[ShaneSutherly]

What do you guys think about Klonopin? Is it effective? I know its a benzo, so the withdrawl will probably be bad, but I was on Ativan and didnt have a problem coming off of it. I have a doctors appt. tomorrow and I want to see what he thinks.

 

[[rula]]

it doesn't do anything for my DP. but i'm wondering, does anyone here take real klonopin, with the "k" scored on the tablet, or just the generic clonazepam? wonder if it makes a difference.

-ru

 

[pfpc]

Hi Shane,

Not to beat a dead horse (see my withdrawal post), but I am tapering off of 1.5-2 mg/daily by 0.125 mg every two weeks. I definitely see an increase in my anxiety level and DR, but it is not as bad as I thought it would be.

Having said that, I will add that Klonopin did help me enormously for a 2 month period, but soon the effects wore off. So in retrospect, I wish I had never taken it.

But there are people for whom it is beneficial, so it is a matter of weighing the pros and cons.

P.

 

[terri*]

I do take real klonopin with a K.

I have taken generic and noticed just a bit less of an effect while using generic. I noticed it with valium, also. It could easily be in my head...whatever, I think not.

I can say it has helped minimize my DR.

I can say I have been lucky and over the past maybe 3 years have never had to increase. My dosage is .5 in the a.m. and 1 mg at night.

I am not an advocate for or against the use of klonopin...very personal decision as it has caused many people various serious problems. I am sure I will suffer very much when I start to work on stopping this med.

Shane, to show you the difference in people's reactions to meds...Ativan kicked my butt, I cried straight for the 2 or 3 weeks I was on it. It also made my anxiety worse. When I came off it, the psych forgot to tell me how much zanax = how much Ativan and about 12 hours later I was in the throes of something like heroin withdrawal. I mean the down and dirty, nasty withdrawal stuff. I just thought I had finally gone over the edge. I put in a call to her and she was like, OMG, I forgot to tell you that you will need to take 20mgs ( or whatever) to equal the amount of Ativan that was in you system. Luckily she survived and so did I.

Klonopin...like marriage...is not to be entered into lightly. It can help and it can be addictive. A doubled edge sword at a time when you are looking for a for something solid. Do discusss it with your doctor and do give it some thought.

Wishing you and rula the best.
terri*

 

[Guest]

For me, doctors gave me Klonopin right after they diagnosed me with panic disorder, and they gave me 0,5 mg with Celexa. I asked for it, even if they told me it could be addictive. I was in a complete state of shock, and had insomnia.

It just helped me to sleep, and calm down. It never helped for my dp/dr, just calmed my most anxious fears. I know many people got cured by it, but maybe it's because I never upgraded my dosage, just stayed under 1 mg. It's supposed to help at 3 mg (approximately).

Anyway, I don't regret it because I know I was in complete panic and Celexa never helped for my anxiety. But, it's sure sometimes I wished they gave me Valium instead, because it's more easy to come off.

Now I want to upgrade Lamictal and I wish that it will be more easy to lower Klonopin. It's not only physical, it's psychological, addiction is something very psychological, we need it just in case, we need to take a litttle bit just because we feel panic will come, etc. :shock:

But I completely understand the need of immediate relief. Completely.

c xxx

 

[dakotajo]

If I were you I wouldnt get started with the Klonopin. It may seem beneficial in the beginning but eventually you will probably wish you never touched it. Keep in mind that Klonopin is one of the most potent benzos. It is twice as strong as Ativan.

 

[Diverticulitis]

I was on Clonazepam a couple of years ago. It didn't touch the DP and didn't seem to have an effect on the anxiety, although it has to be said that I'm extremely drug-resistant. I got up to 9mg a day and concluded it wasn't helping. As always, I thought the tapering off gently thing was for whimps - I'd gone cold turkey on all the many drugs I've tried in the past, with no (obvious) ill effects. Not this one. It took months of gradually halving and quartering the tablets, even taking shavings off them to reduce the dose by a small enough amount that it didn't kick off baaaad anxiety and depression.
I know that it works for some people, and weighed against the horrors of DP it's probably worth the risk if it's effective, but don't be fooled into thinking they're just another drug you can pick up and put down.
And don't get me started on mixing it with alcohol...

 

[hangingon77]

i thought i noticed the same thing terri...very interesting it is...the generic does not seem to be as strong