Klonopin Question

Hey kelly, I was taking Klonipin .5 mgs. up to 3 times a day, but always at bedtime. I don't think I noticed any appreciable effect, muscle wise. However, my pdoc switched me to Diazapam (Valium) 5 mg. at bedtime, and cancelled the Klonipin. I discovered a big change in my muscle pain and stiffness, in the morning. However, he also cut me back from 3 tablets a day to 1 at bedtime. Now I have no way to deal with my horrible anxiety and panic attacks. This is a real problem because, I take care of my dad who has alzheimers and there's no relief, and occasionally things get really hairy and scarey here and sometimes I get so there's a tighness in my chest, like an elephant is sitting on it, I get dizzy, confused and really scared. That is when I would take a daytime dose of whichever anti-anxiety meds I had prescribed. I guess my pdoc has never suffered from anxiety, or he just doesn't like me because I feel like I'm being punished. I do know, he scoffs at Fibromyalgia, says I just need to learn coping skills. If only he knew what I cope with. I have lived in a tent for months, lived out of my car for a long time, have done every nasty, dirty job out there to survive, only for my children, I would not bother. Yep, I deal with pain everyday, so I just have to learn some "coping skills". Pardon my skepticism. Maybe it's time to say ciao.

Marlee2: Thank-you for the validation. I am still waiting for a call back from that doctor. I also called him last week when I was so sick with toothache, and couldn't sleep and he never even bothered to call back. Geez. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada. Something is seriously wrong with our mental health system. I waited 18 months through horrific depression, and was only seen by an intake worker when I uped the ante (was in full crisis mode). Then they told me it would be a month, even in crisis to see a doctor. Then they tried to cancel that appointment, but couldn't reach me because I'd already left to go to said appt. So, the first thing he says to me," Ï don't have time for you today, well maybe twenty minutes". Then he axed my meds for coping. I wrote a graduate level theses on coping. I don't know if that is what I need. Also they tell me, put your father in a nursing home, then you wouldn't need anti-anxiety meds. Well, see we do things differently in this family. At least myself and my sons do. We look after people as long as we can. Also, having Fibromyalgia, something he referred to as "some elusive pain thing", is anxiety ridden. Whether he "believes" or not, never being able to count on your body to take you where you need to go, when you need to go there, creates anxiety. For example, trying to plan events, shop for Christmas, sort out what Dad's problem of the second is, he's too hot, then too cold, then he torments the dog who snarls at him, and I have to time the dog out cause the dog is trained. Dad, We're still a work in progress, there.

Kelly :)

I'm on the same dosage, and one of the reasons I like to keep it that way is not only for anxiety, but for the relief from pain also :) I know for many of us, we need to get a good doc (that goes for you double Tyno) that will not mess with our scripts, because it can cause a lot of problems trying to withdrawl from them. I want to forwarn you Kelly, that if you up your dosage and keep it consistant, you will not only become a bit immune, but it will be harder to taper off. I know from personal experience. I wish you the best of luck. I does feel good to fell good every so often : )

tyno,

 

Does your doctor even know the meaning of the word, "compassion?"  Unfortunately, I think we've all run into docs who just don't seem to care.  I always want to ask them why they became a doctor in the first place, but they are usually running out the door before I can ask.    I'm really sorry you are having such a hard time.  about 5 years ago, I had a similar experience with the mental health system, and I was in a really bad place.  Instead of waiting, I voluntarily checked myself into the hospital for 72 hours.  BTW-if I wasn't crazy before, I was crazy by the time I got out of there!    I am all too familiar with mental health issues.

 

Anyway, right after I posted this question, my mom came home from work and I asked her the same thing I asked y'all.  She said that the Klonopin should relax me.  So, I went ahead and took it this AM, and even though I am falling asleep at the computer, I really do think it helps.  I do worry about having an addiction to benzos.  I have heard that they are the hardest drugs to stop taking.  But, I am taking less than the Rxd dose, and making sure that my sobriety is intact.

 

I never thought that benzos would help with pain, but today I feel less stressed and not so tense.  So, yes, I guess in a roundabout way, they do help with pain.  And, pain free days (or days when I can get through the day without screaming out in pain) are few and far between.  So, I'm gonna enjoy this day...if I can stay awake from the Klonopin.

BTW, Marlee, sometimes I feel like I need a continuous IV Valium drip since living with my parents again!

Marlee,

That is really great you take or leave the Xanax:) My grandmother have been on Lorezepam every since I was a lot younger and does the same thing you do:) She is a remarkable woman. She is 87 this year and has been dealing with pain since her early 30's and does not take anything more than a Tylenol 3 1 or 2 in the evenings to help her sleep. She can take a lot more, but she is afraid of addiction :) Anway, just thought I would mention my lovely grandmother :)

Well I really screwed myself on this one.  I figured I'd list it here since you were all talking about titrating and monitoring of drugs.  To start off with I was supposed to be able to fill my ms contin script on the 1st but figured since I was seeing my doctor on the 6th for my annual physical and pain managment appt that I didnt want to be bothered with having the morphine script mailed to me as it can't be called in.  Well after falling and really hurting myself right before Halloween and running out of the morphine I was in alot of pain and used extra vicodin.  Mind you that it wasnt alot maybe an extra 1or 2 per day for about 5 days but that was just enough to short me for my vicodin that is due tomorrow.

 

So like a bonehead without the morphine for added pain relief I kept on taking the vicodin as prescribed even though I had quit taking any extra I am short.  So I didnt know if the call in script would go through today or tomorrow seeing as sometimes it goes through a day early.  So just in case it doesnt go through till sometime tomorrow I took my night dose at 8 pm and figured that I would just knock myself out early this morning with some melatonin so I could skip my middle of the night dose to give me enough to cover me if my vicodin comes in tomorrow.  Which brings me to now.  I woke up at 10 am and I normaly take a dose of meds at 2am so I woke up sicker then crud in full bore withdrawel.  I knew that I could take a dose as soon as I got up but by then I was hurting way more then I normally do and throwing up with diarhea.  After being on these meds so long it doesnt take long after a missed dose to be sick and I went 8 hrs past dosing time.  I will still have to watch what I take the rest of the day if my vicodin doesnt come in till tomorrow if I want to have a dose for tomorrow morning or afternoon.

 

I sure wont take this chance again with getting my morphine late and in turn having me take extra vicodin for pain.  If I had got my morphine filled on time then it wouldnt have bothered me to even take a lil less vicodin if I had to.  And even though I screwed up on getting the morphine on time this is exactly why my dosing is so screwed up to begin with.  They were supposed to have me on enough morphine with vicodin for breakthrough meds but instead I use the vicodin more for reg pain control and the morphine just helps to make the vicodin more effective.  So there are no breakthrough meds in cases of extra pain like when I hurt my back and shoulder or if the fibro is flaring.  I know that I am dependent on these drugs but I do not feel that I am addicted as I do not crave getting a high feeling at all and I dont get high it just takes alot of the pain away.  I could not even imagine only having enough meds for once in awhile when you are at the screaming point.  I know that you are concerned with addiction Kelly but there has to be some way to get enough meds to function comfortably on a reg basis without going too much in the other direction.  You have enough fear of addiction in you that I am sure that you would be honest enough with yourself to stay sober.  I am feeling a lil bit better then when I first woke up.  I have however been in full withdrawel a few times when there were mix ups on my meds getting to me and it was horrible.  Just a taste of it now and then is enough to make me not want to take them for pleasure purposes.

Thanks Kelly and I wont make this mistake again yikes, gonna be a long day and night. I pray every day that you get the medication needed to help with your pain. And I feel like kicking the butt of the doctors that are too stupid to listen. Isnt it funny that we seem to know so much more when it comes to common sense?