How long does klonopin stay in your system?

[CeremonyNewOrder]

Anyone know? I take 2-4mg.

Edited October 7, 2014 by CeremonyNewOrder

[melissaw72]

Awhile.  When I was trying to wean off, I had to do it 0.25 mg every week until I was off of it.  And even then I'm pretty sure it is still in your system a little while longer.

 

The half-life is 30-40 hours (the amount of time it takes for 1/2 of the med to leave your system).

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=half+life+klonopin&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=sb

[CeremonyNewOrder]

Wow. Good to know. I just want to know for when I want a beer.

[jt07]

You need to give it about 5 half-lives to clear your system. Wikipedia lists the half-life as 18-50 hours. If we take an intermediat value say 24 hours, then it will take 5 days to clear your system. 

[Velvet Elvis]

You can try drinking on it, but start with maybe half a drink while you're at home with somebody to keep an eye on you.  Be really fucking careful.  A few sips won't kill you, but you might not enjoy it either.  

Other benzos are commonly mixed with booze as date rape drugs.  

[dragonfly23]

Well I don't know how to answer your initial question but have had experience mixing benzo's and alcohol.

First I am not condoning it, just saying that I have made that choice in bad times.

Xanax and alcohol mix the best, it's a doubling effect. I no longer take xanax as my PRN because I got very used to a xanax and martini or two and told on myself. So now I take Klonopin as my PRN. Initially i was too scared to drink, but we are talking me here so that did not last long. I would not take both together, left me a weepy drunk very quickly.

I have had succes on days that I took no Klonopin and in the evening have one or maybe two social drinks. But that's it, no magnifier effect. Over all alcohol messes with all my meds, so I am working on not drinking..............work inprogress

Edited October 7, 2014 by dragonfly23

[revolution724]

I used to take .5 mg of klonopin daily.  I went a day or two without if I wanted an alcoholic beverage.  That was a much lower dose than what you have, though.  Be careful.  Is it worth going without something that calms you down every day for that beer?  Is it worth the risk that you'll depress your CNS too much if you combine the two?

[crtclms]

I used to take .5 mg of klonopin daily.  I went a day or two without if I wanted an alcoholic beverage.  That was a much lower dose than what you have, though.  Be careful.  Is it worth going without something that calms you down every day for that beer?  Is it worth the risk that you'll depress your CNS too much if you combine the two?

That's a little excessive to stop your meds, which are such a low dosage, for two whole days for a drink. And since you are allowed, or allow yourself, to drink, it is odd that you would try to school someone else. Does your pdoc know you skip meds when you drink?

 

My suggestion to everyone is that the best idea if you want to find out if you can drink, is discussing it with your pdoc. I've been on 2-3mg of Xanax for years, and my pdocs have all been fine with my drinking occasionally. Even though Xanax is so strong and weird. I am a light drinker. I probably have 2 drinks on 2 days a month. On those days I nonetheless take my 2mg of Xanax, and might even take my 1mg PRN. It isn't instantaneous death.

 

But when my pdoc told not to drink on Geodon, since he was relaxed about my drinking otherwise, I didn't drink. When I came off the Geodon, I was allowed to drink again.

 

This is why this is really something to discuss with your individual pdoc. It depends on your meds, and pdocs often have differing opinions, anyway.

[Always_Question]

I understand the desire to drink to take the edge off, even when on klonopin, but I for sure avoid it after playing with that fire too often.  

 

When taking both klonopin and alcohol, aside from the immediate risk of suppressed respiration, I have noticed that I have had much worse hangovers when both are in my system, even after only a couple drinks.  Also, I noticed that alcohol messes with the effectiveness of the klonopin I take after drinking.  When I drank more frequently, I felt like I had to take more klonopin to bring my anxiety down, which is a bad thing. It quickly got out of control for me, and I found that using alcohol while on klonopin is not worth the risk.

[MEexpat]

jt07, I think you are correct that Klonopin leaves our system almost completely after 5 days, but the alteration it has done to our brain will last longer.

 

I wish somebody could give some ideas to deal with the alteration Klonopin did.

 

 

MEexpat

[Breen]

Half life depends on the indivdual. My guess would be to assume two days, which would put the time to clear the body at ten days.

After that you still have to get rid of the metabolites.

[crtclms]

jt07, I think you are correct that Klonopin leaves our system almost completely after 5 days, but the alteration it has done to our brain will last longer.

 

 

 

 

MEexpat

Do you have a peer reviewed paper to back that claim that benzos alter your brain after you complete titration off of it? If so, please link to it.

 

Because the evidence you cite is anecdotal, aka, not evidence.

Edited November 25, 2014 by crtclms

[carlossong]

My pdoc refused to give me klonopin and I'm on short acting ativan.

 

Reason said that klonopin doesn't work 24/7. Is this true?

 

Now I still suffer from anxiety cos ativan wears off quickly.

[melissaw72]

 

 

Reason said that klonopin doesn't work 24/7. Is this true?

 

 

 

IMO, it is more likely to if you take it on a regular basis, as opposed to as needed.  I find it to be more helpful to take it on a regular basis every day, than only as needed.

[San]

I'd like to see some articles about clonazepam causing long term damage like you've said. It sounds very anti-benzo and anti-psychiatry. "If you can't cite it, don't write it".

 

As for stopping it to have a drink, you're lowering your seizure threshold as well. It's important to take meds as prescribed. You shouldn't be getting trashed while on these meds, but a drink or two can be an option. I only have one or two drinks every few months, I don't dare drive after, and I find I sleep worse when drunk. I take clonazepam. My pdoc does know I have the occasional drink. 

 

Benzo's and alcohol work on the same receptors, they're CNS depressants (this doesn't make your mind depressed, just your central nervous system) and combined they can mess you up pretty bad. VE had a good comment. I never stop my meds after drinking, but then, I don't drink much.