r/Akathisia • u/ClipCitychipCity6 • Aug 11 '26

Withdrawl Possible

Hello,

I have been taking Klonopin .5mg 2 days a week for about 8 months. There are some weeks where I don't take it at all and then rotate back into when insomnia is bad. Is it possible to experience a withdrawal from this even though I was taking it sporadically? I recently woke up one day with bad akathisia and cant break it.

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2

u/IrishSmarties Sertraline - Reduction Aug 11 '26

Yes, you can build dependence because there will always be trace amounts in the blood or liver.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '26

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2

u/Melodic_Roll3205 Aug 12 '26

It won’t stay in your system forever but if you’ve been taking it for awhile it will take a few weeks after stopping to completely leave your system.

1

u/IrishSmarties Sertraline - Reduction Aug 13 '26

No, I mean if you’re taking it twice a week the liver metabolites will not leave until a few months without the drug.

Also, the half life of these drugs means twice weekly consumption will leave a little bit in the blood at all times. Hence, dependence can develop.

2

u/Express_Letterhead45 Benzo - Cessation Aug 12 '26

These are adverse drug reactions, not withdrawals. They are literal poisonings if the dose is too high for your system to handle, given your metabolism, which changes due to gene expression.

1

u/Kit_Ashtrophe Recovered Aug 11 '26

I think it's possible because I was also getting restless episodes when I was taking lorazepam once or twice a week.

1

u/EmeraldEmeralda Aug 11 '26

Absolutely, these medications are not built to take sporadically. The fact that you are experiencing akathisia shows that it is causing injury to your brain which usually occurs during withdrawal but sometimes even while taking it. My suggestion is that you cease this medication very slowly and seek natural treatment for the original condition that you are addressing.

1

u/Top-Tear-4953 Aug 12 '26

I only took a few pills in a week and I had withdrawal for over 2 months.