Klonopin worries

[debaser23]

For a couple of years I've been experiencing nausea and dyspepsia.  After going to doctor after doctor, a gastroenterologist at a major teaching hospital finally decided that my "spells" were atypical panic attacks.  I'm not sure if that's what they were in the beginning (I also had gallbladder removed during this time), but for the last several months I've also started having more typical anxiety symptoms.

Well, this doctor didn't give me any medicine for anxiety.  He and the other doctor that was working on me said that "my stomach would get better as my anxiety got better" and my "anxiety would get better if my stomach got better".  I got no real treatment out of them, but started to get better for a while just from having a diagnosis.  But it didn't last so I went to my PCP a couple of weeks ago.  He looked over all the work I had done at the hospital and prescribed Clonazepam/Klonopin.

The thing is, I'm absolutely TERRIFIED to take this stuff.  I'm afraid it'll make me sicker.  Logically, I know the odds are very small that it would make me sick, but it's enough to scare me.  I've seen the stats but I'm looking for people who've taken Klonopin to tell me whether or not it made them nauseous, especially if they had sensitive stomachs.  I'm also wondering if it's "mood altering" or merely "sedating".  It's only .5 mg so I don't expect a huge effect either way, but I'd really like to know the "character" of what it does, if that makes sense.  Also, if the Klonopin did make me sick, for how long would I be sick?  And how bad could it possibly get?

[sparkeler]

Kalonopin never made me sick.  I wish I could take it allo the time.  It completely relaxes me & anxiety goes out the window.

[swfl_guy]

Yeah doesn't make me sick at all. Doesn't alter mood just helps to reduce the anxiety!

[holliexox]

hello. i take this drug alot. it doesnt make me sick at all. i also take .5
i love the drug its very good & helpful. i worried at 1st bout taking it but trust me its fine :)

[RCA7591]

I concur with the others. Klonopin and other benzodiazepines are amoung the safest drugs for use in anxiety states. They have little side effects, and most common side effects (sedation, unsteady gait) pass after a few days of use.

0.5 mg BID (every 12 hours) is the target dose. I would start with 0.25 mg BID, and increase the dose slowly until a total of 1 mg daily (0.5 mg BID) is acheived. Most are well maintained at this dose.

Klonopin has a slow onset of action (30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the individual), and a dose lasts a minimum of 12 hours.

The effects are subtle, so don't dwell on or anticipate adverse reactions after you take your first dose. Simply take it as prescribed, and continue on with your life.

The drug will not affect your stomach or aggrevate your nausea.

-Ryan

[suzi-q]

Love my Klonopin!  I never leave home without it!!!

[Am I having panic attacks????????????]

I have been taking Klonopin for a while now.  I am also prescribed 0.5 3x's daily.  I usually only take half 3 - 4 times a day for anxiety and heart palpitations and it works great for me.  It calms me down and my heart slows down almost immediately and I have never experienced any nausea. It does make me sleepy.  So you may want to take it home at first until you adjust to it.

[debaser23]

Thanks for all the answers.  Do any of you have sensitive stomachs, though?  A nurse told me that I could take it with food and an antacid would take care of any problems, should I have any.  No problems with the antacid but I get sick almost every time I eat to begin with!  The docs say it's panic and I agree that it probably is, but I'm not 100 percent sure.  I worry that:

1. I'll take the Klonopin with a little food
2. I'll get nauseated at some point, as usual
3. That "atypical" panic will turn into real panic, and I'll blame the nausea on an adverse reaction.
4. I'll get sicker as a result of #3.

Pretty ridiculous, I guess, since the Klonopin is supposed to prevent what I'm worried about, but that's why I asked if it were "mood altering" or merely "sedating".  This stuff needs to change the way I think or put me out like a light, or else I'll worry about it so much I will make it a bad experience.

I don't like admitting that, but it's true.

[RCA7591]

Don't take Klonopin with an antacid (particularly Tagamet, Protonix, and other H2 receptors). These types of drugs are metabolized by the liver, and can interact with benzodiazepines. The two in combination can wreck your liver.

A standard antacid (Maalox) is fine, but will slow the absorption of Klonopin (as will food).

My advice: Take it without food, it will work quicker. It WILL NOT make you sick! The mind is a powerful force, and if you THINK it will make you sick, it will. So don't think about it.


-Ryan

[RCA7591]

Don't take Klonopin with an antacid (particularly Tagamet, Protonix, and other H2 receptors). These types of drugs are metabolized by the liver, and can interact with benzodiazepines. The two in combination can wreck your liver.

A standard antacid (Maalox) is fine, but will slow the absorption of Klonopin (as will food).

My advice: Take it without food, it will work quicker. It WILL NOT make you sick! The mind is a powerful force, and if you THINK it will make you sick, it will. So don't think about it.


-Ryan

[RCA7591]

Don't take Klonopin with an antacid (particularly Tagamet, Protonix, and other Histamine 2 receptors). These types of drugs are metabolized by the liver, and can interact with benzodiazepines. The two in combination can wreck your liver.

A standard antacid (Maalox) is fine, but will slow the absorption of Klonopin (as will food).

My advice- Take it without food, it will work quicker. It WILL NOT make you sick! The mind is a powerful force, and if you THINK it will make you sick, it will. So don't think about it.


-Ryan

[tamlloyd]

I have been on Klonopin for the past few months. It has never made me sick. I LOVE it. It keeps me calm and is better than any other anxiety medication I've ever taken. I take it 4 times a day - once in the morning, once at noon and two at bedtime.

Nirvam also works instantly. You put it under your tongue and it works immediately.

[tamlloyd]

I take klonopin daily - 4 times (once in the morning, once at noon and twice at bedtime). I have been on it for about 6 monhs now and have not experienced any problems.

If you are taking other medications, it may just be that you don't have the right mix. Sometimes the wrong mix of medications can cause different effects. Check with your doctor to be sure.

The klonopin works well and keeps me calm and balanced. If you are taking it, do know that it is habit forming and you can't just stop taking it at once. You have to wean yourself off of it, per my doctor's instructions.

Nirvam is also another good one. You put it under your tongue and it starts working instantly. I used it when I was afraid to fly after 911 and when I was having very severe panic attacks.

Hope this info helps.

[debaser23]

Thanks so much for the additional comments.

I didn't know that about the H2 blockers, but it's very good to know that since I have acid reflux.  I'm not taking an H2 blocker but I AM taking Prevacid, a proton pump inhibitor.  Is that likely to react with the Klonopin?  Incidentally I am tapering off the Prevacid because I think it may be the source of some of my stomach problems.  By Monday I should be off it completely.  I was going to go with an OTC H2 blocker to take as-needed, but I guess I won't now.  I'll stick with Maalox.  

Anyway, there will be some Prevacid left in my system for a while, I suppose.  Will the Klonopin react with that to make me ill, or is this more of a long-term thing?

My mind is a powerful force, indeed...at once my best ally and my worst enemy.  It will be very, very difficult to forget about the possibility that I'll get ill.  Hopefully the Klonopin will help with that, but it sounds much more like a tranquilizer and unlikely to have any real psychoactive properties.  That's both good and bad, I guess.

I'm not that concerned about Klonopin dependency because I'm on a low dose (.5 mg) on an as-needed basis.  I have no idea why my doctor didn't prescribe the soluble wafers for sublingual administration.  I'd feel a lot better about taking it if it would go straight into the bloodstream and bypass my stomach completely.

[RCA7591]

There is no known reaction between Klonopin and Prevacid. I double checked the PDR to make sure. You are in the clear.

Avoid any H2 blocker, as they are metabolized by the same liver enzyme that Klonopin is. Avoid Erythomycin (an antibiotic) as well. Also avoid alcohol in any form.

Klonopin wafers would've indeed been a good choice for you (expensive though). Oral Klonopin will not hurt your stomach, and I wouldn't obsess over it.

Before I took my first dose of Klonopin, I stared at the bottle for two weeks before I had the guts to try it. Eventually, I took one. Immediately, I thought the worse would happen (I thought I would stop breathing). An hour later, the worry was gone (and I could breathe much better, too)!

Seriously, you are worrying over nothing! The drug isn't nearly as strong as you think it is.

-Ryan

[debaser23]

Cool.  Thanks.  I've had my Klonopin for two weeks and two days and haven't taken it!  Silly, I know.

I may have to try it this afternoon.  

[Angel13]

Hello everyone I am new here.  I have SA, OCD, GAD. and depression.  I am on Wellbutrin SR 150mg once daily, inderal 40mg as needed, Elavil to help me sleep and Klonopin 1mg twice a day.  How long does it take for Klonopin to start working?  Some people say 1-4 hours after taking it and some say a few weeks.  I take it every day.  I have been on every AD there is.  Nothing helped my anxiety.  All I want is to have a normal life.  

Thanks for reading
Angel

[jojo525]

I have been on klonopin for 2 days and all I want to do is sleep.  I am giving up on this drug because I have two children and I cannot possibly go on like this.

[Casey80]

How much are you taking? For the first couple of weeks it can zonk you out. I started at .25 x two / daily for three days and then increased to .5 x two / daily. THe tiredness may last for a couple of days but goes away. I was in your situation at one time. Wait it out. It will get better . . . Take one in the morning and one in the evening.

[anxiousalways]

I was prescibed Klonopin a month ago .05 and for the most part I have taken it about four times, out of fear of addiction. I love the way it calms me from anxiety. and there are days I try my best to deal with anxiety without taking Klonopin and I feel terrible, I try to put my best foot forward but it is hard work. The lightheaded, dizzy, feelings are horrible. Like I am going to pass out. does anyone get hooked on Klonopin taking it as needed. because it works really well when I take it

[RCA7591]

"I try to put my best foot forward but it is hard work."

^quote

Indeed, it is hard work. Have you tried CBT or talking with a psychologist? If so, what were the results? If you haven't, I'd recommend that you do. If you can identify potential triggers and accept them, the sensations may possibly subside (or improve).

If no direct trigger(s) can be identified, and the anxiety is chronic in nature, Klonopin is a fantastic long-term option. Lightheadedness, Dizziness, Numbness, etc are all typical panic sensations, a component of hyperventilation. Essentially what you have is an exaggerated fight or flight response, a hyperactive nervous system that predisposes you to hyperventilation and its associated sensations. Klonopin blunts this hyperactive response, and thus minimizes or prevents them. Klonopin may be used as-needed (infrequently, twice per week) without the risk of physical dependency. It may also be used daily, at which optimum efficacy is seen at a dosage of 0.5 mg, twice daily. When used in this manner, Klonopin prevents panic from recurring, as a consistent level is held in your blood plasma at all times (no rollercoaster ride). The trade-off to daily use is a very modest physical dependency. This is of no consequence if the quality of your life is greatly improved.

For what it's worth, I took Roche Klonopin for 14 months, for panic-like sensations that were secondary to an underlying physical process. The drug never lost its efficacy, and I experienced no withdrawal phenomena from discontinuing it (save for transient muscle weakness). I'd recommend Klonopin highly. During the final two months of treatment, my daily dosage varied from 1.5 to 4 milligrams. I withdrew from 1.5 mg in 0.25 mg increments every three days. No problems (and that was a fast taper).

~Ryan

[anxiousalways]

Thank you for your support and advice. I will try CBT , and I will continue to take klonopin as needed I do feel anxious every day but there are days that my anxiety level is very low and other days so out of control, but again I must identify the triggers. My doctor also prescribed Lexepro but I felt very stimulated I did not like the restless days and sleepless nights so I stopped taking it after 5 days. I also suffer from High blood pressure due to my anxiety, right now I take 25 mg of hydrochlorothiazide, 40 mg Linsinopril in the morning and .01 mg Clonodin at night. I really want to stop the Clonodin but Doc says I can not stop suddenly ,funny but the Klonopin works better for my pressure than the BP pills  The BP pills were not working  well, but my pressure was only very elevated  every time I had a doctors visit so my doctor kept trying different meds,  before my last doctors visit I took the klonopin 1 hour before I went and  like magic my BP was 138/78 a great difference fom the 190/110  I would get because I get very anxious when I have a doctors visit. Klonopin is really great.

[anxiety_ridden]

I have the same train of thought...and stomach. I was wondering if this worked for you? If it made you feel sick or disoriented? I know this was posted a long time ago...but hopefully you or someone else with a sensitive stomach/mind can answer your questions if you can't.