Long Term Klonopin

[WorrierToo]

Hi, I'm pretty new to the forum and I have a question for everyone about klonopin.  I'm someone with GAD who worries alot and also has panic attacks and palpitations.  I had to leave work early two times recently because I just couldn't handle it.  My doctor gave me Xanax to take for the anxiety, but I don't want to get addicted so I don't take it too much.  Maybe one or two times a week at most.  I've been reading about the klonopin drug and how you can take it  everyday, so I asked my doctor about it.  He told me "Yes i could take it everyday - if I wanted to get adddicted!"  He said it was almost the same as Xanax and he discouraged me from wanting it!  I was wondering about anyone else out there who took it for a long time, because it seems like if you take it for a few weeks, you would not want to stop - if it's really working that is.  Like me, if I were taking it, and if it really helped my anxiety, it would be so hard to stop taking!  Anyway, has anyone taken it for a month or two and then stopped?  What's it like?  Can I take it for a year?   or two?  I'm desperate to stop the anxiety, since it's affecting me at work, and my job  is going downhill.  

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

am in your same shoes . ive been anxiety for 8 weeks now , and i have klonopin to take took it 3 days got off of it, i dont feel anxiety all day long it just hits me sometime in the day most in the am, so i feel like i should not take it twice a day everyday, but than if i took it for like two weeks could i get over the anxiety all together. not sure so i just fight it all day long and by night am tired. this has just come on me the last 3 months and so i know its not my life stye and hope i can get over it , but not sure if i can with out meds, the dr has wanted to put me on paxil etc ssri drugs but i dont want them so i already had ativan but didnt want to take it everyday either as it dont last as long as klonopin, there is a guy on here rca he is very good about meds and knows his stuff, he told me about the klonopin so i ask my dr about it and he gave it to me told me try two weeks go back tell him how i felt , well i took 3 days than off, so could not tell him how i felt , today bad on and off am not myself anymore so i guess trying the med might help.ryan says this is a long term med for anxiety and your body does not get used to it and need more like with ativan,xanax and other benz meds . but i do know drs rather you take a ssri drug than this so most dr dont like to give it , sounds like your dr not to wild about it . but i think am going to start back on mine and see what i do feel like in two weeks what do i have to lose, i know there are a few on here who take it and really like it . good luck and have a safe 4th

[WorrierToo]

Yes, he gave me paxil instead and i've been taking it for 2 weeks or more and i can't tell if it's working or not, only 20 mg per day which i think is a very low dose anyway so i dont't even know if it should be working.  Yes, me too in the am, especially at lunchtime i go out to get lunch, a salad because i'm trying to lose weight, and i wait in line and everyday feel like im having a heart attack and im going to die.  i get all racy and hot and afraid.  i got inderal for my racing heart, but now i get palpitations instead of fast heartbeat.  so, no, he would not give me klonopin and im thinking of going to another doctor who will give it to me instead of paxil. i just don't want to get addicted and what happens if it works, then its a year later, do you go off it? do you take it for life?  if its long term how do you know how long to take it?

[debaser23]

Time for you to change doctors, my friend.  If yours doesn't know the difference between Xanax and Klonopin, he doesn't know much about it and shouldn't be prescribing either one.

There's a big difference.  RCA will probably come on here and articulate it better than I can, so we'll wait and see what he says.

I've been on Klonopin for four months or so.  If I were hardcore addicted to the stuff, I'd be having tolerance issues and would need more and more to get the same therapeutic effect.  I don't feel the need to increase, though.  Sometimes I think about it, but it's certainly not a physical desire.  The more appropriate term would be "physical dependence".  If you take Klonopin everyday then, yeah, you'll be physically dependent on it and will not be able to just up and stop taking it without going through some withdrawal.

For what it's worth, my doctor told me I could take Klonopin the rest of my life if I so desired.

Anyway, Xanax is basically for people who experience occasional panic attacks and need to stop them quickly.  Klonopin is for people who have them all the time.  It was designed to take everyday.  Xanax is much more addictive, so that's why it's only for occasional use.

There's a HUGE difference between the two.

[wmac]

Im starting klonopin tomorrow well today july 4th. I have alot of anxiety due to  my heart arrthymias. I am on low dose of ativan .5mg twice daily. my doc wants me to change to klonopin because it stays in system better. He said you could stay on it forever at a low dose with no problem. he has had people on it for ten years. I read that if you take as prescribed and the level of it in your blood  stays the same then it really helps. Ativan peaks faster and then you go to a low. klonopin keeps a steady level. Im gonna take .5mg twice daily. Im a bit nervous im always nervous with new meds. But klonopin also works like a ssri so im hoping this is my ticket to some relief and a little bit of the normal life. lol
wmac

[RCA7591]

"I've been reading about the klonopin drug and how you can take it  everyday, so I asked my doctor about it.  He told me "Yes i could take it everyday - if I wanted to get adddicted!"  He said it was almost the same as Xanax and he discouraged me from wanting it! "

--end quote--

Xanax and Klonopin fall into the category of Benzodiazepines, a class of drugs used for their anticonvulsant/anxiolytic/hypnotic/sedative effects. All of them are GABA(a) Agonists, meaning they target a specific area of the brain that controls the central nervous system.

All Benzodiazepines possess the qualities as described above, but they are far from being "equal". Some carry a short half-life, and are short acting. Others carry a moderate to long half-life, and are long acting.

Xanax is a short-acting Benzodiazepine with a short half-life of 4-6 hours. Xanax was developed to provide rapid relief of anxiety/panic symptoms, as is designed for as-needed use only. The effects wear off quickly, and this leads to rebound anxiety. If used for a prolonged period of time, *tolerance* develops rapidly due to the rapid rise and decline in plasma levels. Tolerance means that more drug is required to produce the same effect, and this is the largest problem with Xanax.

Klonopin is a long-acting Benzodiazepine with a long half-life of 50 hours. Klonopin was originally developed for use in epilepsy, but was approved for panic disorder in 1998. Klonopin was specifically developed for use over the long-term. The drug (when dosed twice daily) reaches steady-state very slowly (over a period of two weeks). The drug then accumulates from 1.5 to 3 times that of steady-state. Klonopin has a long onset of action, and maintains a steady-state maintanence level unlike Xanax. This provides full 24 hr coverage. Due to the long half-life, accumulation, and prolonged therapeutic effect, developing a tolerance to Klonopin is extremely rare. Therefore, it is the drug of choice when a long-term regimen is required for the management of anxiety states. The other two drugs that are indicated for the long term are Valium and Librium.

Anyone who uses Benzodiazepines over the long term WILL develop a *dependency* to the drug. However, this is insignificant when treating an anxiety disorder over the long term. Like all Benzodiazepines, the drug must be tapered slowly if it is to be discontinued.

"Addiction" and "Dependency" are two totally different subjects. Addiction by definition is a craving for the drug, and constitutes abuse. Dependency simply means that over a given period of time, your body adjusts to the effects of the drug, and if the drug were to be removed abruptly, withdrawal symptoms would result. Dependency occurrs with any psychotropic drug, including the SSRI's. Any drug that alters brain chemistry has the potential to cause dependency and withdrawal phenomenon upon abrupt discontinuation. The same can be said for diabetics using insulin, or high blood pressure patients using antihypertensives. These folks also become *dependent* on their medication. Your use of Klonopin long term would be no different, as you are using it for a medical purpose, the purpose being to significantly improve the quality of your life.

Find a new doctor, preferably a psychiatrist who can make the proper diagnosis and prescribe the medication you need. Explain to him that your anxiety/panic attacks are impacting your work and life in general. Ask about Klonopin, 1/2 mg, bid.

Paxil isn't the answer for the condition you describe. It will likely make the attacks worse. Front line treatment for panic disorder is Klonopin.

-Ryan

[WorrierToo]

Wow, what an amazing post, especially the part about the difference between addiction and dependency. I know what you mean, any drug for brain chemistry can make you dependent, but  not addicted, very clear difference!   Its awesome that klonopin can work for such a long time without tolerance building up. It sounds almost like a wonder drug.  I wonder why my doctor didnt' want me to have it.  Could he be so ignorant of the real qualities of the drug?  Anyway, Im worried about the paxil now because i dont't want it to make my attacks worse.   Isnt it supposed to be prescribed for anxiey and panic disorders?  Unbelieveable that it could make it worse!  Does it help anybody with anxiety and panic?  Since Im already on it should i try it for a few weeks at least?  Thank you everyone for the great posts.  This is an awesome forum!

[debaser23]

I believe Ryan has said this and I've also read it elsewhere, but sometimes doctors do not like to prescribe Benzodiazepines at all because Xanax has a bad reputation of producing addicts among undisciplined patients.  When I was in college I used Xanax recreationally and remember very clearly why it lends itself to abuse.  If you combine it with other stuff, it's simply really fun (but dangerous...I saw kids taken to the hospital because of combining Xanax and various other substances).  That's not the thing to do, but some people do it anyway.

But that's one of the reasons doctors are squeamish.  Another reason is perhaps they haven't taken the time to distinguish between the benzodiazepines and maybe have had a few patients who freaked out when they stopped taking them (because the doctor didn't know how to tell them to taper).  I'd guess that most of these docs are general practitioners.

I know a lot of people whose doctors have prescribed them benzos were required to sign some sort of contract (probably a waiver).  Really silly.

About Paxil:

I know a friend who (years ago) took Paxil for anxiety and it served him quite well.  However, I've read that most (if not all) SSRI's tend to increase anxiety as a temporary side effect during the first couple weeks of treatment.  I'm not a big believer in SSRIs for panic or depression, but I've read in a lot of forums about them helping a lot of people.  Often, the doctor prescribes a benzodiazepine for the first few weeks of SSRI treatment specifically to counteract the initial increased anxiety caused by the SSRI.  Once the SSRI has started to take effect, the patient hasn't been on the benzo that long so tapering is pretty quick and easy.

You're right that this is a great forum.  I don't visit as often as I should.  Ryan, in particular, is a very informative poster who helped me back when I was afraid to take my clonazepam and had been staring at the full bottle for weeks.

[anxiety11yrs]

Hi, I have had anxiety attacks for 11 years and I have them 24/7.  I have been taking Klonopin for almost the entire time.  I recently found out that I am pregant
with my second child and I had to get to my doctors to change the prescription, due to the fact that klonopin can cause major problems in the fetus.  My anxiety has sky rocketed.  I was given 16 days to completely get off of klonopin, and am now taking prozak, because it is said to be a safe medication.  I feel like I am in a zone 24/7 now with more anxiety than I can handle.  My opinion would be not to take this or any benzo for that matter if you plan to have children in the future.  Getting off the meds is not a fun experience.

[kmj001]

Klonopin helped (and continues to help) me tremendously.

I was diagnosed with GAD and bipolar mixed state in 2003.  I suffered undiagnosed with the GAD for years before that with severe anxiety wich often manifested itself in hypochondriasis.  Towards the 'end' (before seeking treatment) I was starting to get panic attacks.  Finally after a prolonged incident where I was panic ridden and couldn't sleep at all for 3 nights straight I broke down and was able to get in to see someone immediately -a psychiatrist who would understand and help where my family doctor was unable to.

I was prescribed klonopin .5 mg two times per day, and that was increased to 1mg two times per day probably within that same month.

I've been on the 1 mg two times per day since March/April 2003, and the relief is still almost palpable.  I look back and think about the absolute horror I went through when my anxiety and panic reached it's zenith and thank God that I was given this medicine.

My mother, who was always there for me to seek constant reassurance from during the worst times of my anxiety, says I'm a completely different person.

I do have some problems with some short term memory loss, but that was present before I started the klonopin .  I've been on many different meds starting at 19 for depression, and even more now due to the bipolar, so it's hard to say what (if it at all) may have caused the memory loss.

Either way, I'd rather forget where I put my keys or not be able to find the word that's on the tip of my tongue than exist in a living nightmare, like I did 4 years ago.  

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

klonopin was a great med for me after i took it for a week, i just hated taking pills everyday for anxiety but found out i had to , its a great med and if i ever get where i need it again i will take it and not think nothing about it. its a muchbetter med than ssri for me , no side affects and easy to come off if you need to .

[suzi-q]

My mother in law took Klonopin and Lexapro for a year.  She has also come off both medications because her anxiety and depression has subsided. (WOW, wish it were me!)  She is doing just fine now, not on any medication.  She has the Klonopin just in case she needs it, but hasn't had to use it.  KUDOS TO HER!  You need to weigh the pros and cons for any medication.  There are always side effects, but you really need to see and evaluate your situation.  If you are planning on having children, I agree to not start any meds, but if that is a long time in the future or not in your plan at all, I suggest you give them a try!

[klonopin fan]

I have been on Klonopin for more than 10 years for GAD (although I've had anxiety since childhood). It was & still is my miracle drug. What a difference it has made in my life! It works so well for me. I do feel bad about being on it for so long and wonder about the harm it might be doing to my body. I would love to not be on it...but there will always be funerals, stressful situations, bad days, sleepless nights etc. so I don't see myself going off it -. I have tried several times over the years to wean myself off but have decided the benefits outweigh the risks. I have tried different drugs for sleeping but then I am still anxious during the day so the last 3 years I have taken only 1/2 of a .5mg at bedtime to help me relax & fall asleep. If I need some extra during the day, I take a very tiny little piece - under my tongue - never exceeding more than a .5 mg tablet total on any given day. I used to take a higher dose but realized a little goes a long way. My advice to anyone out there who is taking klonopin is to find the smallest dose and times of the day that best works for YOU. Everyone is different and your needs change over the years also. I think by taking klonopin as long as I have, it has helped me need less & less. Sign me - a believer & huge fan of Klonopin.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i belive in it to i was on it for really bad anxiety it got me through it i took .025 am and .025 pm i only took two weeks but it really helped me out and if i ever get like that again i will take it again. i have ativan for the just in case attack ,but i might take it once every 3 months but when i got anxiety from my moms health, for 3 months i tried to fight it , i just got worse i gave in took the klonopin and wow it was great. so i belive init to .

[MTgalval]

I had some major caqstrophies happen in the last 2 years;  husband of 17 yrs divorced and remarried, long-term friend and patient with Lou Gehrig's, I cared for the month after husband left me, he is now deceased from disease, house burned down with my Pekingese PoohPooh inside, no insurace, broke my ankle the next week.  Started taking Kalonopin and Prozac, upping my Kalonopin doses as tragedies befell, after husband left.  I have been able to cut down, as I move to Seattle to stay after broken ankle (no house).  Change of scenery has done wonders, but every now and then I get anxious, and have to take a pill immediately.  I dont know what I would have done if I hadn't had my meds.  Lost 80 lbs from husband leaving, so that just shows you how powerful your mind is.  I don't feel any bad affects, as i have ut back fro 5 to 2-3 daily.  Absolutely take the heartache and anxiety away.  the Kalonopin does.