Member Medication Review: Klonopin

By Merely Me Thursday, April 22, 2010

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Hello everyone!

We are going to continue our member medication review about a drug that I have been hearing more and more about called Klonopin.

According to the information we have about Klonopin:

"Klonopin is used alone or along with other medications to treat convulsive disorders such as epilepsy. It is also prescribed for panic disorder-unexpected attacks of overwhelming panic accompanied by fear of recurrence. Klonopin belongs to a class of drugs known as benzodiazepines."

Y'all...I am reading these side effects here:

"Side effects in panic disorder may include:

Allergic reaction, constipation, coordination problems, depression, dizziness, fatigue, inflamed sinuses or nasal passages, flu, memory problems, menstrual problems, nervousness, reduced thinking ability, respiratory infection, sleepiness, speech problems, vaginal inflammation

Klonopin can also cause aggressive behavior, agitation, anxiety, excitability, hostility, irritability, nervousness, nightmares, sleep disturbances, and vivid dreams."

Hmm....some of these are interesting...I would worry about many of these. I have a particular interest in knowing more about this medication as my son's neurologist recommended Klonopin as an option for treating my son's anxiety. He is a teenager and has autism and his anxiety is through the roof sometimes. I have been reluctant to try this...we have been using behavioral methods to help him and sensory integration techniques but it doesn't hurt to research the options to know what is out there.

Okay so I would like to hear from people who are taking Klonopin or have taken this medication.

1. What reason were you prescribed Klonopin? Was it for anxiety, sleep issues, seizures or other?

2. How many times a day do you take it? And how long do the effects last?

3. Is it effective for you?

4. How does it feel when you take it?

5. Have you experienced any adverse side effects?

6. If you have stopped taking it can you tell us why? And did you experience any withdrawal symptoms?

Thanks to all who participate in our reviews. I think it helps to hear from others who have actually taken a particular med to understand what the experience might be like. I have learned so much from listening to you guys. It is one thing to read medical jargon about the medications...it is quite another to hear about the personal experience. I think both sources of information are of great value and I do hope...before you decide to take a medication that you take that time to really research beforehand and talk to other patients.

Thanks again...you guys are great!

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Comments (24) | Add comment

anne1123

4/22/10 4:46pm

I have no personal experience with this medication. I applaud your efforts to be fully informed before you consent to any kind of treatment for your son.

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:26pm

Thanks Anne!

It is interesting...just did an interview for a health magazine (will give details when it comes out) and the interviewer asked me what I gain from being a participant of an on-line health support group...and one the many advantages is that you can ask people how they fare on a particular medication. It really helpful to hear the straight scoop from folks and not just the medical-eze.

So I am very grateful to you guys for talking about your experiences.

Judy

4/22/10 4:50pm

1. What reason were you prescribed Klonopin? Was it for anxiety, sleep issues, seizures or other? I was initially prescribed Klonopin by a new doctor who thought it would work better for sleep problems from PTSD than Trazadone; I also took it occasionally during the day if I felt a panic attack coming on.

2. How many times a day do you take it? And how long do the effects last?

I take it at bedtime every night and it usually lets me get a full night's sleep - sometimes 9 - 10 hours (or else I'm just lazy!).

3. Is it effective for you? Yes, it works great for me. I don't know how many side effects I might have from it because some of my other medications can do the same thing, like the memory loss and....I forget!

4. How does it feel when you take it? I just get drowsy about half an hour after I take it. When I used to take it during the day, it would just mellow me out. I took it once before an MRI and I just about fell asleep during it.

5. Have you experienced any adverse side effects? Not really, that I know of. Like I said, I take other medications, too, so I don't know what is from what.

My doctor doesn't worry too much about it being addictive if you don't tend to have addiction tendencies already. I should probably try doing without it more often - being retired, not much harm in losing some sleep!

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:30pm

Hey Judy

This has been really helpful.

What I want to know is...if you take it at night before bed...does the anti-anxiety part...continue through the next day...or no? Is it like Xanax with...limited time effectiveness.

Do you have to take it continuously...or as needed?

Judy

4/23/10 6:09pm

I don't think it probably lasts into the next day because I would still have anxiety during the day - now that I'm on Lexapro, that is much less. When I took it in the beginning, I would take it as needed and yes, sometimes I did need to take it during the day. It doesn't leave me groggy or anything, anyway. They'd probably start you out with .5 mg. at a time. Hope that helps!

jpw2008

4/22/10 5:00pm

hi merely me

I cant answer all but some

I used it for anxiety

I had to stop because I was severely addicted to it

I had a major withdrawl

Since going off it I have nerve damage to my left leg

I haven't been able to email

As such I am using the libraries

Jon

Rosemarie

4/22/10 5:17pm

Dear Merely Me, I havent any experience with this Drug. Ive looked it up and its not on sale here [unless somebody knows better?] Its not registered under a different Generic name and Ive checked our MIMS which is the bible for all Meds. for prescribing specialists and Doctors. Jon - So so sorry to hear of your awful experience with that Medicine.

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:41pm

Hi Jon

I am glad to hear from you.

I am sorry you had a bad experience with this drug. What is happening with your email or computer? Is the site working for you okay?

Hope to hear more from you.

jpw2008

4/24/10 1:54pm

hi mm

I had to replace the mouse then the keyboard went

Now (hopefully) I am up and running I mean the computer is

Jon

patsyg

8/25/10 11:23am

Hi, the generic name for Klonipin is chlorazepam. I take it for anxiety. I am home most of the time and not in many anxiety-provoking situations, so I usually save my doses for bedtime to help with sleep. However, sometimes I need it for anxiety or depression/anxiety spells where I feel nauseated and suicidal. It takes some time (at least 30 minutes) to take effect. One side effect I have that probably no one else has is increased appetite.

I have taken Xanax (alprazolam) in the past. It goes to work more quickly (in 15 minutes or less, if allowed to dissolve under the tongue) than Klonipin. It is supposed to have more addictive qualities than Klonipin; however, I've never had any problem with addiction to meds of any kind. For me the increased appetite is worse with Xanax than Klonipin. Xanax is better for treating panic attacks, since it goes to work quickly.

stardust

4/22/10 7:57pm

MM, I have been on this drug for 20 yrs. for anxiety. I take 2mg at bedtime. I hadn't thought about it causing fatigue because I have the MS and Fibro. When I worked full-time or part-time, it did not impair my thinking ability at all. As a matter of fact it allowed me to work more productively because I was not struggling with the terrible anxiety, which did not allow me to think cognitively or problem solve, or speak up at meetings. How can you do these things when you are in a bowl of anxiety.

I've not had any adverse side effects. A psychiatrist recently pulled me off 1mg - not good. I twitch and have clonus and I was jerking and flipping all over the place with huge anxiety, so the MS doc put me back where I was. Need to look into this on the MS site.

Maybe the fatigue may be an initial problem for your son until he adjusts. Just a thought. I take other sedating meds so for me it's hard to tell. I was told by a neuropsych doctor that I process information more slowly now but he said it was from the MS. Who's to know. Maybe the combination of my meds are causing that which would include the klonopin. Just musing.

Am glad you're being pro-active with your son's needs.

Gina

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:34pm

Hi Gina...

well of course I am reading this with great interest as I have MS too.

so...have you tried Baclofen yet for the jerking?

Sounds like the Klonopin really helps you for both anxiety and the MS. I am glad you found something which works.

Thanks so much for sharing this.

Donna-1

4/22/10 9:27pm

Site problems won't let me view the other comments, so I hope I'm not repeating info here, but here goes:

1. What reason were you prescribed Klonopin? Was it for anxiety, sleep issues, seizures or other? It was prescribed for restless led syndrome which had been caused by years on Zyprexa. I found immediately that it helped me go to sleep much more quickly.

2. How many times a day do you take it? And how long do the effects last? I take 0.5mg at night and take the same in the morning if I feel like I might need it. I don't really know how long the effects last, but if I take the morning dose, I don't start getting agitated about 3pm every day. And I sometimes take it PRN if really stressed.

3. Is it effective for you? yes, as above

4. How does it feel when you take it? I don't really "feel" anything like getting woozy or zoned out. I guess my dose is just right.

5. Have you experienced any adverse side effects? I have never had constipation problems until I started taking Klonopin. And now I have to take a laxative about once week and eat extra fiber. (TMI?)

I would hate for my pdoc to take it away because it helps me go to sleep in about 30 min instead of 2-3 hours.

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:45pm

Very interesting Donna!

So you do take it as needed at times? I mean...this is how I take my Xanax.

Didn't know about the constipation. Not too much information...the more information the better.

Thanks so much for sharing.

5/16/12 12:05am

I have been on Klonopin for 10 years now. Started out with up to 2 mg daily and now at 0.5 mg x3 daily. I have been weaning myself off for 2 months now. I am down to 1 in the morning, 1/4 in the afternoon and 1 at bedtime.

Beware - Klonopin has the potential to cause physical dependence. That doesn't equal addiction but it does mean that the body gets used to it and when it is not at the level the body is used to, you will feel the effects. Depending on how much you take and how long you've taken it, you might feel it more or less.

What I have found interesting is that over the years, I have noticed a distinct flip flop on the symptoms of my anxiety. Now, I get panic attacks if I miss a dose. I get shaky if I forget my pills when I go out of town. Two days is the max I can be without before I start to go into full physical withdrawal. Night sweats, crying episodes, itching, raging panic attacks, muscle aches, agitation, etc. It's pretty ugly. My doctor and I have come to the conclusion that what I experience is actually interdose withdrawal. This is when the level of medication in your blood falls below what the body believes should be there. It could be because you metabolized it quicker than usual. Or it could just be that your tolerance is building and more of the drug is needed to achieve the desired effect.

As for other side effects, I too have constipation and have noticed a lot more hair on my face than a few years ago. I'm pale with white/blonde hair and even my son teases me about my new "'stache". On the up side, my fingernails and hair grow at an amazing rate.

I don't know if this happens to everybody. But I can't see how you can take a drug that is known to cause physical dependence for that many years and just stop without any physical symptoms. Matter of fact, the FDA has recommended that benzos only be used for anxiety for a 2 week max. Medicaid and Medicare both require a 2 week max full dose and gradual tapering at each visit thereafter. There are reasons for this even if nobody is talking about it.

What I find interesting is that this medication is being suggested for an autistic child. My son has Asperger's and I can't imagine giving him Klonopin. Aside from the sluggishness in motor and mental response, the tolerance/dependence issue and memory impairment would be enough to raise red flags for me. An occasional Benadryl (used for anxiety and insomnia) - or other drug with anticholinergic properties such as propanolol or clonidine (used for "stage fright" and anger/impulse control) - could be enough to gain the desired effect without the risk of adding anything more. Autistic children need the routine of their lives to pinpoint their place in the world. Drugs that cause enormous and often dramatically quick weight gain, severe acne, new emotions floating around, inability to access information already learned and stored can make them feel even more unstable (and dehumanized).

I applaud your efforts with sensory integration and behavioral management. And it is good to see that you are truly concerned enough to research the subject before blindly following "official" advice. Too many parents and doctors are so quick to throw meds on top of meds at the whole spectrum of autistic disorders. It is a vicious cycle of treating side effects created by medications not completely necessary to treat a disorder that will not go away.

Not trying to scare you. But you asked for honesty and I am being honest. I wish I had never taken that first dose. I have become a completely different person. Even my family comments on it. A complete lack of motivation. Blunted affect and emotional lability. Memory shot to hell which makes my job 10 times harder which in turn increases the anxiety. The worst though is an absolute inability to leave my house on some days. That did NOT happen prior to starting the med. The sad thing is that now I can see, clearly, how it has changed me. I long for the person I was before I started this medication and am looking forward to the day I can get there.

///

4/23/10 10:46am

Hi MM

Klonopin and clonazepam are basicly the same drug

-Michel-

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:47pm

That is right...Just like any other drug...there is the brand name and then there is the generic name.

lonelyone

4/23/10 2:50pm

I have been taking Klonopin for years. I take it 3 times a day for anxiety. It has helped me with anxiety greatly. I am also on an antidepressant but the klonopin is my guarantee that I am calm.

Merely Me

4/23/10 5:50pm

Hey there

This is really good to know. I am glad you have found something that works for you and that you can depend upon.

Thanks so much for sharing.

Lucy

3/19/11 2:41pm

Hi,

I am 40 yrs old and have always suffered with quite severe PMS but for the last year or so all my symptoms, both physical and emotional worsened to the point that I could barely cope at all with every day life.

I was convinced it was a hormone deficiency, probably progesterone and researching the internet seemed to confirm that.

A doctor tried to put me on Yasmin, telling me it was going to 'change my life'.... Unfortunately it did not suit me at all and after a week of being on it, whether it may have been Yasmin related or not, I am unsure but I had the most frightening first time experience which I suppose can only be described as a severe panic attack.I was so scared by it and really thought that was it, I was losing my mind... The only thing that saved me was the thought that if someone really is loosing their mind then they are usually not aware or worried that - that is actually what is happening. I was so scared I ended up going to the emergency room at anearby hopsital.

The next day luckily I managed to get an urgent appointment with a psychiatrist.

Back in 2004 I had a horrendously barbaric time giving birth to my beatiful little boy in a hospital abroad.

I suffered Post Natal Depression about 2 weeks after he was born and luckily as it was diagnosed early it was treated with Fluoxetine by the same psychiatrist. Incidentally I never had any negative side effects as I recall with Fluoxetine.

I stayed on it for around 4 years and never found that it made me gain weight, in fact the reverse- and I do usually tend to be a bit overweight.

Anyway, the psychiatrist that I went to see again decided to put me on Sertraline (Zoloft). I have been on it for about a month and I do feel it is making me gain weight despite the fact that I walk, fast paced, around 5 km every day.

Because my panic symptoms were so severe when he first prescribed them and I was terrified of having another of those awful 'depersonaliztion' experiences again, he also prescribed Clonazepam, albeit only 0.5mg tablets x 1 a day, as a trial at first.

I took one and found it helped me immensely and suffered absolutely no neagtive side effect at all.

I soon found that the Zoloft, despite making me tremendously tired, was stopping me sleeping properly at night.

The doctor told me to take one and half clonazepam at night.

They didn't help me to sleep that well though. Doctor said it was because it was such a low dose and that if necessary, whilst I was going through this negative time, I could take two or even three Clonazepam at night.

I did take two and they helped me have a wonderful night's sleep and feel relaxed and calm without any of that awful 'drugged' feeling.

Admittedly I do not take them every day because I don't want to become dependent in any way but I do take them, one and a half tabs every other night or every other two nights, still only the low 0.5mg dose that is.

In the meantime of course I am concerned about the weight gain with the Zoloft and will be speaking to my doctor to see if I could perhaps try Wellbutrin instead as that seems to be the most beneficial regarding not gaining weight, according to most reviews.

Regarding Clonazepam I have only positive things to say and would urge anybody to try it, even a very low dose such as I have.

Wish you all great health and happiness.

noxDO

3/19/11 6:29pm

I have seen Klonopin (Clonazepam), just as other Benzodiazepines, work wonders in the lives of many people for a variety of conditions. Usually in low doses too.

Sometimes, another Benzodiazepine like Tranxene (Clorazepate) which most people build a tolerance to effects less quickly works well.

Rarely have I seen SSRI's/SNRI's like Prozac (Floextine) or Effexor (Venlafaxine) work.

samboh

7/25/11 4:20pm

I was put on klonopin months ago, for possible stomach migranes? Seeing a different GI doctor, far from solving any of my problems, but want to wean myself off the 1mg I take at bedtime, but have insomnia. Ambien doesnt work for me, any suggestions? This GI doctor says go back to my primary physican and talk to him, because he didnt put me on it and wont. I awake angry with bad dreams and am groggy in the daytime. Any suggestions?

Cindi

3/23/11 9:17pm

I take Klonopin for spasticity for MS. I also take it before bed to make me sleepy. I like it but If it is not that great for me...I would stop.

DMS

12/24/12 4:23pm

I took Kolonopin for a year or so. I have depression and a great deal of anxiety along with being very anxious.

I was in and out of the doctors for 2 weeks with depression and anxiety. I was given Wellbutrin and it is causing me to be very anxious. I hate that feeling since I am already anxious and to be on a medication that causes it more is so depressing! I find it hard to enjoy my days, which I don't want since I have three young children. I had three kolonopin left over from a RX I had before I went to the hospital. I decided to take it to see if it could calm my nerves. I only took half of a 1., so it was .5. It actually helped. I am going to talk to my doctor more about it. She was going to take me off of Wellburtin and put me on Zolof but after reading the weight gain caused by Zolof I refuse to go down that road, I gained 20lbs on prozac and it's been hell to get off! which just causes more depression.

Member Medication Review: Klonopin

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