![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on June 4, 2003, at 9:49:08
This is very strange and disturbing, as I've just started working after two years housebound. I ran out of my Klonopin a few days early, as the doctor told me I could take an extra one or two now and then for the added stress of my new job. But the pharmacy won't refill my prescription for a few days, and they can't call my doctor to get permission because he's on vacation.
I've quit Klonopin cold turkey many times before, at this same dose (8mg / day) and even higher. I've never had withdrawal. So why now? Could there be any explanation for this? Or is it just one of those medication anomalies?
I feel so tired... I just want to sleep, but I have to work. I feel queasy, and can't eat well. And of course, the anxiety has returned. All I can venture to think is that it may be a result of the other medications I now take with Klonopin, Mirapex in particular. Could this be the culprit? Or the supplements I take--picamilon, Enada NADH, niacinamide, pregnenolone, L-tyrosine, P-5-P, acetyl L-carnitine, selenium, vitamin C, sublingual liquid B-complex... my daily multivitamin even?? I'm just looking for some sort of answer. Maybe raising my dose of niacinamide will help curb the withdrawal symptoms? I already take the recommended dose for anxiety relief/benzo withdrawal (500mg qid), but supposedly it's okay to go higher.
Please, any information would be *so* appreciated--this is awful!!
Posted by Michael Bell on June 4, 2003, at 22:49:29
In reply to Klonopin withdrawal for first time.... why???, posted by Ame Sans Vie on June 4, 2003, at 9:49:08
>Sorry, I don't have much experience with Klonopin, but I do have a lot with tyrosine. Without a GABA drug like Klonopin to offset the effects, Tyrosine will definitely cause agitation and anxiety. At one time I was taking high doses of tyrosine with nothing else, and eventually I became extremely agitated, anxious and somewhat delusional. Also, any other dopaminergic drugs (l-carnitine, perhaps) are likely to contribute to anxious feelings. I'm not sure if Mirapex would cause anxiety, b/c dosns't it work like amisulpride? Low dose amisulpride decreases dopamine release & increases dopamine transmission (by interfering with the feedback loop). Then again Mirapex is serotogenic as well (i think), so who knows. Cut back completely on caffeine & soda, as well as foods high in sugar. And finally, try adjusting your picamilon doses (remember LOW doses are tranquilizing, so you may have to decrease your dosage). Good luck!
This is very strange and disturbing, as I've just started working after two years housebound. I ran out of my Klonopin a few days early, as the doctor told me I could take an extra one or two now and then for the added stress of my new job. But the pharmacy won't refill my prescription for a few days, and they can't call my doctor to get permission because he's on vacation.
>
> I've quit Klonopin cold turkey many times before, at this same dose (8mg / day) and even higher. I've never had withdrawal. So why now? Could there be any explanation for this? Or is it just one of those medication anomalies?
>
> I feel so tired... I just want to sleep, but I have to work. I feel queasy, and can't eat well. And of course, the anxiety has returned. All I can venture to think is that it may be a result of the other medications I now take with Klonopin, Mirapex in particular. Could this be the culprit? Or the supplements I take--picamilon, Enada NADH, niacinamide, pregnenolone, L-tyrosine, P-5-P, acetyl L-carnitine, selenium, vitamin C, sublingual liquid B-complex... my daily multivitamin even?? I'm just looking for some sort of answer. Maybe raising my dose of niacinamide will help curb the withdrawal symptoms? I already take the recommended dose for anxiety relief/benzo withdrawal (500mg qid), but supposedly it's okay to go higher.
>
> Please, any information would be *so* appreciated--this is awful!!
Posted by Viridis on June 5, 2003, at 3:20:10
In reply to Klonopin withdrawal for first time.... why???, posted by Ame Sans Vie on June 4, 2003, at 9:49:08
Just a guess, but my experience with L-tyrosine (while not on a benzo) was that it was somewhat anxiogenic. On top of that, Enada NADH and even Picamilon can be quite activating, which could conceivably have been balanced by the Klonopin. So there are at least three supplements in the mix that might be elevating your anxiety in the absence of a benzo.
And (as I'm sure you're aware), benzos do often induce dependency, so even if you haven't had withdrawal before, you could be experiencing it now -- especially weaning off 8 mg/day. Doesn't your doctor have an alternate you can contact? Surely there's some backup.
Frankly, if I were in your situation, experiencing serious distress and unable to reach a doctor, I'd go to the emergency room and say "look, I'm coming off 8 mg/day prescribed Klonopin cold turkey and I need some help". Given that this situation could provoke a serious reaction in many people (e.g., seizure), I suspect they'd give you enough to tide you over, although you'd probably have to hang around a while unless your condition is life-threatening.
Good luck!
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on June 5, 2003, at 6:04:27
In reply to Re: Klonopin withdrawal for first time.... why???, posted by Viridis on June 5, 2003, at 3:20:10
Thanks a lot for the advice from both of you! Luckily I didn't have to follow it! lol
I raised a big stink over the phone with my pharmacy about the situation last night and they agreed to refill it. So I went and picked it up last night and once again, everything's just fine. :-)
I'll NEVER take these little lifesavers for granted anymore... just a few days without was all it took.
Posted by maxime on June 5, 2003, at 11:47:12
In reply to Klonopin withdrawal for first time.... why???, posted by Ame Sans Vie on June 4, 2003, at 9:49:08
Yikes - that is awful! Surely your doctor left someone as back-up? If not just go to the ER.
8mg is a high amount of Klonopin BTW.
I hope you feel better soon. Once you get some klonopin in your system you will get that "aaahhh" feeling very fast.
Good luck!
Max
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.