requesting info on klonopin

[LIZZIE LOU]

my daughter in law, who has suffered from anxiety for MANY years, due to her childhood...has recently (3 months ago) been put on klonopin, along with an antidepressant.  her mother and i were very concerned, as she is a recovering addict and scared of the potential to abuse the klonopin.

since being on this...she has become a totally different person.  she no longer sits in the house all the time, afraid to go out.  she is getting up and getting dressed...feeling really good about herself.  what concerns us the most is that instead of being "calm"...she is VERY hyper.  we are not worried about any other drug abuse going on...but just think that something is not right.  i admit that i have counted her pills at every given chance...and so far so good.

i got my daughter in law into therapy and of course her therapist wants her off of the klonopin...but she refuses until her therapist can get her to a point where she feels she can cope without them.

i guess i just want to know if this is normal?  could she just be feeling that good now that she is a changed young woman...or can the klonopin make her hyper like she is?  if she were taking too many...could they make her hyper instead of calming her down?

[LIZZIE LOU]

avis...yes...that is my concern too.  i know how addicitive they are and that in turn results in abuse.  she KNOWS my feelings on her taking klonopin.  she is on the anti-depressant pristiq also...but her doctor is switching her soon to something else...cant remember what though.

her mother told me this morning that michelle passed out last week...which scares the bajeebies out of me.  she claims it was because of her dieting...

thanks so much for all the feedback from everyone.  never dealt with klonopin and i appreicate the feedback.

[avisg]

Lizzie,
They are highly addicting .I took them for a year back when son was first born I will tell you what it did to me I dont ember is his first year unless its in pictures I cant tell you much about that year at all .I know do know when backing out of my garage I manged to take out rear view mirror .I am really lucky I never hurt anyone .I still have panic attacks I have learned to handle them with breathing techniques .I will say this if a med is necessary I would try an anti depressant first if that does not work the safest is valium its long acting and the easiest to taper off of anyway just my experience.

[gnarly_1]

HI Lizzie ...my wife was on klonapine for several years she never abused them just on in the morning for anxiety and one at bedtime...she was recently taken off she only took 2mg  twice a day but I got to tell you she had quite a struggle getting off them...they reduced her by 1/2 a pill once a month and she had some pritty unpleasant withdrawals
even going off it the correct way...you dont necessarily have to abuse to have problems getting off this med...I would tell your daughterinlaw to be careful using these and try and get off them b/4 she winds up having to go thew what my wife went thew
good luck and God bless......Gnarly      

[leeisgettingclean]

I was prescriped klonopines and had the same effect as the person you speak of. They made me hyper--they made me wanna get out, wanna do things--they also did allow me to sleepwonderfull when i did go to bed though. I think they are the better of the benzos though0----they have a longer life so you do nottt need to take as often- I never abused them--i took one in the morning hours and a half of one at night. Good luck with your daughter in law

[LIZZIE LOU]

vicki...

not sure, as i live 4 hours away and am not around her everyday.  my first reaction to the "new her" is that this poor child is finally happy...free of the demons (sexual abuse) that were controlling her life...enjoying motherhood...basically functioning normally, something she cant quite remember ever doing.  it is her mother that is soooooo concerned.  she feels that michelle is just drastically different and that the meds are the cause.

i know her emotions are heightened...she'll cry and the drop of the hat...but it's not sad things making her cry.  she will cry when she starts telling me how happy she is...how much she loves being a mother...how much she loves my son.  she cries very easily now...over little things...but her answer to that is that she is finally having feelings.  

i havent been overly concerned (yet)...but her mother calls me alot about her concerns and i told her i'd try and get some feedback on the forum today.   two moms...worrying about two different things...hers - michelle's mood...mine - potential abuse.
thanks for the help...

[vicki595]

Hi~

Klonopin may cause :  aggressive behaviour,agitation,anxiety,excitability,and vivid dreams.  I don't think that fits the picture with your girl.  Most people just calm down from the benzo.   As Jade said: maybe it's the AD or the combo. Does she seem hypomanic?

Vicki  xo

[Jade59]

It seems much more likely the AD is causing this effect than the klonopin.  I can only speak for myself, but if I were to take something that took all my anxiety away and I felt normal enough to get out and about, I would want to do so many things, I might seem hyper.