Klonopin

[MonkeyMilk]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone has been on Klonopin and if they have ever had Dr.'s react negatively... how you have responded... I realize this is a very vague question... let me explain.

I'm 21 and was recently in residential treatment for an ED at which point I was also diagnosed with GAD and r/o PTSD. My body is very VERY sensitve to meds and while in-patient (at various points) I was put on Abilify, Celexa, Zoloft, Seroquel, and then finally Klonopin. My body had a extremely negetive reaction to ALL of the above meds other than Klonopin which was the first med that I could actually FEEL the positive results of and also didn't have ANY adverse reactions to. I was releaved and felt really good on it. All was good until I left treatment...

When I went to an outpaitent Psychiatrist she told me how she is anti-Klonopin and she wanted to take me off. And tells me she is shocked that they discharged me on it. I can't get her to understand that this is what works for me and to keep me on it and stuff. Has anyone ever had this happen or have any advice of what to do?

The thing is too I am not comfortable with experimenting with other meds when I'm not in an inpatient setting since only ONE med I was on in the hospital didn't make me sick in some way or other. I don't know if this makes any sense I'm just frustrated and anxious... I don't wnat to relapse because I'm not on meds that I was put on but no one will refill for me!

Any advice or suggestions would be amazing!

[tic chick]

yeah, most of the medical profession hates drugs in the anti-anxiety family ( the benzodiazepines) because of the possibility that one might get addicted to them.

so, they prescribe the useless ssri's for anxiety disorders.

anxiety and depression are two different conditons and can co-exist or be separate in a person.

i assume ED means eating disorder and GAD is general anxiety disorder and PTSD is post traumatic stress disorder.

i have tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder and had panic attacks. my neurologist gave me klonopin thinking it might help the tourette's. it did, a little, but, amazingly it completely got rid of my crippling panic attacks. i've been on klonopin, 2.5 mg. daily for the last 20 years. i used to take 4mg. daily, but have cut it down over the years.

i don't think there is an addictive quality to eating disorders. maybe the doctor thinks the ssri's will help your ed and your anxiety.

the psychiatrist telling you she is anti-klonopin is unintelligent when it seems to be the only med working for you. i don't know if you have to go to this specific outpatient psychiatrist for your treatment for ed. if you can, you could ask to see another psychiatrist, who might not be anti-klonopin or you could find another psychiatrist outside of your outpatient clinic.

another possibility might be to tell your current psychiatrist that you are feeling better with the klonopin and perhaps ask her if she would let you make a contract with her so that she could monitor your klonopin use and you would only go to her to refill your prescriptions. that way she would know how much klonopin you are taking and be assured you aren't abusing it. tell her you know the potential for abuse and you understand her concerns, but that it is really prejudicial of her to dismiss a whole category of drugs that have helped others and are helping you. i would not hesitate finding another doctor, if possible, if she does not get over her anti-klonopin stance.

i understand how important it is to find a med that works for you and has the least possible side effects. don't let this psychiatrist stand in the way of your recovery. be assertive with her and perhaps she will see that you will not abuse this drug.

take care of yourself,
jeannie

[houghchrst]

I also am med resistant though we have finally settled on Zoloft after about 12 other tries. I have Klonopin and use it as a backup for anxiety, we did try using it everyday but it made me too tired so we stopped. Is there any chance you can find a different doctor? What is she recommending instead of the Klonopin? It can be highly addictive and most pdocs don't like to prescribe it as a regular everyday med. Geez and not to mention the terrible withdrawl when you quit.

As Jeannie said, for a doctor to say that they are anti any med is ridiculous and is not a doctor that anyone should see. Being anti med takes away the chance to help a whole lot of people that may benefit by that drug only.

Maybe if you can't see someone else find out what she may want to try and do some research. Often if you reach a point where you are begging and pleading for help and a particular scrip then the doctor may take it as addictive type behavior so you have to be careful with that. Maybe they have patient advocates where you are. I don't know just be careful and don't stop trying to get help. Stick up for yourself and follow through.

Good luck,

[MonkeyMilk]

Thank you both. Yeah its kinda a hard situation being that it is a Benzo so if you try to hard to get it they think you are drug seeking but if its what you need and you don't get tit then you are really no better off... I was on Seroquel and Klonopin (the 2 that were finally settled on) but this new Dr. wanted to ween me off the Klonopin and just to be on the Seroquel. She said that Sreoquel should do the exact same thing except be longer lasting rather than fast acting. The things i well first and formost, my insurance stopped paing for perscriptions and seroquel is WAY more $$ to pay out of pocket then Klonopin and I'm a college student so its not that practical. I also have a paradoxical reaction to Seroquel, rather than having a seditive effect it actually keeps me up, not to mention the fact that I know this is not exactly a positive psych thing but I am majorly the "instant graditfication" type which is why self injury and an eating disorder work really well for me. Being able to get the fast acting effect of Klonopin helped me replace these behaviors cause it has the same effect. (I know that sounds bad in print but I only took it when advised and the prescribed ddoes I have never abused it) I also take diet pills a lot but if I am on Klonopin I won't take them because I know they counteract eachother so there is no point in taking both and if you have never abused diet pills trust me when I tell you that the feeling of being on Klonopin is way WAY better than the feeling of being on diet pills. So in a round about way it helped with my behavior as well.

Thats interesting that you mentioned withrawal symtoms, when I was in the ER one day (for my Hydrocephalus) and I told them that I hvaen't been taking the Klonopin that I used ot be on and that I just stopped taking it cold turkey (that was my doing not the Dr., cause if she wasn't going to refil it for me I didn't want to use all of it incase I got into a situation where I really REALLY needed it) but he was like "YOU DON"T HAVE WITHDRAWAL SYMTOMS!" But I don't know I really don't think I did.

Thank you both again for your posts

[tic chick]

ummm...

what kind of symptoms were you having in the er when the doc told you that you weren't in withdrawal?

last year, around christmas, i was ill and forgot the doctor wouldn't be in for a couple days and so i forgot to call the office for a refill on my klonopin. i cut my dosage in half, to make the pills last until i could call the doctor.

i definitely was in withdrawal even from a lowered dosage. for days, i felt shaky and irritable.

and you stopped cold.

don't know how some of these docs think :rolleyes:

[MonkeyMilk]

I was really really disoriented and off balance had a severe HA, visual disturbances, fatigue etc... but that was long after I stopped taking it.

AND, I have multiple medical concerns including Hydrocephalus, questionable Chiari/SM, heat intolerance (I was working outside for 3 hrs that day and hadn't eaten at all) and the symptoms have more or less persisted for hte last 2 months soooo I don't think its related to stopping.

Wouldn't it depend on the dose to though? Cause I really was not on much, at one point .25 3 times a day another .5 twice a day that's it.

[houghchrst]

That dosage may not sound like a lot but for Klonopin, that many times a day can be considered a bit. I have had withdrawls last for a month or more from going off of some psych drugs. Yes depends on drug, frequency and also the person. Your withdrawl could also interfere with one of your other problems and can amplify it. So you never know. Everyone is different.

[sophie ny]

I was under the impression that klonopin is less addicting then zanax.

You can go to web md and research the drug.

I have been taking xanax for 3 years for anxiety. I have my primary Dr. write my script.
My girlfriend's DR. took her off the xanax and put her on klonopin.
She said that xanax is a quick fix, they hit you faster. But klonopin stays in your system longer and there less addicting then zanax.

And you shouldn't be taking diet pills if you have anxiety. That's a no no.

Good Luck Sophie :)

[Nana4&cntn]

Sophie, they are both addicting! Neither one is more so than the other. Klonopin is longer acting. A lot of docs prefer it over Xanax for that reason. Xanax, is faster acting and has a much shorter half life (time in your system) I hope that answers your questions. BTW I take both, the Klonopin is for over night as I was having panic attacks at night.............Kathy

[sophie ny]

Why won't my Dr. put me on klonipin ? Do you think klonipin is better then zanax ?

Thanks Sophie :confused:

[tic chick]

sophie, *smallrose

i don't think it's a matter of klonopin being better than xanax.

maybe it's the type of anxiety you have. is your anxiety constant or does it just come on occasionally?

if you have constant anxiety, i would think the doc would use klonopin, as it stays in your system longer and you might need to take only small doses of it. if your anxiety happens every once in a while, out of the blue, than xanax would act faster and get out of your body faster, so you wouldn't have it in your system constantly.

they are both benzodiazepines. maybe you could ask your doc why he prefers to give you xanax instead of klonopin.

jeannie

[sophie ny]

sophie, *smallrose

i don't think it's a matter of klonopin being better than xanax.

maybe it's the type of anxiety you have. is your anxiety constant or does it just come on occasionally?

if you have constant anxiety, i would think the doc would use klonopin, as it stays in your system longer and you might need to take only small doses of it. if your anxiety happens every once in a while, out of the blue, than xanax would act faster and get out of your body faster, so you wouldn't have it in your system constantly.

they are both benzodiazepines. maybe you could ask your doc why he prefers to give you xanax instead of klonopin.

jeannie Hi, That's a good question. When I worked it was non stop, I have panic attacks on and off. I don't know when it's gonna come on. Little things can set me off . So your saying both are the same ?

Thank You Sophie :)

[tic chick]

sophie,

they are both in the same family of drugs, the benzodiazepines. they just work differently. so, they are not the same.

i had panic attacks several times a week. i also have tourette syndrome. when i went to my neurologist, he prescribed the klonopin for my tourette. it didn't make that much better, but to my surprise, the panic attacks i had been suffering from for 12 years, stopped.

so i stayed on the klonopin.

you said, when you worked your anxiety was non-stop. is it any better now? have you stopped working?

if yu have panic attacks on and off, it seems like the xanax would work quicker to get rid of them. on the other hand, if you have constant anxiety, the klonopin might prevent you from having panic attacks.

you just have to ask your doctor the questions. do you feel the xanax helps your panic attacks? that would be the bottom line for me, whether a drug actually helped me. if it doesn't help, it doesn't matter which one the doctor prescribes.

take care of yourself, *smallrose
jeannie

[sophie ny]

I had to stop working in late 2004 . And the zanax took a few years, for them to really take affect, Now when my sugar goes up I also start feeling lousy,
shaky ect. they are working for the most part. They are addicting my body tells me I need to take 1.

i STILL NEED TO KNOW DO YOU THINK KLON... IS BETTER FOR ME?


hOPE TO SEE YOU SOON TAKE CARE. :confused:

PS. I was reading the posts on chit-chat, played a few of the games. Fun !

[tic chick]

sophie,

klonopin is a good drug for me cause it works!

have you tried klonopin before? if you have, can you compare it to the xanax?

if the xanax is working for you...then i wouldn't ask your doctor to try klonopin on you.

if the xanax isn't working...then you have to try something else that might.

there are lots of good drugs out there. they don't work on everybody. everybody has a different body and different brain chemistry. it's sometimes a matter of experimenting to see what works best for you.

so, i'm sorry, i can't answer the question of whether i think the klonopin is better for you. only you can answer that by trying the drug,

talk to your dopctor, sophie *bunch. see what he says. if you're determined to try klonopin, give him your reasons and ask if he thinks it might work better for you.

keep us posted here.

i care,
jeannie

[ms1128]

Hello Sophie and Jeanie....I don't know if I will be of much help, but will only be able to say what my neuro and psychiatrist have said to me about both medications. I have both in my cabinet.

With 'alprazolam...generic for zanex' you can quickly build up a tolerance for the drug, thus needing to increase the dosage in order to get the desired affect. Not so with the 'Klonopin or Clonazepam (generic).'

You are not suppose to take them together. I do get the desired affect from either drug, but the 'zanex' gives me a warm snuggly feeling and the 'klonopin' just puts me to sleep. I take 0.5 mg of the zanax before bed and 1/2 tablet when a panic attack is setting in (not much of them any more) or if I am taking a nap, as I wake up in a panic. Klonopin is the same dosage.

These medications saved my life....as it was abnormal, from fear. I did never leave the house unattended. I hid this from outsiders. Never wanted to see a psychiatrist for fear they would think me looney. A stay in the hospital from stroke changed my life...for the better, when I meet the most kind doctor.

Well...I hope this helped, a little.

Take care
Catherine :)

[tic chick]

hey catherine!

glad you chimed in, it just goes to show how different people react to the same drugs!

i tried xanax, it didn't do a darned thing for me! i still had panic attacks, still had the anxiety.

when i was put on the klonopin, it was 1mg., 4 times a day. the panic attacks and the general anxiety disappeared. i have lowered my dosage over the past 20 years from 4mg. a day down to like 2.5 to 3mg. (on very stressful days) a day.

so, as lara said so long ago, and it's still true, "different meds for different heads".

glad your panic attacks are gone, too, catherine. i had a tough time going to certain places, like this one restaurant, church, shopping, for fear of having a panic attack. i had them fairly regularly from age 19 to age 30. i didn't want to take any meds when i was having my kids, because i didn't want the meds to hurt them when they were in utero. so, hubby and i had our last child when i was 30 and then i went to the neurologist for my tourette syndrome and the panic attacks.

it has been bliss to be rid of them the last 23 years! once in a VERY great while, i have a mini-panicky feeling, but i take an extra half klonopin and it goes away.

thanks for sharing, catherine, *bunch
jeannie

[ms1128]

Hi Jeannie!

I am very sensitive to drugs...and small amounts did 'big' things to me. Doctors first told me I was 'anxious' at 19...I was put on 'valium'. I was asleep the whole time. I hated it! I was also ill, but docs told me I was mental back then, but I felt illness was bringing anxiety.

Then I weaned myself off of it and didn't take anything else until I was 45, when I was introduced to the 'zanax.' In between I didn't go anywhere alone. I missed a lot of living. :(

I think church was the hardest because I felt trapped the whole time. Panic ensued, my heart would begin to race...the vicious cycle began. At least everywhere else I went, I felt like I could get out, with out being too conspicuous.

Thank goodness for medicines that makes us well.

take care
Catherine :)

[Shown]

It was about ten years ago now, wow where did it go, he was like living with Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde one person in the morning and competely different in the evenings. His mom was on Klonopin for restless leg syndrom which he was having trouble with also, so he asked the Dr for them which he gave to him. However if he seen anyone beside this one dr even in the same office they would not want to refill the Klonopin and for James he would tell me that taking that little pill made him feel normal. So for about 7 years he had to fight to stay on them however it is the pill that worked for him. Had to be treated like he was a common junkie just trying to get high, that was not true, it worked for him. They started taking him off in July 05 and that is when trouble started brewing, in October in got hurt and that is when the brain mass was discovered. Long story from there.

My point is if the pill works for you your dr should want you stay on it no matter what her personal opinion is about the drug, drugs work differently on different people and it seems to me that the sparkie misfiring on you seems to be corrected by this drug then this is the one you need to be on.

Now my hubby takes 4 pills a day 2 in the morning and 2 at night (Lacmital & Klonopin) and today as I am writing to you he is home taking care of Gabrielle our 5 month old grand daughter something he would not have been doing 8 months ago and the neurologist states on a regular basis that these two drugs work well together. So there are dr that believe that Klonopin does as prescribed.

Good luck to you I hope you find one that will listen to what you are saying.

Shown

[markpilnick]

I have rapid cycling bipolar and Tourette Syndrome and have been on every med used for bp. I reacted badly to all of them...except Klonopin. Started it two years ago, along with lithium. Lithium exacerbated my allergies that I could barely eat anything and ended up losing 11 pounds and my top weight was 132. It also made the TS worse. Now, it's just Klonopin(1-2mg daily in the afternoon or early evening) and levothroid, plus loads of nutritional supplements. But I'm wondering if the Klonopin is beginning to give me problems, since my tics are coming back strong and my mood is more unstable. The latter could be because of summer(heat, longer days). As much as one likes to live as normally as possible, chronic illness doesn't cut you any slack. But I enjoy House M.D. I'm a bit like him, which drives my wife crazy and to all my friends, I'm Dr. Mark, lol.
As Theodore Roosevelt said, "You do the best you can, with what you've got, where you are." I think we all do.

[tic chick]

mark, nice to see a new member on the forums!

have you ever tried abilify?

klonopin is an anti-anxiety drug, i don't imagine it would work for bp.

i have been reading literature that some docs are using it off-label for tourette syndrome and bp. it's usually used as a drug for schizophrenia.

when i tried abilify several years ago, it decreased my tics by about 90%. i eventually had to go off because it increased my ocd :(.

wouldn't it be great if it could help your bp and ts?

wishing you the best :).
jeannie