Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Colleen D. on November 12, 2004, at 20:19:13
when they know they are going to be invloved in a stressful/anxious situation?
I have done this on a number of occasions - before a job interview, before public speaking, before dealing with a frustrating relationship - and I wonder if I should just call my pdoc and ask for an overall higher daily dosage or continue to take a little extra when I feel I will be needing it. It really does work well for me, but I still myself anticipating panicky feelings and self-medicating accordingly. Any adivice or opninions? Thanks lots!
Colleen
PPD, OCD and GAD
150mg Effexor
.25mg klonopin 3 times daily
25mg doxepin p.m.
Posted by anxiety_free on November 12, 2004, at 23:15:07
In reply to Does anyone increase their dosage of Klonopin..., posted by Colleen D. on November 12, 2004, at 20:19:13
You only take .25mgs of klonopin X3 daily? That's a small dose...asking for a little increase shouldn't be a big deal. If your doc fusses, try to find one that isn't afraid of benzos.(My doc started me out on 1mg daily, to put this in perspective for you...and I was a teenager). As far as the self-medicating thing goes...I personally think if you don't go overboard and/or mix the Klonopin with alcohol or other sedatives, its not a big deal. BUT there are other strategies: you can use a beta blocker (with or w/o klonopin), you can try to get an Rx for an as-needed booster benzo such as Xanax or Ativan, or you can try to get your overall dose bumped up a bit (my suggestion) so you won't even NEED to up your klonopin for certain events...you'll be calm and ready to go 24/7. Good luck!
Posted by Glydin on November 13, 2004, at 12:05:34
In reply to Does anyone increase their dosage of Klonopin..., posted by Colleen D. on November 12, 2004, at 20:19:13
I have certainly done this on rare occassions - generally, when I fly to travel. My doc and I have agreed on a range dosing for me, that way I titrate according to how I'm coping. My maintance dose keeps me pretty steady for the most part. You may want to speak with your doc about a slightly higher dosage and you may find that would cover you without need for an extra dose.
Posted by Newwife on November 13, 2004, at 19:09:50
In reply to Does anyone increase their dosage of Klonopin..., posted by Colleen D. on November 12, 2004, at 20:19:13
i am on .5. i can take it up to 4 times a day if i want. some days i dont take any. sometimes i take 2 at a time, i think it is tottally up to you. whatever makes you feel better. i am not a doc. but thats my opinion. just dont pop 10 of them suckers. just kidding. :)
Posted by maddog on November 13, 2004, at 19:57:23
In reply to Does anyone increase their dosage of Klonopin..., posted by Colleen D. on November 12, 2004, at 20:19:13
> when they know they are going to be invloved in a stressful/anxious situation?
>
> I have done this on a number of occasions - before a job interview, before public speaking, before dealing with a frustrating relationship - and I wonder if I should just call my pdoc and ask for an overall higher daily dosage or continue to take a little extra when I feel I will be needing it. It really does work well for me, but I still myself anticipating panicky feelings and self-medicating accordingly. Any adivice or opninions? Thanks lots!
>
> Colleen
> PPD, OCD and GAD
> 150mg Effexor
> .25mg klonopin 3 times daily
> 25mg doxepin p.m.
I do this all of the time. If I know I have a particularly stressful day (public speaking, interview, etc.) then I will boost from my usual 0.5 daily dose to 1.5 or 2.0. I do this maybe once or twice a month. There are no long lasting effects except that I do feel tired later in the day and sleep very well that night.If you find you do this a lot then I would ask for a higher dose simply because you will be burning through your prescription faster than expected.
cheers,
maddog
Posted by Keith Talent on November 13, 2004, at 23:32:24
In reply to Re: Does anyone increase their dosage of Klonopin., posted by maddog on November 13, 2004, at 19:57:23
Why don't you ask your psychiatrist for a trial of 2 mg twice daily, and drop the doxepin? Personally, I found doxepin only sedated me for the first couple of. Clonazepam has a long half life, so should only need to be taken once or twice a day. As someone else said, your daily total is very low - some people take 16 mg a day!
Posted by cybercafe on November 15, 2004, at 9:38:53
In reply to Re: Does anyone increase their dosage of Klonopin..., posted by Newwife on November 13, 2004, at 19:09:50
> i am on .5. i can take it up to 4 times a day if i want. some days i dont take any. sometimes i take 2 at a time, i think it is tottally up to you. whatever makes you feel better. i am not a doc. but thats my opinion. just dont pop 10 of them suckers. just kidding. :)
hmm.. i would feel guilty calling my pdoc everytime my anxiety level went up or down (very socially dependant). but hey i havn't seen a pdoc in 8 months so i guess the matter is irrelevant in my case :)
i actually took 14 mg of clonazepam last time i had to do public speaking. usual dose is only 2 - 6 mg a day.
good luck :)
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