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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 13:02:16
Hello!
I have been taking .5 klonopin twice a day for approx 2 weeks now. Yesterday, I only took a .5 pill during the day and then I took 1/4 of my second dose of my .5 tablet. I was feeling pretty good yesterday so I didn't think I needed to take the usual dosage.
I also take 12.5 mg of zoloft daily (since 8/27/10)
I noticed last night that I had a slight headache in the evening.. Then this morning I felt a little bit nauseous.. Could this be withdrawal from not taking my ususal dose of Klonopin? Or could it be from the Zoloft? I really would like to cut down my dosage to just .5 mg a day but I am afraid of the withdrawal.
Any info would be appreciated!
Thanks!
Michelle
Posted by Phillipa on September 2, 2010, at 15:13:26
In reply to Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 13:02:16
Why not just stabalize on the prescribed dose and don't worry about addiction or tolerance at this point? Phillipa
Posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 15:58:10
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry! » michelle41a, posted by Phillipa on September 2, 2010, at 15:13:26
> Why not just stabalize on the prescribed dose and don't worry about addiction or tolerance at this point? Phillipa
I guess I could try that.. The problem I am having is that if I take .5 at once, it is too sedating.. Is there a way to dose .5 twice a day so I don't get so sedated?
Posted by ed_uk2010 on September 2, 2010, at 16:47:27
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 15:58:10
> > Why not just stabalize on the prescribed dose and don't worry about addiction or tolerance at this point? Phillipa
>
> I guess I could try that.. The problem I am having is that if I take .5 at once, it is too sedating.. Is there a way to dose .5 twice a day so I don't get so sedated?Have you tried 0.25mg twice a day?
Posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 17:02:56
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by ed_uk2010 on September 2, 2010, at 16:47:27
> > > Why not just stabalize on the prescribed dose and don't worry about addiction or tolerance at this point? Phillipa
> >
> > I guess I could try that.. The problem I am having is that if I take .5 at once, it is too sedating.. Is there a way to dose .5 twice a day so I don't get so sedated?
>
> Have you tried 0.25mg twice a day?
>
>@ed-uk2010: I think I may try that tomorrow.. What I was thinking of doing is taking .25 in the morning, .25 at lunch and .25 before bed.. Would that be too much of a taper after a couple of weeks at 1mg per day? I will be calling my Pdoc tomorrow as well to let him know what I want to do :)
Posted by ed_uk2010 on September 2, 2010, at 17:12:28
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 17:02:56
>What I was thinking of doing is taking .25 in the morning, .25 at lunch and .25 before bed.. Would that be too much of a taper after a couple of weeks at 1mg per day?
I think your plan sounds fine. After a few days on 0.25mg tid, you may decide to reduce to 0.25mg twice a day.
Posted by Phillipa on September 2, 2010, at 21:37:10
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by ed_uk2010 on September 2, 2010, at 17:12:28
Agree klonopin is the most sedating and strongest of benzos to me. Phillipa ps they last a long time also
Posted by angels78 on September 3, 2010, at 0:28:25
In reply to Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 13:02:16
To be honest, klonopin's half life is a joke. 35 hours my foot! After 10 hours my panic attacks start coming back. I know Klonopin's half life isn't really 35 hours, even though the literature does say so. I'd say about 10 hours, then need another pill, even .5
Posted by ed_uk2010 on September 3, 2010, at 10:32:55
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry! » michelle41a, posted by angels78 on September 3, 2010, at 0:28:25
>To be honest, klonopin's half life is a joke.
Don't forget that 'half life' does not mean 'duration of action'. Elimination half life is a pharmacokinetic term. A half life of 34 hours does not mean that a drug is effective for 34 hours after a dose. Clonazepam's elimination half life is usually between 19 and 30 hours, but its duration of action is usually shorter. Most people seem to take it twice a day, but sometimes up to four times a day.
Posted by Vincent_QC on September 9, 2010, at 5:13:14
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry! » angels78, posted by ed_uk2010 on September 3, 2010, at 10:32:55
> Don't forget that 'half life' does not mean 'duration of action'. Elimination half life is a pharmacokinetic term. A half life of 34 hours does not mean that a drug is effective for 34 hours after a dose. Clonazepam's elimination half life is usually between 19 and 30 hours, but its duration of action is usually shorter. Most people seem to take it twice a day, but sometimes up to four times a day.
The most sedating??? I think peoples tend to overestimate the power of the Clonazepam. The most sedating will be the Valium for sure, following by the Lorazepam, the Bromazepam, the Librium and the list goes on... The Clonazepam is not very sedating.
For the half-life, everyone is different. Personnaly, I feel the effect of the Clonazepam only 1 hour, I need to take another pill after. It can be addiction problem AND it can be also a problem of fast metabolism of that specific drug or all the Benzo meds on me, who know?
I'm on 8 mg, divided into 16 doses daily, that's mean that I take 0.5mg every hour and it's not effective anymore to control the panic attack, don'T work for the social phobia or to prevent them the panic or reduce the agoraphobia or stop the anxiety symptoms I have daily like the chronic headache or the chest pain on the left side or the numbness in my left arm, the jaw pain and things like that...
Do I feel sedated from that high dosage? Not really, since I have insomnia and barely sleep more than 5 hours a day...
I try to switch to a longer half-life Benzo like the Valium to taper the Rivotril and it's not an option ( I succeed to do it back in 2007 but had to return on the Clonazepam) since the Valium effect last not a long time on me also. I try all the other Benzo also and for me they are all the same.
They work very well for the social phobia at first and prevent the panic... and after 1-2 months you need to increase the dosage and after they stop working, addiction occur and they worse your psychological problems because of the addiction, you miss a dose and have a panic, you take too much and you have a panic, they are very bad for the cognitives abilities (can't focus more than 10 minutes on my computer screen or read a book or recall what I say 10 minutes ago because of them... Also have difficulties to speak and think properly...they also block the action of the SSRI's and the other antidepressant meds by slowing the brains and decreasing the serotonine level. The proof is that sometimes I take my Rivotril pill and have worse anxiety BUT can't stop the Clonazepam cause my anxiety is really bad now, I can't imagine starting to taper it now... it's what I call the addiction!!!
Anyway... I don't understand why PDoc or Family Doc continue to RX those meds... they should withdraw them from the market since they are worse than street drugs... my opinion of course...
Posted by olivia12 on September 9, 2010, at 19:41:41
In reply to Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by michelle41a on September 2, 2010, at 13:02:16
Klonopin is a wonderful drug, but it is important not to miss a dose. I never had headaches if I did, but just felt out of sorts, cranky and anxious.
Posted by Vincent_QC on September 10, 2010, at 5:29:24
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry!, posted by olivia12 on September 9, 2010, at 19:41:41
> Klonopin is a wonderful drug, but it is important not to miss a dose. I never had headaches if I did, but just felt out of sorts, cranky and anxious.
A wonderful drug?!?
I don't think we talk about the same med, cause for me addiction, withdrawh effects between each dose, lost of cognitives abilities as well as worse anxiety after some months on that med and the not ending increasement of the dose to the point who you reach a high dose and can't stop it even if it's not working anymore, for all these reasons, I rank the benzo meds (all of them) in the worse med category. I don't wish that to my worse ennemy.
No wonder why in the UK they never RX the Clonazepam for the anxiety, they only RX it for seizure... and in the UK they also RX the benzo meds only for 4 weeks or less, the Doc there seem to be smarter than in the USA or the Canada...
BUT I understand that for some peoples like Phillipa for example, they are not addictive and continue to work at low dose even after many years, so I must have a problem of poor metaboliser or addictive personnality.
Posted by weatherfreak on September 10, 2010, at 17:02:32
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry! » olivia12, posted by Vincent_QC on September 10, 2010, at 5:29:24
I have found it to be the best benzo out there for me. I take 5mg a day once in the afternoon. It covers me for panic/anxiety with one 24hr dose. I also use it for other reasons too but Rivotril is great for me and has been for about 3 years now. I'm about to go down to 4mg a day, I was at 6mg for quite some time.
I also use it for restless leg syndrome, muscle relaxant and as a mood stabiliser. For me it kills 4 birds with one stone. I fluctuate between 4-6mg a day depending on my state and I find the half life just fine. Everyone is different
Posted by olivia12 on September 10, 2010, at 22:03:49
In reply to Re: Another Klonopin question.. sorry! » olivia12, posted by Vincent_QC on September 10, 2010, at 5:29:24
> A wonderful drug?!?
>
> I don't think we talk about the same med, cause for me addiction, withdrawh effects between each dose, lost of cognitives abilities as well as worse anxiety after some months on that med and the not ending increasement of the dose to the point who you reach a high dose and can't stop it even if it's not working anymore, for all these reasons, I rank the benzo meds (all of them) in the worse med category. I don't wish that to my worse ennemy.
_____________________I agree that the drug was pretty hard to get off of and yes, it did cause me a lot of anxiety when I missed a dose or two, but it was an absolute Godsend when I needed it. I was on it for about 4-5 years and it really helped and I never really did build up a tolerance to it. I just went off it when it became a hinderance to go to the psych every 3 months to get a refill--is a narcotic in the U.S. and they really monitor the usage. While I am happy to be off of it, I would go back on it in a minute should life throw me a curveball that I can't manage. But, the meds that work for one person may be a nightmare to another. I hope you found one that works better for you.
This is the end of the thread.
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