HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Advice for Clonazapam

Support Forums
>
Depression
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/21/2015 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hello.I am on 20 mg of Lexapro and all is well (after 2 years of trying different ant-d s ).I do have a hard time to relax and live in the present.I have tried many meds to help me sleep,seroquel,trazadone,remeron ,etc.My doc had me try .25.mg of clonazepan ( when needed) and it works great(much better than valium ).If i take clonazepan before going to bed,i will sleep well and wake up feeling refreshed.He does not want me to take it every day so that it does not become habit forming.Also he prefers clonazepan to sleeping pills.My daughter is a N.P.says that i should take it every night because at my age (67) why worry that it can become an absolute need.She says that i am shortening my life span by not sleeping well and it s been like that for years.By the way i now all about breathing ,mindfullness,etc. Any advice?
Posted 10/21/2015 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
I had to go off of Xanax basically because of my age. I took it for more than 20 years. I now meditate to sleep. I went off of ambien also.

I believe it can cause cognitive problems in older people. Plus they don't give it to people in nursing homes. That is what they told me. So I figured I might as well go off of it. It is better than needing it and not being able to get it I suppose. It sure does stink when they do things for our own good. Ha!!!

I like the meditation. It is something I can do myself to make myself fall asleep. Rarely does it not work. But I guess in that case, the sleeping pill probably wouldn't of worked either. I would practice the medication for the nights that you don't take it. The thing with ambien, was that it stayed in my system a long time. I don't know if clonazepam does or not. But I understand it is a powerful benzo. And it is addictive, the withdrawal effects can be bad. So it is probably better for you that you don't take it regularly.

I don't know. Doctors are afraid to prescribe addictive medications. Though Xanax is suppose to be addictive and I went off of it easy. It took a bit of time, but I did it. I hope that you are able to sleep on the nights that you don't have it.

I wish you the best.

Hugs, Karen...
Posted 10/21/2015 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
I take it every night, for anxiety. It definitely helps me fall asleep, but I still wake up at various intervals through the night. I take 1 pill at night(1 mg) and a half during the day if anxiety stirs up. I have been taking it for about 2 years or so. I don't feel addicted. There have been periods that I didn't take it and had no problem.

Hope everything works out for you.
Posted 10/22/2015 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
I take clonazepam twice a day at 12 hour intervals. I was prescribed 1mg morning and night, but I felt it was too much. My doc said I could cut them in half, and that dose works best for me.

I think that because I keep a steady dose going, I don't have any high's or lows, and it just keeps me on an even keel.

Also, before and after a recent surgery, I stopped taking it, and didn't notice any withdrawal symptoms at all.

I agree with your daughter just for the record.
Posted 10/22/2015 11:10 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your feedback.I do practice meditation but sometimes i cannot get into the black hole.I have gone through at least 6 different anti-d s meds.before getting the right one and i have never had any problems changing.I have decided to take clonazepan as needed and if it has to be every day......so be it.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply