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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 19 of 19. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by UGottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 19:45:23
Thats what someone on here said they were taking for anxiety, althought they admitted it was a rare situation. I have been taking 3mg of Klonopin and 200 mg of Seroquel for anxiety, and it hasnt been helping that much lately. I wonder if I should up my dose.
Have you heard of anyone else taking 14 mg or more of Klonpin? Is it safe?
Posted by Phillipa on December 16, 2006, at 20:10:42
In reply to 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety, posted by UGottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 19:45:23
Michael you know this is in the range of seizure control. Why would you want to take that high a dose? Love Phillipa
Posted by madeline on December 16, 2006, at 20:52:59
In reply to 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety, posted by UGottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 19:45:23
In my opinion, an increase in dose in your case MAY be in order.
However, do not up your dose of anything before you talk to your doctor, especially not up to 14 mgs.
Call your doc tonight if you have to, or if you are really anxious go to the ER.
Posted by Quintal on December 16, 2006, at 21:14:25
In reply to 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety, posted by UGottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 19:45:23
I took doses of up to 20mg of Klonopin briefly. I doubt any pdoc would be willing to prescribe such a dose though. I usually took about 4mg, though I was prescribed doses of as much as 8mg for a few months.
I had blackouts and respiratory depression at the 20mg dose, but I Was also taking tramadol at the time and that no doubt contributed.
I would imagine round about 8mg would be the max most pdocs would be willing to prescribe. You can alter your tolerence by lowering the dose for a while - assuming you could manage the anxiety for a while of course.
Q
Posted by laima on December 16, 2006, at 22:24:11
In reply to Re: 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety » UGottaHaveHope, posted by Quintal on December 16, 2006, at 21:14:25
I took about 14 mg once (long story), but the result was I slept way too long and ended up being accused of trying to overdose by medical staff who insisted I could have. I had a very high tolerance though.
Posted by Phillipa on December 16, 2006, at 22:46:27
In reply to Re: 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety, posted by laima on December 16, 2006, at 22:24:11
Sleeping Beauty. How long did you sleep for. I would have definitely slept then also I think . Love Phillipa
Posted by laima on December 16, 2006, at 23:04:34
In reply to Re: 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety » laima, posted by Phillipa on December 16, 2006, at 22:46:27
Oh! I slept from 7 or 8pm until the afternoon the next day- kind of bad. My dad came over because I wasn't answering my phone. But I was technically fine physically, it was a bad evening the day before (to say the least), and I just wanted to sleep to escape. I know quite well that's no excuse though, and I had a hellava time convincing anyone that I wasn't trying to overdose.
That ordeal was even more traumatic than the night before...> Sleeping Beauty. How long did you sleep for. I would have definitely slept then also I think . Love Phillipa
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 23:21:51
In reply to Re: 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety » Phillipa, posted by laima on December 16, 2006, at 23:04:34
Im not going to take more than 4 mg, but I was interested in hearing about someone else taking up to 14mg. Thats very interesting.
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 23:24:37
In reply to Re: 14mg of Klonpin for anxiety » UGottaHaveHope, posted by Quintal on December 16, 2006, at 21:14:25
Quintal, what were you prescribed 8mg of Klonopin for? Anxiety? Depression? Something else? Did it work? Did you feel differently on 8 as opposed to 4?
Posted by becksA on December 16, 2006, at 23:26:41
In reply to Re: Im not going to take more than 4mg, but ..., posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 23:21:51
I've posted several messages lately about myself coming off 14mg of klonopin, a dose i've been on for about 6 months. anyway, just curious i guess. so to answer one of those questions above, the answer is yes, somebody has been on 14mg ... me :)
thats why i was asking about withdrawl effects. i've felt pretty depressed lately and i had thought the only w/d effect would be rebound anxiety, not depression.
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 23:33:34
In reply to This about me? lol, posted by becksA on December 16, 2006, at 23:26:41
What were diagnosed with? How did 14 feel as opposed to 8 or 6? Please share your story. Thanks, Michael
Posted by becksA on December 17, 2006, at 0:02:16
In reply to This about me? lol, posted by becksA on December 16, 2006, at 23:26:41
basically for the longest time we thought i had simply severe social anxiety disorder. nothing worked. i tried every SSRI, then other stuff, everything possible before moving into benzos. i tried just about every single one...each one to extremely high levels but they did not have any effect whatsoever on my anxiety. putting 14mg or whatever it was of xanax into your body a day HAS to do something, thats why when it finally took up to 14mg of klonopin to finally be able to function, we began to look at other possibilities. do i have cyclothemia with mild anxiety? We're not quite sure but I made the decision myself, even though it helps, to come off that much klonopin. i noticed the bad was beginning to outweigh the bad. i started becoming way too impulsive, spending way too much money, doing things i wouldnt normally do. that's why im coming off it and we're trying a low dose of lithium to help stablize the mood.
i always noticed that my anxiety was never that bad in serious or professional situations. any time though that involved a simple joke, such as casual conversations, (which is nearly impossible to avoid), my anxiety would skyrocket. i never had the general anxiety. only "happy anxiety" scared to be happy...is what it felt like. thats why we think something else is going on, not just social anxiety. it's been a long haul. hope this helps in some way.
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 17, 2006, at 0:06:42
In reply to Re: This about me? lol, posted by becksA on December 17, 2006, at 0:02:16
I personally think all the warnings about benzos are very much overrated. Yes they are bad for ppl who use them recreationally. But for those who need them for medicinal purposes, I have never heard anything but good things.
14 sounds like a lot, but if I am not mistaken (and someone else can chime in here) I think in the 1970s, a dosage that high was routine. It was only when benzos became "feared" that the docs prescribed them in less doses.
Are you set on going down from 14?
Posted by becksA on December 17, 2006, at 2:30:07
In reply to Re: Maybe 14 is right for you ..., posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 17, 2006, at 0:06:42
oh without a doubt. and that's another thing. Me and my pdoc always have very interesting convos about my reactions to different drug classes. for example, the tremendous amount of xanax that felt like a placebo to me....the fact that i need 14mg of klonopin, but at the same time, amphetamines is one thing im EXTREMELY sensitive to. complete opposite to benzos. i take aderal for homework, (was...switched to concerta b/c of harsh comedown effects)...and I had to take the smallest mg pill (5) that was made. sometimes i'd even break it in half. Also I've been a mystery when it comes to coming off drugs that are normally talked about being extremely hard to come off of. 3 biggest ones i can think of are Effexor XR (on max dose for almost a year and stopped cold turkey, felt not one side effect)....i've heard horror stories about that one. The Xanax XR I think I was on 12 or 15mg per day and came off that completely within 1 month, maybe a little longer? and the klonopin, i've gone down from 14 to 10 after 3 weeks. i could go faster but my doc doesnt want me to.
Posted by Quintal on December 17, 2006, at 7:01:12
In reply to Re: Quintal, why did you ..., posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 16, 2006, at 23:24:37
I was prescribed Klonopin for social anxiety. I still had trouble sleeping on 4mg though, so my GP raised the dose to 8mg - 6mg to be taken at night and 2mg in the morning.
I also have some bipolar/borderline tendencies and get depressed a lot. The Klonopin seemed to have an antidepressant effect on me (this may be from relief of being freed from anxiety though). It did seem to make me more emotionally unstable sometimes.
I felt much better when I was taking higher doses. About 4mg was adequate though.
Q
Posted by Quintal on December 17, 2006, at 7:07:43
In reply to Re: Maybe 14 is right for you ..., posted by becksA on December 17, 2006, at 2:30:07
> for example, the tremendous amount of xanax that felt like a placebo to me....the fact that i need 14mg of klonopin, but at the same time, amphetamines is one thing im EXTREMELY sensitive to. complete opposite to benzos.
>Same here. I was chastised a while ago for saying Xanax was useless for me. I was surprised to find some people can't take Klonopin at all because they get so depressed and Xanax works better for them. I didn't feel a thing from Xanax even though I was taking 4mg a day.
I can't tolerate amphetamines either without a benzo - and even then only in small doses. Ritalin had hardly any effect though, but I was taking 4mg Klonopin at that time. I always put my low tolerance to amphetamines down to me being highly strung and jittery to begin with. I guess the reverse is true for benzos and other sedatives?
Q
Posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 17, 2006, at 11:50:56
In reply to Re: Maybe 14 is right for you ..., posted by Quintal on December 17, 2006, at 7:07:43
Are you still taking 8mg? What meds are you taking now? Do you mind sharing your story? Thanks, Michael
Posted by Quintal on December 17, 2006, at 15:48:06
In reply to Re: Quintal, Q, posted by UgottaHaveHope on December 17, 2006, at 11:50:56
I'm not taking any prescribed medication right now. I sometimes self-medicate with a bit of Remeron or OTC painkillers containing codeine to help me sleep and generally lift my mood though. I was forced to quit Klonopin for the last time in July - I've been through benzo addiction and withdrawal many times over the last two years since my pdoc refused further prescriptions. I was seduced by those spam adverts for online pharmacies while I was suffering an enforced withdrawal so I bought my own Klonopin from then on.
I started Klonopin (Rivotril here in the UK) in 2001 after I managed to persuade a locum doctor to prescribe it (Rivotril is only licensed for rare types of epilepsy in the UK and is very rarely prescribed off label for anxiety - I was lucky). I went on to try nearly every psychoactive substance available and seem to have ended up back here where I started, but I'm now planning to take a different approach that I hope will suit me better.
I would recommend sticking with the Klonopin if it's working well for you and maybe increasing the dose if necessary. Klonopin has a wide safety margin so long as you don't take *huge* doses like I did, not that I've come to any harm from it in any case.
Good luck.
Q
Posted by yxibow on December 18, 2006, at 1:24:06
In reply to Re: Quintal, Q » UgottaHaveHope, posted by Quintal on December 17, 2006, at 15:48:06
There is more medical evidence about high dosage Valium, which I do take myself though roughly half that equivalency, in psychosis and other related disorders. (I don't have psychosis, but there is an exceptional need for it at the moment, very carefully. You have to keep your clarity in check extra careful though at really high doses because it interferes with reaction time, and other such things.)
I don't relish the idea of having a need/use for it at higher doses but unfortunately I do at the moment. I probably am also a high metabolizer of some medications as well. But my prescriber is a pretty precautious person.The upper PDR limit for clonazepam is 20mg for complex seizure disorders but the general psychiatric use usually doesn't go above 4, sometimes to 8mg. When you start hitting 20mg, things like unpredictable respiratory depression begin to become an issue.
-- tidings
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