How to take Klonopin

[Angel13]

Hello everyone I am new here.  I have social anxiety and general anxiety.  My doc. has me on Klonopin 1mg twice a day.  How should I take it?  Right now I am taking it 1mg in the morning and 1mg at bedtime.  Should I take 1mg in the morning .5mg in the afternoon and .5mg at bedtime?  I don't know????? I am also on Wellbutrin SR 150mg a day, Inderal 40mg twice a day and Elavil 25mg a day.  I can't talk to my doc. about it because he is out of town for a while so I will ask you guys.  Any advice would really help.  Thanks for reading my post.

Angel

[vg97]

sorry angel13 i really dont know to much about medication, but someone well come along with great knowledge on these meds. Good luck!!

[suzi-q]

Klonopin is the type of medication that stays in the body for a long time so it isn't necessary to "refresh" it...if your doctor said to take it in the morning and then at night, I would stick to that ritual until your doctor comes back and you can discuss it with him.  .5 dosage in the a.m. may not be enough dosage for you to "kick off" the day....best to you.

[debaser23]

You need to talk to a pharmacist.  I imagine s/he'll say "twice a day" means morning and evening, not a half dose to half does to full dose.  Klonopin is a long-acting benzodiazepine and I think you'd do just as well to take it when you get up and an hour or two after you get home from work.  Roughly every 12 hours.  Try to take it at the same times every day if possible.

I'm on .5 mg Klonopin bid, which means twice a day.  I take it in the morning as I leave for work and again at 8 o'clock at night (when I remember to -- haha).

But your pharmacist is qualified to answer the question about dosing and also about those other drugs you mention.

[RCA7591]

Angel,

1 mg BID for Klonopin is an unusual starting dose. Generally, the drug is started at 0.25 mg BID, and increased to 0.5 mg BID after the third day (0.5 mg BID is the target dose).

The prescribing information should be printed on the bottle. In general, Klonopin is taken BID (twice a day), every 12 hours.

Elavil is a good antidepressant, and is also very helpful for social phobia. It is a Tricyclic. However, the Wellbutrin may negate some or all of the Elavil's positive effects. Combining the two is uncommon. Combining the two may increase anxiety, which is probably why the doctor prescribed the Klonopin. Eliminating the Wellbutrin would likely improve your symptoms, and reduce anxiety.

Inderal (Propranolol) is a beta-blocker. It is used to treat high blood pressure, rapid heart rate, and rarely, for performance anxiety. Inderal works by blocking the effects of Catecholamines (Adrenaline) on the myocardium of the heart.
Unless you have an elevated pulse rate or high blood pressure, this is not the best drug to be taking.

Of the drugs you list, the Klonopin and Elavil would be the most effective at treating your symptoms. The other two aren't so great. The Inderal will limit your excersise tolerance, as it reduces the heart rate. It may also place you at a greater risk of type II diabetes in the future. The development of asthma is also fairly common, as Inderal in non-selective, and blocks bronchial beta as well. The Inderal is "off label" use. 80 mg daily in an otherwise normal person is excessive.

-Ryan

[Raine9]

ask dr. gould in the mental health forum.  eventhough he'll probably give you some generic response and tell you to talk to your doc.  at least it's free. :o)

[Angel13]

Thanks everyone....I know I take a lot of meds.  but everyone of them actually have a purpose.  Wellbutrin for depression (all the other antidepression meds. made me gain weight)  As for the Inderal it works great for my pulse which is out of control a lot.  140 when I go to the doc.  and it also helps my heart not pounding so bad it feels like it is going to jump out and it really helps my hand shaking.  It along with klonopin has really been a blessing to me.  I am on Elavil for actually two reasons.  I have a bladder diaseas and elvail keeps it under control and to help me sleep.  I really do appreciate all your support.   Sometimes I just like to get other people's opions.  Thanks again.....By the way I am not a good speller so I know there are some misspelled words.  Where's the spell check?

Angel