![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 17 of 17. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
Has anyone used Klonopin for anxiety for say - one year - and who was able to taper off w/o problems?
I can no longer take Adderall, and am having severe anxiety, and stuck w/taking xanax which I went from taking .25 every night for 2 months, to 3 or 4 a day in only a week. I'm not getting anything done though, because motivation and focus is gone again. I have to call the doctor tomorrow and start a new med.
I've been putting off calling my PDoc-I'm not sure what they will want to put me on at this point, and am procrastinating. I was thinking of giving Lexapro or Celexa a try, but am curious what the doctor would choose first. Only problem is, I'm not sure if I'll be able to see the doctor.
I mean, if I can't tolerate Wellbutrin, Zoloft, Prozac, and Effexor, and need something other than a benzo (xcept maybe Klonopin), what would an experienced doctor possibly prescribe next? Seroquel? What is the next course of treatment for anxiety for someone w/o depression/mood issues, aside from SSRIs or benzos? Would they want to give me a TCA if I have ADD? Or would they want to keep me on Adderall w/another drug for anxiety?
Posted by seldomseen on April 6, 2009, at 16:20:45
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
I take klonopin for anxiety. I find it to be very effective. I wouldn't expect the quick relief from anxiety that xanax can provide as klonopin is much slower and longer acting.
It is a very smooth "on" and a very smooth "off" for me. I take one in the morning and one at night and have no problems with rebound.
I have stopped klonopin for up to several weeks. I did experience some withdrawal symptoms, but it may have just been the anxiety coming back.
Seldom
Posted by HyperFocus on April 6, 2009, at 16:44:16
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
Did you isolate the Adderall as the cause of your panic attacks?
Posted by Garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 16:53:08
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety? » garnet71, posted by seldomseen on April 6, 2009, at 16:20:45
Seldomseen - how long have you been taking it and what dose did you start at?
I wonder if they would even still prescribe Adderall if I took Klonopin.
I just think Klonopin won't cause me major problems short term here while I try to get through school - rather than trying another SSRI or new class of drugs and going through all the trial and errors.
Hyperfocus - no I don't think its the Adderall I just think the Buspirone isn't sufficient for my anxiety levels and my anxiety seems to be more situational lately - stressors. For some reason, I can't handle much stress anymore. :(( I feel like I turned into such a weak person all of the sudden an its depressing. The Adderall does make it worse - the rebound affect after it wears off - and usually like 8 hrs after I take the dose - that is when anxiety symptoms emerge.
It makes it worse, but not the cause. I started getting panic attacks before I started taking it. Even if I took Dextroamphetamine, which would help w/that rebound affect, I think I would still be having anxiety. IT's been a problem on/off for years now. Thanks
Posted by Phillipa on April 6, 2009, at 17:11:02
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by Garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 16:53:08
Ive also taken klonopin at various times a poster here had me on 2mg split a day. Worked fine. But first time was on it pdoc was trying to crosstaper me from xanax to klonopin and that time it depressed me. Think it was cause xanax worked so well as .5 three times a day? Give it try? Love Phillipa
Posted by obsidian on April 6, 2009, at 20:57:26
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
I take it now, and I have taken it before, years ago and for more than a year
Now: I take .5 twice a day. It does help.
When I stopped taking it years ago I think I was on 1 milligram of it, went down to .5 then went straight on a low dose of seroquel and as I recall the withdrawal went smoothly.
I definitely have withdrawal symptoms if I miss it for a while, takes a day or so.
Posted by raisinb on April 6, 2009, at 21:17:23
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
Hi Garnet--
It definitely sounds like you need something else for your anxiety.I have not been on Klonopin, but I have a close friend who took it for almost a year, and quit cold turkey because she's trying to get pregnant. She's experiencing some anxiety symptoms, but has generally been ok.
Why are benzos not an option for you?
You might give Lexapro a shot. Crazy meds says that it gets rave reviews from people with panic or anxiety.
But if SSRIs are not the answer for you, then maybe you could think about trying Remeron. It's supposed to help anxiety and have an AD effect as well.
Posted by jedi on April 7, 2009, at 2:06:19
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
> Has anyone used Klonopin for anxiety for say - one year - and who was able to taper off w/o problems?
I've used clonazepam(Klonopin) for many years in doses of 2mg and higher. I recently took three months to taper off of 2mg. Clonazepam has been a good augmenter of Nardil for my treatment resistant atypical depression and social anxiety. However, I noticed that my memory problems were getting worse after years on the medication.
The taper was really no problem until about the last .5mg. I probably should have switched to a less powerful benzo that still has a long half life, such as diazepam(Valium). But after tapering to .25mg every other day for a week, I just quit. I did have some residual anxiety and insomnia for a couple of weeks, but these are getting better now.
I just hope my memory comes back. I'm 51, which is a little to young for senility.
Be Well.
Jedi
Posted by garnet71 on April 7, 2009, at 9:31:27
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
The memory problems, withdrawal, and depressive side effects of Klonopin concern me. On the other hand, taking the chance in being debilitated by an SSRI (possibly Paxil) again seems to be the other option at this point.
Still trying to decide...maybe I'll wait another day...thank you for all your comments. :-)
Posted by shasling on April 7, 2009, at 10:09:12
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
I dident get to read all of the posts in the thread,but i will say klonopin is best taken daily unlike xanax which is a quick acting benzo.
Klonopin is a bit more unique,cant rememeber the article but it spoke on how klonopin mediates glutamate transmission and serotonin etc,and is used also as a MOOD STABLIZER AS well as a anxiety agent and for psycothic states.
Posted by raisinb on April 7, 2009, at 11:20:42
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 7, 2009, at 9:31:27
If you're worried about withdrawal, I've heard the Paxil withdrawal can be as bad or worse than benzo withdrawal. Just a thought.
Posted by Garnet71 on April 7, 2009, at 12:41:53
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety? » garnet71, posted by raisinb on April 7, 2009, at 11:20:42
Oh-thanks-that's a good point - BUT I mistakenly said Paxil when I meant Lexapro!! Paxil is one I have already decided I would never take...too many drugs on my mind.
Posted by seldomseen on April 7, 2009, at 12:46:36
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by Garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 16:53:08
I've been on Klonopin now for 2 years. I take one mg a day (0.5 in the AM, 0.5 in the PM).
Posted by metric on April 7, 2009, at 17:23:54
In reply to Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 15:38:06
> Has anyone used Klonopin for anxiety for say - one year - and who was able to taper off w/o problems?
>I've taken clonazepam for more than a dozen years. I've stopped at least half a dozen times. (Nowadays, I usually just take a single dose at bedtime.)
The decision to use benzodiazepines long-term is one that should not be made lightly. However, dogmatic admonitions that benzos should only be used for a period of weeks aren't much help to individuals with severe chronic anxiety either.
You can avoid withdrawal by tapering slowly. In practice, the dose will need to be reduced more gradually than your doctor is likely to recommend. This can be accomplished by preparing an oral suspension at the desired dilution if you have trouble breaking up the tablets. Do not rush the process. Taper at your comfort level.
I assume you're aware of memory-impairing effects of benzos. You won't be able to subjectively determine the extent of cognitive or memory impairment either. Benzos are very weak anxiolytics (IME), so these are all things to keep in mind when balancing the risks and benefits.
It's safe to take both clonazepam and alprazolam, BTW. In such cases, the alprazolam is taken for "breakthrough" anxiety -- occassions in which a large dose of the long-acting agent would be undesirable.
This has been a protracted non-answer to your question.
Posted by garnet71 on April 7, 2009, at 18:57:49
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety? » garnet71, posted by metric on April 7, 2009, at 17:23:54
So if benzos cause memory loss - is the process of memory destruction similar to say, Alzheimer's. I mean, is it permanent?
I've already had lots of memory loss. I remember (haha-remember) in my teens and early 20s, I used to be able to memorize at least 3 dozen phone and fax numbers at work, long distance ones, with no effort. I was the phone book of the office and people would come to me all the time and I would just spit out the number w/o thinking...geez back in the days of Rolodexes..lol. Now, I have to think of my son's or close friends phone numbers and barely can remember just those.
I've taken Xanax and Ativan off/on over the past 8 years or so; have taken antidepresants too. Just wondering. It's odd, I can't remember vocabulary very well either. Only if there is context to connect it, though if I try really hard, like having to memorize things for school, I can create context/make it up to link with absolute type things. I never used to be like that, never had to try hard.
Posted by fuzz54 on April 7, 2009, at 20:27:23
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety?, posted by Garnet71 on April 6, 2009, at 16:53:08
I have taken Klonopin for anxiety for about 4 years at 2 to 3 mg per day. I would say that I developed tolerance after 2 years. I'm slowly tapering off as it does nothing for me now. But when I use it only for occasional anxiety it works as well as when I first took it.
Just keep trying the other obvious SSRI's until you have to move onto something more serious like Emsam. There's no way to know what might work for you. I got lucky with Effexor after 4 or 5 different SSRI's didn't do enough for me.
Posted by metric on April 17, 2009, at 10:20:53
In reply to Re: Who has taken Klonpin for anxiety? » metric, posted by garnet71 on April 7, 2009, at 18:57:49
Sorry I didn't respond sooner. This thread slipped passed my radar.
> So if benzos cause memory loss - is the process of memory destruction similar to say, Alzheimer's. I mean, is it permanent?
It's completely different. Benzodiazepines don't affect memory by causing organic damage. They dose-dependently produce anterograde amnesia. This means that you may not remember events that happened while you were under the influence of the drug. Your ability to form memories returns to normal after the drug has worn off. This property of benzodazepines is exploited in surgical practice. Benzos are sometimes administered intravenously preoperatively for the express purpose of inducing anterograde amnesia: the patient remains conscious yet has no recollection of the event. It feels like a time-warp has occurred.
The practical significance of this at typical doses used clinically is a matter of debate, and there seems to be a high degree of individual variability.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.