Guest Jesse Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I have been on Klonopin for 3 weeks. 0.5 mg twice a day. I really don't know if it has done much other than make me get depressed more often. I went on it for anxiety. I had been fighting the anxiety with talk therapy for 10 months, but finally I just felt I needed something. I had asked my doctor about trying Buspar. She said that it would make me feel drugged and that I should take Klonopin. I've been reading about it and have gotten pretty scared. My doctor also started me on lexapro last week at 2.5 mg because I was sensitive to zoloft and i told her I was getting depressed. She said I could take the klonopin with the lexapro for about 3 months and then go off the klonopin. For the first week I was on klonopin I was feeling a little better as far as anxiety went, I was actually sleeping in during the morning where before I would wake at 5:00am with anxiety and just lay in bed for hours dredding the day to come. Anyway, the klonopin doesn't seem to be working as much anymore as I have about the same anxiety as I always do, I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the lexapro that I've been taking or what. Anyway, when I told her about my anxiety still being around my doctor said I could try upping the klonopin to three times a day. I told her about what i've read on benzo addiction and she told me to stay off the internet because klonopin is totally safe and non-addictive, if you're on it for years you will become addicted but not short term. She said if I was concerned then I should just quit taking it. When I asked her if I go off what I should taper, she said I could just stop taking it because I've only been taking it for 3 weeks. Is this correct? I have only been on it for 3 weeks. I found a website called the roadback and it said to taper off 2% every 14 days, but if I did that my taper would actually be longer than I've been on the drug itself. Is my doctor correct, can I just quit taking it cuz I've only been on for 3 weeks? If not what should I do for a taper. Like I said what I read on the roadback website seems crazy cuz I would be on the drug longer going off than when I went on. One thing I've been wondering about is that my anxiety starts up when I wake in the morning. Could this be because I take my klonopin at 6:00 pm and now it's been 11-12 hours since my last dose and now i'm getting rebound anxiety. I thought the whole point of klonopin was that it stays in your system and just kind of evens you out. Anyway I'm really, really scared and everyday I keep taking it I feel like I'm going farther down a hole that I won't be able to get out of. I'm just mad that she didn't let me try the buspar since I've read that it is nothing like a benzo. Please someone give me advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 After three weeks, if she thinks you can just stop taking it, just stop taking it, I guess. If you have more of a supply than that, if you want, try just taking one a day for a little while if you are that scared about it. I wouldn't think it would pose much of a problem either, you ar just going to have your anxiety back. If it's adding to he depression, yeah, getting off it woud be a good idea. Benzos are weird. I've been on .5mg of klonopin 3x a day for a month now, and have been on somekind of klonopin regeiment for about a year now, and love it. P-doc tried to switch me to Ativan which made me depressed. So if you dr. is dead set on you being on a benzo, maybe ask to try something else instead of klonopin? Klonopin doesn't make me sad the way Ativan did, so maybe something else would work or you. I tried buspar for my anxiety and was on it for six monthsand didn't do anything for me personally, but some peopl here have taken it and loved it. P.S. your doctor sounds kinda sucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jesse Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Thanks for the reply I guess I'll just drop down to one tablet a day for a couple of weeks and see how that goes....You are on it right now for a month, when do you plan to get off, aren't you afraid that it will eventually stop working? That's what scares me the most. If I knew there would be no chance of it stopping working I would just take it forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tryp Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Hey, I was on 0.25 mg of Klonopin once a day for a few weeks, and I just stopped it, no problems. Did the same with 1 mg of Ativan (equivalent of 0.5 of Klono) after taking it for a month and had no trouble. I'd say it shouldn't be a problem. You haven't been on it long enough to need a slow taper in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I agree with tryp that you could probably stop without tapering, but if you are afraid, you could taper, I wouldn't do it for two weeks though, that's a long time. I've been on it three times a day for a month and p-doc has me on that for the next two months, maybe longer if I can't find an AD to work for my anxiety. Some people develop a tolerance and it stops working so well at the initial dose and they have to go up. The dose I'm on used to TOTALLY wipe out ANY and all anxiety and nervousness, and now all it does is keep me from having a full blown panic attack and it keeps me functioning at a pretty good level, but I don't FEEL the effects of it anymore, if you know what I mean. I don't feel it kick in, because I'm on it constantly. I don't think I'll raise the dose until I start getting breakthrough panic attacks, but I love the Klonopin and it's like night and day compared with before I had a regular dosing schedule. Anywaym, if you are still panicking and having severe anxiety at the dose you are on, then it's not working for you. BUT if you AREN'T flipping out still but just don't get the drugged feeling, it's still working, you've just gotten used to the side effects, if you know what I mean. Some people assume their benzos aren't working for them anymore just because they don't feel the drugged feeling anymore, and that'swrong. As long as your anxiety is still under control and manageable, your benzo is still working for you. I'm afraid it will stop working one day, but it hasn't yet and I've been taking klonopin for like, eight or nine months and the same dose is still doing okay for me. If it stops working, it stops working, I'm not going to worry about that right now, because they can always raise the dose, or I could go off it for a short time and get back on again without the tolerance issues. I don't know. But yeah, so far it's the only drug that's helped me feel "normal" and be able to function well in public and social situations. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jesse Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 THanks Emperor, So what you're doing is kind of what my doc has me doing? She has me taking this while I go onto the lexapro. And your doc is comfortable bringing you down off the klonopin after 3 months, and I guess I should ask you, are you comfortable with that as well knowing that there is withdrawl from the benzo? So am I to assume that you are also trying an AD as well? I still have anxiety even though I'm taking the klonopin, kind of like you said in your statement, so I'm wondering if it is just from the lexapro. I figure I'll give it another week of the lexapro at 2.5 mg and see if this anxiety goes away and then I'll probably go in and talk to my doc. For me it really isn't so much the panicing as it is just the generalized anxiety floating along all damn day that doesn't seem to go away. That's where the klonopin just doesn't seem to take away that anxiousness like I thought it would, but it could just be the lexapro getting into my system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I agree that it could be the lexapro, SSRI's tend to make me pretty anxious upon initiating treatment with them. I've tried all kinds of shit so far, and SSRI's make me the most anixous. I was on the klono all by itself for a few weeeks and was far less anxious that I have been since being on the klonopin AND the Prozac I am now on, plus I just upped the dose of Prozac, so I'm getting a little edgy. My doctor seems comfortable bringing down off the klonopin in a few months, IF the prozac is helping the anxiety, if not, I'm sure I'll still be on the klonopin, he doesn't seem to be as anti-benzo as other p-docs. I personally am comfortable coming off the Klonopin in a couple of months (ask me in a couple of months and I may feel differently) but I have total and complete trust in my p-doc at the moment and I know he's going to do what's right in helping me treat this and helping me come off the klonopin. If the prozac is woking, I don't expect that tapering off the klono slowly will be so bad. So, no, short answer, I'm not too worried about it. It was something I worried a lot about in the beginning, before I felt I had a competent p-doc who was REALLY trying to help me, but I have a good one and I trust his judgement completely. So you were on the klonopin by itself for a little bit before starting the lexapro? And did it seem to work better then than once you started the lexapro. Start=up effects on new drugs can really be shitty, so if it was workig well before starting the lexapro, and now isn't, I would suspect that the lexapro is making you more anxious, but I'm not a doctor. Bottom line is, if you think the klonopin is making you more depressed, you should probably stop taking it all together. It could also be start-up effects from the AD. If you start feeling really crummy, or suicidal or anything, you need to contact your doctor or someone who can hlp right away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jesse Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I was on the klonopin for about 9 days before starting the lexapro. I was feeling better from an anxiety standpoint. And when I started taking the lexapro up until monday which was my one week on lexapro, I wasn't having to bad of anxiety other than worrying about being on klonopin. Now my anxiety came back on monday night while I was watching tv, in fact the reason I was up later watching tv was because I was starting to feel like my old self again, then bam the anxiety came back. A lot of times when I get anxiety I also get sad/frustrated as well. I am seeing a psychologist and started seeing a homeopath but haven't gotten a rememdy yet. I am going into see my doctor again on tuesday but I don't really know what she'll tell me. I don't know if I should get off the lexapro, up the lexapro, or just get off everything all together again. I'm so damn frustrated. I don't know if it's the klonopin that's making me depressed, I have felt like this before. I don't know if I'm feeling down and out because of the anxiety possibly feeling from the lexapro. Somewhere I had heard that valium was better for GAD where klonopin is more for panic. Maybe I need to talk to her about that, although she told me the only difference is that klonopin is non-addictive and valium is addictive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmo Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 I was on the klonopin for about 9 days before starting the lexapro. I was feeling better from an anxiety standpoint. And when I started taking the lexapro up until monday which was my one week on lexapro, I wasn't having to bad of anxiety other than worrying about being on klonopin. Now my anxiety came back on monday night while I was watching tv, in fact the reason I was up later watching tv was because I was starting to feel like my old self again, then bam the anxiety came back. A lot of times when I get anxiety I also get sad/frustrated as well. I am seeing a psychologist and started seeing a homeopath but haven't gotten a rememdy yet. I am going into see my doctor again on tuesday but I don't really know what she'll tell me. I don't know if I should get off the lexapro, up the lexapro, or just get off everything all together again. I'm so damn frustrated. I don't know if it's the klonopin that's making me depressed, I have felt like this before. I don't know if I'm feeling down and out because of the anxiety possibly feeling from the lexapro. Somewhere I had heard that valium was better for GAD where klonopin is more for panic. Maybe I need to talk to her about that, although she told me the only difference is that klonopin is non-addictive and valium is addictive. You need to be careful when going to an alternative medicine provider, as certain natural concoctions can counteract the medications you are taking. My advice would be to stay away from the herbs and seeds stuff. Valium and klonopin are both benzodiazepines. However, their delivery methods are different. Valium works fast, klonopin is a time release. Neither are "better for GAD" and neither are more or less addicting than the other. If you are concerned that your SSRI is causing the increase in your anxiety, then you should bring that up with your doctor. However, I would probably not suggest that you came to this conclusion by combing the internet for advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted October 30, 2009 Share Posted October 30, 2009 Valium and Klonopin are both long acting benzos, from what I understand. Typically, for panic, shorter acting benzos like xanax and ativan are used because they kick in more quickly, but they don't last as long. Just tell your doctor everything you've said here and see what she comes up with for you. No one here can really tell what's going on because we aren't doctors. I understand you are frustrated, maybe you could get an appointment with her sooner or call. And I agree with gizmo that you have to be very careful using both pharmaceuticals AND herbal shit, that can pose huge problems sometimes. Maybe you aren't on the right dose, maybe it's not the right benzo, maybe it's the start up effects of the lexapro, who knows? Hopefully you guys can figure it out. Have you just begun to try and treat this anxiety? I've had anxiety my whole life and I just started seeking help for it back in february, and just look at my signature down there. That's how many medsI've tried since FEBRUARY that haven't worked for me. The one that's stayed constant is the klonopin because it works for me, but my point is, if you just started treatment for this, don't be discouraged if you don't find something that works right away, I didn't and I STILL haven't, but I keep trying. Hopefully someday something will help me. I'm also in therapy and that helps a little bit, probably more than the meds have, which isn't saying much. So hang in there, be really honest with your doctor and EVENTUALLY you will figure out what works. Sometimes it takes time. There are lucky people out there that hit the jackpot with the first pill they try, but most people aren't so fortunate. I should be pissed because all I'm trying to treat are a few anxiety disorders and nothing has helped yet, it's not like I have a more complicated MI, I shouldn't have that long list of ex pills, but I do. I keep on trying though, because I see on the klonopin how much better my quality of life is. Once I just thought "Fuck it, if the klonopin helps, it helps. If I become dependant, so be it, if I have to get off it one day, I'll do it safely and won't be stuck having horrible panic attacks" it was easier to not worry about using the klonopin. I think it doesn't help that people DO abuse this drug to think about being on it. Oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I was on generic klonopin for 2 yrs. I took anywhere from .5 - 1.5 mgs aday. I am on 20mgs. of lexapro now and have been for about a year. I have been off klonopin for over a month now and I am fine. I told my doctor that I wanted to get off the klonopin and he wanted me to take more! I think as in my case you cant always listen to your doctor, I am not saying YOU should stop listening to your doctor by any means! I am saying in my case I just new I didn't need it anymore, and I think some doctors think the answer to everything is more pills. The key to getting off is go very slow! I cut .125 mgs(1 quarter of a .5 mg pill) every 5 or 6 wks until I was off. You may need to go slower, you may be able to go a little faster, It depends on what is comfortable for you. It was quite painless at this rate for me. The only withdrawl effects that I could see were trouble sleeping a little at night and maybe a little confusion. The main things you have to do is keep your self busy and try not to fear withdrawl as I think that causes effects itself. The biggest thing is GO SLOW! You need to give your brain time to adjust to the cuts of the med. As for the effects from the drug(the main reason I wanted to get off it) is I have short term memory loss and I find myself misspelling words that I never did before. I am hoping this goes away in time, but at least I know I am not gonna make it worse. I am gonna wean myself off the Lexapro very very slow as this can have heavey withdrawl symptoms as well or as the doctors call it "discontinuation syndrome" witch I think is a joke they refuse to say it is habit forming,discontinuation syndrome sure sounds like withdrawl too me lol. The key is to just do what is comfortable for you, dont rush. As I said my symptoms were very tolerable, and it feels so good to know I am free of this drug. I really hope this helps someone with the fear of getting off the drug if they feel they don't need it anymore. If you have any questions feel free to ask. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jesse Posted November 4, 2009 Share Posted November 4, 2009 Emperor and to all thanks for your comments. Emperor as to your question, I've had panic attacks since I was 18, I'm now 33. I went on zoloft when I was 19 and took it for about 8 years. I don't know how much it helped. I would still get periods of being depressed and really down on myself and I had anxiety. However, I was not aware of it, I was in a snowball so I didn't care about it. Now I'm aware of these anxious feelings and depressing thoughts, that's whats got me so wound up for this last year. When I was on the zoloft I did drink very heavily, got hammered about 2-3 times a week, so I'm sure that didn't mix well. Anyway I just decided to go off of it cuz I was just who I was. When I drank I was worried the next about having a panic attack, but other than that I just lived my life as a shame based person would. My psychologist has me reading a book about shame and it explains me to a T. Anyway. For the last year starting november 18, 2009 I had a panic attack when I wasn't hung over, so I thought I was going crazy and it threw me for a loop as in my mind the only time i'd have panic attacks was when I was hungover. So now I just am on high alert. I don't have them very often, but I'm mostly just caught up in constantly worrying about something. My psychologist thinks I have Pure O, which is OCD without the compulsive part (turning locks, etc.) Anyway for the last year I've fought this thing with talk therapy, nutritionists, shakra workers, energy workers, healers, and cranial sacral. I know it all ties in, but I really just eventually need something in order to go to work and raise my kids which is why I'm now going med. I've spent thousands of dollars on supplements and taken about every calming herb out there and for the most part the valerian and kava just seemed to make me tired, but my mind was still going. Also, when I had the panic attack last year I quit drinking so according to the docs I took away my medicine. I just went to my general practioner yesterday and she had me up the lex to 5 mg, but she also stated that she just doesn't know enough about this stuff, so she is going to try and find me someone in the area (northern minnesota, not the best place for this kind of care) who can do a little more testing, i.e ADD, bipolar (which they don't think I have, etc). She said maybe this guy would be able to find the best fit for a med. I'm currently doing EMDR with my psychologist on feelings of not being good enough, which is where he thinks my problems lie. A life long feeling of not being good enough. Anyway that's my story. I'm just hoping that the 5mg of lex doesn't boost the anxiety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Emperor Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 I'm sorry, that sounds pretty shitty. before I was diagnosed, I did the "self medication" thing first as well. At first, when I was about 14-19, it was booze, then just mainly pot. I got pregnant, quit that shit, had my baby, went batshit crazy with PPD and anxiety and then went and got Sant John's Wort, which worked miracles for my depession, but the anxiety went through the roof, I've had both my whole life. I also tried kava and valerian. The kava seemed to work all right, for the 45 minutes it was effective, and then, yeah, it just made me cranky and tired. The Valerian smelled so horrible, I stopped taking it, evenutally went the pharmacuetical route. Like you, I am trying to improve for my daughter. Klonopin is the only thing so far that's helped the anxiety/panic attacks. I love it. It is safe, but it IS addictive, which bothers me about it, but it's helping keeping me sane at the moment, so I take it, and I love it. I worry about not having it one day, but hopefully, by that time, I won't need it anymore. I hope you find something that helps you. It can be a long, frustrating process, and not all doctors are good and it might take a while to find someone you are comfortable with. I lucked out on p-doc #2 being the one for me. Hopefully you find someone that knows what they are doing and can help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jesse Posted November 6, 2009 Share Posted November 6, 2009 Hi Emperor, I talked to my family doc on tuesday. She had be bump the lexapro up to 5 mg. So far I haven't noticed any anxiety, which is my main concern when taking the SSRI's. SO hopefully I this one will be the magic bullet I've been looking for. My regular doc also decided that she'd like to refer to a psychiatrist because she said she just doesn't know enough about this stuff and feels like she's doing me an injustice. I already see a Psychologist where we are doing EMDR talking about my issues, but apparently my family doc wants me to go and get some testing at a mental health center in town to see if I have anything that maybe the right med might hit on. She's coming from the idea that the anxiety is there for a reason and let's see if we can't try to find an underlying cause. I've been reading about ADD because I thought my son might have it and I as I read it I started to really think it might be me. Now if that's the case there might be a different type of med for me. That is kind of where I think she is going with sending me to a psych doc. Which I guess I am comfortable with because I would like to have someone who knows about these drugs versus my family doc. I'm glad that she acknowledged that she wouldn't be the best fit for this issue. I bring my family to her and this I guess makes me respect her even more. I just wish she would have put me on this path a little sooner, but then again I didn't start talking to her about meds until this summer. And the more I think about it the klonopin probably is working. I have 4 rental properties and in the last month I've had a tenant walk out and stiff me rent and trash the house, so I had to scramble work on the house and find a tenant, and let me mention that I live 3 hours from the property so this isn't just something I can run over and do after work. Another property I was trying for a loan modification and they denied me and put me into foreclosure, so I've been dealing with that all week. Put all of that on top of my job, 3 kids under the age of 5 and that's just about everyone that I know says that if they were leading my life they would also not be feeling joyful and be in that right place all of the time. Anyway my good friend who is also my pharmacist told me that he believes that about 60-70% of the people in the town that I live in are either on an anti-anxiety or anti-depressant. SO it makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one. The more I talk about it the more the person I'm talking to will say something like I'm on wellbutrin, etc. Oh well I guess I'll see what happens with the lexapro. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublinhouse Posted November 24, 2009 Share Posted November 24, 2009 I just wanted to weigh in on the use of klonopin. Back in July 2009, i suffered a severe anxiety attack that resulted in severe anxiety. I went to my doctor and he prescribed klonopin at .5 mg to take at night and i should increase this to 1 mg a night after several days. I have rarely taken any sort of benzos to deal with anxiety since most of it was controlled through diet, exercise, meaningful relationships, etc. However, after I was diagnosed with a health condition, my anxiety kicked in big time so i really needed something as i worked through it. In fact, i was only looking for something to help me relax and sleep (ambien no longer works if your anxiety is severe). Since i had only taken xanax .5 mg before, i assumed that is what i would be prescribed, but my doctor was reluctant to prescribe this since he felt it was highly addictive. I took the klonopin and for the first week, i felt good, and was able to sleep. The average dosage for me on a night was between .5 and .75 mg at night. One thing to note is that you don't get an instant feel from klonopin the way you do with xanax. It is more gradual which can be a dangerous thing since, on occasion, i ended up taking more since i didn't feel the immediate "kick in". Fast foward several weeks and as my overall health condition started to improve, i started reducing the klonopin dosage. I knew you had to taper so i was reducing it every night. Bad idea. My body needed it and withdrawal reared its ugly head. I was a little annoyed at my doctor and my therapist since the prescription stated "take as needed". So after some research and reading these forumns, i started a tapering schedule of reducing my klonopin every 7 days. My schedule went something like this: Using a .5 mg klonopin tablet: 7 days @ .5 mg, 7 days @.375 mg, 7 days @.3125, 10 days @.25 mg (i had minor oral surgery and didn't want to suffer any setbacks), 7 days @ .1875 mg, 3 days @.125 mg, 3 days @ .0625 mg NONE Note: I did have some slight rebound anxiety (a good walk cured that) and insomnia (ambien helped with that). After about 1 week, they decreased. So, if you gain anything from my experience: rule of thumb is slowly taper and let your body adjust to the dosage over time. You will avoid problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest steve harford Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 i have used klonopin for 2 years p-doc just increased dose initially when it didnt work. major w/d during day. drug has ruined my body, hopefully you got off them. very hard drug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest S Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I have been on Klonopin for 3 weeks. 0.5 mg twice a day. I really don't know if it has done much other than make me get depressed more often. I went on it for anxiety. I had been fighting the anxiety with talk therapy for 10 months, but finally I just felt I needed something. I had asked my doctor about trying Buspar. She said that it would make me feel drugged and that I should take Klonopin. I've been reading about it and have gotten pretty scared. My doctor also started me on lexapro last week at 2.5 mg because I was sensitive to zoloft and i told her I was getting depressed. She said I could take the klonopin with the lexapro for about 3 months and then go off the klonopin. For the first week I was on klonopin I was feeling a little better as far as anxiety went, I was actually sleeping in during the morning where before I would wake at 5:00am with anxiety and just lay in bed for hours dredding the day to come. Anyway, the klonopin doesn't seem to be working as much anymore as I have about the same anxiety as I always do, I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the lexapro that I've been taking or what. Anyway, when I told her about my anxiety still being around my doctor said I could try upping the klonopin to three times a day. I told her about what i've read on benzo addiction and she told me to stay off the internet because klonopin is totally safe and non-addictive, if you're on it for years you will become addicted but not short term. She said if I was concerned then I should just quit taking it. When I asked her if I go off what I should taper, she said I could just stop taking it because I've only been taking it for 3 weeks. Is this correct? I have only been on it for 3 weeks. I found a website called the roadback and it said to taper off 2% every 14 days, but if I did that my taper would actually be longer than I've been on the drug itself. Is my doctor correct, can I just quit taking it cuz I've only been on for 3 weeks? If not what should I do for a taper. Like I said what I read on the roadback website seems crazy cuz I would be on the drug longer going off than when I went on. One thing I've been wondering about is that my anxiety starts up when I wake in the morning. Could this be because I take my klonopin at 6:00 pm and now it's been 11-12 hours since my last dose and now i'm getting rebound anxiety. I thought the whole point of klonopin was that it stays in your system and just kind of evens you out. Anyway I'm really, really scared and everyday I keep taking it I feel like I'm going farther down a hole that I won't be able to get out of. I'm just mad that she didn't let me try the buspar since I've read that it is nothing like a benzo. Please someone give me advice. You are probably long since off of Klonopin, so this answer is for other newbies of this drug. Klonopin acts differently for each person, and can become addictive quickly. At 3-4 weeks your body may be able to rid itself of this crazy potent drug without symptoms, or you may feel effects of the addictiveness. When people mention Klonopin as addictive this means your body and mind will physically think it needs it on stopping, and you will go through some crazy withdrawals. Most doctors prescribe and don't fully understand exactly what it feels like to go off of this medication, and act coldly toward the idea of withdrawal and for that matter panic sufferers. Dont taper unless you have to at this short of a time being on it. The longer you are on this drug the harder the withdrawal is going to be. And as a lifelong sufferer of panic there is nothing worse than the double whammy of panic disorder intensified by withdrawal symptoms that includes high blood pressure, palpitations, swimming head, severe anxiety, sweating, throwing up, feeling ill, muscle aches, lost memory, moodiness, distorted reality, shakiness, etc etc. The problem is the symptoms aggravate the panic which makes you concentrate on the symptoms. If you have been on any significant does for any period of lenght >3months DO NOT GO COLD TURKEY. Cold turkey is dangerous and can physically harm you. Thats right it can physically harm you. I have gone cold turkey off this drug at .5 milligrams and it sucked, and it landed me in the emergency room a total wreck. If you run out of medication call your doctor or any doctor, also benedryl DOES take away some of the symptoms but you have to watch out for the panic attacks that will happen. Taper slowly. If you have the meds give yourself time and cut out 25% each 14 days or so, faster if your body can handle it. Let your brain reacquaint itself with normalizing your GABA receptors. Panic sufferers have long known that the most intense part of the day for panic is in the early am, and especially bad if you drink alcohol at night to get rid of daytime panic. Alcohol makes panic worse, it never helps, during your panic cycles dont drink. Do yourself this favor. Also you may worry about your physical body during times of panic, especially in the morning, particularly your heart. This is natural, and it is also natural for panic sufferers to convince themselves that they are dying, have diseases, are going to have a heart attack etc. This is part of the panicky nature and hypersensitivity we feel during a panic cycle. Just remember, panic does go in cycles. It will end. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
notfred Posted January 27, 2010 Share Posted January 27, 2010 I have been on Klonopin for 3 weeks. 0.5 mg twice a day. I really don't know if it has done much other than make me get depressed more often. I went on it for anxiety. I had been fighting the anxiety with talk therapy for 10 months, but finally I just felt I needed something. I had asked my doctor about trying Buspar. She said that it would make me feel drugged and that I should take Klonopin. I've been reading about it and have gotten pretty scared. My doctor also started me on lexapro last week at 2.5 mg because I was sensitive to zoloft and i told her I was getting depressed. She said I could take the klonopin with the lexapro for about 3 months and then go off the klonopin. For the first week I was on klonopin I was feeling a little better as far as anxiety went, I was actually sleeping in during the morning where before I would wake at 5:00am with anxiety and just lay in bed for hours dredding the day to come. Anyway, the klonopin doesn't seem to be working as much anymore as I have about the same anxiety as I always do, I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the lexapro that I've been taking or what. Anyway, when I told her about my anxiety still being around my doctor said I could try upping the klonopin to three times a day. I told her about what i've read on benzo addiction and she told me to stay off the internet because klonopin is totally safe and non-addictive, if you're on it for years you will become addicted but not short term. She said if I was concerned then I should just quit taking it. When I asked her if I go off what I should taper, she said I could just stop taking it because I've only been taking it for 3 weeks. Is this correct? I have only been on it for 3 weeks. I found a website called the roadback and it said to taper off 2% every 14 days, but if I did that my taper would actually be longer than I've been on the drug itself. Is my doctor correct, can I just quit taking it cuz I've only been on for 3 weeks? If not what should I do for a taper. Like I said what I read on the roadback website seems crazy cuz I would be on the drug longer going off than when I went on. One thing I've been wondering about is that my anxiety starts up when I wake in the morning. Could this be because I take my klonopin at 6:00 pm and now it's been 11-12 hours since my last dose and now i'm getting rebound anxiety. I thought the whole point of klonopin was that it stays in your system and just kind of evens you out. Anyway I'm really, really scared and everyday I keep taking it I feel like I'm going farther down a hole that I won't be able to get out of. I'm just mad that she didn't let me try the buspar since I've read that it is nothing like a benzo. Please someone give me advice. You are probably long since off of Klonopin, so this answer is for other newbies of this drug. Klonopin acts differently for each person, and can become addictive quickly. At 3-4 weeks your body may be able to rid itself of this crazy potent drug without symptoms, or you may feel effects of the addictiveness. When people mention Klonopin as addictive this means your body and mind will physically think it needs it on stopping, and you will go through some crazy withdrawals. Most doctors prescribe and don't fully understand exactly what it feels like to go off of this medication, and act coldly toward the idea of withdrawal and for that matter panic sufferers. Dont taper unless you have to at this short of a time being on it. The longer you are on this drug the harder the withdrawal is going to be. And as a lifelong sufferer of panic there is nothing worse than the double whammy of panic disorder intensified by withdrawal symptoms that includes high blood pressure, palpitations, swimming head, severe anxiety, sweating, throwing up, feeling ill, muscle aches, lost memory, moodiness, distorted reality, shakiness, etc etc. The problem is the symptoms aggravate the panic which makes you concentrate on the symptoms. If you have been on any significant does for any period of lenght >3months DO NOT GO COLD TURKEY. Cold turkey is dangerous and can physically harm you. Thats right it can physically harm you. I have gone cold turkey off this drug at .5 milligrams and it sucked, and it landed me in the emergency room a total wreck. If you run out of medication call your doctor or any doctor, also benedryl DOES take away some of the symptoms but you have to watch out for the panic attacks that will happen. Taper slowly. If you have the meds give yourself time and cut out 25% each 14 days or so, faster if your body can handle it. Let your brain reacquaint itself with normalizing your GABA receptors. Panic sufferers have long known that the most intense part of the day for panic is in the early am, and especially bad if you drink alcohol at night to get rid of daytime panic. Alcohol makes panic worse, it never helps, during your panic cycles dont drink. Do yourself this favor. Also you may worry about your physical body during times of panic, especially in the morning, particularly your heart. This is natural, and it is also natural for panic sufferers to convince themselves that they are dying, have diseases, are going to have a heart attack etc. This is part of the panicky nature and hypersensitivity we feel during a panic cycle. Just remember, panic does go in cycles. It will end. S. Addiction and dependance are not the same thing. You are describing dependance. Also addiction can be seen as a pejorative word. addiction vs dependence nf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billyboyboo Posted February 7, 2010 Share Posted February 7, 2010 You may feel a little bit, if anything, everyone differs. B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.