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Avatar universal

New to Klonopin

After taking Xanax for 20 years for chronic anxiety, my doctor placed me on Klonopin. Back in the early 90's I tried Buspar briefly, which made me feel worse than anything I've ever taken in my life, so I was put back on Xanax. I recently lost both parents (4 days apart, a year ago) then my job, as my now ex-boss, Hans J. Schmidt (at Frank's Casing Crew in Lafayette, LA.) graciously said he was tired of hearing about my dead parents so I was dismissed only adding to further stress. Anyway the effects of Xanax as RCA7591 so well explained was right on the money, it worked well for a short period like an aspirin to a headache but its effectiveness was shorter and shorter, sometimes hardly at all. I explained to my doctor and she switched me to Klonopin saying that its effect lasts longer. I used to take 0.5mg of Xanax mainly as needed or recommended twice daily.  I've seen so many conflicting posts that I'm confused or worried if Klonopin will work and my doctor made the right choice. I don't mind if it takes longer to work, just if it works. I'm also on Prozac and Metropolol and wonder how those interact.

I know this question is asked a lot and I'm sorry to add one more but I'd like to know a little more of what I'm getting in to.

Also, why is drinking Grapefruit juice not recommended when taking Xanax?

Thanks!

18 Responses
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Avatar universal
People's emotions run high don't they. I found a forum on MedHelp for small animals, I wrote a post to a guy whose little girl just lost her hampster. The three year old was torn apart. Now I'm the HAMPSTER expert!  :)

abby
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I do not find many doctors pushing Benzos on people.  I find just the opposite.  I am coming off Klonopin slowly because my Doc hates benzos.  If I had my way I would just stay on the Klonopin rather then add Neurontin and Celexa.  2 mgs a day worked great with no side effects. I am down to .75 mgs and I have been going really slow.  A few sleep problems, but no return of the panic attacks. Good luck everyone.  Abby, you have to remember that some meds a problems for some people, but return others to a normal life. Take it easy on others especially when they need support and understanding.
Helpful - 0
780520 tn?1235938417
Hi...
      Prozac has not worked for me. I hope it works for you. It seems there suggesting antidepressants to help with anxiety. I suggest not drinking caffine and staying away from allot of sugar. Also do you have any health problems such as Asthma? Really some of our health issues can be the cause of our anxieties. I think that using a medication that works from time to time is ok.

Anyhow I pray you feel better in Jesus Name
Helpful - 0
685562 tn?1447155231
I agree totally on the miscomunication, and miscunduct on the medical professionals.
I believe 99% are nothing but pill pushers who have no knowledge. Probably spent too much time at parties during med school and not enough time hitting the books
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just to let you know, I didn't know it was the rebound anxiety (back then), believe what you want. I never took an SSRI or an Antidepressant until the rebound anxiety and tolerance occurred. I took those ridiculous drugs to stop, what I now know was tolerance.  I blamed myself for the high anxiety and got totally messed-up with all the SSRI's and such. Anyway, I eventually felt more like a benzo than a human being. That's not the point, the point is "tolerance" and "rebound anxiety" occur with the small doses also, eventually. I'm not going to get into how long till this happens and someone's weight and metabolism.

I have listened to you tell about how the klonopin has helped people with high anxiety and it has made me realize that there are applications where it would be one's own choice to use it with short term, low dose use and a proper tapper plan.  I've already made this clear.  Personally, if I could turn back the hands of time I would take klonopin or valium only for emergencies. That way there would be no chance for toleance. I thought they were "inert" and washed out of your system in 48 hours. I spent my time studying nutrition and exercise (my mistake). I did take ativan a couple times a week for a long time, then the same gp gave me an ativan script in the late 90's. It was 1mg a day and went to 3mg a day and so on. Draw what conclusions that you will. But it happens to regular people all the time. Not just "doppers". And tolerance occurres with the smaller doses.  Doctor's have to be viligent about rebound anxiety and tolerance with each patient. But that's not gonna happen.

Therapy is a wonderful, wonderful thing with a good therapist. But it's expensive and even with insurance the companies don't want to pay much for therapy. They want to pay for a 15 minute medication management session.

Yes the fellow "benzo" is on the "heavy" side of drugs and he needs to work as hard getting off as he did using. You have to help yourself or nobody else can. I've already stated about how there are benzo users in the middle, not just the two extremes. That was my point.

This forum is going to end up being a "click" of sorts and other "not as similar" people are leaving and finding forums with more open minded people. Maybe that's what forums really are, I'm not sure.

I have made my beliefs clear on the benzodiazepines. And some people out there need to know about them and they need to know how to come off. They get the script and who cleans up the peices?

abby



Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
heavy stuff from all sides , we each have a right to say what we think, that why its a forum.stay safe buddies
Helpful - 0
685562 tn?1447155231
Guess what I just read?
Benzos other post...
Turns out he was addicted to other "drugs"
So.........I laugh at you, and congradulate Benzo for staying clean.
Good job man
Helpful - 0
685562 tn?1447155231
First of all, I NEVER JUDGED HIM, or called him a "drug addict"
HE STATED, and I quote "To all who praises Klonopin....I was put on Klonopin when i stopped drinking for the first time in my life in 1988" see the stop drinking part?

2nd, ITS NOT LUCK, ITS KNOWLEDGE!
Some people choose to be informed, some people choose to close close there eyes for the time being, because its "easier" to not think of the future.
ANYONE, with some magnitude of common knowledge, should be able to decipher that these meds are addictive just by there STRONG action towards anxiety, etc...

3rd, bringing my age into this? "How old were you in 1988?"
That statement shows just how small minded and judgemental YOU ARE.
To make a judgement based on ones age is completely idiotic and obtuse.
Well, sence we are going to talk about me "tryinmg my hardest not to sound conceided"
Im 23, my Dad Killed himself IN 1988, when I was 13 I studied Physcology for roughly 4 years at a college down the road as a "ellective"
My mom became a HEAVY alcoholic, and my sister a drug addict.
Well my mom was a nurse for about 20 years, and she didnt want to deal with all the death anymore, and she wanted to take care of her drinking problem, so the DOC PRESCRIBED KLONOPIN, to help her with her drinking  "she had bad anxiety also"
now, after about 2-4 months of not drinking she to had a doctor pull her from the Klonopin CT, SHE WENT INTO A SEIZURE 2 DAYS LATER, so YES I DO KNOW ALL THE ASPECTS. She eventually died too because the doctor treated her like a drug addict, and basically told her to drink.
So she became a seriously HEAVY DRUNK to fight off the withdraws, and to "prevent" seizures.
My sister died 6 months later from a drug overdose.....Klonopin and Heroin.
So before you go around JUDGING ME BASED ON MY AGE AND LIFE EXPIERENCE, I suggest you really question yourself on my LIFE KNOWLEDGE.
Ive had some bad things happen to me, that one might think I blame "klonopin" for, But the truth is THEY MADE A DECISION to do what they did, the pill didnt.
If properly prescribed, they would probably all be alive today.

O, and Abby, did you hear this story?
The person that was housebound for 20  years because of severe agoraphobia was prescribed a benzodiazapine, AND THAT PERSON FINALLY WENT GROCERY SHOPPING, then its sad to say, that the personm went a website to see why this medicine worked so well for them, and they found a bunch of "benzo bashing" post almost like yours, and it scared them, so now not only are they HOUSEBOUND AGAIN, there miserable, and probably ready to commit suicide because they can handle the idea of being on this "devil" of a medicine that people like you so quick to bad talk because YOU didnt have enough sence to to see in the future, or realize a problem?

Slamming a story? Im setting the facts
Its a "scare" tactic by "benzo bashers" Im well aware how you guys work, I wouldnt be at all surprised if Benzo was actually you, and your "scare" tactics.
O, and by the way IM STILL WITHDRAWING FROM KLONOPIN, AND STAY FIRM TO MY BELIEF
I know now, and I knew then that they were/are addictive, I knew the first time I had to take my medicine, that I would have to taper off of it.
I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE SOME SORT OF WITHDRAW, AND I MADE A CHOICE!
And it was a good one, still worth it, the withdraw WAS NOTHING LIKE MY ANXIETY.
SO MUCH EASIER
so that should tell you this
MY ANXIETY WAS WORSE THEN YOUR DREADED BENZO WITHDRAW, and IT DID HELP, and IT CAN HELP those WITH PURE ANXIETY.
I think your confusing normal every mill of the day anxiety with PURE 100% DREADY, SHAKING, TREMBLING, SHOCK,OUT OF THIS WOROLD COMPLETE MISERABLE, THOUGHT OF LOOSING SANITY, DEREALIZATION, KIND OF ANXIETY.
I wouldnt never reccomend benzodiazapine for "normal" anxiety.

O, one last thing
THEY CAN GET OF THIESE MEDICINES!
Its there will power, and its there CHOICE!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
To those whom it may apply to. Klonopin is not approved for use during pregnancy. It is a class D drug and is unsafe for the unborn.

abby
Helpful - 0
751373 tn?1233517975
AMEN!  I AGREE WITH JAKEGORZEN ABOVE!!!   IF TAKEN PROPERLY THESE WORK WONDERS FOR PPL.  WHERE IS YOUR MEDICAL DEGREE? I MEAN REALLY?

GOOD LUCK FINDING WHAT  ELSE WORKS FOR "PURE" ANXIETY?!?  

PPL WITH MAJOR ANXIETY DISORDER ETC. NEED THESE MEDS.  

DO YOU SUGGEST THEY RESULT TO STREET DRUGS?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Well... you've got him all figured out don't you. You're his judge, jury and executioner based on his one post about 21 years of use. You're lucky! You had all the right information and all the right answers about your Klonopin use. Some don't. Stop judging others based on you.

Not all take benzo's based on small doses neither based on reckless illicet use. Read the story about the house wife who had "stress and grief" after the death of her newborn. Her doctor gave her 1mg Ativan. After 30 years of doctors upping her dose to help her "feel better", all the time is was interdose withdrawals, she ended up on 8mg Ativan a day. Well... one day she just forgot to take her Ativan and had a grandmall seizure at the dinner table. Finally a neurologist told her it was Ativan withdrawals. Her daughter is now helping her come off after 30 years of use. She wants her mother back. This woman was always sick and a nervous reck. Her doctor's and family never knew it was the benzo's. But even still she was dropped, by the advise of her doctor, down to 2mg Ativan in just two weeks.  Similar stories are not unusual.

Some people get to a bad place with benzo's. Because someone went to a detox doesn't mean they didn't take benzo's for ligitimate reasons. By far, most get addicted to benzo's taking them as prescribed and at theraputic doses. Without the RIGHT help somewhere, who CAN'T get off these drugs. Some never hear those precious words>"do a slow tapper". They just slip through the cracks. I had a well meaning doctor take my prescription bottle and pour it down the sink in front of me, he was so pleased with himself, I left the hospital and had a seizure. That was my tapper plan.

Benzo128 said he tried to come off but couldn't. Years ago he may not of known he should of come off in two weeks like he now believes he should off.  How old were you in 1988? Do you know how much information was available about benzo's back then? Also it is illegal to prescribe benzo's to someone that has a drinking problem. It's hard getting sober with a benzo prescription. Because someone has a drinking problem doesn't necessarily mean they have an "addictive personality".  Less than 40% of people in AA have ever used drugs. But of course the affinity with alcohol gives him have an affinity with benzo's. He probably didn't know it but the prescribing doctor should off.  Get proactive, help him do a cross-over and do a slow tapper off with Klonopin.

You need to stop slamming those telling their true story. If your committed in your opinion about Klonopin, tell people that (only if the benifits out weigh the ricks) there can be a safe and effective use of Klonopin with low dose short term use and a proper slow tapper plan. Tell them all the good and the BAD.  You know how and you care about people with anxiety, so get the word out.  Better yet, tell them how easy it was for you.

abby
Helpful - 0
685562 tn?1447155231
YOU MADE THE CHOICE to take 2 different Benzos together, YOU MADE THE CHOICE to take them for 21 years, YOU MADE A CHOICE TO START THEM, and YOU CAN MAKE A CHOICE TO STOP

Giving the facts in your statement, you had a problem with drinking.
AND giving these facts, it tells me that you have a addictive personality.
and if the Docs gave you these to quit drinking, that tells me that you drank ALLOT, and the Doc was afraid you would have seizures from that detox.
So, before you go around RUNNING YOUR MOUTH to people whom might need these medicines FOR LIGITIMATE REASONS, and trying to scare them.
As for the "other medicines" I laugh at that statement simply because your probably talking about Antidepressants, which DO NOT WORK for "pure" anxiety.

You also said, that you shouldve went off them after a couple of weeks....why didnt you?

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Avatar universal
To all who praises Klonopin....I was put on Klonopin when i stopped drinking for the first time in my life in 1988, i'm turning 50 in March..09, So i been on and off Klonopin for 21 years, only because this D.r. i cant spell pycrirst , because i bun't so many brain cells doing Klonopin and xanax, so this D.r. put me on Klonpin!!! ofcourse i'm gonna have anxiety, i just put down the bottle since i was 16, this is were my nightmare began, i chased d.r.'s for years, only because i couldn't stop the benzo's, i had a drinking problem, so i ended up in detoxes, and they would try, and i would try to come off benzo's, giving up, and just to find another d.r... Yes, they helped me in my sobriety, but i would pick up the bottle every 6 months, yes they helped at the beginning, but i should of come off them in the first couple of weeks.  I believe klonopin and xanax were made for seizes for head trauma, for me today i'm still trying to come off xanax's!!! and i'm having a battle!!! I'm doing 2mg per day, which isnt much, my memory is gone, i can't function without them, so anybody who wants to stay on klonopin or xanax for a long period, good luck coming off them, deal with the stress everybody has too, and there is non addicted drugs out there for anixiety, my mind is so closed for that route, because they dont feel the same as a xanax or klonopin...
best of luck to all!!!
BENZO128
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Avatar universal
Back when I was on Klonopin, I was also on Toprol (metoprolol) and didn't have any negative reactions. My cardiologist, pharmacist, and psych were not concerned. Of course I was not having any symptoms. Upon questioning my cardiologist about an interaction, he said theoretically the combination of the two could lower BP and HR too much. But my numbers were fine so he brushed it off. At the time I was on .5mg of klonopin a day and 25 mg of  Toprol XL. So maybe there would be more risk of interactions at higher doses. I would talk to your prescribing doctor and pharmacist about it.
Helpful - 0
685562 tn?1447155231
Grapefruit increases the plasma level of Xanax "making it stronger"
I guess in theroy, it could maybe cause a OD, but Im not for sure if anything has been documented.
Did your doc just swictch you totally, or is he doing a crossover regiment?
If you have been on Xanax for 20 years, then I hope he is crossing you over "taking little of Xanax, little of Klonopin, slowly reducing the Xanax, and getting to a steady dose of Klonopin" if he didnt, then you are probably going to go through a little bit of withdraw, until the Klonopin reaches a steady state in your Plasma levels. "2-3 weeks"
Helpful - 0
776095 tn?1243146888
Klonopin worked for me for a while. BUt I really only used it to help with withdrawals from other medications I was switching from. But i did help with anxiety while I was on it.
Hope this helps! If it doesn't work for you, talk to a doctor!
Helpful - 0
751373 tn?1233517975
Hello there..  I have been taking klonopin for about 7 yrs now.  I was on xanax before that and became extremely addicted to it!  It was awful.  I had to literally detox in a hospital off of it.  I have panic disorder/depression.  After getting off xanax I was placed on the klonopin.  Yes it takes longer to work, howrver, it last longer, and stays in your system longer. Xanax was a qick fix, basically a band-aid that did the job, but did not last; thus leading to having to take more and more.  I much prefer the klonopin.  It is the lesser of the evils.  I am also on prosac as well and the two work very well together for me.

As far as drinking on these meds, I am sad to say I have done it often.  It is NOT recommended.  I have gotten completely hammered and did not remember the nt before.  I usually had an angry and embarrased husband the next morning.  

I am sorry about your parents, your boss should go to hell, and I believe you will have much luck with the klonopin/prosac combo.

Hope that helped!?
Helpful - 0
723959 tn?1314744225
From my experance xanax always really lowered my blood pressure and made me so tired. I have a severe anxiety and panic attacks when i am really stressed. I take cymbolta evey morning and I take a klonipin 0.5mgs, it works sooo well with me. It just calms me down and i don;t have anxiety or panic attacks hardly ever. the only time i do is when i am really stressed about something, sick, or right before my menstral. My husbands takes zanax and he hates the way it make him feel, he took my klonipin before when he was stressed out, and he liked how it took the edge off, i hope i have helped you :-)

kalie


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