Clonazepam

[Jojolulu]

Has anyone tried Clonazepam? If so, how are you taking it? Once a day or twice a day and how many mg. I want to talk to my Dr about it and talk him into letting me try it cuz I think he is a little sceptical about the dependency of it. I know about how bad the withdrawal can be but if it works I'll use it for long term with my antidepressants. Please no horror stories about it will make me anxious which I don't need right now 😁 thanks my friends!

[Isinatra]

Good luck! I’m NEVER going down that road again!❤️🏄‍♀️

[Icewall42]

Yup, was on it every day for about 4 months, in two separate instances. I was on low dose, I think it was 0.5mg once daily? I weaned off of it because it wasn't helping me much at that dose, and it gave me wicked headaches so upping the dose was out of the question.

Addiction is almost certain. Some people don't get it, which is great, but go in expecting that you will. It's not impossible to get off of--it's just not easy. And you don't want high doses long term unless absolutely necessary, because there is a risk of brain damage. But as with any of these meds, the dangers of withdrawal increase with increasing dose. So you take the absolute lowest effective dose possible.

Benzos are generally used for quick relief, so people can get a handle on their anxiety and work through it with other meds or therapy. Then they usually wean off, often once the SNRI/SSRI/TCA kicks in. They really aren't meant for long term use, which is to say, not for longer than 4 months.

[Jojolulu in reply to Icewall42]

Thank you for your response! I hope the headaches went away quickly! I think I will only take the lowest dose and see how it goes. I stated seeing a therapist but I don't think we are going to be a good match. I want someone that will help with digging in my brain to find out why the anxiety. I think that is the best medicine for me 😊 thank you !

[Icewall42 in reply to Jojolulu]

Go for it! And don't stop looking for a therapist until you find a good match. Sometimes it takes seeing a few people before you do, and don't feel bad if it's just not working out. They know that sometimes patient and therapist don't mesh. As for side effects, its different for everyone. Generally they do go away after a week or two for most people. I did notice less of a headache issue with Valium than with Klonopin, but it's almost certainly my own physiology.

[Hidden in reply to Icewall42]

Good morning. Yes I was on clonazApam for 22 years nightly. Was not told that it should be take only with anxiety. Sooo with that being said and without going into detail I with the help of no one I tapered myself off. Pure Hell. Did it help me. Yes. Am I a addict no. But the withdrawals were horrendous, and it took me 2 years. God Bless. Please be careful...only take PRN.

[Hidden]

I have a friend who has taken Ativan 3 times a day for over 20 years. I know it is different than clonazapem but it’s a benzo and since he is 63, he figures it’s quality of life versus quantity that matters.

[Jojolulu in reply to Hidden]

I agree! Thank you

[Fishlady42]

I've been on it since 1997..It helps but past for years I've had to go up because it was not helping other times as well but now I'm on the biggest daily dose ever been on 3mg a day ..

I am as well scared to get off it is rough if you even miss a dose ..

Not sure if it even does much anymore..since been on it so long back the the 90s they did benzos now not so much

Anyway. Good luck

[Jojolulu in reply to Fishlady42]

Is that dose working for you now?

[Shnookie]

Hi I’m Shnookie. I’ve been taking Clonazepam for about 10 years. I take a small dosage. Originally 1 mg and now my shrink has upped it to 2 because I had extra angst because I was on psychiatric disability last year. I take a small dosage.

It is extremely important to know that U can’t drive when U take this Med. I take it at least an hour b4 I decide to go to sleep.

There can be a drop of an afterlife with this Med. I would suggest taking a small dosage. This is a class 2 Med. I take

1 mg in the evening. I’m here 4 U

Hugs 🤗 Shnookie

[Jojolulu in reply to Shnookie]

Thank you Shnookie for the advice and saying your here for me! That means a lot to me!

[propjock]

I’ve had the good experience, .5 MG morning and .5 MG evening, or half that if I’ve had a good day. This along with low dose (75) venlafaxine XR has been helping me keep my brain in my head for a long time.

I was really wary too, for all the good reasons you give, but I guess my body doesn’t develop resistance to benzodiazepines. I haven’t needed a higher dose, and the occasional alprazolam if things really go sideways is still effective.

My peer support community seems to agree about only one thing regarding meds, and that is medically supervised experimentation, which can really be a drag with the modern S*RIs with their long ramp-up and ramp-down times.

I hope you get something that works well enough!

[Jojolulu in reply to propjock]

Great to hear!!!!!! Makes me feel so much better! Much better than the first response I received saying. "Good luck! I'm never going down that road again! ". Thank you!

[Isinatra in reply to Jojolulu]

Sorry about that. I regretted saying that as soon as I hit the reply button. I deserved the punishment.❤️🏄‍♀️

[Jojolulu in reply to Isinatra]

I understand. Its ok. I didnt mean to make it sound like i was punishing you. Im sorry for that. Its just something i didn't want to hear at that moment. It sounds like you had a bad experience and im sorry to hear that! Its so hard to try and find something that works for each individual person. Thank you for the apology! No harm done 😊

[Isinatra in reply to Jojolulu]

Thank you for being so nice. I’m still a work in progress.❤️🏄‍♀️

[DENVAL]

I started taking it a few weeks ago .5mg in conjunction with 100mg of Zoloft.Most of the time I break it in half to .25mg and take it once in the morning and just before bed, and it works just fine, and some days, I don't need it all. It's a very small dose, so withdrawal is no problem. Must better than the Xanax I was taking.

The Clonazepam lasts longer and is much less addictive.

[Jojolulu in reply to DENVAL]

Thank you for giving me Hope. The first response I got from writing this post was "good luck! I'm never going down that road again!" THANK YOU. I hope you keep doing well on it!

[Icewall42 in reply to DENVAL]

Agreed, Klonopin/Valium are easier to get off of than Xanax/Ativan. As with all meds, especially psychoactive ones, just have to be careful with withdrawal and go as slow as you need to (IF you need to taper off at any point). As I mentioned, it's doable with these drugs, and the lower the effective dose the better. I've actually heard that Paxil (paroxetine) withdrawal is worse than heroin withdrawal, and though I was on half the starting dose of that (10mg) I managed to get off of it after about 2-3 months? So not impossible, just potentially very uncomfortable.

And also, just to show how different everyone is, I was on Klonopin .25mg once daily and it still took me 1-2 months to taper off that because if I simply stopped it, I got withdrawal. So even a low dose like that can give you a hard time, but I've gotten off it twice before, so... it's all just taking things slow and cautious. And, above all else, make sure you're under supervision by your doctor at all times!

[Southbound]

I've bounced back and forth between Clorazepam and Lorazepam for years. Neither has ever done me any good. But then again, every medication which I have taken for the past 20 years has been completely useless as well. I just hate being alive. I honestly hope that I contract the Coronavirus and it puts me out of my misery.

[Jojolulu in reply to Southbound]

I am so, so sorry you are feeling that way! I really hope you dont mean that. I have never been a writer so my messages are always short. I know it sounds so cliche but you are not alone!

[Icewall42 in reply to Southbound]

Definitely not alone in that regard, I haven't had a good night's sleep in 20 years. I thought I left the depression behind after I got out of my teen hormonal years, but nope, a different flavor of depression along with sudden panic attacks, my first ever, struck out of nowhere 4 years ago. So it's been a struggle finding anything that helps me feel better again, and I've been to countless doctors and therapy. The panic put me in the ER twice, the Urgent Care thrice, and the Crisis Center twice. I'm on Lexapro 20mg and Valium 2.5mg right now, but I feel like that barely holds the panic at bay and does nothing for the depression or lingering agitation or insomnia. But still I try because what else is there? There's too much I want to do and see, so ending it just isn't an option for me. I don't think it should be yours either, because it's impossible to know if you really want it, or if the depression/anxiety is telling you that you want it. And there is a difference. I fight with ideation most days, and just have to keep telling it NO, I don't want that. I WANT better days, no matter what the depression tries to tell me. Depression and anxiety are very, very convincing liars.

[gotmilk]

I am on that , but I am trying to get off of them they are addictive,for me anyway.I suggest you try if you can to not get prescription,because they are not good for you