Hoosier_Student Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I've been on the medicine merry-go-round recently, and really looking for relief from anxiety and depression. I meet with my pdoc soon, and I'm wondering if taking a benzo such as Klonopin daily would help with anxiety. I'm prescribed with lorazepam prn, but I only take it in the evening because I notice that it makes me sleepy. Would a low dose of Klonopin have an effect on anxiety but not knock me out? Has anyone found it also helping with feelings of depression and lack of motivation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacelizard Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 Depends on the starting dose. I felt pretty sleep at 1mg, but 0.5 seems to do the trick and doesn't make me want to take a nap. Hell, sometimes I even cut it in half and use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I take 1-1.5mg klonopin daily. I take 0.5mg in the am, 0.5mg at night. It's long acting and helps with anxiety. I also take 20mg Lexapro for obsessive thoughts and anxiety as well. I find the klonopin helps with daily anxiety, much more than PRN lorazepam did, because with the lorazepam, I had to wait until I was already anxious to take it. Taking klonopin on a schedule, I don't have to wait for the anxiety to kick in to take something, I have a level built up in my blood stream that keeps the anxiety at bay. If you're worried about benzo use, Luvox is good for anxiety and obsessive thoughts. If you follow your doctors instructions, benzo use is perfectly safe. I've been on various benzos for 12 years and have no problems tapering on, lowering doses, etc. I used to take 2mg klonopin 3x's daily (a high dose for anxiety), now I just take 0.5mg 2 to 3 times daily. I rarely need the 3rd dose, which I would take in the late afternoon if needed, which I find I don't. I found the first few doses (I tapered from Xanax 3x's daily at 0.5mg) I was sleepy, but as you adjust to it, that goes away and you don't notice it as much, except a lack of anxiety. But be careful the first few weeks with things like driving, and definitely, if you drink, cut back on drinking because they can act on the same receptors and act on each other and make you very sensitive to both, resulting in black out drunkenness and that's pretty bad. An occasional drink isn't too harmful, just not when you first start it. Definitely talk to your pdoc if you do drink, and discuss all of your options with benzo use. They can answer all of your questions well. I hope this helps a bit. Klonopin is a long acting benzo and can help anxiety at lower doses, such as 0.25mg or 0.5mg. I find the low dose keeps my anxiety at bay unless I'm in an extremely nerve wracking situation, like going to the dentist. I'm a naturally anxious person, though, and sometimes you've just got to deal. CBT can help too (cognitive behavioural therapy) but sometimes you need meds before you can start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I've been on the medicine merry-go-round recently, and really looking for relief from anxiety and depression. I meet with my pdoc soon, and I'm wondering if taking a benzo such as Klonopin daily would help with anxiety. I'm prescribed with lorazepam prn, but I only take it in the evening because I notice that it makes me sleepy. Would a low dose of Klonopin have an effect on anxiety but not knock me out? Has anyone found it also helping with feelings of depression and lack of motivation? For me klonopin helps with anxiety and does not knock me out. I take it twice a day, AM and PM, so the level of it stays fairly stable in my system (klonopin is long-acting). I also take xanax for the breakthrough anxiety during the day (xanax is short-acting). If you've never taken klonopin before, then I would say it *might* make you sleepy at first, but when your body gets used to it, it won't. That is from my experience anyway. About it helping with feelings of depression and motivation, that doesn't seem to help one way or another for me. It lessens the anxiety so I have the motivation to leave my home, but otherwise I can't see a connection to it with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt07 Posted June 30, 2014 Share Posted June 30, 2014 I took 3 mg of klonipin (1 mg 3 x per day) for several years for anxiety. I didn't knock me out. However, if the lorazapam makes you sleepy, it is possible that Klonopin will have a similar effect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peacelizard Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Unless the dosage is adjusted to match for potency, wouldn't the Klonopin be more sedating since it's more powerful than Ativan even though Klonopin has a longer half-life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_Rising Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Check out this chart for dose equivalancies. IME, klonopin is more sedating than ativan but YMMV. I've been taking 2 mg of klonopin a day for several years. I have switched back and forth between xanax and klonopin and found klonopin to more effective, especially over the long term. It is sedating, but I think your body adjusts fairly quickly. I am able to take .5 mg twice a day without sleepiness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooster Posted July 4, 2014 Share Posted July 4, 2014 I transitioned from 6mg plus up to 2x1mg prn of lorazepam to 2mg of klonipin. It helped me get better coverage for my anxiety round the clock. Then I was able to slow taper off of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnxietyGirl74 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I had a prescription to take my Klonopin twice a day, which I haven't been doing. I've been taking it once during the week and not taking any on the weekend. Met with a new psych today who wants me to take it twice a day. Taking her advice this time. Panic attacks and anxiety are not fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLuke Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have used klonopin for about 3 years. My doctor gave it to me to help with sleep which has always been a struggle. It helps. I take 1.5 mg. and am allowed up to 2 mg. I recently came off of paroxetine because it stopped working after 10 years. I tried Brintellix but found it made me very anxious and the side effects didn't seem dissipate with time. I switched to Celexa and I am in that "loading phase" where I get all the side effects with little relief. A question...can I take more klonopin during the day for a week or two just to help smooth out the adjustment to Celexa? Does it work this way? Advice is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dianthus Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I have used klonopin for about 3 years. My doctor gave it to me to help with sleep which has always been a struggle. It helps. I take 1.5 mg. and am allowed up to 2 mg. I recently came off of paroxetine because it stopped working after 10 years. I tried Brintellix but found it made me very anxious and the side effects didn't seem dissipate with time. I switched to Celexa and I am in that "loading phase" where I get all the side effects with little relief. A question...can I take more klonopin during the day for a week or two just to help smooth out the adjustment to Celexa? Does it work this way? Advice is appreciated.It really depends on the side effects you're trying to treat with the additional klonopin.It's worth a call to your doctor-- my pdoc often has me increase my Ativan as needed when I'm switching or adding new meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melissaw72 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 When I go off of a med, my pdoc has me wean down off the med, and sometimes take a little extra benzo if I need to, to smooth the transition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyLuke Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 When I go off of a med, my pdoc has me wean down off the med, and sometimes take a little extra benzo if I need to, to smooth the transition. Thanks for the input Melissa. Helpful. I am trying to switch to Celexa with some difficulty A little extra help by way of extra benzo's seems like it might help. I have never had too difficult a time returning to baseline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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