Posted by S.D. on August 13, 2000, at 18:54:25
In reply to Klonopin questions, posted by Lisa on August 13, 2000, at 2:22:45
>I'm wondering how long it will take for me to
> feel the full effect, and is .5mg twice a day a
> normal dose, or are higher doses generally
> required? Also, I get extremely drowsy for
> several hours every time I take a dose, so much
> that it is nearly impossible for me to stay
> awake.The drowsiness will probably decrease considerably in two to four more days of taking it! But you might want to try dividing any daytime doses into two "half-doses" a few hours apart. Unless it is different for panic than for social anxiety I think you can expect it to be fully in effect after two weeks.
I take it for Social Anxiety and didn't know if the typical dosages for Panic Disorder are different - I did a medline search which indicated that clinical trials have used a range of 1 to 4mg/day, so starting at 1mg/day sounds smart to me.
I pasted part of the results of that search at the end of this message. It is an interesting study result because it was that 1mg was as effective as higher doses. If your doctor knows of this study, he is probably better than most!
--------
J Clin Psychopharmacol 1997 Oct;17(5):390-400Clonazepam in the treatment of panic disorder with or without agoraphobia: a
dose-response study of efficacy, safety, and discontinuance. Clonazepam Panic
Disorder Dose-Response Study Group.Rosenbaum JF, Moroz G, Bowden CL
In this multicenter, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose study, the
efficacy, safety, dosing characteristics, and discontinuation of clonazepam were
analyzed in patients with panic disorder. Four hundred thirteen patients were
randomly assigned to receive placebo or one of five fixed daily doses of
clonazepam (0.5 mg, 1.0 mg, 2.0 mg, 3.0 mg, and 4.0 mg). After 3 weeks of dose
escalation, the fixed dose was given for 6 weeks (the dose-maintenance phase)
and then was tapered during a 7-week discontinuance phase. The completion rates
for the dose-maintenance phase ranged from 59 to 85% for the clonazepam groups
(74% for the placebo group). Efficacy measurements at the end of the
dose-maintenance phase indicated clinical improvement in all treatment groups
but with a clear differentiation of the four higher doses of clonazepam from the
0.5-mg dose and placebo. The minimum effective dosage, as determined by the
Williams' test, was 1.0 mg daily. Dose-response analysis showed that daily
dosages of 1.0 mg and higher were equally efficacious in reducing the number of
panic attacks.
---8< ---[rest of article abstract snipped]---8< ---> Thanks,
>
> LisaI wish you peace and health, Lisa
S.D.
poster:S.D.
thread:42726
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000811/msgs/42782.html