Posted by Rick on April 21, 2004, at 1:02:41
In reply to Please!! Need Advice on Klonopin usage, posted by BRC on April 17, 2004, at 22:38:18
BRC - Been on Klonopin five years, starting at 2.5-3.0 mg/day, but tapering (with no problems whatsoever) to 1 mg/day after the first year. That's where I am today, and it's still a godsend for my social anxiety. At the current dose I have no side effects, other than a few welcome ones, believe it or not. The one exception is indeed some memory lapses, and perhaps also somewhat poorer distance judgment (e.g. I sometimes tend to end up following the car in front of me too closely and have to brake harder).
My pdoc has been prescribing Klonopin since it was introduced, and assures me it's highly unlikely that I'd ever have any problem tapering off it (not that I intend to!), as long as I stay at a daily dose of 3 mg or less.
To Chemist and others writing about Klonopin memory issues - As I said, Klonopin does casue memory deficits for me sometimes, although they are *usually* not a significant problem and are hugely outweighed by the benefits.
It's nice to note that there may be some renewed interest in benzos among pdocs, due to marketing efforts by two new on-patent benzo products: Xanax XR (Pfizer) and Klonopin Wafers (Solvay -- originators of now off-patent Luvox -- on license from Roche). In fact there is a supplement to the May Journal of Clinical Psychiatry all about revisiting benzos and their great effectiveness for many anxiety disorders. Several of the articles extol the virtues of Klonopin over other benzos (oh, did I mention the Journal supplement is based on a recent benzo symposium funded by an "unrestricted" ;) grant from Solvay)? Anyway, one of the articles, from the respected Massachusetts General Hospital, asserts that Klonopin causes the least memory impairment of any benzo due to its low lipid solubility. I was startled to see this bluntly stated as fact, without any study references. Other things they say (which they *do* cite references for): In chronic benzo use, tolerance tends to develop to the amnesic effects. And what memory effects *do* occur are primarily restricted to the 90 minutes immediately following dosing. Hmmm...I'm so grateful for my Klonopin, but I don't know 'bout those "facts"...
Regardless, even though I don't take Klonopin Wafers or Xanax XR, I'm sure glad they were introduced so that the some of the pharmaceutical companies would start studying and promoting this immensely useful class of meds instead of continuing to bad-mouth them to sell more of their on-patent SSRI's.
Rick
poster:Rick
thread:337299
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040417/msgs/338289.html