Anyone JUST take Klonopin? No SSRI?

[DawnieDo]

I wonder if I could get off Paxil by using just Klonopin?

Then just take Klonopin for my GAD and OCD?

[lynn57]

Lucky for me I had no problem at all getting off the Effexor.  I did it on my own.  I took out about ten grains every day for the first the first week, 20 grains each day the second week and so on.  It was a capsule and it took patience and good eyesight.  I had no withdrawal whatsoever.  I took 1mg of klonopin 2x a day for panic disorder  with GAD.  It worked great.  When I tried lowering the Klonopin my panic attacks returned.  I think menopause has a lot to do with it.  Anyways at the time when I needed it the most my new Doc started playing with the dose.  Gave me Buspar (useless), Neurontin and Celexa.  I still take Klonopin 1/4 mg in AM and 1/2 mg in PM.  I just dropped an 1/8 at night.  I'm cutting those tablets every which way.  Gotta say if I had my druthers I would be sticking with the Klonopin with a Celexa on the side. The Celexa is not as stimulating for me as other SSRI's.  It actually makes a lot of people sleepy. I drink alot of vitamin water with added potassium and B-12.  I also take fish oil and B-12 tabs. ( I'm low on B-12 and potassium ) I'm doing fine right now and hope you get there soon.

[DawnieDo]

Thanks for your replies! I wrote to my psych nurse (email) and told her I am just not comfortable taking the Prozac. I keep reading how stimulating it is and how it can cause anxiety and Lord knows I don't need that.

if I did start a SSRI I think I would try Lexapro, but I am gonna try to get by with the Klonopin till I taper off Paxil. Thanks for all your help and thoughts!

Dawnie

[DawnieDo]

So you did just fine on Klonopin alone? How often did you take it? and how much?

Did Klonopin help you get off Effexor? I heard Effexor is hard to get off of too, like Paxil is.

I would love to be clear of Paxil and just use Kpin if it would work, and if not, THEN look into another SSRI if I had to.

how are you doing on the Celexa now?

Oh and what is your main issue? Anxiety? Depression?

thanks so much,
Dawnie

[lynn57]

I took Klonopin alone for two years after quitting Effexor XR.  Originally I was given the Klonopin to help with sleep becuase of the insomnia caused by the SSRI.  Alone,  the Klonopin worked fine.  my old Doc said this was fine and was glad that one med was all I needed.  He left town and the new Doc hates benzos so I'm taking Celexa and tapering off Klonopin. I am taking neurontin for sleep. If my panic attacks return, I will get a new Doc. I am now on three med instead of one.

[jakegorzen]

Sent ya a message back:)

The reason why the Kpin isnt working as good for you as it should is because it needs to be taken twice daily ".25 in the morning, .25 at night.
This will create a constant level in your system

[DawnieDo]

Sent you a message ....curious as to how long you took the klonopin. I have been tapering off paxil for months and it freaks me out to be getting back onto something that I will have to "withdraw" from again.

I was on Xanax for about 3 weeks at .25 and then switched over to Kpin and am taking that .25 once a day.....along with this damn 7.5 of Paxil which I want OFF of.

And they want me to toss Prozac or Lexapro into this mix too...that can't be a good plan!!!

Dawnie

[jakegorzen]

My personal oppinion is that SSRIs shouldnt be prescribed for anxiety disorders anyways, because they rarely work, and if they do its usually paired up with a benzo like "Klonopin" to outweigh the side effects of the SSRI.
So in true messures, the Benzo is actually working for you, and the SSRI is just creating more of a problem later.
all SSRIs act as a type of stimulant, or have stimulant properties, which only aggrivates a persons anxiety, not help it.
Im having right now more withdraws from the Prozax then what I did with the Klonopin....funny huh, and the Prozac never even worked, lol
So basically I was taking it so I can later have SSRI discountinuation syndrome.
Just my 2 cents
Klonopin at a low BID dose worked great for me as a  solo med