15th Klonopin Update

August 28, 2026··

WEEKLY SUMMARY — August 22, 2026 – August 28, 2026 DOSAGE TIMING - Clonazepam Dose Time(s): [Consistent ~11:00 PM – 11:40 PM (±30-40 min window)] NERVOUS SYSTEM STATE - Weekly Breakdown: [Wave (100%)] DIET & INGESTION - Dietary Pattern: [100% Low-FODMAP compliance [consistent post-prandial bloating/GI sensitivity]] SUPPLEMENTS & OTHER MEDICATIONS - Weekly Intake: [None taken across all 7 days] ACTIVITY & INTERVENTIONS - Weekly Activity & Events: [100% indoor home rest / video games [exceptions: interaction with Wi-Fi technicians and physical injury/scratch on August 28]] INSOMNIA TRACKER - Weekly Average Score (1-10): [4.0] [6–7 hrs duration; ~1–2 hr latency; unrefreshing/drugged sleep quality with nightmare/panic intrusions] NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS - Weekly Average Score (1-10): [8.6] [High-intensity distress; frequent panic spikes, existential dread, identity/personality alienation, and paranoia during blackout/stress] PHYSICAL & AUTONOMIC SYMPTOMS - Weekly Average Score (1-10): [7.6] [Persistent abdominal bloating/distension, diaphoresis/sweating, orthostatic instability, and resolving lymph node swelling] COGNITIVE & DISSOCIATIVE SYMPTOMS - Weekly Average Score (1-10): [8.3] [Severe DP/DR, continuous autopilot functioning, and profound 24/7 autobiographical memory disconnect] SENSORY SYMPTOMS - Weekly Average Score (1-10): [8.4] [Somatic de-afferentation, facial paresthesia, sensory overstimulation spikes, and localized burning sensations] Hey everyone. I wanted to share a weekly update and get some perspective from the group. Earlier today, a broken wooden drawer chest scraped my ankle while I was moving it for visiting technicians. Because of severe DPDR, I had a massive lag in registering the injury until I saw bloodwe cleaned and taped it, and the burning has mostly died down. However, the sensory disconnect and having people in my room triggered severe agoraphobia and a brutal OCD spiral of racing, irrational thoughts (like wondering if an animal bit me indoors). Health-wise, the fever from two weeks ago is gone, though my left lymph node remains slightly swollen and mildly sensitive to the touch (right side is normal). On the health side, I’m around day 45 on Low-FODMAP. Past tests ruled out IBD/Celiac, but my stool tests showed mucus, white blood cells, inflammation, and dysbiosis, leading my doctor to suspect SIBO/SIFO. While the diet briefly helped after a rough 10-day transition, the recent fever flared things up again. Knowing Low-FODMAP isn't sustainable long-term and that dysautonomia frpm wd/benzos impair motility, I’m stuck on next steps. My doctor ordered an endoscopy and colonoscopy for September 15th. I can decline them, but I’m torn between the fear of missing a structural issue and the dread of putting my severe agoraphobia and sensitized nervous system through invasive procedures. How can scopes be handled during BIND? I’ve been holding for 4 months with a completely clean regimen, yet I feel noticeably worse than in month one. I noticed this exact same trend back in 2025 during a 6month hold where I progressively deteriorated from month 1 to month 6. But when I taper, I also feel worse, so I honestly don't know where to go from here or why holding keeps failing me. On top of that, since April 2025, my nightly dose has become completely unpredictable some nights it causes paradoxical stimulation, facial paresthesia, and racing thoughts before sleep; other nights, when I’m exhausted and in fear or feel like ill go crazy, it calms me down. To give context on my baseline, my daily symptoms are severely altered across every domain. I feel like a hollow zombie my thoughts and personality feel completely alien/unfamiliar, genuine emotions are absent ( I mask/pretend them around family), and I deal with severe OCD. , I have neartotal internal and external numbness I can’t feel my organs, heartbeat, or digestion, nor can I feel my teeth, face, or outer body, often lying in awkward positions for hours without sensory signals to shift. Cognitively, I have no past life recall or continuous 24/7 memory tracking, running purely on automated autopilot to do basic indoor tasks (gaming, eating, talking) while housebound from agoraphobia. How do you define stability at this point, and should I keep holding or resume tapering? thank you if you are reading this

DeNy’s taper progress

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Dose (mg)

Mood (/10)

Medication & Taper History:
Aug 2023 – Dec 2023: Flupentixol (0.5mg) + Melitracen (10mg)
Dec 2023: Cold Turkey (CT) off Flupentixol + Melitracen
Dec 2023 – Apr 2024: Clonazepam (up to 2mg), Amitriptyline (12.5mg) + Chlordiazepoxide (5mg)
Apr 2024 – Jun 2024: Swapped → Trifluoperazine (1mg 1–2x/day; couldn't tolerate 2x/day) + Clonazepam (2mg)
Jun 2024: CT Trifluoperazine → Maintained on Clonazepam only
Jul 2024 – Dec 2024: HOLD on Clonazepam 1.5mg (Maintained ~6 months)
Dec 2024 – Mar 2025: Water Taper (Glass jar / Wooden lid): 1.5mg → 1.24mg
Apr 2025: Took 1 dose PPI + Anticholinergic & CT Coffee (same week) → Triggered severe drug setback ( all hell broke loose ), paradoxical reaction & daily reacting at 1.24mg
Jun 2025: Hospitalized (Severe diarrhea, vomiting, IV fluids) → Forced Rapid Taper: 1.24mg to 0mg in 1 week
Jun 2025: Reinstated Clonazepam at 1.0mg
Jul 2025 – Dec 2025: HOLD at 1.0mg (Took B1 & B12 on/off daily until Dec)
Jan 2026: 0.945mg (Switched from tablet to whole milk liquid taper Glass jar / Metal cap)
Feb: 0.930mg | Mar: 0.875mg | Apr: 0.843mg | May: 0.833mg | Jun: 0.833mg | Jul: 0.831mg | Aug: 0.831mg | Sep:
Current Status & Protocol:
Current Medication: Clonazepam (100ml whole milk : 1mg tablet suspension; 20ml removed)
Reductions this month: 0.814mg , 0.800mg (16th).
Supplements: NONE
Diet: Low-FODMAP diet

3 Replies

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Catina19d ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi DeNy, thanks for the update. With a little help from AI, here is my response to you: DeNy, there are several different things going on here, and I think it may help to separate them rather than trying to find one decision that solves everything at once. First, I'm glad the ankle injury was superficial and that the burning has settled. The fact that your DPDR delayed your awareness of the injury is understandably frightening, but the immediate priorities are simply keeping the wound clean and watching for signs of infection. Regarding the scopes, I wouldn't make the decision based solely on fear of withdrawal or, on the other hand, assume that the procedures are automatically necessary. Your doctor has found some objective GI abnormalities, including mucus, white blood cells and inflammation, so it is reasonable to want to understand what is happening rather than attributing everything to withdrawal. At the same time, you are allowed to ask your GI doctor exactly what question each scope is intended to answer, what they are looking for, how urgent it is, and what reasonable alternatives exist if you postpone it. That could make the decision much less all-or-nothing. As for BIND/withdrawal: there isn't a specific evidence-based "BIND protocol" for undergoing endoscopy. The important thing is to tell the GI and anesthesia teams about your current medications, your history of adverse reactions, your severe sensory/DPDR symptoms, and any previous problems with sedation. Endoscopy sedation can range from minimal/moderate sedation to deep sedation, and the team should assess the individual patient's risks and medication history beforehand. I'd specifically ask for a pre-procedure anesthesia consultation before September 15, rather than waiting until the morning of the procedure. You can explain your concerns and ask what sedation options they would consider, what medications they intend to use, and how they would handle an unusual reaction. You can also ask whether both procedures really need to be done together. The ASGE emphasizes pre-procedure assessment and individualized sedation planning. The Low-FODMAP issue is another reason I'd want your GI doctor involved. Low-FODMAP can reduce symptoms for some people, but it isn't intended to be an indefinitely restrictive diet without a plan for reintroduction/personalization. And SIBO/SIFO shouldn't be assumed solely from symptoms—there are specific diagnostic considerations and other possible explanations for GI abnormalities. As for the four-month hold: I don't think "I feel worse, therefore I must taper" or "I feel worse, therefore I must keep holding" is a safe conclusion. Stability doesn't necessarily mean feeling good. In withdrawal, stability can mean that the dose and dosing schedule are consistent, there aren't rapid changes producing new destabilization, and you're able to observe your baseline over time. But if your baseline is extremely unstable, that's exactly why I'd be cautious about making another medication change without your prescriber involved. The fact that you deteriorated during both a previous long hold and during tapering is important information. It doesn't prove that holding is failing or that tapering is the answer. It may mean that your nervous system is currently having difficulty tolerating either change or prolonged stress, and that there are other factors—sleep, illness, GI problems, autonomic dysfunction, fear/OCD loops, etc.—contributing to the picture. And I want to say something about your description of yourself as a "hollow zombie." What you're experiencing sounds profoundly distressing. Severe DPDR, emotional blunting, sensory changes, memory problems and OCD can make it incredibly difficult to trust your own perceptions or know what "stable" even means. I wouldn't use how alien or disconnected you feel as the sole measure for deciding whether to change your dose. For now, I'd focus on gathering information rather than forcing a decision: 1. Keep the dose and timing consistent unless your prescriber advises otherwise. 2. Ask the GI doctor what specifically they're looking for with each scope and how urgent the evaluation is. 3. Request a pre-procedure anesthesia discussion because of your medication history and severe DPDR/sensory symptoms. 4. Ask whether there are less invasive tests or a reasonable option to postpone if the indication isn't urgent. 5. Keep tracking objective things—temperature, weight, stool changes, bleeding, lymph-node changes, food tolerance, sleep and functional ability—rather than trying to judge your entire nervous system day by day. 6. Then revisit the taper question with your prescriber when you have more information. You don't have to solve the entire future of your taper while you're in the middle of a severe wave. Sometimes the safest decision is simply "no medication change today while I gather more information." And if the lymph node continues enlarging, becomes hard/fixed, or you develop recurrent/persistent fever, significant night sweats, unexplained weight loss, or other concerning symptoms, I'd have that evaluated rather than assuming it's withdrawal.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

DeNy17d ago

Trusted VoiceKlonopin

Thanks so much for checking in and for the detailed, thoughtful advice. To update you on the ankle, my parents took me to the clinic despite the agoraphobiait was dressed, I received a tetanus shot, and it's healing well now with the prev fever completely gone. Regarding the GI investigations, my stool tests showed white blood cells and dysbiosis (celiac was ruled out), but my primary issue is extreme post-meal bloating rather than stomach pain, with no bleeding and dizinesss if i tr and walk and of course sevre svere braiing fog. I have a follow-up on September 15th and plan to discuss whether we can safely postpone the endoscopy/colonoscopy for a few months, as well as look into medication and sedation options if the procedure is truly urgent. I'm around day 47 on the low FODMAP diet. While sensory and neuropsychiatric symptoms are still fluctuating, I'm maintaining daily basics at home. I plan to make a very small reduction (around 2%) and hold for the rest of the month while keeping close track of how things go. Truly appreciate your support

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Catina17d ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"it's healing well now with the prev fever completely gone." — @DeNy

Fantastic, glad to hear it!

"Regarding the GI investigations, my stool tests showed white blood cells and dysbiosis (celiac was ruled out), but my primary issue is extreme post-meal bloating rather than stomach pain, with no bleeding and dizinesss if i tr and walk and of course sevre svere braiing fog. I ..." — @DeNy

👍

"I plan to make a very small reduction (around 2%) and hold for the rest of the month while keeping close track of how things go" — @DeNy

Okay, I hope things go well for you regarding this.

"Truly appreciate your support" — @DeNy

Of course....anytime DeNy! 💕

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