Has anyone had success convincing a pdoc to use the Ashton manual?

I have a great pdoc, who I love and who is a miracle worker with my meds, but he's relatively unfamiliar with addiction issues, and like many pdoc's doesn't in my opinion take discontinuation syndrome seriously enough.


I plan to taper off clonazepam this year after being on a high dose for over 20 years. I want to use the Ashton protocol for detoxing, as that's what my addiction Dr uses and I've seen her taper many people of benzos successfully. When I've raised the subject in the past with my pdoc, he's just suggested a fairly rapid dosage taper.

I'm hoping to convince him to follow the Ashton protocol. Any advice on convincing him?

Thanks.

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Most pdoc's are clueless when it comes to tapering benzo's. They feel like a rapid taper of about two weeks is fine. I hope you have a pdoc familiar with the ashton manual or are able to find one that is. Good luck on your taper. I have been tapering on my own without doctors knowledge and it is working for me. I am down from 2mg to 1.25mg of xanax in two months time with little to no side effects. Benzobuddies.com is a great website for tapering benzo's. Lot's of good information and support on that site.

Thanks. I joined benzobuddies a couple of weeks ago.

I left a message for my pdoc today and he called me back. He hadn't heard of the Ashton Manual, so I told him a bit about it, and told him I could print out the relevant taper schedule. Fortunately we've been working together for a long time, and he trusts me, so he said he'd consider it, once he has a chance to look into it more.

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Yes I used Ashton. My pdoc suggested it and we were very successful!

Deejay - thanks for this. It's good to know that the Ashton schedule works.

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I don't know the Ashton model, but if he's not the one insisting you quit, why should he care how slowly you go about it?

I convinced my Pdoc to let me use the Ashton Method. But I am lucky because I have a great relationship with him and he is open minded.

I was on .5 Klonopin twice a day and having interdose withdrawal and tolerance withdrawal leading to anxiety attacks.

I switched to 10 mg of Valium taken twice a day, and the anxiety attacks went away.

I was able to taper down to about 7.5 mg taken once a day before I started having issues with too much anxiety and other withdrawal issues.

Then I went to a much slower taper using liquid valium/diazepam and info I got from Benzobuddies.

psychiatrists aren't always the easiest people to deal with. i remember my too rapid klonopin taper...me "the headaches are intense. my family doc has me on Midrin. can you slow down, please?" prescriber: "I think the taper is going well."

boom.

odd thing is, now...for all the fussin' and feudin' that came before...i get along well with most 'experts,' and im actually -- gasp-- benefiting from treatment. anyway...

some psychiatrists are open minded. then again...they might be open minded with the patient who just breezed out of their office before you came in, but come down all draconian and harsh on you.

not to sound marxist, but...status and $$$ talk. community mental health clinic shrinks tend to be rough, then you have the insurance doctors, and then one has the 'payment due at time of service, no insurance' (read: 300, cash, on the damn table) doctors. where i live, they're not running pill mills per se, but they are much more...

understanding.

and status. im a 'mental patient,' on disability, going to a community clinic. its my family's high -enough- status that keeps me from being pumped full of vitamin H.

if the current psychiatrist is proposing a dangerous or very uncomfortable taper, i would personally suggest seeking a new one, even a family doctor. if possible, use insurance or save $$$ and get a friendly (and well compensated..) psych to do it.

Well I'm good to go. I printed out the intro, and the relevant taper schedules from the Ashton manual, and took it in to him. We talked about why I want off the clonazepam, and why I want to do it long and slow. He asked if my addictions Dr. was on board with this, and I told him she was, so he's going to follow the manual.

But I'm starting on a straight taper initially, I'm at 3.5 mg now, and today I'm starting at 3.25 for 2 weeks, and after that if I'm ok I'll drop down to 3 mg for a couple of weeks, and then start the cross taper/reduction.

And my pdoc says he wants to see me every 2 weeks while I'm tapering. He's saying it'll be 6 months min to get me off it.

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