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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Lainy on July 25, 2003, at 10:49:03
I'm currently on 3mg daily for anxiety and basic nervousness. I take all 3mg at once otherwise it doesn't work (I have tried and tried to take less of a dosage). I find that it is effective for approximately 6hours, at which time I could use another 3mg but instead I bear with the axiety and nervousness. Oh, BTW...I DON'T get a "high" from it. I'm also tapering off of Lexapro (Side Effects) and have begun Wellbutrin SR, 100mg 2x daily for 5days then up to 150mg 2x daily.
It's important to note that I have a naturally high tolerance to medications. OH, THE INEFFECTIVENESS AFTER 6 +/- hours is NOT due to tapering off of Lexapro, I KNOW my body.
IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN?
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 25, 2003, at 11:31:16
In reply to IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by Lainy on July 25, 2003, at 10:49:03
I've been on doses as high as 20mg/day, the maximum recommended dose by the FDA. I also have a naturally high tolerance to all depressant medications. For example, it takes at least 2,000mg of phenobarbital to help me sleep, and I've overdosed on benzodiazepines several times at insane doses (i.e. Xanax 180mg, Klonopin 90mg) without so much as even feeling sleepy. I have occasional insomnia, but nothing helps me with that... not Benadryl, Remeron, Elavil, trazodone, Halcion, Ambien, Restoril, valerian, kava... the only thing that does work is Xyrem.
Posted by Lainy on July 25, 2003, at 11:42:58
In reply to Re: IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 25, 2003, at 11:31:16
Could I ask why you were on the Klonopin and for how long? Did you work up to 20mg? Did it advenutally stop working for you? Do you know of anythig that may work better than Klonopin? My pdoc thinks 3mg at once is a big deal!
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 25, 2003, at 12:25:50
In reply to Re: IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN?? » Ame Sans Vie, posted by Lainy on July 25, 2003, at 11:42:58
> Could I ask why you were on the Klonopin and for how long?
I took it for social anxiety, panic disorder and agoraphobia for about three years.
>Did you work up to 20mg? Did it advenutally stop working for you?
I only tried 20mg for about a month, and it worked very well. That was after being on 16mg/day for a month, and 8mg/day for several months before that. It never stopped working for me. Unfortunately, when I had to change doctors, my new doctor was unwilling to prescribe anything above 4mg/day.
>Do you know of anythig that may work better than Klonopin? My pdoc thinks 3mg at once is a big deal!
Well, just a few days ago I switched from Klonopin to Xanax XR, which works better *for me*. YMMV. But of course, if your doctor is reluctant to even go any higher on the Klonopin dosage, then the likelihood that he or she will be willing to prescribe an adequate therapeutic dose of Xanax for you isn't too good.
Posted by matthhhh on July 25, 2003, at 12:55:26
In reply to Re: IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 25, 2003, at 12:25:50
Im just starting klonopin today- Has anyone develooped a tolerance to the drug?
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on July 25, 2003, at 13:15:51
In reply to Re: IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by matthhhh on July 25, 2003, at 12:55:26
Tolerance to benzodiazepines, even when used on a daily basis, is rare as long as the dose is adequate. It's common, for example, for a panic disorder patient to be on 6mg Xanax a day for 20 years, then develop a tiny bit of a tolerance and have to raise it another couple milligrams. Small increases in dose once in a blue moon due to tolerance are somewhat common.
Posted by jlo820 on July 25, 2003, at 15:55:09
In reply to IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by Lainy on July 25, 2003, at 10:49:03
I take 4 mg/day and it works great for me.
PL
Posted by River1924 on July 26, 2003, at 0:20:08
In reply to Re: IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by jlo820 on July 25, 2003, at 15:55:09
I just wanted to add that although klonipin should last for 24 hours....I don't really understant pharmacology or chemistry but it remains in the system for a long time. But for me, I have to take it every six hours or I feel anxiety creeping back. As for doseage, if your doctor won't raise the dose...don't take it all at once. Take one-half or one whole tablet every so often depending on when you need it most during the morning, afternoon, or evening. I take between 2 and 4 milligrams depending on the other meds I'm taking.
Posted by River1924 on July 26, 2003, at 0:34:03
In reply to IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by Lainy on July 25, 2003, at 10:49:03
Let us know if Wellbutrin increases your anxiety. It seems likely from my experience. Good Luck!
Posted by Viridis on July 26, 2003, at 0:56:12
In reply to Re: IS ANYONE ON MORE THAN 3MG DAILY OF KLONOPIN??, posted by matthhhh on July 25, 2003, at 12:55:26
For anxiety patients, the usual pattern is rapid development of tolerance to the side effects (drowsiness etc.), but not the anxiolytic effects, as long as you're at a dose that's adequate for you. As others have pointed out, many people take the same dose of a given benzo for long periods of time with great success.
My pdoc has many patients who have used the same dosages of Klonopin for anxiety for years, and never seem to require any dosage adjustment. The same dose has worked for me for two years, so I'll see how it goes.
This is the end of the thread.
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