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Comment by iooi | Hacker News Reader

Be very careful tapering off benzos, the withdrawals are more dangerous than that of heroin [1]. You should definitely get your doctor involved in this process. You might also want to read through this [2]. 8 months might not be enough time to taper off depending on the time and dosage you've been on.

[1] https://qz.com/677980/opioids-arent-the-most-dangerous-drug-...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benzodiazepine_withdrawal_synd...

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> You should definitely get your doctor involved in this process.

Doctors are often ignorant of the need to taper benzos over a long-term period, and not rapidly. Some might see you coming to them with a problem quitting an often abused drug as a sign that you need to be taken off of it as soon as possible. Sometimes instantly.

Of course you should always let your doctor know when you're taking less medication than you're prescribed. I suggest consulting with a specialist before trying to quit with a GP or your run-of-the-mill psychiatrist.

I've been on Klonopin for seven years. But I started out on the very lowest clinical dose, and for two months I tapered to 75% and for the last month I've been on 50%. In another month I hope to drop to 25%. So it will be at least six months, and as I said I started at a low dose. I feel great so far.

Heroin withdrawal, while extremely shitty, is generally not life-threatening.

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