[Guest]

Hi,

Except anti-benzo people (I adore you, but you HATE benzos! lol, no offense, sorry )

How many people here take a benzo like klonopin almost daily, and it helps a bit for DP/DR? How much dosage?

Just curious.

Cynthia xxx

 

[rob]

hi cynthia

i'm taking 4mg per day

the first few days were fantastic but it seems to be working less well for me as the days pass.

hope it works well for you

rob

 

[Dreamer]

6mg for a good many years -- didn't start working for me (by itself) for about a month at 8mg, then we pulled it back to 6mg -- below 6mg the DP/DR come back in full force. Also in combo w/Lamictal and an SSRI added about 5 years ago. Working fine for me. And for me, if it ain't broke I ain't going to try to fix it. None of my meds have every "pooped out on me."

Note, my case is unique as is everyone else here. This is not the combo for everyone. I also know as I get older... I'm pushing 46... I will need to decrease the Klonopin.

Also, my DP/DR started in childhood -- extremely dysfunctional family and constant anxiety/chaos/fear of abandonment from the get-go, and I've never had a rec drug save a tad of alcohol which as always made my DP worse, so I've never known the joys of being high or drunk. 8)

Wish I weren't on ANY med and didn't have this miserable illness. But this is my choice of action, as well as talk therapy, and some CBT.
Best,
Dreamer
:shock:

PS: edit
I don't see Klonopin as being a drug one takes "as needed" as the other benzos are. I have a regular regimine of 2mg, 3xday. If I miss a dose, I don't notice it, and I've a few times taken an extra one (2mg) and don't notice a difference. It has a long half-life (hangs in one's system longer) hence for me, I'm on a very stable dose.

An as-needed benzo would be Xanax, Ativan, Valium, etc. Tried those on a regular regimen years back. They did nothing for me. Like taking M&Ms -- we are all unique!

 

[Guest]

Just adding to Dreamer's post.

As a longtime valium user, I can tell you that NO benzo really should be used "as needed" if you've got dp symptoms. I am positive of this. That makes things worse, folks.

Take the same amount of the benzo every day (klono, valium, xanax alike). If you and doctor decide to change the dose, fine. But taking a little today and none tomorrow and then more next week and then none for a few days, then one the next day makes dp worse.

ANYthing that keeps the brain in a semi-withdrawal state will activate dissociation. If a brain gets 3 mg one day and then 7 mg a few days later, then none for a week or so, then 3 mg again....that'll do it, guys. You've just increased your ability to dissociate.

Litany over, grin...but I am positive about this.

Peace,
J

 

[pfpc]

I'm on 1.5 mg, but that's only because I've become dependent and I am in no state to tolerate withdrawal. It was great for the first 2 months (that was a year ago), drastically reducing DR and making me feel great, but now does nothing at all apart from remind me that I'll have some sort of battle to wage in the future.

By the by, there's a tolerance threshold with these drugs. 2 mg to 1.5 was no problem. 1.5 mg to 1 was a totally different kettle of fish.

Paolo

 

[Guest]

Ok, I am positive on this too. I take it daily anyway.

Thanks Janine

Cynthia xxx

 

[Guest]

By the way,

Klonopin seem to help me a bit for DR/DP and I take the same some since 1 year and a half. I will decrease one day, but I will wait that my SSRI will kick.

I know all the stuff about withdraw but I know me too, and the horrors of DP without any med. :twisted: I don't want to go back in the state I was before... trust me!

Thanks anyway for all your opinions.
Cynthia xxx

 

[Snowy]

Just adding to Dreamer's post.

As a longtime valium user, I can tell you that NO benzo really should be used "as needed" if you've got dp symptoms. I am positive of this. That makes things worse, folks.

Take the same amount of the benzo every day (klono, valium, xanax alike). If you and doctor decide to change the dose, fine. But taking a little today and none tomorrow and then more next week and then none for a few days, then one the next day makes dp worse.

ANYthing that keeps the brain in a semi-withdrawal state will activate dissociation. If a brain gets 3 mg one day and then 7 mg a few days later, then none for a week or so, then 3 mg again....that'll do it, guys. You've just increased your ability to dissociate.

Litany over, grin...but I am positive about this.

Peace,
J

hi Janine,
I take klonopin about once every month when i really need it...sometimes not even that...sometimes i won't take it for 3 or 4 months....and i only take the one.
Is this bad for ur dp too?

Snowy

 

[Guest]

1 mg a day

hasn't stopped DP/DR or whatever, but it has reduced physical anxiety.

 

[gimpy34]

I took it for two and a half years, but have now been off of it for two weeks now. I have mixed opinions of it. Since I started taking it, my DP has become considerably worse. There is a lot that goes into that, though: being on other wrong medications, continuing to abuse drugs and alcohol. Mixing a lot of alcohol with klonopin is doing double duty on your DP. It also prevents medications from working as well as they should. So, I have quit drinking.

The good-I can say I never built up a tolerance to it. It worked great for my panic disorder and anxiety. It didn't help my DP but helped me manage it.
The bad-it made me tired and fatigued, disrupted my cognitive abilities some. It can also depress you, but I wonder if any of these side effects would have been as much a factor if I had allowed my other medications to do their job.

Right now, I'm off of Klonopin and taking Remeron. The problem is that antidepressants have never been able to take care of my panic disorder and anxiety very well. I tried that for two years. I've come to learn that Wellbutrin is far and away the best med for my depression, drive, motivation, and concentration. Unfortunately, it's main side effects are agitation, and anxiety. I was never able to tolerate it until I found Klonopin.

So, I'm stuck at a crossroads. I'm going to spend some more time off of Klonopin. If things don't start getting better, I'm going to go back on Klonopin,but only a small dose.

 

[Guest]

Why would you ever want to be a slave to a drug? Thats inevitable with these pills. If you need to keep taking more and more to achieve the same effect then you are nothing but a slave to a chemical. Benzos are dope, meaning that tolerance is going to eventually happen with 90% of users. However, this dope is 100 x more powerful than say heroin or cocaine. With those drugs you can stop and go through hell for a week and then you'll be fine. Benzo withdrawal can lasts months or even years in extreme cases. For those on 2-6 mgs of high potency benzos, you are looking at 6 months to 2 years of withdrawal from this drug. Thats a scary thought.

Neal

 

[Guest]

Thanks Pure narcotic,

But maybe if it helps for anxiety at low doses, maybe it's not that poisoning as you say!

What is better? Living in hell without meds, not being able to live really and scared of being crazy, or living the best you can with med, that help you to reduce anxiety so you can think of what causes that, and allow Dp to go?

I DO think that if doctors prescribe benzo, they must see that extreme cases of anxiety needs it at some point. If benzos were that poisoning, they weren't on the market.

I wonder what you are doing for a living. Do you work? Do you have a social life? Do you have responsabilities? Are you afraid of going crazy?

Maybe you don't have extreme anxiety!!! But I truly think that DP/DR at the extream need med to cope until it goes away!!!!

No offense

Cynthia xxx

 

[jc]

if any med is going to help my suffering then im going to take it....the same goes with the people that tell me not to drink....if i feel shitty im gonna happily enjoy a four pack of beers,if im anxious in the mornings im going to pop a klonopin

 

[Guest]

Yeah cynthia, I do all of those things while experiencing debilitating withdrawawl from your miracle drug 24/7. I thought klonopin was my miracle drug too. It killed my anxiety for several months. Then one day the darn little pill stop working a.nd I had to take more to get any kind of effect. You see, having to take more to feel normal is called drug addiction. That is not healthy, that is destructive, that is being a slave to a pill.

Try withdrawaling from the pills Cynthia, you'll probably be wishing for your previous situation because the situation you'll be in will be 10 x worse. I am not trying to scare anyone, I am only telling the truth. I am very young, healthy, optimistic and even I have experienced the worst of the worst with these little shits.

 

[Guest]

hi

I understand your frustration. But I had DP/DR BEFORE going on pills. It was like going crazy. I felt so bad. So, those pills NEVER gave me DP/DR. Or made it worse. See, Paxil helps me for now. Without it I would be crying all day. AND ITS NOT BECAUSE I LOVE MEDS!!! It's a question of survival!!!!!

About benzo, I know you are anti-benzo. I respect that but please don,t try to scare anyone with it. We all know the 2 sides of the medal. But don't try to scare people who are seeking relief in a way like another.

I know people who went on benzo and withdraw after, without nothing. Anxiety is in you, maybe it's not the pills who gave it ALL to you.

So, this is MY opinion.

Cynthia

 

[Guest]

Dearest Coucouc,
Want a little free analysis? grin

I can tell you where part of your underlying anxiety comes from. You have an obsessive need to be understood. If folks are adamant about ANYthing (anti-benzo, or politics, or life issues, whatever the topic) there is just nothing you are ever going to be able to say that will make them more lenient.

All we can do is as the old saying goes "accept that which we cannot change, change what we can, and have the wisdom to know the difference."

But if instead we are DESPERATELY trying to get the other side to see OUR side, that tells us something very valuable about ourselves. We need consensus, or we need "approval" for having a different view. We might not feel "allowed" to have our own opinion. See that one?

We might think "look, I am tolerant. Others should be tolerant of ME." well, that's lovely, however that is not reality. Continuing to fight reality is often a "beginner" for dp.

I don't care if anybody disagrees with me. Can't change them, won't try.

It's always interesting to me to notice the folks who can't let go of trying to get their "opponant" to understand. It tells so much about where some of your rigid needs might be residing. It is not necessary to get other people to give us the "right" to think our own minds. See what I mean?

Peace,
Janine

p.s. that is NOT a criticism of you. I only mean it to be helpful and to maybe shine the light on some other areas for you!!

 

[Dreamer]

Forgot to say. The Klonopin didn't kick in for about a month ... 8mg... I had NO reaction to it. (My anxiety was that high and I was "used" to being chronically anxious. Thought it was "normal" as my mother told me).

My dream was to find something that touched the DP/DR.

Klonopin was the first drug that did that, even though I'd been on and off other benzos which literally were like sugar pills. And it took about 6 weeks at 8mg for me to feel a difference.

The symptoms I have always targeted in my search for relief, were DP/DR. Klonopin, then later Lamictal were the only two meds to give me a sense of the DP/DR lifting. A significant lift, that made life worth living again.

Again,
We are all unique
One man's meat is another man's poison.
Vive la difference!
etc., etc......
Best,
D :shock:

 

[Dreamer]

LOL, Cynthia, Janine's words of wisdom apply to me as well! I want MY story to be understood, but I never intend to push what helped me onto anyone else.

Ah, Janine, we were posting at the same time.
Bless ya.
:shock:
L, D

 

[Guest]

LOL...it's what I call "The Neurotic's Golden Rule"

"I do unto others as I want them to do unto me...and then if they DON'T do that back unto me, I'm outraged at reality and the universe I inhabit!"

grins,
J

 

[Guest]

Hi Janine,

You have absolutely right about that one. I always want opinions of others were like mine. I don't trust my opinion, I never trusted it, even with my mother. My mother is like me, she never trust herself. She always doubt. Like me. And if someone I think is intelligent has an adverse opinion than me, I think I may have wrong. I am like that with my boyfriend too.

I have no self-confidence. But I am angry when people don't have or is against my opinion. I get very angry inside. I don't show it, and I am gentle, until the day I crash and tell everything out loud and iwhen t's not appropriate. So I act like a kid. I think I am immature (lol)

Thanks for the opinions ))

I will stay with mine. I have to tolerate opponent (VERY hard because we are talking mental health, and I am SO afraid not to go in the right direction)

Cynthia xxx