Posted by Rick on November 21, 1999, at 3:34:45
In reply to Neurontin as a replacement for Klonopin?, posted by Justitia on November 17, 1999, at 10:33:05
Sorry to hear of your difficulties. You didn't say what kind of disorder you have been diagnosed with. I've heard that, at sufficient doses, the anti-epileptic Neurontin (gabapentin) can be very helpful for bipolar disorder and possibly also for CERTAIN KINDS of anxiety disorders. Given its cost and lack of generic availability, it seems ironic that your plan would cover Neurontin but not Klonopin.
I understand Neurontin usually takes AT LEAST a few weeks to begin working. The most common side effects I've read about are sedation and sometimes mild cognitive impairment, although I've heard that in most cases these go away after a few days to a few weeks. Neurontin is considered a very safe drug that does not cause dependence or addiction.
Your comments about clonazepam are interesting. Many people find the generic to be equally effective, while others swear it is inferior to Klonopin (I've only used the latter). But those who claim clonazepam is weaker usually report that they simply have to take a larger dose to obtain relief equivalent to the branded product. While low-dose Klonopin is less likely to cause withdrawal problems than shorter-acting benzos, "less likely" isn't much comfort to someone like yourself who went through hell getting off the med. I wonder if some of your difficulty might have actually been due to severe rebound of the symptoms of your underlying disorder as you came off the Klonopin?
poster:Rick
thread:15379
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19991108/msgs/15585.html