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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Colleen D. on May 21, 2006, at 21:37:24
Whenever I take Klonopin during the day, I end up falling asleep sitting up where ever I am. The highest dosage I've taken during the day is .5mg. I think this is really strange because I have to take SOMETHING for sleep every night and my choice med right now is doxepin 25 to 50mg. I've been taking it for over two years.
I'm seriously thinking I may have a sleep disorder of some sort. The doxepin works very well, but when I'm anxious about someting that happened during the day (especially at work) and thinking about the upcoming day when I go to bed, I can take 50mg of doxepin and 1mg of Klonopin and then I toss and turn all night long.
What is up with me? I also take 20mg Lexapro at night. Maybe I should take the Lexapro in the morning? Or maybe I should ask for something else to replace the doxepin that would really "knock me out" and stop the ruminations?
I fell asleep twice today. Once in the early afternoon and once again after supper. I took .5mg of Klonopin about noon because I was hosting a social event (these always make me anxious to some extent, but today it was my daughter's 4th birthday party.) As soon as the crowd was gone...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
I feel exhausted most of the time and I don't know what to do. By the end of the work week, I want crawl into bed as soon as I get home on Thursday and sleep through the weekend, which is impossible because I'm a single mom with 3 children.
Does anyone have suggestions or comments? I have toyed around with the idea of quitting a good paying job that I love, because I can't seem to get it together enough to be good and alert through a 24-hour work week. I can't imagine going up to 30 or 40 hours per week which is what my company wants me do do in the fall.
And to top this all off, I'm making too much money to still get any assistance. I've lost my food and rent assistance, and the next thing to come under the axe will be by child care assistance, and then I literally won't be able to afford to go to work.
Life stinks when you have to struggle so much! Effexor gave me so much energy for two years. I miss that feeling soooo much!
Thanks in advance for anything you might have to offer.
Colleen
MDD, OCD, GAD and SP
Posted by Phillipa on May 21, 2006, at 21:52:47
In reply to Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by Colleen D. on May 21, 2006, at 21:37:24
Colleen why did you go off the effexor since it worked so well for you did it poop out? Love Phillipa
Posted by Glydin on May 22, 2006, at 11:44:22
In reply to Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by Colleen D. on May 21, 2006, at 21:37:24
Hi Colleen,
Klonopin had a tendency to make me drowsy and lethergic which improved with consistent use. Decreasing the dose helped somewhat. I was able to still maintain the anxiety control while being less sleepy. Now I use it rarely and it will make me sleepy.
Lex has worked great for anxiety and depression for me, as I know I've shared with you. It can tend, at times, to cause me drowsiness -- I posted about that earlier. Strangely, while Lex is not "stimulating" per se for me, I have more psych energy, motivation and drive but not really any more physical energy. BUT, I believe I have alot of factors that contribute to my lack of body energy and Lex is just a small part of that. I've never neceassarily every been a physical energy fireball - wish I was but I'm not hardwired that way.
Best to you,
Glydin
Posted by willyee on May 22, 2006, at 14:35:29
In reply to Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by Colleen D. on May 21, 2006, at 21:37:24
I believe modfanil is being recomended,its a light stimulant,hopefully your insurance covers it.
You wanna be careful on a stimulant,as u dont want to make the klonopin dose counter productive.
You also have over the counter herb GOTU KOLA,as well as silly as it sounds have u tried the red mountain dews and some gum?
Posted by BrianBoru on May 22, 2006, at 18:05:34
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by willyee on May 22, 2006, at 14:35:29
Definitely try the Lexapro in the morning. The SSRI drugs can cause agitation and anxiety and are not, generaly speaking, night-time drugs. I have given up personally on all SSRI's and now take 150mg of doxepin hs. Works like a charm !
Posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:20:01
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by BrianBoru on May 22, 2006, at 18:05:34
Wow! Doesn't the doxepin knock you out at that dosage? Pardon my ignorance...what's "hs."
Posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:21:24
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness... » Colleen D., posted by Phillipa on May 21, 2006, at 21:52:47
Yes; it pooped out. I think I was the most "normal" I've ever felt while on it.
Posted by Phillipa on May 22, 2006, at 21:23:03
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness... » BrianBoru, posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:20:01
HS means at bedtime. Love Phillipa
Posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:38:48
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness... » Colleen D., posted by Glydin on May 22, 2006, at 11:44:22
I can equate .5mg of Klonopin to a 2-beer effect. Maybe I am taking to much klonopin at 1.5mg per day max. And after reading another post below, I think it's worth a shot to switch my Lex to a.m. just to see if it makes a difference.
I have heard other people say they found Lex stimulating, but I don't for the most part either. My house is tidy but I'm not so hung up with my OCD tendencies while on it. This may sound crazy to someone unfamiliar with OCD, but I can now re-use towels and re-wear clothing without washing them, and there had been a rule in my head for so long that I couldn't ignore...wash, wash, wash. I really do think the Lex is helping me. And it's sexual side effects are non-existent.
Have you ever taken Zoloft? While I was on that I wanted to go to bed every night at or before 8 p.m. and it did it and still lost weight. That was BC (before children) of course!
Thanks again for the support.
Colleen (yawning)
Posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:46:31
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by willyee on May 22, 2006, at 14:35:29
I'm extremely sensitive to caffeine, so I avoid a lot of sugars and caffeine any later than 3pm. I need to find out more about modfanil. Can you tell me what its primary use it? Is it for ADHD or what? I think I would enjoy a stimulant if it didn't make me any more nervous and anxious and simply gave me more physical energy. I'm also going to start stationary cycling for 20 min. 3x a week to see if that helps. I better dig out some very motivating music!
Thanks,
Colleen
Posted by Glydin on May 22, 2006, at 22:19:46
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness... » Glydin, posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:38:48
> I can equate .5mg of Klonopin to a 2-beer effect. Maybe I am taking to much klonopin at 1.5mg per day max. And after reading another post below, I think it's worth a shot to switch my Lex to a.m. just to see if it makes a difference.
>~~~ My K maintance for a long while was .25 mgs twice a day and there were times I used .125 mgs as a dose (Klonopin dust). Some would argue "Why bother?" but that's what worked for me and I knew when I didn't take it. I toyed with the idea of moving my dose time on Lex but I swear rocking this good boat over something that for me is more pesky that horribly impacting, I don't know --- I think I'm gonna keep things as they are.
> I have heard other people say they found Lex stimulating, but I don't for the most part either. My house is tidy but I'm not so hung up with my OCD tendencies while on it. This may sound crazy to someone unfamiliar with OCD, but I can now re-use towels and re-wear clothing without washing them, and there had been a rule in my head for so long that I couldn't ignore...wash, wash, wash. I really do think the Lex is helping me. And it's sexual side effects are non-existent.~~~ Colleen, that IS great!! I'm so glad it's working out as well as it is for you.
> Have you ever taken Zoloft?~~~ Yep, that ain't a pretty story for me. It spun me up like a top and I could not sleep. I lost about 12 lbs. in two weeks on it - I need that now but could ill afford it then.... never ALL works out right does it? We all have different experiences with all this stuff.
>While I was on that I wanted to go to bed every night at or before 8 p.m. and it did it and still lost weight. That was BC (before children) of course!
~~~ Speaking of, I was thinking of you and your situation. You have every reason to be one tired sleepy Mom not counting any outside chemical contributions. I know you have concerns with your meds causing your sleepiness but Lawdy dear, do you think being a single Mom of three, working outside the home and all that comes with ALL that might be contributing? (smile)
I'm at a very different place in life than you but raising my one with a partner still had my rear end dragging for years. I think that's why I am really enjoying my lazy ways these days. I don't care for lethergy that isn't a choice but when I chose to be lazy, I like it!!
Take care of you. I'm glad to hear about you.
>Thanks for the support.
~~~ Always!!!
Glydin
Posted by Glydin on May 22, 2006, at 22:22:29
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness... » willyee, posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:46:31
Brain F*rt occurred with clicking in the name of previous poster like I meant to.
Posted by antigua on May 23, 2006, at 8:33:12
In reply to Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by Colleen D. on May 21, 2006, at 21:37:24
I've been taking .25 klonopin w/my cymbalta for months now and like you, I was so sleepy in the afternoon--I HAD to take a nap. I had no choice. I've decided to eliminate the klonopin in the morning and see how that goes. Day two. Yesterday I was a house afire, no nap, and exhausted by the end of the day, but I couldn't sleep w/o .5 klonopin. So I don't know if it's worth it.
I know things are tough for you, but you have come so very, very far since you first started posting. Give yourself some credit. I have 3 kids and my husband travels a lot, so I can't imagine doing it ALL the time.
good luck,
antigua
Posted by BrianBoru on May 23, 2006, at 10:48:33
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness... » BrianBoru, posted by Colleen D. on May 22, 2006, at 21:20:01
For a guy who is 6' 1" and 260 lbs. 150 mg is no big deal. It's an appropriate therapeutic dose. I have taken as much as 300 mg. No, it doesn't knock me out. Not much does. It does make me relax enough to sleep well. HS means hora somni - at bedtime.
Posted by Greif on May 24, 2006, at 22:34:46
In reply to Re: Klonopin and daytime drowsiness..., posted by BrianBoru on May 23, 2006, at 10:48:33
I take 1.5 mg of K at 10PM. Take Lex in the AM. Then I take another .25 K twice daily. It takes a few weaks for the sedation to lift during the day. Considering the half life of K you can take it all in the evening and It will last throughout the whole next day. If I take 2 at night I am a bit too sedated in the am but the Lex and Caffiene kick in. I feel no anxiety. I ahve tried the other short acting benzos and prefer K. Teh first few weeks I was on 1.5 and I could barely keep my eyes open. This has long passed. You can read many posters on remedyfind.com. An Epeleptic may take up to 20mg daily to prevent seizures. Your body willl adjust but you need to be consistant with the time of day you take it. I ahve never felt the need to increase my dose. Without it the Lex is too hard to tolerate. You need to work with the combo very slowly and make adhjustments. The theraputic dose for GAD is 2-3 MG daily. If you dont have Chronic anxiety then PRN is better or try shorter acting benzox PRN. Zanax will not make you tired. Good luck
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