Clonazepam?

[hyperchick]

So I have multiple illnesses obviousely. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Bipolar II. I was in a hypomanic state last week and completely not sleeping and my anxiety was high. My doctor decided to switch my Alprazolam for Panic attacks to a more stable twice a day Clonazepam... but all of a sudden my mood took a dramatic switch and I was agitated and VERY depressed. I was like omg I am going into my depression and didn't clue the med until the third day taking new medication... I felt like wanting to commit suicide and all those nasty thoughts you get of : i'm worthless and am all alone. My boyfriend started to pick the cues... So i'm like screw this med I wonder if its doing it. I went off and not even two days later the depression lifted almost immediately... I was like wtf? Has anyone ever experienced this with Clonazepam? I thought.. hmmm maybe it was just my Bipolar... So i went back on and almost a day later I was ridden with same feelings.. :-(. So i stopped and I will see my doctor in a few days.

[crtclms]

I had to quit Clonazepam because it gave me rages (screaming, crying, throwing myself around, throwing items) exactly two hours after I took a dose. That is why I take Xanax for GAD, even though Clonazepam is more commonly used.

And I'm going to move this to Benzos, you'll get a broader audience.

[tryp]

No, it's definitely possible. I have that exact reaction to both clonazepam and lorazepam. Oh and also zopiclone, which is somewhat related. Can't touch any of those types of meds.

[The Emperor]

I reacted slightly like that to Ativan. It made me very weepy and sad. So I quit it. I have NOT had that issue with Valium or Klonopin in the past. Those drugs are fine, but I CAN NOT take Ativan. I don't know what it is.

[gizmo]

I reacted similar to you to klonopin. It went way beyond relaxing me and muting my anxiety and into the depression phase. I prefer quicker-acting (and faster wearing off) meds. I currently have a script for Librium, which is a step down benzo and hardly ever used anymore.

[tryp]

I deleted your duplicate topic - please only post your question in one sub-forum.

[Revan]

I remember feeling very drained and depressed when they first took me off alprazolam and on to clonazepam. This lasted about a month and then the depression went away. I was on a ridiculously high dose of xanax (2mg four times a day). Now I just take my clonazepam only twice a day. I would guess the shorter half life of the xanax was making me have to take it so often to feel stable.

Now I can say it's [clonazepam] been one of the most helpful meds that I have been on.

[Lost_In_Wonderland]

I'm on Clonazepam and it aint doing a lot.

Started on 0.5 mg before bedtime but the anxiety got so bad I needed two to get me through the day, so now on 1 mg twice a day and am still preferring the diaz....

Does diazepam work faster for most people? It sure as hell did for me! I was on 10mg, apparently Clonazepam is meant to be stronger but i'd prefer, as gizmo said, something faster acting (and wearing off so I don't go depressive)

Seeing my Florida pdoc again tomorrow (finally!) so can hopefully sort it all out...(and wishing you the same luck) =/

[colin]

This seems to be a very common reaction to benzos. My p-doc favors prescribing lexapro with long term clonazepam if there are depressive reactions like yours. The two drugs have been marvelous for getting me out of the rut. I beleive there is a patent in the works for a lexapro/clonazepam combination.

[FlamelessCandle]

I am on lexapro and clonazepam .... have been for a long time..... and not had the reaction you describe. However, from being in group therapy settings, I know there are others who have had very similar reactions to yours (and of course, the folks posting here above me have stories of their own confirming the same thing.) That's too bad; when it works, it works pretty well.

But different benzos do seem to work differently on different people. (There, did I say "differently" enough times?) For example, I can't take xanax, which my p-doc tried for the more rapid onset (vs.clonazepam) for sudden panic attacks. couldn't take it; it made me more depressed and actually sort of freaked me out instead of making me calm.

So there are a number of other benzos to try.

Good luck in finding a med that can help without making you more depressed! I'll bet there is one out there that will work for you.

Edited July 5, 2012 by FlamelessCandle

[colin]

You got it right. different people react totally differently to different medications-

some people even get a slight euphoria from xanax.

[hyperchick]

Doc gave me back Alprazolam. Thank goodness. Said that if u have a proneness to depressiom it could happen @_@ im my norms now just have bad insomnia. Yeah i also take zopliclone no problems witj it... but if i take any overcounter sleep drugs it makes me not sleep even worse. Ugh the trials of drugs.

[Revan]

You got it right. different people react totally differently to different medications-

some people even get a slight euphoria from xanax.

I am one of those people.

I was on xanax PRN at one time in the past and it was very energizing in the beginning. Not necessarily to the point of being "euphoric" but more like an instant antidepressant. This wore off after a few months then it started to make me very depressed. quite the opposite of what it originally did. They switched me to klonopin which is better because it does not create a tolerance like xanax does. I actually have been able to decrease my dose of klonopin over the years. Unlike xanax which I needed more and more to the point of 2mg four times a day which made me a zombie.

[shirley258]

Clonazepam is one of the only things that really helps my anxiety and panic attacks. I've been on clonazepam for about 3 weeks now and my anxiety has subsided immensely. I take .5mg twice a day along with 3mg of Lunesta at night and never have I felt better in my entire life! It definitely improves my quality of life !!