You, yourself, if you are one of those thinking about taking benzos, have to weigh in everything.  However, let me tell you my story.

I was diagnosed with social anxiety back in the mid-nineties.  The doctor gave me Xanax and I was on it for years.  I have to admit, I could function once again in society, however, when I was off of it for one day - it was horrible.  I had feelings of disorientation, headaches and short-term memory.  If I took it everyday, then I would get used to it and found myself taking more.  In the end - it helped me, but there was a price to pay.

So here is my advice.  Stay away from it and try to overcome your anxieties (or whatever you need it for).  One way is through self-hypnosis.  This is basically relaxing your body three times a day and visualizing yourself going through your own personal experiences that you have problems with.