Today is my first day switching from xanax to klonopin..i will post daily and let anyone else who is trying it see how i feel.

Hi everyone im starting on a journey..well i call it that my plan is this....
I have been on xanax .5 mg 3 x a day for 7 years..yep 7 years...i was never aware that the drug was only used for short term used but here i am 7 years later and my dosage has never changed but latley ive noticed that my anxiety is getting worse...nothing in my life has changed exept for that im moving from my home town to a state that i know no one i am very exited and i cant wait but i noticed that i started to take one extra xanax every once in a while..no i talked with my doctor because my plan was to start to ween off not go up on my dose because i want to get pregnant soon im 30 and want to start my family....i have some doctors telling me i can take xanax in low doses during pregnancy..but i just dont want to it is my duty as a mother even if its not born yet to do everything to keep my child safe..and the doctors can not give me a guerentee that the baby will be ok......So my plan is im switching to klonopin .5 mg 3 x a day...because it stays in your body longer it is less addictive and easier to ween off so i will post everyday and let everyone now how it is..in case anyone else is thinking of doing it..and then once the xanax is out of my system and the klonopin is all in i will start the prossess of weening off klonopin and soon hopfully be med free...Gina

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i wish you luck,i know it can be done and i know ryan has told you how to do it .i think i saw ya talking about it ,and hes great at knowing his meds. i took klonopin for two weeks just to get over a bad case of anxiety and i still taking 1/4 for 3 days than am off, its a great med and i know it will help you , i felt so much better when i was taking it for my anxiety and will never be scared to go back on it ,if need be. yes plz keep us in touch how it goes, 7 years a long time on that drug. have a great day and hope your stress free.

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Oh my god!!!!! this stuff is great. I took my first dose at 8;30 am this morning..just like i would have taken my xanax and normaly i would start to feel anxious again at about 12 noon well its 4;45 and i just took my second dose of klonopin...and not because i felt anxious just cause i had to and didnt want to skip a dose i cant believe how much better it works...My doctor told me 1 of 2 thing will happen either your body will react negative and you will have some anxiety for a few days or since you have been on xanax for 7 years chances are your body is not even feeling the effects anymore and once you start klonopin it will be like when you first started the xanax and thank god thats what happened i feel GREAT!!!!!!!. I feel very positive that i will be med free some day....

[Ginasouthcarolina]

does anyone know if you can drink with klonopin..im not talking wasted..but like a glass of wine i like to have a glass of wine when im alittle anxious it seems to work....Well still feeling ok im alittle anxious now its 7;30pm took my 2nd dose at 4;45 so thats only like 3 hours so this dose didnt stay in me as long as the first but im staying positive...im gonna have a glass of wine...LOL

[suzi-q]

Best of luck to you Gina!  Sounds like you have a good plan and I know that with determination things will be great.  I would be very careful with the drinking...I am not sure it is a good idea.  Let us know how you are doing.

[Darius5691]

Hi, Gina - I just switched from Xanax to Klonopin, too. I'm on day 8! I was only on Xanax for 5-1/2 weeks, though, so I'm sure our experiences will be/are different. For me, I experienced lots of grogginess/foggy head, some breakthrough anxiety and increased insomnia between days 4-6 .... but, I took a friend's advice and instead of taking .5mg Klonopin 2x/day, I'm taking .25mg in the a.m. and again in the mid-afternoon, then a .5mg at night before bed. I've done that for two days, and it's worked well so far. :-) I wish you all the best with this. I'm excited to be off Xanax and on Klonopin for the reason you stated - it's easier to get off! Plus, as Ryan says, it's meant to be for longer term use. So that makes me feel better, just knowing that I'm on something that is supposed to be taken for more than a few weeks/months. Let's stay in touch, I'd love to know how you're doing with this.
Take care,
Anne

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hi everyone thanks for your posts...yea im doing good first day was ok...its 12;41am now and im about to go to sleep my first dose was great this morning i felt great i think its cause i was so exited to be off the xanax i think i got a head of my self...alittle harder tonight nothing crazy just very anxious but i know this will pass...im just really happy my first day off the xanax wasnt what i thought it was gonna be...CRAZY!!!!!!! Thank god today is over...LOL..Goodnight...Gina

[debaser23]

Just to add some to what RCA said about alcohol and Klonopin....

Several times I've gotten brave, stuck my chest out, and tried to drink with the Klonopin.  Now, I'm not a beer or wine drinker.  I'm a bourbon man.  Hard liquor all the way.  I'm so rock n' roll, you see, it can't be any other way.

Well, let's just say I certainly cannot drink very much with this stuff.  I order a single bourbon on the rocks and can't even get through it.   The other night I took one swig of Jim Beam right out of my friend's bottle and just that buzzed me!  So, yeah, you have to be careful.  

Suffice it to say, my drinking days are over.  I'm very sad about that, but oh well, ya know?  I may take the occasional swig out of the bottle or nurse a single on the rocks for an entire night, but that's it for me.  If I drink much more it'll be black out city or worse, I can tell.  It's not normal to feel the effects of alcohol so quickly...it's very unnatural.  It's probably like giving a two year old a martini.  

[Ginasouthcarolina]

ahahahaha thats a funny way of saying it but so true "its like giving a 2 year old a martini" Well i went out with friends and i had 1 beer so i felt fine im not a big drinker just the occational glass of wine or beer...but i want the med to work to its full potential and for some reason when i was on the xanax i had no problem i think its because by the time i went out and had some drinks i didnt take my night dose and it has such a short life in the body so i was good...Klonopin on the other hand stays in your system longer so im being causious.....

To all....Good morning its 9;30am got up around 8;30 made my hubby breakfast (its our 1 year wedding aniversery :)..i ate a banana to cote my tummy then took my meds....25mg zoloft (which im weening off dosnt do anything to me) klonopin .5mg, baby asprin, nexium 40mg, Feel ok this morning woke up alittle anxious but just a tiny bit...so far klonopin vs xanax.......klonopin makes me feel more tierd, fuzzy headed, and makes me feel like i have a really bad case of ADD.......Im not sure but will all this pass? i think my body is just getting used to it..i remember this feeling when i first took xanax....kinda just want to lay around all day and do nothing....thank god i dont work..Well im a home maker i guess thats a job...well at least it feel like one..LOL. Does klonopin have any effects on your organs,,,,,lungs, heart, liver, kidneys? just wondering i dont think so because it works with your central nervious system..Feeling good right now i guess the klonopin is taking effect..LOL alittle less fuzzy headed....im glad that my tranfer from xanax to klonopin is going pretty smooth,, just alittle breakthrough anxiety but nothing i cant handle...ok by for now i will post later....Gina

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hi how are you i read your post and i am feeling the same way you are light headed fuzzy did this pass for you yet im only on day 2..feeling ok.im glad your alittle ahead of me you can worn me of whats to come..LOL.im taking the klonopin .5 mg in the morning then .5 in the afternoon then .5 at night so total of 1.5 mg a day...the doc wanted me to take 2 mg a day but im ok with this so far. im really doing all this so i can get off meds all together well at least just through my prenancy's...then i can go back im sure ill have some post pardem...im alittle scared about that i saw what happened to brooke shieds...did anyone get this? has anyone gotten off of meds for pregnancy? if so whas the anxiety worse or better? Well Darius please post and tell me how your doing and let me know when you feel 100%...i feel about 45%..Lol...Gina

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Well its only 1;30 and i already had to take another klonopin .5 mg i was feeling so anxious and my heart was pounding it felt like i had air bubbles in my chest...Wierd!! so it only lasted 4 1/2 hours the same that the xanax lasted i wonder why? i am suppose to get my period and around this time my anxiety is on high alert.....i just thought that klonopin lasted longer in your system...my heart is POUNDING!!!! i wonder why did anyone else have this...i checked my blood pressure and it was 111/71 so it was good and my pulse was 70 so that was good to...Mabie im just freaking....WOW this is hard but im gonna stick it out...I just want to ask you all if you know if this can cause siezures switching meds like this or do any other kind of damage as long as it dosnt im ok with it..i can deal with it.....i do have issues with my heart like runs of pvc's when i get stressed i was in the ICU about 2 month ago for that but all my test were good im just scared they will come back with this i just want to make sure this is ok for my heart....if you have any insite let me know thanks....ill post later let you know how im doing...Gina

[Darius5691]

Hi, Gina - I definitely have been experiencing heart pounding since switching from Xanax to Klonopin, in particular I notice it at night, which is one reason why I am having insomnia, I believe. I check my BP, too, and it's always pretty good, as well as pulse. As far as seizures go, from what I understand switching from Xanax to Klonopin is "safe" in that they are the same type of medication (although they go about relieving panic/anxiety in slightly different ways). Ryan, could you explain this better?? :-)  Do you, by chance, have mitral valve prolapse (MVP)? Anyway, this breakthrough anxiety was definitely a problem for me for the first 3-5 days. Now I'm on day 9 (or 10?) and it's still there just a bit, but it's the nausea that's getting to me now. And the insomnia, which has come back, even though I take sleep medication (Trazodone, which I've upped to 100mg per night). I'm seeing a new psychiatrist tomorrow, and plan to ask for some insight into all of this. If she gives me any good advice, I'll be sure to pass it along (with the disclaimer, of course, that she'll be answering my questions re: Xanax vs. Klonopin, and I've only been on the two of them for 1-1/2 months total). I'm hoping she can tell me where I need to go with all of this. I'd like to explore other anti-anxiety  meds, if at all possible. So far, I don't like how Klonopin's making me feel. But I also haven't hit the 2-week mark yet, either, which is when it's supposed to reach steady state. I'm really going to try to stick it out and see how it goes. Problem is, I have a family vacation coming up (week of AUgust 4) and I sooooo want to be evened out. I can't imagine having everyone look at me like I'm some sort of freak because my anxiety is through the roof, or I'm bumping around in the middle of the night with insomnia. LOL

Let me know how you're doing on a regular basis, and I'll let you know, too. For instance, yesterday I had a good day. Very little anxiety, not all that tired (just one period mid-day), and my husband and I even went out for a canoe ride in the evening! That's a big step for me, because it always made me nervous to go out with him on that thing, it's so tippy. I was proud of myself. But then, today isn't such a great day for me. I'm tired, with lots of nausea, and just don't feel all that good overall. I guess it'll be lots of back and forth until things even out. At least, I hope so!
Cheers,
Anne

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey it sounds like your having a tough time like me...but dont give up and dont try anything else cause they will want to put you on prosac or some other ssri...Klonopin is Great i was on it 7 years ago before my step mother told me to switch to xanax ...big mistake,,,,the klonopin was working fine for me...just give it a chance apparently its doing something cause you were able to go on the boat...The side effects always go away after a few weeks..dont worry about your vacation..the more you think your not gonna be ok you wont be..just think possitive and by then you will be passed your 2 weeks and the med should even out good luck i will post tomarrow...Gina

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Thanks ryan i feel better knowing its the withdraws...GOD THIS SUCKS!!!!!!! LOL..Now i know why i felt so good the first day i had xanax still at full potency and then i added klonopin on top i was flying high..LOL....now im stuggling im feeling this new symptom i posted it on the heart forum but mabie you can answer it...it feels like im having a muscle spasm right in the center of my chest or and air pocket or air bubble....when i feel that spot i can feel my heart beat...it feels really wierd...anyway about the klonopin every 8 hours are you saying take it every 8 hours..cause i took it at 9 am this morning and then adan at 1;30 i couldnt help it i was going NUTS!!!..thats only 4 1/2 hours..and now its only 4;40 and i am dying with anxiety this is exactly what happened with xanax i would end up taking it 4 x aday instead of 3 thats why my doc wanted me on 2 mg of klonopin a day instead of 1.5 because for the last month i was taking 4 a day cause my anxiety went up so bad i think because i was on it to long and it just stopped working ...but now my body got used to me taking it 4 x a day that now my body has its own clock and its like the panic comes back exactly at the right time...am i making any sence?..LOL...But im not gonna give up well im going out to dinner ill post later...thanks again Gina

[Darius5691]

Hi, Ryan - I've already started to do .25mg in a.m., .25mg in afternoon, and .5mg at night. Taking the .5mg 2x/day was just too much for my system. I was sooo tired during the day, and feeling somewhat anxious underneath it all. The doses I take now are spaced out about 7-1/2 hours in between. Because I wasn't on Xanax very long (5-1/2 weeks), and then switched to Klonopin, is this a good idea for me? I thought I remember your saying that if I did this (split the doses into three) it would take longer for the drug to reach steady state. I know my situation is different from Gina's. But is it wise for me to do .25, .25, and then .5? Maybe I should do FOUR doses of .25mg each?? As you say, spacing them out more evenly? i.e., one at 6 a.m., another at noon, again at 5p.m., and then 11 p.m.?? I just want to do the right thing, and unfortunately the psych I'm currently seeing isn't helping at all. I see a new one tomorrow, and I'm not sure what to expect. I don't even want to think about what she might say, because it's like I'd be getting my hopes up that she'd be able to say "well, here's how we'll fix all of this - do as I say and you'll be just fine." Right now I'm on day 11. Will this all be over soon, if I continue doing the .25, .25, and .5?? My days are a **** shoot right now. One day I'm fine, the next I'm not. One night I can sleep upwards of 5 hours, and the next only three. argh.
Thanks,
Anne

[Darius5691]

Thanks so much, Ryan. One more question, if you don't mind. I don't know if what I'm experiencing is a result of the Klonopin, or if it's just a typical "bug." About an hour ago, I started to have pretty intense gastrointestinal difficulties. Is this typical?

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey its day 3....i went to the doctor today cause im having these quivers like muscle spasms but when  i put my hand on my chest i can feel it like bubbling its so wierd...so he did an ekg and everything looked good..but of course while he was doing the ekg nothing was going on but when i went home omg!!! they are bothering me so much im not sure what this is...and my anxiety is so bad today i have breaks were im ok bu the klonopin isnt working today...but im still trying...And ive also noticed when im sitting and i get up my heart starts pounding HARD!!! and of course my anxiety gets a hold of me and now im scared im gonna die...i hate this i just hope im doing the right thing and im not hurting myself in the long run..please help...any advise.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

are you on a b-blocker to or just the klonopin ? it really is a great med and when it starts working i think you will love it, it just takes time, try and remember your anxiety will not kill you , it gives you lots of symptos that you think will kill you but they wont, try and relax, i know easy said , but when i feel so stressed i like to site with my hubby and be real close to him , it makes me feel better to have someone close, or call a friend it seems to help me. i hope your night settles down and you start a good day tomorrow

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hi No im only on klonopin i just stopped xanax after 7 years on it so im going threw withdrawls also i just get nervious cause im afraid my nsvt or long runs of pvc's is gonna come back..god i hope not..i know its not life threatning but it shore feels like it when its happening....

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

i know how thoses pvc feel i have the pac and man they are no fun they will scare you bad, i have had them 23 years and every time i get weeks of runs with them yeah they scare me. i take timolol for mine and it keeps them under control most of the time but i still have weeks of them. wow 7 years a long time, and i know its going to take your body a re adjustment to a new med but hang in there , klonopin is a long term med and much better for you. my mom has been on xanax for two years coming off of it she only took .05 once or twice a day , now it does nothing for her so shes coming off of it but its been really bad for her to , shes been anxiety all day long for a week now , but shes hanging in there. lol just called me while am typing ,telling me how much anxiety she has tonight . i hate it . try and relax and dont think of pvc, just be thanking God you are not having them now thats a plus.

[Ginasouthcarolina]

i know people say not to drink but i like to have 1 glass of wine at night everynight...i wait about 5 hours after i took my klonopin...it really helps....im having one right now..lol i wonder how bad it really is....to drink its only one glass i think its fine..thanks

[Darius5691]

Well, here it is day 13 and I feel pretty good. Yesterday was also a fairly decent day. The switch from Xanax to Klonopin seems to finally agree with me. But ... ironically, I saw a new psych yesterday, and she wants to put me on Paxil CR, and then after a few weeks wean me off the Klonopin. What does everyone think about that? I'm a little nervous to make yet another med change, because I actually feel pretty good right now. Plus, we have a family vacation coming up August 4-11, and I really want to be "myself" while we're there. If I put Paxil CR into the mix now, then I might not be able to do that by Aug. 4. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!!
Gina, how are you doing with your switch? What are pvcs? nsvt?
Anne

[Darius5691]

I did have a bad response to Zoloft and Lexapro - they heightened my anxiety 10-fold. But I wasn't on a benzo to help counteract that. Would it be different now, with the Paxil CR, because I'm on Klonopoin? Wouldn't that help to lessen any anxiety that might occur?

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hi omg i feel horrible...i am week tierd ANXIOUS!!!! i cant even think staight im in pure withdrawl (withdrawal) HELL!!!!! i cant funtion i am crying right now..im all fuzzy headed and im one foot out the door to the ER..im not gonna go but thats how bad i feel...GOD i hope this all passes..its only day 4 i hope i dont have to wait as long as you did to feel good...did it just happen..did you wake up and all the sudden feel good? i hope that happens to me...DO NOT go on paxil cr i hated it the ssri's are not really good for panic and anxiety...stick with just the klonopin its designed to work for people with panic and anxiety disorders...I feel so bad im sorry i keep repeating myself....im so mad that i took xanax for so long...this is really hard i feel like i will never feel good...i took my 2nd dose before and it didnt even help at all i know you had said you had that happen to....Im sooooooo glad your feeling good finally..that gives me some hope...

The heart thing that i have is nsvt (nonsustained v-tach) which is a run of pvc's (premature venticular contaction) its when the heart beats ahead of its self with no blood in it..it dosnt bother me that much ive only had 2 episodes....im going to the cardio on thursday...he wants to do a ct scan to look for blockage im really scared cause i have a long list of family members with it and im alittle overwieght my cholestrol is alittle high at 231.. my LDL is high at 167 which concerns me since that causes blockage..but im sure im fine im only 30 so well see.

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey how are you? im Horrible..lol..i feel like im gonna die..does everyone that switches meds have this hard of a time? i hope not. All my fears have come back the fear of dropping dead from my nsvt is back fear of heart attack..cancer you name it. i have an appt tomarrow for an mri of my breasts cause of that wierd air bubble feeling in my chest..my plastic surgeon is sending me cause i have implants.. and i have an appt with the cardio on thurs he wants to do a ct scan to see if i have any blockage..im really scared cause im alittle heavy my cholestrol is alittle high mainly my LDL is 167 but it hasnt been that high for long...do you know what the statistics of someone my age having blockage? i know its a silly question but i wonder how common it is for a 30 yr old to have CAD...Mabie once the klonopin starts to work i wont give a **** about all this...i hope i start to feel better soon.

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hi thanks for the reasurance about CAD im so scared of that i cant believe you have that on your profile it says ur 25? Well right after i posted eirlier i started feeling good..altmost normal.lol.so i just took .5 now before bed...im not giving up..no way..i just wish there was someone like you 7 years ago telling me not to go on xanax..and your right all of this **** came up as soon as i stopped the xanax..its crazy...And no my implants are saline my doctor just wants to make sure..cause im having that wierd airbubble feeling in my chest...i hope the contrast stuff they use dosnt have any adrenaline cause that makes me nuts!!! Thanks again for coming through this "journey" with me ill post again tomarrow...and i hope your getting support as much as you give it..Good night :)

[nyskrys]

I just found this sight, and it's always releaving to know that I'm not alone in this battle with anxiety and panic.  I'm 23 and have a one year old son, and I've been told early 20's is usually the age when you you know if you have the disorder or not.  My first panic attack was when I was 16, now it is a regular occurance.  It started getting worse after i had the baby and since I was breast feeding they put me on colonopin and an anti-depressant.  i didn't notice an changes.  Unfortunatly colonopin didn't work for me because i have sudden panic attacks and generalized anxiety.  For my general anxiety it helped but not with my sudden panic attacks.  Doctors now are trying to steer clear of xanax becaause of long term effects as well as how addictive it is.  Therefore they are now perscribing anti depressants that go hand and hand with depression and anxiety because panic and anxiety do cause forms of depression.  have you tryed anti-depressants?  Sorry if you have already stated this, but i am now on effexor and xanax daily and it is really starting to help.   have tried several anti-depressants that have not worked, the key is to stay on one long enough to see the effects and what works for you.  Anyways effexor has worked the best for me, and several people I know.  My whole family on my moms side suffers from anxiety and panic, and effexor actually got my cousin who was taking xanax for 8 years off the xanax and his anxiety and panic attacks have gone away.  I know how you feel and I have never wanted to be on any drug and the effexor over time is supposed to ween me off the xanax.  Fortunately I'm the only one in my family who still suffers from panic which makes me realize this to shall pass and learning how to work through it through talking to others will someday releave me of all this.  Breathing in and out of a paper bag always helps me as well as closing my eyes and meditating from head to toe telling myself to breathe and relax.  Imaging that each part of my body is becoming more and more relaxed, and just focusing on that.  it can be a good remedy of forgetting about your anxiety.  Just know you're not going to die, this to shall pass, and you can get through it and your not alone.  Cognitive therapy is a good way of changing the way you think, try reading Feeling Good i think it's by David Burns, I read it in psychology, it might help, and just disreguard his meds critiques.  I'll stop rambling I know this is lengthy but it's good to get it out too.  Thanx and I hope i was helpful in some way. k

[wmac]

I didnt know you also had nsvt??? I do too.. does it freak you out it does me. I live in fear everyday because of it.How was your episode?? would like to talk to ya.
wmac

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey , yea i had that it scared the life out of me..my  episode was 3 in a row then 1 normal beat then 4 then right back to normal sinus rythem...how often do you have it? I dont have it often but when i do im deprssed for like a week. .they did alot of tests....Blood work, nuc stress test, echo, repeated ekg's, monortored me for 36 hours..And nothing....Supposily i have a healthy heart..What do the docs say about yours?...

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hi That stinks that you have to go through what im going through i hate to hear it..Yea the ssri's dont work for me at all ive tried all,,,,paxil, celexa, lexapro,zoloft,prozac,effexor, wellbutrin,busbar, etc.....i am weening off zoloft right now cause i only want to be on klonopin....im down to 25mg a day soon i will be off. PLEASE!!!!! dont take xanax i am suffering so bad trying to get off it as you can see if you read my posts and yes i was on it way to long but  anne was only on it for 5 months and she was having altmost the same withdrawls as me its soooooo addictive even when only on a month or so....They say its worse then crack withdrawls...And i want to have kids thats why i switched to klonopin when i want to get off it is soooooo much easier..And yes my family all has anxiety to i think it runs in the family....Sucks!!!..lol..well take care...Gina

[wmac]

I get nsvt at least once a month. I have had up to 3-4 epsidodes a month. It usually happens around my cycle like a week before. Although I just had a hysterectomy in may I do still have my ovaries that is why I kept them because of my nsvt I didnt want to take the chance and have it worse, so I do know when Its close to the cycle time cause my heart still flips and does the nsvt. My longest run was 26 beats and that really freaked me out. But I live in constent fear of this and it does control my life. Well it really has ruined my life to be honest. I have had all the test to but no nuclar test but I have had two epstudies and they couldnt induce it either time. They say not to worry. Ya right I worry all the time.

[Ginasouthcarolina]

well its day 6 and im starting to feel better still alittle anxious but not anything like before...i had a mri of my breasts yesturday..im alittle nervious cause i looked at the screen when the test was over and i thought i saw something cause i had contast and i saw a round ball like glowing so of course i went home and looked it up and every site i went on said cancer im freaking out...ill know later so i will let you all know...i have an appt with my cardio today and i will make an appt for the 64 slice ct scan that he wants me to get and i promised myself after these tests i will just go on with my life and stop letting everything scare me..i just hope to god i do not have cancer i know its uncommon for a 30 yr old to get cancer but its not impossible...i cant wait till this is all over this is ruining my life....i will post later...Bye..Gina

[anxiety11yrs]

Drinking is not good to do while taking the meds.  I know this because I take klonopin, and drank once in a while, but I experienced blackouts, and I began to become dependent on having that one drink before going out to ease the anxiety.  Believe it or not, that could cause worse anxiety in the morning.  I know that it was worse for me.  Many people in my family suffer from anxiety and use the drinking to cope, and once you notice that it does help (for the moment) it almost becomes a ritual, like taking the meds.  

[wmac]

Beings that you have nsvt and heart disease and a abnormal heart, do you have a difibulator??

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey thanks for the post...even 1 glass of wine once in a while is bad?

[anxiety11yrs]

no, it is when you have a couple to a few. I have noticed that my anxiety doubles, and it really depends on how big of a glass of wine.  


I will tell you though, I have been on klonopin for 12 years.  It is really not suppose to be for the long term.  I will tell you that it is hell getting off of.  I am 2 mo pregnant now.  My doctor tried to ween me off of the meds.  I was taking 1 mg twice a day, now I am down to .5 twice a day.  I still have anxiety but it is somewhat bearable.  I also take remeron, which is supposed to be safe during pregnancy and prozak.  I hate taking meds, but I can not function, doing every day normal things w/o it.  I still have my attacks even with the meds.  My anxiety is 24/7 I have given up on trying to find that magic cure.  I go to a supermarket, and my hands shake terribly.  

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey nice to hear from you i got my results from my mri it was all negative....i do have a question for you im having the 64 slice ct scan tomarrow morning and they told me that insurance dosnt pay for it but since i dont have insurance there not charging me for it cause they have only been doing this test for 2 years...im alittle nurvious is this an experimentle test and will it hurt me..and the stuff they inject me with is that safe im really scared  any insite?....Gina

[tanns]

Sorry to butt in, but having recently had a CT-A, I can tell you it isn't experimental.  It is important, however, to have someone do it that does A LOT of them and in turn READS a lot of them.  I think that it is pretty good at checking out the arteries but having them read correctly is important.

The contrast didn't give me any reactions until day 4 when I got hives.  The also gave me a beta blocker to slow my heart rate down.  They checked me constantly and when my bp and heart rate were where they wanted them, they did the test.  Ryan is right, it is extremely important to be STILL and hold your breath when they tell you to do so.  It will result in much better pictures.

You are lucky that they aren't charging you for it!  My insurance company ended up covering mine but if they didn't it would have cost me 1050.00.  (They charged my insurance company over 4 grand!!)

Drink lots of water afterwards to clear out the contrast!

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do fine.  And thanks for the comments on this thread for starting Klonopin.  I'm not on it but am thinking I probably should be!!  

[wmac]

I had a cardiac mri I did not have to have the dye... I was in there for two and half hours though.

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey i just got back from the doctor i had the CT scan done of my heart..i got the results already..they bring you in the room after they go over them and tell you right there i thought that was cool...so i have no blockage at all....wooo hooo not even 5% he said i am lucky..but now i have to take care of my self since i got a clean bill of health...i feel so amazing...he gave me a copy of the pictures..its so cool to look at...As far as my anxiety the klonopin is starting to work i was alittle vulnerable for about a week..but im thrilled that its finally starting to work and in one more week i will feel even better....Gina

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey thanks..ya im really siked about the results i feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me...since my brother died in 04 of severe CAD 85 to 90% in all three he was only 29..i have had this wieght on me thinking i was gonna end up just like him . every year i got older it worse.Then right after my brother died my granpa died of CAD.Then my mom died july 26 of last year from compications from heart surgury..it got WORSE!! then...yes there is more..My Dad had a mild heart attack about 6 months ago and had 2 stents put in he had 70% blockage....So you can imagine were my mind went....CRAZY thats were it went...And My dad is like super man he works out everyday he's in great shape looks like a 20 yr old eats great...low cholestrol low blood pressure and look what happened..so i said to my self ive gotta have something..im not in great shape i eat ok my cholestrol is high and i smoked for 14 yrs....But i was givin a second Chance i feel, to do things right now for the past 2 weeks ive been eating great taking vitamins and fish oil and eating fiber to lower my cholestrol loosing weight..and i feel fantastic...Last night i went to bed and i woke up this morning went to take my pills and realized i forgot to take my night dose of klonopin...SEE i wasnt even thinking about anxiety cause i was so happy....I feel Great...Thanks for all your help i will continue to post here and let you know how im doing....Gina :)

[tanns]

Hi Gina, I'm glad your test went well and your results were good.  I'm sorry about your brother and all your family members.  That in itself is enough to send someone into an anxiety spiral!!  If you don't mind me asking, did your brother have testing done or was he just symptom free and didn't know?

I hope you continue to feel well and get better!

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Hey how are you..Thank you yea i am so happy everything is fine i feel like i was born again an i have a chance to start my life all over i cant even describe how that feels...As far as my Brother goes thats a very long story ill try and make it short...He did have a stress test 2 yrs before he died  and the doctors told him to start eating better he ate soooooo bad fast food everyday for breakfast and lunch and sometimes dinner. Quit smoking he smoked like 2 1/2 packs a day. and start to exersise..Which he never did..Also his cholestrol was over the charts and his blood pressure was through the roof...So put all that stuff together and he was a heart attack waiting to happen...He never listened to the doctors advice so over the 2 years he did have some symptoms he had to leave work a few times for shortness of breath and tingling of his hands and dizzyness...but overall he lived pritty normal life...His stress level was also crazy..He started to get sick about 3 months before he died but it wasnt his heart it was his mind he developed by polar and scitsafrenia..cant spell..so he took his life cause he couldnt take it any more....so the heart desease was found during the autopsy....

[wmac]

Did  you have the contrast or not??
Ryan, my  mri was at the university of utah and they were checking for arvd arthmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.. cant spell lol.
So now I wonder how conclusive my test was??

[Ginasouthcarolina]

I had contrast with both the mri and the cariac Ct scan.

[mary m]

I am going to chronicle my journey like you did in the hopes that it will help others like your did mine. I made it through until 3:00. I took my .25 and it seems to be making me spacey 45 minutes afterwards. How much Xanax were you taking and when did you start feeling better.  The weird thing about this is that last February, my psychistrist offered me Klonopin. I filled the script, took a .25 and it wiped me out and I figured it was too strong so I stayed with the Ativan.At that point I was only taking .25. I am sure glad I saved those pills. I think I have 24 or so left, and I'll see him Tuesday and tell him I'm getting better efficacy with the Klonopin. Should I ask for generic or brand name?

[Ginasouthcarolina]

Im glad you stuck with it...keep on going and you will start to feel better i just woke up one day and i was like holy cow i feel great!!! for 7 years i took xanax .5 mg 3 x a day now i take klonopin .5 3 x a day but sometimes i feel so good i skip my afternoon dose and just take it at night...it dosnt matter if they are genaric or not usually they will give you the genaric thats what i take and its fine...so you took your first at 7 and second at 3 thats 8 hours thats great i couldnt go that long in the bigining..keep it up your on your way...Gina

[Darius5691]

I'm so glad to hear your'e doing well having made the switch to Klonopin. Do you take any other meds? My new psychiatrist recently put me on Paxil CR, and wants me to wean off the Klonopin in a few weeks. I'm kind of scared, but I'm willing to try. I also take Trazodone for sleep, which she also wants to wean me off, once I'm off the Klonopin. All the best to you!!
Anne

[ccamrine]

You've almost made the two week mark!  I'm so glad you're feeling better.  Thank you for posting your progress, I think it helped alot of people here.  I've been on klonopin ,50 mg bid for at least a month now, it would have been interesting to record my progress.  I think it would be interesting, as Mary suggested, for people to post their progress on starting medications. Or  maybe that would be an interesting other forum.

[fearfactor]

You seem to know quite a bit about meds so I'll ask you this question I've been wondering about.  Does Klonopin cause weight gain?  I've thought about getting onto it to help me get off Xanax and I've heard horror stories, such as one by the pop star Stevie Nicks who said she was on Klonopin for a while and gained a bunch of weight.  

[caseymw]

hi i just want to say i need help, i have been having panic and anxiety disorders for a few years now. . i went to see my moms pychatrist and he prescribed me xanex that i took for a month prior to that i was taking my moms 2 mg klonopin every few days, for it cause i did not go back to him, now she has been sharing hers with me for months. i take a half of her 2 mg every day. and im so scared. because i want off of them. but i dont know how. and i am ready to try for a baby. someone please help tell me how to get off of them. i dont want to go through any withdrawl (withdrawal). i have felt it before and no way!! please tell me how to taper off them. i wont go back to the doctor cause i cant afford it. please help me. please.

                                                                                                  casey

[p4trick]

The first panic attack I had was a morning after drinking a *lot* the night before (probably around a case of beer.) I was also lowering my dosage of Celexa by half. I guess all that is a panic attack waiting to happen.

I'm again tapering off Celexa since my drinking really became a problem after I started taking it (every time I drank I would drink till I passed out, but never got sick or had any significant hangovers). Been doing that for about five years now but while I'm transitioning off of Celexa again and taking Klonopin and Wellbutrin I'm staying away from the booze for a while, which is hard since all my friends like to drink (hell, one of my good friends owns a bar!).

From whay Ryan has stated, the alcohol can diminish the effects of the Klonopin, causing anxiety the next day.

[HockeyShark]

I have had panic attacks as far back as i can remember. I am almost 42 now, but have suffered with this since i was a kid.

My Mom passed away with CAD on July 23rd of this year, and what was a managable 3-5 on a 1-10 scale, instantly jumped to straight 10's.

They upped my Klonipn from once a day to 3 times a day, and I got ongoing vertigo so bad, I didnt know what was going on. At least i think it is Vertigo. Sudden headrushes of extreme dizziness followed by horrendous panic attacks. Then burned out from the adrenaline rush...

[fiddlah]

I have been xanax for 8 years now. I just switched Drs and my new Dr was astonished at the amount I was being perscribed (2mgs -twice daily). Ever since a bad car accident. He gave me Kpins and when I took the first dose, I actually had a reverse reaction. I felt like I was speeding my brains out! I dont know what to do *sighs!