Clonazepam

[superman679]

Is okay to take clonazepan 3 times a week for sleep & anxiety?

[toejam_muncher]

what i said about barbiturates reminds me actually of the fact that heroin was sold as a children's cough syrup over the counter. it truly is amazing to look into the past and wonder what we may see come out of the current generation of drugs in the future.

[toejam_muncher]

in an ideal world, no drug would be needed for sleep. but then again, in an ideal world, no drug would be needed for anxiety, either. remember when barbiturates were the cure-all for anything sleep or anxiety related? who knows what we'll find out 10 or 20 years from now. i'm no doctor by any means...but a lot of people do use benzo's for sleep...but i think everyone would agree that they obviously shouldn't be used unless they are truly needed. you should pay very close attention to this...but not too close or else the anxiety from that may cause you to not be able to sleep...

anyway what i'm getting at is that for me sleep aids are a last resort...and i only take them if i have to work and i know i won't be able to sleep. even then i don't always take them. usually it's only if there is a lot of anxiety that goes a long with it.

[nora006]

Hello again.
Yes, we've been discussing this before, remember?:) The "moral" question of psychotropic medication and the undoubtful interference of sleep architecture is another discussion and I do not want to spam this thread with further elaboration.
You stated categorically that benzodiazepines "should never be used for sleep".
I disagreed with that categorical statement. It's as simple as that:)

Kind regards
Nora

[SmokinDuby]

Yeah.

[Paxiled]

My comment about benzos is based on the fact all these brain meds interfere with normal sleep patterns.  That includes the antidepressants.  That's why one of the most common side effects of all of them is interrupted sleep, insomnia, feeling tired all the time even when you do sleep.  No doubt, they can help you fall asleep, but that doesn't make them a sleep remedy, it's a secondary effect.  Their purpose is to battle anxiety.  The longer they're taken for sleep, the more they will interfere with normal sleep even if you don't develop a tolerance for them.  Just because they help a person fall asleep doesn't mean that's a good solution.  The best solution, of course, is to get off meds altogether, but that's an ideal and certainly isn't my case.  There are drugs made expressly for sleep, such as Ambien, but they, too, are problematic.  It's always better to try and fix this particular problem without interfering with normal sleep patterns for a long period of time.  So that's why I said what I said, I wasn't implying they don't in fact help some people sleep.

[nora006]

I wouldn't think there is really any problem with that, but clonazepam has a long half-life(24+/- 5 hours ) and stays in your head for about 8-12 hours after one single dose(though in my head it seems to stay for only 6 hours) It's quite a "heavy" drug.

Oxazepam has a shorter halflife(6-12 hours) and therefore it will not accumulate and it's clearance rom the body is quick. As long as you're only taking it intermittently(2-3 times in a week) there should be a very small risk for rebound problems or tolerance issues.

I do not agree with Paxil in that benzos "should never be used for sleep". Some of them are certainly indicated for this kind of usage but it's no secret that they tend to loose their sedative effect if administered frequently(i.e each day for several weeks or months). In that case tolerance to the substance will become a problem.

If you're problem is occational insomina combined with (moderate?)anxiety (regardless of the cause/effect equation in this respect) then there are better options than clonazepam such as maybe the z-drugs(zopiklone or zolpidem) which both carry short half-lives; about 5 and 2 hours respectively. Exogenous melatonin is effective for some, but not all. Worth a try though. At the end of the day it really depends on the person. What works well for one person might not work as well for another, and that includes "natural remedies" as well.

Nora

[jakegorzen]

They work good for anticipated sleep anxiety "Learned insomnia"
But they dont work so good for people that have actual problems with there brain that caused the real deal insomnia

They actually hinder the the last "Most deep" stage of REM, same goes for Booze
Take Paxiled's advice on the the Melatonin.
It works really good for me. sometimes it wont "Knock me out" but it will still "Keep me calm"

[Paxiled]

That's not much, and not really the way clonazepam is usually dosed.  Benzos, however, should never be used for sleep.  It's true they can be sedating, but that should pass.  Their purpose is to treat anxiety, not to help one sleep.  That might be a temporary secondary effect, but it will wear off and will affect the quality of sleep.  Gentler remedies are better for sleep, such as melatonin or homeopathic remedies such as Calms Forte.  And for the anxiety that's causing this, therapy.

[toejam_muncher]

i'm not saying everyone who needs to take it daily is abusing it...not at all. but it can indeed cause problems. i wouldn't have wanted that to be mis-interpreted

[toejam_muncher]

per week? i wouldn't think you would have anything to worry about at all as long as you're taking it as your doctor directs. higher daily doses of benzo's...especially if you don't really need them...is what can get you in trouble.

[azqtpies]

I have it to take 3 times a day.. I find it works great to help me sleep with my night anxiety! I try and only take .5 1/2 tablet during the day if I need it otherwise I get to sleepy. I  reaaly like it as it makes me feel calm but not drugged!