Medications Q and A Thread ........Keeping it All In One Place Please

thanx Geebs

To test what the Klonopin is doing for me, I decided to eat a bad meal when I hadn't eaten in quite a while. Normally that would throw me for a loop if I had even a touch of anxiety. What I ate was a single serving portion of frozen lasagna, and for "dessert" a package of six mini chocolate donuts. Normally, the lasagna may or may not bother me. The donuts added to that definitely would, though. So I ate them and felt a little indigestion -- a little GERD but mainly a heavy stomach. Walking around a bit and taking one antacid seems to have cured it! I can't tell you how pleased I am. I'm barely even bloated, and it's not bothersome. Keep in mind that I quit Prevacid and this is STILL easily manageable.

I feel a little "druggy" though. Some of that may be due to continuing allergy problems...that can make you feel sort of out of it with a stuffed up nose and pressure in the ears. No big deal...all in all I feel good. Slightly sedated, maybe, but pretty good. Whatever's related to the Klonopin will probably go away as I get used to taking it. I just wish these allergies would clear so I could really see what's what.

Yesterday and today I've already noticed my interests beginning to return. Especially yesterday I really wanted to go outside and do stuff. I didn't b/c it was my first full dose of Klonopin and I wanted to see how I reacted to it. Today I don't feel as compelled to leave (probably because the sinuses are a little worse), but I have set up my guitar amps and have been playing music for the first time in forever.

I've felt a couple of panic attacks try to come on, but they never took hold. I just tried not to think about them and they went away. That never works for me! Normally I can't avoid thinking about it!

I know all of this is premature, perhaps, but I'm still excited. Tomorrow I'm going to go to work and see how things go there. I feel like going today, but I think I'd rather just enjoy feeling good for once before getting back into the grind.

Sorry to hear about your mother, Lyn. These anniversaries can be hard.

Thanks for your help. Last night, after looking at your post again, I figured it out. I can feel the Klonopin sort of wearing off, so I believe I'll take one every morning and another sometime in the evening as a matter of course.

Sorry about all my never ending questions, but to people with Klonopin experience:

My main concern is addiction. I'd like to take it as needed, but then again I'm tired of suffering. If I were to take .5 mg two times a day, how long would it be before I am addicted? Is it possible that if I were to take it twice a day for, say, a week, I'd have enough in my system to then start taking it as-needed? If it doesn't work that way, how bad is Klonopin withdrawal? I've looked for info about this stuff on the internet, and some stories say it's easy and others say it's really, really difficult.

Thanks

Thanks,

Well, I thought the Clonazepam was the answer. I was doing really, really well (relatively speaking) until last night. I took my second dose of the day and then just had a general sense of "unwell being". It's not that I was super nervous, but I couldn't seem to sit down. My body tried to have panic attacks but they wouldn't take hold. It was sort of like I was in limbo. My stomach got nauseous only a couple of times but remained very bloated. I looked like a pregnant man.

Eventually the sedation kicked in and I was able to get to sleep. I didn't wake up until 10:30 this morning! So I've been messing around my place ever since. I'll get a little nervous but it passes before it gets to be a big deal. I'm not that bloated...maybe not at all. I'm feeling pretty okay, really.

Before things got so weird last night, I thought I was on the way to being cured! The plan was to go to work today and start catching up. But now, I'm not so sure. I don't fear the meds anymore. I just took my first dose today. If last night was the worst that could happen, it's definitely not ideal but it's still an improvement in most ways. There's nothing to fear but suddenly I'm hoping for better.

For those with experience, is bloating part of Klonopin? I haven't found it on any side effects lists, but the bloating has definitely been worse since I've started taking it. Many things are better, but that's worse. I hope it goes away.

The other side effect I MAY be experiencing is runny nose. I've had allergies recently but Klonopin can cause that and it was BAD last night.

A stuffed up and runny nose and stomach bloating isn't the end of the world. I'm not worried about them. But they're unpleasant and make it hard to concentrate. When I go back to work, I need to be very sharp. I don't want to pretend like I'm some big shot, but I have to be sharp on my job. There's a lot at stake.

Anyway, the positives: No panic attacks for two full days. That hasn't happened in a while. It think it's safe to say the Klonopin is working with that.
The negatives: runny nose (may be allergies), bloating (may not be klonopin), some sedation, general "weird" feeling (not all the time).

A lot of people never experience side-effects with Benzos, so it's hard for me to find information one when they will begin to subside. Will it be a week? Maybe today or tomorrow? I've never been on drugs like this before. I really want my life back, and for the first time in a while I feel it's within my reach but I just can't quite get there. It's progress, for sure, but it makes me impatient!

Thanks, George.

It's weird when I'm on the Klonopin. Those "what if" scenarios really aren't a big deal. More like passing thoughts. But, generally, if I need to concentrate on something, I can. With this afternoon's dose I didn't experience the runny nose and that really cleared up my head, so to speak. No panic attacks at all. I started to have one a few minutes ago, but it subsided and my dose is probably wearing off anyway.

So I'm good, I think. I think the allergies the last few days just put a damper on my outlook. I don't know where you live, but Texas is one crazy place. Pollution, allergens, extreme heat, tornados, flash floods, rednecks. It's insane.

Thanks.

I've noticed that paradoxical reaction, especially with the first few doses. Took one last night and didn't experience it, though. Was busy this morning and if I had it I didn't notice.

Howlyncat said...
Debaser....NOT to alrm you but have you been checked for Irritable Bowel this can and will cause the bloating you are experiencing '

Well, it has been mentioned by gastroenterologists, dismissed, and then mentioned again. But...

This is gross to talk about, but my bowl movements have gotten more normal after starting the Klonopin. Not only that, but my GERD has decreased EVEN THOUGH I stopped taking Prevacid last week. I'm not so bloated today, either.

I'm going to give this a little time...maybe all of it is anxiety related and the bloating will disappear over time. If not, I'll deal with it later. The most important thing to me is that the nausea is GONE.

I'm really shocked about the acid reflux. I never in my life would've expected that to go away. I've had it since I was 24. Just last week I would eat something and I'd take the prevacid, maalox, and pepto bismol and it STILL wouldn't be under control. Now, one single Maalox tablet knocks it right out. Amazing.

So I'm not seeing any more doctors about any more symptoms unless they're problematic in a couple weeks.

Des
With any of the meds like ativan and diazepam I know I let it dissolve and it works faster IF I need it to real quick
I would think Klonopin the same but not possitive

Cool. Well, there's not much to read about as of right now, thankfully.

dbab,

In my never ending search for information about klonopin, someone mentioned to me that they chewed their tablets up when they needed it to work fast. I don't know about that...maybe it works and maybe it doesn't. I'm not sure where I read it...it may have been this forum but there's another more medical forum I post at, too.

Well, I'm glad you called your doctor first, and I'm even more glad it worked for you. Hope the XanaxXR/Klonopin transition goes smoothly!

Des ........The reason for this is the med doesnt have to go the route of the kidney /liver and everywhere else but if chewed or melted in mouth goes to bloodstream something akin to Nitro for heart patients ......
I make no habiit of it either BUT when I need it to work quick then I will do it
Sublingual meds like these are more expensive and here in Canuck.ville not covered under any insurance ...
Be well my friend and so glad you got the okily dokily from your doc I should have said that I spoke with my doc about this ..sorry......
Luvs ya
LYN

The half life of Klonopin is quite long, so the difference in its absorption time isn't going to make a significant difference.

This document, apparently written by Roche, says the half life varies between 18 and 50 hours: http://www.druginfonet.com/klonopin.htm