PBF Posted November 25, 2005 Share Posted November 25, 2005 Hi, I've succeeded in exchanging my xanax for klonopin. I'm very happy about it cause I didn't like the xanax. Hated the rollercoaster effect - having to take a pill every 4 hours cause it wore off too fast. I was prescribed klonopin 0.5 mg 2x a day. Will this be enough to give me full day coverage? I know the half life of k is rather long, but how many hours does a dose last? Would like some input. Thanx, PBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breeze Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 I know this sounds weird - but try taking half a pill 4 times a day. I have gotten used to half pill doses and it works well. I take them throughout the day - every three hours. It may not be enough for you, but you might try half a pill and see if that works. I am prescribed more than you are though too, and take a whole one at night. Breeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lei Posted November 26, 2005 Share Posted November 26, 2005 hi PBF, congratulations on what will probably be a good switch. i had the rollercoster effect with xanax too. i'm with Breeze. when i was on klonopin i split them and staggered them during the day because i felt a dropoff by around 6 hours. (sidenote -- now i'm on valium and although i don't feel a dropoff for 8 hours, during the day i stagger 1/2 pills anyway, just to stay as even as possible. my last before bed and first in the morning are full pills, though. in total i'm down to 20 mg, so that's 5mg first and last thing, with four 2.5s in between.) good luck and aloha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loon-A-TiK Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 i take .5mg K in the morning, in the midday as needed, and 1 at night (to counter Seroquel side effects). So usually about 2mg. It is a lot more stable than the other benzos I've been on. I like that it works fast and lasts 6 hours in my system. Other people may have it last longer. I wish it would last longer, so I wouldn't look like a weirdo attempting to explain to my pdoc that I DO feel EVERY drug i take hitting my blood a bit after i take it, and K disappears/lowers a LOT at 6 hours. I just take what I need and make him write scripts to suite what I take, usually 2mg/day. Just do what you NEED to do, and keep in mind the slight addiction factor. Yours, Melinda aka Loon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Century Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 Hi, I've succeeded in exchanging my xanax for klonopin. I'm very happy about it cause I didn't like the xanax. Hated the rollercoaster effect - having to take a pill every 4 hours cause it wore off too fast. I was prescribed klonopin 0.5 mg 2x a day. Will this be enough to give me full day coverage? I know the half life of k is rather long, but how many hours does a dose last? Would like some input. Thanx, PBF i think klonopin is supposd to last for 9 hours. of cours, YMMV. i personally was ok with twice daily klonopin dosing for day time anxiety issues. (not like to carry over into sleeping time.) i've since switched to extended release xaxax as i had odd effects from klonopin, but i think klonopin is a good med. just be careful about how often you use your klonopin, and remember that if you decide to stop taking it, to work with your doctor on tapering you off of it so that you don't get nasty ass withdrawl problems. good luck with your new med. Edited to add: i've found that by not using a benzo every day (which ever one it was) i've been able to maintain my same dosage and not develop tolerance. in my case, i don't take my xanax xl on weekends, for example. i know this is not feasable for everyone, but i have found it helpful for me. of course, if you have been taking it every day for an extended period of time, discuss this option with your doctor before attempting as suddenly missing a day will most likely cause withdrawl symptoms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breeze Posted November 27, 2005 Share Posted November 27, 2005 Just do what you NEED to do, and keep in mind the slight addiction factor. Well this usually doesn't go over well with p-doc's. They are very careful about what they give out, and how much they allow you per day. There isn't a slight addiction factor - there is a pretty high addiction factor and this is why they don't like to give it to you to suit you - because you will start needing more and more. This is why the half pills work great. 1) because if you want to cut back, it is much easier to miss half a dose than a whole one, and 2) you won't be needing so many a day. I have done this every which way. The easy way, the hard way ( NO fun) and the right way. Be careful, listen to your body, and make sure you are doing other things in your life to combat the anxiety, not just klonopin. Breeze Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bohemian Posted November 28, 2005 Share Posted November 28, 2005 *shrug* I still have to take Klonopin on a TID basis. Best, Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibba Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 I am prescribed 3 1mg tablets a day. I find that I'm most anxious in the morning and as the day goes by I realize the day isn't that bad (usually) and I start to calm down so I take all 3 1mg pills in the am. Since it has such a long half life this seems to work good for me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggie693 Posted November 29, 2005 Share Posted November 29, 2005 Hi, I've succeeded in exchanging my xanax for klonopin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lei Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 Klonopin is supposed to last for upt to 12 HOURS. I only take one .5 mg to get to sleep. I used to take up to 5 pills per day to try & control seizures but it didnt work as a seizure med. As an anxiety med I found it covers me all day (.5mg) in comparison to other ones that I have tried that have worn off in 4 hours. If you use it everyday you will start to need more & more of it to get the same effect and the withdrawals (cold turkey, which I did by mistake) can be hell for a few days. I found it helps as a sleep aid (every night(.5mg) for 2-3 yrs) so you dont worry & rethink the day when your trying to sleep and as an ocasional stress aid during the day if some event and/or peron is going to bug you that day. It just takes that edge off. hi maggie, i see this is your first post, welcome. please be aware that your mileage and experience of a med may vary greatly from that of others. and in fact, compared to me and most other sufferers of extreme anxiety to whom i've spoken, and according to my good doctors, it does. aloha. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBF Posted November 30, 2005 Author Share Posted November 30, 2005 what I've started doing is taking 0.25 doses. I split my first 0.5 in half and take half when I get up and half at noon. I then take the other 0.5 whole after work. This way, it gives me more or less full daytime coverage. And 0.25 works, its not as sedating either and its a good idea to take that dose in the morning. Anyway I already find it better than the xanax. Last longer. PBF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheismistaken Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 I'm prescribed 0.5 mg Klonopin bid as well. I am finding that my anxiety level is starting to break through around 4 or 5 pm. My pdoc upped my Seroquel from 50 mg qhs to 100 mg qhs and said that should cover my anxiety but it doesn't. So either I have developed a tolerance to the Klonopin or the 0.5 just isn't handling my anxiety anymore. best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaloGirl66 Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 i so needed this topic right now - thanks guys and gals! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Posted December 2, 2005 Share Posted December 2, 2005 I'm prescribed klonopin .5 PRN, up to every 4-6 hours. I have never taken it more than twice during the daytime, usually once or none, and take it every night at bedtime. Tommy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
berelain326 Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 Wow- clonazepam is really supposed to last that long? I feel like mine wears off after a couple of hours. Is it because of the dosage amount? I take .25mg of it about three or four times a day, depending on how much crap and bs is going on. I'm supposed to take .25mg twice a day and one at bedtime (I have insomnia). But I stopped doing that, and just take a half of one and an ambien (and sometimes I even split those up into 5mg as well). But I really do enjoy the calming factor that the clonezepam gives me. Makes me realize I'm being irrational, or shitty for no reason and I need to just breath and chill out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lei Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 i've gathered that .25 is generally considered a very small dosage. of course if you can made do with it, that's great everyone's mileage varies but i wouldn't be surprised if you felt it wear off that quickly. .5mg never lasted me more than six hours (towards the end it may have been more like 4 or 5) and i'm a lightweight. i've never heard of anyone feeling it last for 12. Makes me realize I'm being irrational, or shitty for no reason and I need to just breath and chill out. well said. benzos can really help many of us. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 i found that when i was taking 1mg 3x a day that it did nothing. i switched to ativan. it pooped out on me. now i'm back at klonopin, and my doctor prescribed me 2mg, one in the morning, one at night. i feel a lot better on the higher dose. perhaps you guys that are having trouble are having the same problems i had? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippolyta Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 I don't know if this will help you PBF, but I seem to be having the same experience as Min and berelain326; I used to use Lorazapam and was quite comfy with it (used it off & on for ~15yrs, had no addiction issues with it, etc.) Current pdoc prescribed me Klonopin (when anxiety & depression cropped up again), .5 mg 3 xs a day; this was not good for me (felt totally high, which isn't always a bad thing but hard to do anything if high allday). Also, i feel as if it doesn't handle anxiety as well as did the Loraz (of which I used, at most, 1 .5 mg pill a day). Anyway, I only use the K on an as needed basis and I feel it doesn't last nearly as long as the literature claims (in fact I am having a panic stricken afternoon {doesn't help that the Steeler's lost!} and trying to maintain myself w/o the Klonopin cuz I took 1/2 of one two hrs. ago and it seems too early to take another. Naturally, this is just adding to my anxiety. I feel like such a puss! This really sux but good luck with the K. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HyperInHell Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 I take 1 or 2 .5's in the morning. The rest of the day I take them as needed. What I don't wanna do is take more than 4 a day. I try to keep it at 3, which is what my doc perscribed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianca Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 When I take .5mg at night I pass out within 1.5 hours. Would this make me pass out if I took it in the am? Also here's my schedule I'd like some insight... I take .5mg at night and it really helps me sleep. Woke up at 6:30 and took .25mg, Its been 5.5 hours and I'm not sure if I should take another .25mg dose. How do you know when you need more??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovyone Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 When I take .5mg at night I pass out within 1.5 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianca Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 He didn't it was my GP, it just said take a rx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovyone Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 He didn't it was my GP, it just said take a rx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianca Posted December 12, 2005 Share Posted December 12, 2005 No he sure didn't but I'm sensible enough to decide what to do. I see my pdoc next week anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovyone Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 No he sure didn't but I'm sensible enough to decide what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianca Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Thanks Karen for looking out for me. I will keep you posted on what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groovyone Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Thanks Karen for looking out for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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