![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
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 bobbiedobbs on June 27, 2004, at 20:06:16
At 1.5 mg day of Klonopin. Starting MAO, doc says I may want to taper off Klonopin. But I hear it is addictive. Suggestions?
Posted by anxiety_free on June 27, 2004, at 21:56:25
In reply to klonopin withdrawal from low doseage, posted by bobbiedobbs on June 27, 2004, at 20:06:16
> At 1.5 mg day of Klonopin. Starting MAO, doc says I may want to taper off Klonopin. But I hear it is addictive. Suggestions?
>
> I've done the tapering thing with Klonopin, and it's really not all that hard, provided your taper is well-supervised and you have a back-up med for the rebound anxiety. I tapered @ .25mgs every two weeks, which seems really slow (it is) but worked well for me...no major problems. Some docs switch their patients to equivalent doses of Valium and set up a taper schedule. Anyway, talk this over with your doc a bit more in-depth; a competant doc should be able and willing to provide a workable taper schedule and back-up plan if your new med doesn't treat your anxiety effectively.
Posted by Glydin on June 28, 2004, at 7:59:53
In reply to tapering off Klonopin, posted by anxiety_free on June 27, 2004, at 21:56:25
Cutting a 1/4 dose every 2 weeks worked for me. When I was down to .125mgs daily for 2 weeks, I went to every other day dosing for about a week or so to off. I only had one episode of rebound anxiety. My tapering went really well and I have no horror story. Good following with your doc is essential, too, as anxiety free wrote.
Posted by tampagirl70 on June 28, 2004, at 8:10:28
In reply to Re: tapering off Klonopin, posted by Glydin on June 28, 2004, at 7:59:53
i just started taking klonopin, usually .25mg/day or as needed. should i be taking it every day? if i don't will i have problems somehow? can i just take it when i feel i need it or should i take it even on days i don't think i need it? all this talk about withdrawal worries me. and what is rebound anxiety?
Posted by Glydin on June 28, 2004, at 8:48:51
In reply to Re: tapering off Klonopin, posted by tampagirl70 on June 28, 2004, at 8:10:28
The only way Klonopin worked for me was to take it on a regular basis. Following what your doc recommends is probably the best way for you to go. There is alot of negative information to be found on the use of benzo's. Not everyone has negative experiences. For some of us, benzo's are a Godsend.
Rebound anxiety is just anxiety symptoms that can show up after a long period of time without such symptoms. They can be from a re-emergence of the original problem or can from an adjustment of your brain chemicals, such as after going off meds. Mine was quite temporary and did not signal a return of my illness.
It's easy to get caught up in the "what if's" of the future. My goal was relief of my anxiety symptoms and avoiding the pitfalls of med use. I accomplished both, so it can be done.
Posted by anxiety_free on June 28, 2004, at 8:59:04
In reply to Re: tapering off Klonopin, posted by tampagirl70 on June 28, 2004, at 8:10:28
> i just started taking klonopin, usually .25mg/day or as needed. should i be taking it every day? if i don't will i have problems somehow? can i just take it when i feel i need it or should i take it even on days i don't think i need it? all this talk about withdrawal worries me. and what is rebound anxiety?
Don't be too afraid. Klonopin is a little different than Xanax, which is usually taken as needed; after you take a Klonopin, it takes a couple hours for the drug to "peak" in your system, although it is rapidly absorbed. So, for maximum anxiety relief, it's best to take it BEFORE major anxiety/panic attacks...but you can take it however it works or you. Withdrawal is usually not a big deal; your doc will gradually lower your dose of Klonopin until you're off it. Sometimes people have "rebound anxiety" where the anxiety they had before Klonopin comes back. This can be helped with antidepressants, and often passes. The important things to remember with Klonopin or any benzos are: 1)don't mix with alcohol 2)don't take more than prescribed and 3) if taking as needed, make sure you take only when absolutely necessary. Benzos are a little scary, but they have a pretty good track record of safety...they've been around since the late 50's, so docs have lots of experience with them.
Posted by Questionmark on June 28, 2004, at 23:45:32
In reply to Klonopin use, posted by anxiety_free on June 28, 2004, at 8:59:04
> > i just started taking klonopin, usually .25mg/day or as needed. should i be taking it every day? if i don't will i have problems somehow? can i just take it when i feel i need it or should i take it even on days i don't think i need it? all this talk about withdrawal worries me. and what is rebound anxiety?
>
> Don't be too afraid. Klonopin is a little different than Xanax, which is usually taken as needed; after you take a Klonopin, it takes a couple hours for the drug to "peak" in your system, although it is rapidly absorbed. So, for maximum anxiety relief, it's best to take it BEFORE major anxiety/panic attacks...but you can take it however it works or you. Withdrawal is usually not a big deal; your doc will gradually lower your dose of Klonopin until you're off it. Sometimes people have "rebound anxiety" where the anxiety they had before Klonopin comes back. This can be helped with antidepressants, and often passes. The important things to remember with Klonopin or any benzos are: 1)don't mix with alcohol 2)don't take more than prescribed and 3) if taking as needed, make sure you take only when absolutely necessary. Benzos are a little scary, but they have a pretty good track record of safety...they've been around since the late 50's, so docs have lots of experience with them.
>Is it okay to EVER have ANY alcohol while on Klonopin, even if you're taking it consistently (daily)? Cuz that would be a royal hardly-worth-it pain in the ***. i understand that the amnesia effects are more pronounced if you combine alcohol w/ Klonopin, but is it really that bad/dangerous? Thanks for any responses.
Posted by Glydin on June 29, 2004, at 7:41:39
In reply to Re: Klonopin alcohol, posted by Questionmark on June 28, 2004, at 23:45:32
The official answer, as you know, is that alcohol is forbidden when using a benzo. In the real world, people do drink alcohol and use benzo's. Low on the benzo dose and low on the alcohol use hasn't presented a problem for me, but I'm not a big alcohol drinker. Benzo's do potentiale alcohol so the effects of alcohol happen much faster and with greater intensity.
There is a strong case to be made of the danger of mixing resulting in decreased respiratory drive as was the case in the Karen Ann Quinlan situation.
It's basically not a good idea, but people have been known to.
Posted by cubbybear on June 30, 2004, at 10:31:42
In reply to Re: Klonopin alcohol, posted by Glydin on June 29, 2004, at 7:41:39
Having been on Klonopin for well over one year, starting out at 4 mg. a day, I can say that I tapered very very gradually and found the substitution of equivalent dosages of Valium to be the best and easiest method to get off the last tidbits.
Personally, I wouldn't take ANY chances on mixing alcohol with a benzo. There are all sorts of risks that people like to take in life, but this is one that I wouldn't mess around with.
Good luck.
Posted by platinumbride on July 1, 2004, at 16:30:47
In reply to Re: Klonopin alcohol, posted by Questionmark on June 28, 2004, at 23:45:32
Hi,
I am not a big drinker of alcohol, and I am not a doctor, but I really have no problems with alcohol and klonopin. Perhaps there are people who do,and that is why there is such taboo against it. Maybe I feel a little sleepier sometimes with klonopin and a few glasses of wine, but sometimes that is not the case.
Maybe you would consider trying not taking a klonopin dose near to the time you are hitting happy hour or whatever.
Good luck,
Diane
Posted by pinky on July 7, 2004, at 1:14:56
In reply to Re: Klonopin alcohol » Questionmark, posted by platinumbride on July 1, 2004, at 16:30:47
yeah, i don't know what you guys mean. i thought that it was barbituates and alcohol that were really dangerous. Im currently taking 2mgs of clonazepam every 4-6 hours, and, you know i think I'm going to have to make if 4mg every six hours. i know that thats alot more than some of what you people are taking but for me, it takes that much to kill my anxiety (which is severe). I hate my SP existence and I'm never going back.
As far as boozing goes, I mix it with the benzos and the only think I notice is memmory loss. My short term memory is virtually non existant anyway so who cares.
My advice is, if you like to drink AND you're taking benzon; take it slow and easy (DONT EVER DRIVE) and you'll get a sense of wether you can handle it or not (and exactly how much). I'm no doctor, but I don't think its an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS combination as others have said.
Posted by Questionmark on July 9, 2004, at 10:38:45
In reply to Re: Klonopin alcohol, posted by pinky on July 7, 2004, at 1:14:56
Posted by Lilly4 on July 31, 2004, at 20:34:19
In reply to Klonopin use, posted by anxiety_free on June 28, 2004, at 8:59:04
I've been taking 1.5 mg./day of Klonopin for about a year (in addition to Lexapro for depression). My doctor advised me in June that I taper the Klonopin, eventually ridding it of my system over a 4 week period. After 3 weeks I was experiencing depression, heart palpitations, & general anxiety. I started researching the drug, previously unaware of the withdrawal symptoms. Since my doctor has been out of town, I was advised by her back-up person to work myself up to the original dose of Klonopin until she is back in town (which I did...& she's back next week). I want to get off of this drug for good but I am very anxious & afraid of experiencing withdrawal symptoms again once I begin to start tapering off the Klonopin. Does anyone have any suggestions or words of advice or comfort?
Posted by chemist on July 31, 2004, at 21:00:10
In reply to Re: Klonopin use » anxiety_free, posted by Lilly4 on July 31, 2004, at 20:34:19
hello there, chemist here...i will warn you first off that i am a fan of benzos, and will try to offer an objective bit here. first of all, you have by now realized that the time period for the taper must be extended, and that you will more than likely go down the path of re-upping the dose as you continue to taper from the drug. my opinion and experience: take only as much as you need to function properly. thus, your doctor's back-up and your own willingness to do so are in line with this approach. second, i cannot help but wonder if, after terminating the use of the drug, that some anxiety might resurface later, and you will find yourself back in the same place. third, why were you taking klonopin in the first place? if it was indeed for a problem with anxiety, then it was appropriate (or for sleep, perhaps, but there are more appropriate meds for that). i have been up and down the road you are on - and countless others, too - and have come to accept that i will need medication for the long-haul. i do realize that minimizing the amount of meds one is taking is a goal for many of us, but what happens if lexapro does not cut it, or ``poops-out,'' as many people have experienced (including myself) over time. what i am getting to is that you might want to set your sights on a small dose of klonopin - perhaps 0.5 mg/day - and see if your meds cocktail keeps you stable for a solid 6-8 weeks, minimum. if this is the case, then you can work away the remaining bit of klonopin. of course, consult with your doctor, and if your body responds in a negative way during the taper, by all means repeat your tactives outlined herein....all the best, chemist
> I've been taking 1.5 mg./day of Klonopin for about a year (in addition to Lexapro for depression). My doctor advised me in June that I taper the Klonopin, eventually ridding it of my system over a 4 week period. After 3 weeks I was experiencing depression, heart palpitations, & general anxiety. I started researching the drug, previously unaware of the withdrawal symptoms. Since my doctor has been out of town, I was advised by her back-up person to work myself up to the original dose of Klonopin until she is back in town (which I did...& she's back next week). I want to get off of this drug for good but I am very anxious & afraid of experiencing withdrawal symptoms again once I begin to start tapering off the Klonopin. Does anyone have any suggestions or words of advice or comfort?
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.