all about klonopin

this med, also called clonazepam, rivotril, etc is one of many valium or benzodiazepine meds


it lasts longer than some and is strong, being originally developed for epilepsy control about 30 years ago



it was promoted as having a special panic blocking effect, along with xanax and these 2 were promoted especially for panic attacks, agoraphobia, etc. later the panic blocking was shown to not actually exist, but it had become popular for panic attacks, etc and still is, along with xanax, which lasts not as long



all these benzo meds are suitable for panic attacks, agoraphobia, etc, none are better than others, getting the dose right isnt easy, one psychiatrist said getting the dose right was an art form

they are quite safe if prescribed and taken sensibly, most anxiety sufferers are far too sensible to ever become addicted to them, which would require very large doses over a long period to happen

Post Edited By Moderator (hopeful82) : 2/20/2007 12:58:23 PM (GMT-7)

Thanks for the input Harry and Aussieangel.........
.I take valium when needed
Post and let us know how you are doing AA
Lyn

Sharann

Everyone is different. Your doctor knows you best. I am taking Klonopin as I adjust to Luvox. I am prescribed 1 mg a day. I usually take half of that. My Pdoc says if I need more I can have it. So far it seems enough. I too take them in .50 tabs. Seems to work fine. You actually are taking more than I am. So I wouldn't ask for more unless you get significant anxiety breakthrough. The Doctor says he prescribes up to 6 mgs per day. So you can see we are both at low doses. He would be concerned if i went over 4 mgs per day. Neither of us is close.

Hope that helps.

I was started on .5mg twice daily but when I went to hospital it was increased to 2mg once daily. Like all meds it'll take time for the doctors to work out what works best for you.

I was on 20 MG Paxil for years but it kind of pooped out.  So since December I have been on 1.5 MG Klonpin per day.  I am now tapering down as my pdoc has raised my Paxil to 40mg.  I am now down to .25 mg 3 times per day.  It takes a bit of adjustment every time I lessen the dose, but I am making it!!!

Queenb8785

something i don't understand . How can the med cure you. If you stop taking it all symptoms come back and worse usually. Right?

what if you have anxiety and it never goes away what is that called then. If you only have anxiety once a week or something, i call that something else

That would be Generalized Anxiety Disorder I believe, or GAD for short. I think, Twarrior, that almost the entire population has "moments" of anxiety or butterflies maybe to a lesser degree, at some point or another in their lives.

Was there something specific you were looking to ask or for help with? We're all ears! :)

Beth

Klonopin was really helpful to me. It helped me calm my body down enough to use other coping skills.. once practiced, I could do it without the med. I use it here and there still, I have fibromyalgia and it helps with the spasms and twitching. I was on a low dose too, .5-1mg daily.
I've tried Xanax, and it works quickly, and well for my nerves, but does nothing for the "body". And I've tried Valium which did nothing at all.
Klonopin was pretty sedating at the 1mg dosage for me though. So I would advise caution for "newcomers" to it until you know.

It really depends on your history, the severity of the index episode (what brought you to medication the first time), how you did once on it, etc.

The traditional line of thinking among psychiatrists is anxiety and depression are cyclical for most people and an attempt to wean down medication is a good thing. Other psychiatrists feel too many people go off medication or lower the dose, which makes it harder to treat future episodes.

The important thing is to work closely with your doctor and that you feel comfortable with their approach.