Stay with klonopin or try something else.

[okiemom79]

Right now I am on the lowest dosage of klonopin for my anxiety. At first it worked pretty darn good to relax me and not have me so anxious all the time. That was about 3 weeks ago. I was only taking it when needed, as the Dr said was fine but I was having to take it every night. I was told to up the dose to at least 2 times a day which I have only been doing here and there. For the past couple days I feels as though this stuff is not working at all anymore. I am irritable and lash out over small things. My patience is almost non existent as well. ?? Keep taking it and give it some time or move on? I know I need to talk to the Dr. and trust me I will, but I still wanted other ppl's opinions. Thank you.

[nursegirl6572]

Some people do take Klonopin as needed and do well with it, but overall, it's better when dosed regularly.  Klonopin can also be used long term versus the shorter acting benzos, like Ativan and Xanax.  As for tapering off?  Don't worry about that now, that is a decision you can make down the line,  One step at a time, getting your anxiety under control should be the only goal for right now.

Good luck!

[okiemom79]

I was actually told to up the dose to 2 x's a day by another DR. (dr at a clinic that I went to when my primary was closed) but my primary dr assured me that I could take this as needed, only when I felt I needed it most. That is what aggravates me because I know nothing about any anxiety meds as I have never been on any before. *sigh* I believe I am suffering from PPD as well so things are just crazy for me right now and I would really like to get on the right track with. I've heard klonopin is good, but I wanted to get my anxiety under control and then possibly quit taking it. So I'm assuming I should take the meds 2 or 3 times a day and then taper off eventually? Like I said I'm new to medications for anxiety.

[nursegirl6572]

Klonopin is most effective when taken regularly, rather than as needed.  It's a long acting benzo with a long half life, so once it is given a chance to build in the system, it keeps you at a more steady state when it comes to anxiety.  It sounds like you are taking it here and there with no real consistent dosing.

My advice to you would be to talk to your doc about taking it twice a day every day and then reassess its effectiveness for you.  After a week or so, you should notice a difference.  It's also possible you may require a slightly higher dose, but I would definitely try a consistent dosing schedule first.  Many people have great success with Klonopin.

Talk to your doc, and let us know!

[RubyWitch]

I agree that you need to talk to a doctor, but NOT the same one!
Klonopin is a long term benzo that must be dosed at least 2X per day, EVERY day. It is really quite useless on a PRN (as needed) basis because it must accumulate in your system to be effective. Xanax or Ativan are better choices for PRN usage.
You were told to up the dose to 2X per day, which you didn't do. There is absolutely no question as to why it's not helping you. Both you and doctor need a better understanding of these types of meds. Your doctor should have put you on 2 divided doses per day to be taken every day from the very start of treatment. And you should have followed the doctors instructions when he changed them. You can not take this med on an arbitrary basis.
I would find a new doctor with a much better understanding of these types of meds and knows how to prescribe them correctly, and you need to take all medications as directed on the label.
There is no need to try another medication at this point. Prescribed AND taken correctly, I think you will find your anxiety well managed with the Klonopin.
I trust you know that any benzo will control your anxiety, but all it is doing is masking the symptoms of your underlying anxiety. Therapy is needed to get to the root cause of that anxiety so you can deal with it and overcome it.
Peace
Greenlydia