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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Klonopin and Insomnia?
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD) , bipolar disorder , dementia , electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) , learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) , panic , personality disorders, phobias , post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) , schizophrenia , stress , transitions, and work problems.
Klonopin and Insomnia?
by Darius5691, Jul 20, 2007 12:00AM
Thanks for responding to my Q re: Klonopin for anxiety(dose: .5mg 2x/day). Today's day 8. Switched from Xanax (1 mg/day)- was on for 5 weeks. First 3 days on K, I felt ok. Breakthrough anxiety/tremors, which I'd asked you about. Days 4-8, however, I'm having more anxiety, tremors, and now insomnia again despite taking Trazodone 75 mg at night. Fall asleep, up 3 hours later, can't fall back asleep. Someone on Anxiety forum said Trazodone could be stimulating, that K should help me sleep. I wonder if it's K that's giving me insomnia, though. After a.m. dose (.5mg tab), I'm spacey/tired all day; but unable to nap even if I had a chance. Feel wired AND tired. By 6-8 p.m., I am better - don't feel spacy/anxious. Then I take 2nd dose, and I'm spacey/tired again. When I do wake up at night, my heart is beating fast and hard. Is all of this because K isn't at steady state yet? Or is my body telling me .5mg a.m. dose is too strong? Not enough? While on .5 Xanax I took 4 doses/day. My Klonopin dose is only 2x per day. Does this matter, going from 4x/day on Xanax to 2x/day on Klonopin?
My psych said to figure out dose myself. I'm afraid to make changes. I just want to even myself out. I'm sick of feeling anxious, spacy, tired. A friend, who was having daytime drowsiness on K, says her psych lowered her a.m. dose to .25mg, with another .25 in afternoon, plus .5 at bedtime. Is this an acceptable dosing regimen? I want to do the right thing. Thanks so much.
My psych said to figure out dose myself. I'm afraid to make changes. I just want to even myself out. I'm sick of feeling anxious, spacy, tired. A friend, who was having daytime drowsiness on K, says her psych lowered her a.m. dose to .25mg, with another .25 in afternoon, plus .5 at bedtime. Is this an acceptable dosing regimen? I want to do the right thing. Thanks so much.
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Jul 22, 2007 12:00AM
, Jul 22, 2007 12:00AM
Your friends formula sounds right. You should not be feeling drowsy during the day. That means you are taking too much in the morning. Taking more at bedtime will help you sleep, and could replace the Trazodone for sleep.
