Effects of long term clonazapam use and how to get off of it

[mitziejack]

I have been taking clonzapam for about 9 years.  I have only in the last few years taken it a little more often than before.  I have anxiety and then I get heart palps so I take the .5mg pill usually a few times a week.  I have taken 1mg only about 3 times in the last few months.  My problem is that I wonder since I don't take it on a regular basis is the palps that cause the anxiety caused by withdraws from the pill.  I have had tread test and radioactive heart test and the like and everything seems normal.  I have wore monitors and the palps show up but there does not seem to be a reason for them.  Could it be long term use of clonazapam?  Sincerely Mitziejack.  Please advice and tell me how to get off this drug!!

[mitziejack]

Well, it's been a really good day for me.  Still no meds and I'm feeling well.  It's been a week today.  I think I wore myself out and now I'm rebounding.  I work myself up to a frenzy and then I get exhausted with worry and then come out of it until the next thing that strings me out.  I do appreciate you being there, it has helped.  As far as my husband, he is there for me, but really doesn't understand cause he's never been there.  His family isn't really aware of my problem.  They don't live around us and we've never told them.  It was just an observation of mine that they never let things effect them.  Like I said my husband just let's things roll of his back where I just dwell on them until I'm in a state of constant panic.  I do still plan to see someone and probably will continue to take the cloz.  on a as needed basis.  It seems to work with me and I don't seem to have to have it all the time.  I will talk to my doctor again to make sure that's okay and it can't hurt me later down the road.  Thanks for the positive thoughts, keep them coming.  I hope all is well with you too!

[lynn57]

I feel quite badly saying this, but I used to be like your hubby's family.  I was so in control and I couldn't believe that a person could not wish anxiety or depression away.  Don't be too hard on your husband.  Unless someone has had anxiety or a panic attack, they have no idea what you a battling.  That's why I love this forum.  We are the "norm" here.  We don't have to try to explain our weaknesses or our inability to heal ourselves.  Remember when you are walking down the street, a large percentage of the people you see are on anti-depressants or anti-anxiety meds.  You just can't see their illness or pain. We are not going to get the same compassion as someone with a visible physical symptom. It's nice to have people really understand us.  A psychiatrist would be a great idea for you.  Positive thoughts are with you and your hope to beat this without meds.  

[mitziejack]

I am still  taking it one day at a time.  I feel pretty good today still haven't taken a pill.  I feel like my head has that band around it effect that you get with anxiety, but I want to see if I can get through this. I do know that if I take the cloz. that I will feel better, but I just don't want a pill to be in charge of my well being.  I hope it makes sense to you.  You have been a comfort through this, thank you.  It's nice to know I'm not the only one who has gone through this.  My husband thinks I'm nuts.  He is there for me, but has no idea what it's like.  I come from a family of  overreacters.  His family just let's things roll off their shoulders and if they get news of their health, oh well, they don't try to look it up or understand it or anything, they just go with the flow.  I wish I could be like that.  Unfortunately, we are all different. I have an appointment with my gp this week and I plan to ask to referred to someone who can help me deal with the anxiety.  I hope it works.  I usually avoid the doctors office or hospital at all costs.  It makes me nervous.  I am the type that gets a physical and blood work once a year, mammagram, pap, and a eye and dental visit.  I rarely get sick except for this anxiety.  So far all has been well.  This skin cancer thing and the upper gi has set me off again on the anxiety roller coaster again.  Plus the palps got me started again trying to figure out the cause of them.  I have to learn I guess that somethings just can't be explained and stop obsessing over it.  Thanks again for you kind counsel.  You seem to be a very caring person an I appreciate your comfort in this time.  People say you can find comfort with strangers and I now believe it.  Thank you!

[lynn57]

Menopause really can exacerbate your anxiety.  It sure played havoc with mine.  As for the Klonopin, unless you are dosing regularly on a daily basis, there shouldn't be a withdrawal problem.  Your anxiety may be worse due to the fact that you are taking nothing to relieve it.  I wouldn't consider this withdrawal.  Like I said, if you find you really need the Klonopin for a normal, happy life, don't feel bad.  I went through the whole process of wanting to be off meds and trying to cope on my own.  Kudos to any one who can.  I realized that I didn't want the constant struggle and now accept taking meds as a part of my life.  I feel great and rarely think about going off meds.  I hope that things work out for you without regular meds.  Anytime you can take something prn, you are better off.  Good luck with menopause!

[mitziejack]

Thanks for checking back Lynn.  I don't really take Klonopin all the time.  I just take it as a as needed thing.  There as I said have been days that I took it several days in a row.  I took a 1mg. Monday and haven't taken any since.  I have not been crawling the walls or anything.  I just got myself worked up.  I read a lot of tales about the drug.  It scared me.  I am trying to deal with my anxiety without the drugs.  That is a hard deal.  But, I don't want to hurt myself by just going off the wrong way.  I haven't any idea how long it stays in your system, but so far I seem to be all right.  It's been 4 days and I don't seem to be having any ill effects.  I hope I want.  Right now being I have anxiety, it's not a good time really to not be able to take a pill, but I want to see if it bothers me physically to go off.  I just found I have squamous cell cancer on my collar bone and I have to go back in and have that dug deeper.  I am also having a upper Gi thing to check for a hernia or reflux or whatever to see if it has anything to do with the svts.  I just in the last 9 years have had a hard time with the seeing the glass half full thing.  I seem to always think the worst.  I'm 53 and going through menopause too.  Could have a lot to do with it all.  Thanks for all your input it helps!!!

[lynn57]

First of all...why do you feel you must come off the Klonopin?  If a regular dosing schedule in small amounts helps, I would stick with that.  It really is better to take it regularly for max. benefit.  I wouldn't be without it.  I have tapered off Klonopin and it was not a barrel of laughs, but it wasn't a horror story either.  After being off it, I definitely decided I wasn't willing to put up with the old anxiety creeping back in.  Tolerance issues are not as bad with Klonopin as other benzos.  Dosing two times a day would probably still leave you at 1 mg per day.  After nine years that is awesome.  Don't beat yourself up over needing meds.  The anxiety over quitting this med proves you may still need it.  Good luck with whatever you decide and keep us posted.

[mitziejack]

I've been taking the drug whenever I get tense or have the anxiety, most of the time it's the palps that set me off because I don't have the answer for why I keep having them.  The cardio doc has no clue.  I have been in and out of er's and hospitals over the years, I get tired of looking like I have nothing wrong with me.  They finally had me on a halter moniter that picked up the palps as vent. tachacardia, and I'm on toprol.  I just wonder why it happens so much and a lot of flare up  anxiety.  Also, I have read so much lately about the horrors of getting on and off the clonazapam.  That just makes the anxiety worse.  If I had known all the junk about seizures and this being so habit forming, I would not of got on it.  I don't like the idea of having anything I have to wean off or it can cause me more harm.  A lot of people talking like they can't get off it and that they are having a terrible time of it scares me worse.  That just adds to my anxiety.  I'm just trying to understand how to get off this drug and see if the reason for the palps could be my body reacting to me not taking it as often as it craves.  Even though I don't take it daily, I have taken it off and on for 9 years, sometimes more often, like several days in a row but only at most maybe 2 of the .5mgs in one day and then the rest a few days here a week there before I need it for a doc appt. or a particular bad day.  Thanks for your help or anyone elses thoughts on the matter.

[lynn57]

I doubt withdrawal is a real problem since you are not on any regular dosing schedule.  If by "a few times a week" you are talking every day this is different.  The palps would more likely be caused by the anxiety you have.  It sounds like you have definitely been prudent with your dosage.  You have done well for nine years.  It may be a bit of a tolerance issue and you need a larger dosage. If after nine years you need 1 mg. per day that's really not bad at all.