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And yet another question about Klonopin/Clonazepam
by debaser23, Apr 01, 2007 12:00AM
This med has helped me so much that I'm wanting to be social again. That means I might have a drink now and then. Typically what I [used to] drink is whiskey or bourbon on the rocks. I'm thinking I'll have the bartender cut it down to a whiskey and coke.
I take .5 mg Clonazepam two times a day. My first dose is between 7:30 and 10:00 in the morning and I try to take my evening does as close to 8pm as possible.
I weigh approximately 188 pounds. Probably have zero alcohol tolerance since I haven't drank in a long time.
SO....the question is, if I have a double whiskey & coke at the bar am I going to be blitzed out of my mind? Even without the K, I have a feeling I'd probably "feel" such a drink if the bartender made it anywhere near generously. As I said, I haven't drank in a long time.
I want to drink but would like to know a little about what to expect. I imagine the Klonopin will magnify the effect of the alcohol, but by approximately how much? And will it make hangovers worse? I
MOST IMPORTANTLY, will the Klonopin and whiskey combine to make me start puking? Obviously I don't want that to happen...that would be no fun at all.
Thanks for any answers.
I take .5 mg Clonazepam two times a day. My first dose is between 7:30 and 10:00 in the morning and I try to take my evening does as close to 8pm as possible.
I weigh approximately 188 pounds. Probably have zero alcohol tolerance since I haven't drank in a long time.
SO....the question is, if I have a double whiskey & coke at the bar am I going to be blitzed out of my mind? Even without the K, I have a feeling I'd probably "feel" such a drink if the bartender made it anywhere near generously. As I said, I haven't drank in a long time.
I want to drink but would like to know a little about what to expect. I imagine the Klonopin will magnify the effect of the alcohol, but by approximately how much? And will it make hangovers worse? I
MOST IMPORTANTLY, will the Klonopin and whiskey combine to make me start puking? Obviously I don't want that to happen...that would be no fun at all.
Thanks for any answers.
Post Comment
There is only one answer to this question: You should avoid alcoholic beverages in any form, and in any amount.
The following events may or may not occur if alcohol and benzo's are mixed:
-Respiratory depression to the point of apnea
-Coma
-Stupor
-Retrograde Amnesia (lack of recall of the events that occured while intoxicated) aka: Blackout
-Mania-behavioral problems-irrational impulses/thinking
-Extrapyramidal effects (opposite of sedation-may include anger, rage, etc)
In extreme cases, death may occur from cessation of the respiratory/circulatory centers of the brain shutting down.
I'm not trying to tell you what to do (or scare you), but I would not drink even one whiskey and coke, for you have no idea what may happen. In my opinion, it's not worth taking the chance.
Plus, you have to realize that alcohol consumption only contributes to anxiety disorders. If you are doing well on the Klonopin, I wouldn't want to see you "push your luck".
-Ryan
I had no idea it would be dangerous.
What if I skipped the evening dose of Clonazepam and then had a drink? I know K has a long half-life, so that may not be an option.
Going to the bar would be a once or twice a month thing, at most. When my panic attacks struck my stomach so hard, it caused gastritis and so I've had maybe five drinks in the last two and a half years. It's definitely not hard for me to stay away from alcohol.
I know this will be an unpopular question and I hope it's not taken the wrong way, but is there any other way I can get "socially" intoxicated while on the Klonopin? I'm not much of a marijuana guy. In between high school and college I experimented with various pills but I don't remember what they were.
You and everyone else can probably tell by reading my posts in this forum that I'm not much of a drug taker. This really is just a once in a while sort of thing. Being an artist and musician, sometimes it can be helpful to get into an "alternate reality", so to speak.
It's not something I NEED to do but it's something I'd like to do every great now and then.
I'd asked you what may happen if I got mixed up and accidentally took two doses of Clonazepam close together, and you just said it would sedate me. So I guess that's not an option. I'm looking to get sort of "chill" and open minded. I don't want to die or even fall asleep.
Thanks for your answer. I came really close to stopping by a bar this evening and not I'm very glad I didn't.
Your doctor should've warned you in advance with regards to the concominant use of Alcohol and Benzodiazepines, and the potential serious adverse effects that can occur if the two are combined.
Answers:
(1) Even if you skip the evening dose of Klonopin, sufficient plasma levels remain to interact with the alcohol. It is recommended that you do not drink alcohol for at least 48 hours after cessation of the Klonopin.
Skipping the evening dose to "drink" will alter your therapeutic level of Clonazepam. It may take a day or two to re-establish a steady-state level. Anxiety symptoms may also appear.
(2) Drinking 1 or 2 times a month is not recommended.
(3) Alternative means to "get socially intoxicated"
AVOID the items on this list while on Benzo therapy (list is not comprehensive, but includes the most common agents):
-CNS depressants: Alcohol, Barbituates, GHB, Opiates, Ketamine, LSD, and Chloral Hydrate. These have an additive effect on benzo's, and may cause numerous reactions leading to stupor, coma, amnesia, reckless behavior, or death.
As with any form of drug therapy, there are some tradeoffs. One of the tradeoffs to using Klonopin is a severely decreased tolerance to the effects of Alcohol and other CNS depressants. This is one tradeoff that should not be taken lightly.
-Ryan
I'm sure this post will be deleted, but if I wanna get "drunk" I guess it's going to have to be pot. I don't really like pot. Dammit. My other choices were my old pain pills from surgery (Hydrocodone, Darvocet) and I'm pretty sure they're not options, either. Not that I'd ever do them anyway because I hate pills (which is why I still have full bottles).
I guess it's sobriety for me. Forever.