Scared To Try Klonopin. (Page 2)

I just got prescribed Klonopin, which I was on when I was 13 (now almost 23), but ever since having my Son, all the medications that I used to take no longer work. I have a severe panic disorder, along with agorophobia. I don't ever leave my house, and I am constantly panicing. They have tried to put me on nortripilyn, but I haven't been able to get myself to take it yet... So we are trying Klonopin 1mg to see if it will calm me enough where I can start on an antidepresant and get back in psycho therapy. But, I am terrified of the side effects. I'm scared that it will make me feel drugged, or make me sick to my stomach! Can someone please tell me the chances of this happening?

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What? Coke has no physical side affects.The doctor is stupid for telling you that..It messes with the mind more then anything...You have no physical withdrawal symptoms of Coke.

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Klonopin (clonazepam) is not a poison and it's not "hell" to stop using it. Klonopin is a very useful drug (with abuse potential) used to treat seizure disorders and certain anxiety disorders. It's very simple to stop using Klonopin - gradual dosage reduction is the key. There are too many "Benzo-Phobes" who publicize their personal experiences with benzodiazepines but leave out key parts of their stories (like "I increased the dose to three times what my doctor said, but didn't tell her" or "I just stopped taking it without consulting my doctor"). Klonopin is actually considered to be among the least "abusable" benzodiazepines because it is absorbed very slowly (no "buzz" or rush since it takes 1-4 hours to peak in the bloodstream) and produces little (VERY little if any) euphoria. A Klonopin "high" is not really a truism; using Klonopin to feel high will make you tired and sleepy, but not euphoric or intoxicated. If someone thinks that feeling tired is being "high", save a trip to the doctor or the drug dealer and go to the pharmacy and get some Benadryl.

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I have been getting tapered off kalotopins for almost seven months now. I started at two milligrams a day once in the a.m. and once in the p.m. now I'm down to .25 mgs every other day and yes at first it was terrible. It felt like coming off of opiates but different and prolonged so worse. I agree, unless you get on a short term script or as needed script your best bet is to not bother. It looses its effect and is addictive for most so not worth it especially if you have any kind of addictive tendencies or past. Good luck anxiety can be treated through d.b.t. therapy and non addictive meds or as I suggested taking benzodiazepines only as needed or for a short period.

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Kind of funny you mentioned your symptoms because these are the exact same symptoms I experienced before I started taking Klonopin. It has worked for me and has even helped ease my stomach knots.

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For depression and anxiety my doctor proscribed an anti depressant (celexa generic) . Originally she proscribed klonopin generic (a benzo) but after researching I asked for something else so she proscribed .5 as needed. .5 didn't do anything so I had to take 1mg and I took it occasionally when I could not sleep at night. For me the generic takes about 2 hrs to work but it does help me sleep. I was eventually proscribed ambien (now the generic) and I ended up taking it now about 8 yrs straight. I was hospitalized in March last year with serious physical problems which I won't go into, but the hospital took me (suddenly) offf the antidepressant. They wouldn't listen to me when I said it should be tapered, just refused to give it to me.

All this time prior to all this I had been taking lithium for years due to a diagnosis of bipolar. The lithium did help me alot because I was actually non functional. I just retreated into bed and wouldn't do anything. It was weird. I was in and out of hospitals, no other med really helped much. When they put me on lithium, I got well enough to function, drive, etc. I never actually got all the way better because I still had problems holding jobs and still had lots of depression. I went on disability and am still on it. I think the celexa helped a little with the undiagnosed panic attacks. I'm not sure if they would be properly diagnosed panic attacks but I would become so afraid while in a car if someone else was driving (especially in heavy horrible traffic with tailgaiting and other stuff going on) where obviously I'm not in control because I'm not driving, that I would talk to the driver and beg him to stop, pull off the road and a few times even screamed out loud. Of course this was after going through a number of car accidents. The celxa helped a bit with depression so I asked my doctor to raise my dose (I was on a low dose) and had a horrible reaction where I was having what were like little tiny seizure motions in my mouth only, (like my mouth would twitch uncontrollably like it was being pulled to one side) and some other bad reactions, so I went back down to the lower dose and was fine. In the hospital they had to reduce the lithium to only one 300 mg per day because my kidney was damaged in the incident.

I'm still only on one lit 300 mg per day. One time I tried to go off the lithium and ended up totally out of it and in a state hospital. I'm doing OK thank God even though the dose is actually below a theraputic dose. My kidney is doing much better but they are still watching it. They offered me a newer drug but it has a fatal side effect and I was afraid to try it (starts with L, they use it for bipolar although I think its main use is something else, the fatal side effect is a rash that can be fatal). Another think they did in the hospital is, along with other new meds for the physical problems, they proscribed the klonopin now to be daily. I did not want to take it daily, I kind of kick myself now as I should have stopped taking it daily either in hospital or when I got out...I was in hosp for a week....at that point probably wasn't addictive................but the drug does help and I was so stressed out in hospital with no insurance and trying to get insurance and
all the nightmare of it that I just took what they told me to take. Now it's been a 14 months since got out of hospital. I do have health ins now, thank God. So now I'm taking still the ambien, have been advised by several doctors to just stop it and that nothing bad ever happens to those who stop it. However I have read it would be smarter to taper it off gradually. I am also taking one 300 mg of lithium and 1 mg of klonopin daily, which is divided into two tabs of .5 each.

The psychiatrist who handles the lithium, klonopin and ambien is ok with me wanting to eventually get off the klonopin, not because it's a bad drug or unhelpful but because I don't want to be addicted or dependent on it. I have been tapering very slowly by cutting one of the .5 pills in half with a pill cutter, than cutting that half into fourths and not taking the tiny fourth part.

This has worked OK. I have experienced very vivid dreams, nightmares and there are some nights (rarely now) where I cannot sleep at all. I usually fall asleep around 1 or 2am, sometimes even later and then sleep about 8 to 10 hrs through. I don't work so I can get away with this but of course it isn't ideal. At times I will wake up every few hours despite the meds and last night I couldn't sleep so took the extra part of the klonopin I normally don't take, fell asleep after a hot shower around 5am and was wakened by family so really did not sleep last night. With ambien you are SUPPOSED to sleep at least 7 hrs straight and if you don't it can increase your risk of ambien side effects. It's hard when there are other family members who really do not understand. I can sleep all day if I really have to.
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Point: I think it's good to research and try to be as objective as you can. I think that the medical professions in general don't seem educated or caught up on some of the potential (I say potential because medications don't bother everyone...this is an individualized issue) of side effects or withdrawal and dependency possibilities.

Anyone who is proscribed an antidepressant or a beno, in my opinion should first do some serious research, pray if you believe in prayer and God and think about what is best for you.

On the other hand, not all medications are totally evil and not all doctors are just in int for the money. But there are doctors whose primary motivation is for money and the drug companies do pay or give out perks to MDs and psychiatrists for prescribing their drug. Also the company that profits from the drug is usually the same one who runs the research and the research can be biased and incomplete. For a negative portrayal of this issue, go to you tube and watch the videos up there about psychpharmacy and "the truth about psychiatry". I will try to find the links and post them.

There are many sides to this issue.

Some people are helped by meds and need them. Doctors of course don't know everything and they usually have to try things on people to see if they work.

I don't know too many people personally who were helped by an anti depressant. There may be many out there, I don't know. I don't think they really know if or how they work but if some people are helped, that's fine with me. However antidepressants also make some people suicidal and/or violent.

Klonopin you have to be careful with due to its (as far as I know, this is based on research) highly addictive nature. However there are people who can go off klonopin without any side effects or symptoms. And there are many many people who get severe symptoms in withdrawal. Even the AMA or its equivalent with this type of drug now admits this and has a name for this: Protracted Withdrawal Syndrome, or something similar. I cant remember the exact term. Not everyone gets this but a lot of people do.

So I would say klonopin in itself is a pretty good drug. It can help you sleep but it takes at least for me 2 hours so take it ahead of time. Take as little as you can as you need and I would still recommend IF POSSIBLE to only take it on occasion rather than daily. It still works on occasion, at least for me it did, you don't have to be on it daily for it to work.

If you need a med, or need it daily I would not feel bad just try to protect yourself with info and if possible taper it off slowly.

Most doctors and drug rehab places will tell you to taper fast and that may be fine for some people but most people to avoid any withdrawal symptoms with klonopin will need to taper very slowly.

There is a free book/program on the internet called The Road Back and they also recommend certain nutritional supplements which can help the withdrawal from various drugs.

If you are on other meds for other issues you may NOT be wise to take any nutritional supplements. Discuss this with your healthperson or doctor because in some cases it can be dangerous or harmful to take nutritional supplements. If you are generally healthy and not on other meds it would usually be OK to go with nutritional supplements.

The point here is that each individual is unique. One person's experience is valid and we can learn from it, but people do not react the same to the same drug.

Drugs are like fire. We don't always know what we are playing with or what we are getting into.

The medical field does not know everything. That doesn't mean they are necessarily totally evil or wrong, but even when a doctor is sincerely trying to help you they are coming from what they were taught.

The truth is that we do not know all the side effects of drugs, even drugs sthat are not psychiatric in nature. Some drugs ARE addictive either psychologically or physically. Some have horrible side effects. And some may help some people.

So do some thorough research. Dont naively assume that if a doctor proscribes something, it will be safe. Talk to a pharmacist, ask questions, research the pros and cons.

Try to take the smallest dose that still helps you and if a drug isn't working for you, try to get off it as soon as you can but you may need to taper it slowly.

I am personally now skeptical of antidepressants. I'm not saying they don't help anyone because I don't know that. However I'm not sure there is much proof that they work or help anyone. If they do I apologize.

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Hello. I've taken klonopin and ativan on and off for several years. Yes, after taking any benzo for more than a few weeks your body does become dependent. When I want off, I slowly and carefully titrate down. It has never been an issue. The only "issue" for me has been reading terrifying posts from people who say they would rather die, that it's a nightmare, impossible, worse than H. Every body is different and for some I suppose these horror stories are sadly, true. They are NOT the norm, however. Reading these types of posts and worrying about what would happen to me was WAAAY worse than the actual experience has ever been. These are miracle drugs in my opinion, and as critical to some anxiety sufferers as insulin is to a diabetic. Take it as prescribed, let it do its job, and move on with life. It took me a VERY long time to come to this conclusion, but I did and now it is a non issue. I hope you find peace in your life.

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Hey I being going through alot in life but follow your doctor advice nobody can feel anybody else pain and everybody meds work different for them but a pain attack is not fun and it is scary and stop reading everybody horror story and focus on you and getting yourself together my friends was reading your story stick with your doctor find one that care about their client and is there to help hope this help

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Quick comment on the "free on-line" book entitled, "The Road Back". This book is an infomercial for untested "nutraceuticals" (a word coined suggesting some food items act as pharmaceuticals.." Log on and read the "protocols" for withdrawal from psychoactive medications. The person takes x # of Tablet 1 10 times a day for x days, then moves on to Tablet 2, repeats it, etc. The author isn't as altruistic as he seems. He's providing a fee book, right? True ... but it's a book that requires spending thousands of dollars on "nutraceuticals" that have not been evaluated for safety or effectiveness. And who do you buy the "nutraceuticals' from? Why surprise surprise: It's the same doctor who "gives us the book for free". People, one word: THINK....

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I have the same problem. I have horrible anxiety or actually taking the anxiety meds. See if you can cut the pill in a small dosage. Check with pharmacy. Then just take a tiny bit so you know you are ok. Then you can slowly add until you are at recommended dosage. This worked for me and now I feel safe taking them. I know how bad anxiety sucks. I wish you the best. Positive thoughts always.

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I have been on Klonopin since I was 21 and I am now 41 years old. The side effects are nothing compared to the relief of not hearing all the anxiety talk that comes up in our heads when we are about to venture out and socialize. It made me sleepy a little after the first couple of weeks. So I will say take one and then give yourself 2 hrs to relax or take a nap before trying to run errands. As time went on, it is now something that I cannot go without. Not because I am addicted (I have been without it many months and stopped suddenly many times over 20 yrs.) I just know it works. I take 1mg 3 times a day and I will not alter this unless forced to by law. Please, do not give up on any medication until you have been on it regularly for two months. Then you can have an honest opinion of what it is really like or how it is affecting your body. Please feel free to contact me any time. {edited for privacy}. I don't mind telling you Klonipin may have not worked in your teens because of hormones, but as years have gone on, this doesn't apply. The same thing happened to me that happened to you and it worked.

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You should NOT take them everyday. You can become addicted very quickly and long before you ever realize it. The withdrawal will take years of the worst unrelenting anxiety, insomnia, throwing up, and thoughts of suicide. Think of how bad things are before you took the pills and multiply that by 100 and thats how it will be when you stop taking them. Think about it.

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I was just wondering how things turned out for you.

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Anyone know a pain doc in RockHill sc for pain meds

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Addicted to prescription drugs. Only if u abuse it i take klonopin 5mg every 12hrs

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