# Any occasional Klonopin users? / Side effects?



## ihatethis (Feb 2, 2011)

I'm looking to hear from the guys who use Klonopin only for special days like presentations, meetings, days when they know they'll interact with a lot of people, etc?

Also. Are there any major side effects anyone has noticed associated with this drug?
I've read about short term memory problems, but i'm not sure how bad that gets.

Any advice and input is much appreciated.


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

That's how I started. It led to tolerance, higher dose and augmentation with narcotics. But my buddy who has GAD hasn't upped his benzo (including clonazepam) dosage with 10 years of use. We have the same psychiatrist. He trusts him to use it appropriately but not me because I went nuts on it.


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## ihatethis (Feb 2, 2011)

Kon said:


> That's how I started. It led to tolerance, higher dose and augmentation with narcotics. But my buddy who has GAD hasn't upped his benzo (including clonazepam) dosage with 10 years of use. We have the same psychiatrist. He trusts him to use it appropriately but not me because I went nuts on it.


Can you tell me about any sides you went through with this drug?
Thanks for the response btw!


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

what symptoms do you have that you feel you need this ? if it's a rapid heart rate and shaking hands go for a beta blocker as needed.

I wouldn't touch Klono for all the tea in china - I have been reading these boards for a year and klono is the beast of all benzos it causes more damage to people than the others...but they all are ****e ! 

I would not use klonopin... that's my opinion from reading hundreds of stories.

of course there are people who are going to say Klonopin is wonderful...yeah sure it is.


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## ihatethis (Feb 2, 2011)

d829 said:


> what symptoms do you have that you feel you need this ? if it's a rapid heart rate and shaking hands go for a beta blocker as needed.
> 
> I wouldn't touch Klono for all the tea in china - I have been reading these boards for a year and klono is the beast of all benzos it causes more damage to people than the others...but they all are ****e !
> 
> ...


Yeah I want something to fix the rapid heart rate.
I think with that my nervousness etc will calm itself.
I've tried propranolol, and 40 mgs of that honestly barely did anything.
I don't want something to use on a daily basis, I just want something I can use once in a while when I know i'll be meeting lots of people, or for important days, etc.


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## d829 (Jul 29, 2010)

check out the post I made about dr. shipko - go to his forum and ask him....klono is a terrible beast of a benzo please stay away from it.


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## Under17 (May 4, 2010)

I probably wouldnt have gotten through school last semester without klonopin.. TONS of class presentations, usually I would have dropped out of a class if it had just one presentation, or not do the presentation and take the F. Last semester I took about 1-2 mg before I had a presentation or something big, or if I wanted to make friends or talk with girls and I did incredibly ****ing well. Like too good, I was shocked that I did it. No side effects aside from the feeling of being on benzos.. not inherently good or bad, just different. At the time it made me crave social interaction and friends.. but I think that has a lot to do with my certain circumstances.

If you want to avoid klonopin, that's your choice, but don't let yourself suffer needlessly. I'm not doubting people can have really adverse reactions from just one dose but those people are really rare. Tolerance shouldn't be in issue either if you're taking it no more than 3 times a week, if you need 4 mg to get through whatever you need the klonopin for, well then it's time to rethink but .5 mg - 2 mg has been a-okay for me. Some people can take this stuff for years and not develop a tolerance, but just keep in mind the possibility that 3 times a week might be frequent enough for to become physically dependent so hopefully you won't be using the klonopin for long.

(in my case, klonopin never worked until I megadosed it, then I was able to feel relief with small doses after exposure but I don't recommend this)

Just be as confident in yourself as you can, make the most out of the days where you take klonopin and really desensitize yourself to social situations, pretty much learn how to interact with people all over again like you're a newborn baby, figure out how to be yourself around people but not imposing or awkward, make eye contact, take initiative, in due time you probably won't even need the klonopin anymore.


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## Bacon (Jul 4, 2010)

i take 1-2 mg a day usually of xanax. Klonopin is decent to.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

klonopin ive been on for five years now daily but ive noticed some memory problems but not as bad as alzheimers.


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

ihatethis said:


> Can you tell me about any sides you went through with this drug? Thanks for the response btw!


My major problems with clonazepam:

1. Sleepiness/sedation/tiredness-sometimes I fell asleep at inappropriate times: lectures, studying, with people around. I never developed tolerance to this, even after almost 8 years of use. I got into many car accidents (fender-benders).

2. Some memory/cognitive deficits. I'd have to read the stuff more times than usual. My marks went steadily down hill from first to fourth year. But I was always good in school so this wasn't a major issue.

3. Inter-dose withdrawal/tolerance-this was my biggest problem as the clonazepam became my "chemical avoidance strategy". I started to use it and rely on it even in situations that previously caused little anxiety. Within a few years I started taking it for almost any social or performing occassion. Without drugs, I felt anxious even in situations that previously caused little anxiety because as my body was getting used to feeling sedated/drugged in almost all social/performing situations. I think it was a chemical equivalent to social avoidance. Without "real" (drug-free) exposure, I was becoming more anxious to many social situations.

Having said all of this, there's no way I would have finished my program without the drugs. So I have zero regrets. It was necessary at the time but eventually it led to major difficulties, especially when I added the narcotics (primarily oxycodone).


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## rainbowOne (Sep 26, 2010)

I had diazepam (valium) for a while since propranolol did NOTHING for me... it was so wonderful, and I'm so lucky my doctor didn't let me carry on with it. I had zero side effects from it, and it almost eliminated my anxiety completely. But I would have got so addicted so easily. which is a big shame.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I take Klonopin on a PRN basis. Sometimes I only take only once every couple weeks or as much as say 5x 2mg a week. The only side effect I get is drowsiness, which is to be expected.


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## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

There is a list of Side effects related to klonopin longer than that of Diazepam or Lorazepam.
In my experience i found klonopin to have the highest tolerance rate as well as the most side effects too.

*common Klonopin side effects may include, but are not limited to:*

drowsiness, dizziness, problems with thinking or memory;
tired feeling, muscle weakness, loss of balance or coordination;
slurred speech, drooling or dry mouth, sore gums;
runny or stuffy nose;
loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, constipation;
blurred vision;
headache;
sleep problems (insomnia);
skin rash; or
_weight changes._


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## verbena (May 24, 2011)

Hi. I take Klonopin occasionally, when I have to fly somewhere. I do this for about three years. A few years back I developed tremendous fear of flying and basically there was no other way for me to get on a plane. Incidentally, I happened to have to fly a lot, so I went to my family doctor, hoping for a referral to a psychiatrist, as I saw no other way out. The doc said this drug helps his wife, who has the same problem, so he wrote me a prescription for just enough pills to get through several flights. Since then I go to him from time to time and ask him to renew my prescription. 

On the day of the flight I would take one pill in the morning, and one in no less then 8 hours. I timed it such that I would take the second one right before the flight (I fly to Europe a lot -- 8-10 hour flights). Now I take it only once, right before the flight, and I am trying to fly without them (that was the ultimate goal). It helped a lot, actually. Since I don't have the memory of fear and being worried while on a plane, I am not as scared about the next flight. Progressively it gets better every time I fly. Now I only get anxious while I am waiting for boarding, and that's when I take the pill (and sometimes I don't, for shorter flights). Before that I was anxious for weeks and was having full blown panic attacks the day before. The day of the flight would bring me the feeling of imminent doom. Now it got so much better. 

Anyway. As for the side effects: I definitely would NOT do anything that requires clear thinking on the day I take the pill. You may or may not have short-term memory loss (it doesn't always happen, but when it happens it is a freaky feeling), it probably depends on the dosage and individual tolerance? Not sure. Once I went on to several interviews while still on this pill (not on purpose, I had to go there straight from the airport) and two of them were successful (I am a scientist, so apparently my brain was functioning well enough). But...I barely remember what happened. One week later (and until now) my memory of that day is so vague, as if it happened 20 years ago. Some small details escape (f.e. I wrote some notes and could not remember at which point I was doing that; or I went to visit a tourist sight and almost completely forgot what I saw there; the photographs that I took looked foreign to me. While on a plane I am trying to watch movies, but it is hard to concentrate because by the end of the movie you forget what was in the beginning (unless it is a really stupid movie). That's pretty much how it feels. 

Another thing, I noticed that on occasions when I took two pills per day it took me longer to get back to normal. I would also get depressed for a couple of days. To me this is very noticeable, because generally I am not depressed at all. But those times I felt miserable and took it out on my husband. Later on I was surprised I acted the way I did.

I hope this gives you some idea. Let me know if I can answer any of your question.


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## bigcat1967 (Apr 20, 2010)

First of all - go to http://www.klonopinwithdrawal.com - this is my website telling people how to overcome it.

The reason why I'm on Klonopin is because of my SA. I regret for taking it - but it beats Xanax. I got onto Xanax before switching to Klonopin. Xanax - I went through a lot of symptoms...but with Klonopin - it settled me down more, but I still have a lot of problems. This will take years to get over.


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## spartan7 (Feb 25, 2011)

Paxil 20 mg 2X a day
Klonopin .5 2X a day


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## 11223 (May 27, 2011)

verbena said:


> Hi. I take Klonopin occasionally, when I have to fly somewhere. I do this for about three years. A few years back I developed tremendous fear of flying and basically there was no other way for me to get on a plane. Incidentally, I happened to have to fly a lot, so I went to my family doctor, hoping for a referral to a psychiatrist, as I saw no other way out. The doc said this drug helps his wife, who has the same problem, so he wrote me a prescription for just enough pills to get through several flights. Since then I go to him from time to time and ask him to renew my prescription.
> 
> On the day of the flight I would take one pill in the morning, and one in no less then 8 hours. I timed it such that I would take the second one right before the flight (I fly to Europe a lot -- 8-10 hour flights). Now I take it only once, right before the flight, and I am trying to fly without them (that was the ultimate goal). It helped a lot, actually. Since I don't have the memory of fear and being worried while on a plane, I am not as scared about the next flight. Progressively it gets better every time I fly. Now I only get anxious while I am waiting for boarding, and that's when I take the pill (and sometimes I don't, for shorter flights). Before that I was anxious for weeks and was having full blown panic attacks the day before. The day of the flight would bring me the feeling of imminent doom. Now it got so much better.
> 
> ...


I take .5 mg if I'm going on a plane flight, myself. However, I am terrified of flight and I think it's weird that I often take .5 to 1 mg klonopin if I have a bad day with being in public or talking to neighbors. LIke the fear level is still the same.


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## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

KPIN has a long 1/2 life, so make sure you don't keep feeding your body with it. I only take it as needed, and so perhaps .5MG 2-3x a week? I am actually trying to stay clean from alcohol as I believe that has become the sole driver of my anxiety.

All drugs has side effects, and everyone reacts difftly from it. When I took xanax, I was often sleepy, but it didn't address the anxiety and didn't help me like kpin did.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

verbena said:


> Hi. I take Klonopin occasionally, when I have to fly somewhere. I do this for about three years. A few years back I developed tremendous fear of flying and basically there was no other way for me to get on a plane. Incidentally, I happened to have to fly a lot, so I went to my family doctor, hoping for a referral to a psychiatrist, as I saw no other way out. The doc said this drug helps his wife, who has the same problem, so he wrote me a prescription for just enough pills to get through several flights. Since then I go to him from time to time and ask him to renew my prescription.
> 
> On the day of the flight I would take one pill in the morning, and one in no less then 8 hours. I timed it such that I would take the second one right before the flight (I fly to Europe a lot -- 8-10 hour flights). Now I take it only once, right before the flight, and I am trying to fly without them (that was the ultimate goal). It helped a lot, actually. Since I don't have the memory of fear and being worried while on a plane, I am not as scared about the next flight. Progressively it gets better every time I fly. Now I only get anxious while I am waiting for boarding, and that's when I take the pill (and sometimes I don't, for shorter flights). Before that I was anxious for weeks and was having full blown panic attacks the day before. The day of the flight would bring me the feeling of imminent doom. Now it got so much better.
> 
> ...


What you experienced is called "exposure". This is the reason why flights got progressively easier to take in time, and less Klonopin was needed. Exposure is the only true permanent cure to SA. Exposure is part of a commonly used treatment therapy called "CBT" aka cognitive behavioural therapy. It is the behavioural part of that therapy. All SA medications IMO should be used as an aid in order to help facilitate exposure in order to gain long term permanent treatment to SA. Simply taking SA medications and sitting alone at home, not exposing yourself to your fears, will simply do nothing once that medication is stopped/leaves your body.


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## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

would like to bump this.. i am relying this for work. .25-50 mg once per weekly. is that bad for long term?


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Positive said:


> would like to bump this.. i am relying this for work. .25-50 mg once per weekly. is that bad for long term?


Not in the very least. One dose of a benzo per week will most likely never form dependence, very slight tolerance if any, and that would usually just occur on your first few doses then you'd level out. You're good to go with that dosing schedule.


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## AC75 (May 22, 2011)

I've had this drug around for years, taking it just as needed. That was usually just a few times a month. More recent I had a breakdown and went back to the Dr. for antiD's and I was told it was OK to take .5 K twice a day as needed. Knowing what kind of drug this is, I only took one dose a day, and I skipped a day after a week. Now I try suffer out the panic and anxiety when I can, and although I took a K today, I haven't taken one in the last 60+ hours. I try to never keep a constant regular dose in my body and it's working for me. I don't have any real side effects when I take it aside from feeling a bit sleepy. Nothing serious. I wouldn't drive just after taking it, though. 

I feel like I'd like to take it everyday, but I won't go any more than 2 days in a row and then I pull back on it again. That keeps it working for me and I don't think I'll ever have to ask for a higher dose. 

When I was taking it for a full week, I think I started to notice the initial sleepy feeling less and less, but it still calmed me down pretty well. There are a lot of people who will scare you about K, but I think if you use it responsibly, sometimes try go without it and force yourself to do something difficult, you can keep it handy for the really bad times. 

I also try not to take it at the same time everyday as well. Keep your body guessing...LOL ... 

Good luck!


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## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

Dr House said:


> Not in the very least. One dose of a benzo per week will most likely never form dependence, very slight tolerance if any, and that would usually just occur on your first few doses then you'd level out. You're good to go with that dosing schedule.


Thanks. I try to just keep it for work, or as needed. I noticed at .25MG it can help me get by. But at .50MG, I know it is very strong ! Once it settles, I feel diff't and immune to any anxiety/panic.


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