# Klonopin Longevity, Dose



## jakejohnson007 (Jul 27, 2006)

Hello. Ok, I've been tinkering with my meds for a couple of months, and I am wondering about how long Klonopin stays in my system and acts. I am also wondering if it can be effective in polytherapy at very low doses.

I've been on Accutane and Paxil 60 mg the entire two months. I've been on Buspar for the second month. I was on Klonopin 0.125 mg (a quarter of a yellow tablet) every day for the first month. I would take the quarter tablet at night before bed, counting on it to work the next morning and through the day.

I wanted to get off of Klonopin because it still slowed me down, caused drowsiness, at this low dose (it was still effective!). After about 2-4 days off, I started getting some extreme tension, nervous thoughts, that Klonopin usually wouldn't allow. So then I took a quarter pill of Klonopin and was fine for the next 3 days... I repeated this process a few times. I get off Klonopin, planning to quit forever, then I get a panic attack about 4 days later and take part of a Klone to calm me down. It does its job and I will consistently get another panic attack like 3-4 days later.

Ok, this could be related to placebo/negative placebo. First, can Klonopin be effective at 0.125 mg doses? I think yes because some people are perscribed this dose. Also, in polytherapy the Klone may not have to work as hard.

Second, I've read that Klonopin has a 36 hour half-life. I know, from reading and use, that Klonopin works its best for about 6 hours. However, I wonder if there is a sublter effect of Klonopin in the body, something we don't notice because it is so subtle. This may be lasting for a few days with each Klonopin pill, and it may be what's helping me out here. Is this possible?


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Klonopin doesnt last days, it lasts about 6-8 hours. .125mgs can work in some patients, everyones different. I thought .5mg tablets were pink not yellow.


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## jakejohnson007 (Jul 27, 2006)

i agree it lasts hours. i've used it and its noticable calming effects lasts 6-8 hours. but i wonder if there's some subtler effect it has that lasts longer, something so minute that you don't even notice it until it's gone. something more long-lasting, like an AD.


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## arthur56 (Jul 31, 2005)

sounds like the paxil isnt working and will never work for you , I would be trying another antidepressant


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## PBNC (Mar 4, 2006)

jakejohnson007 said:


> I've been on Accutane and Paxil 60 mg the entire two months. I've been on Buspar for the second month. I was on Klonopin 0.125 mg (a quarter of a yellow tablet) every day for the first month. I would take the quarter tablet at night before bed, counting on it to work the next morning and through the day.


How do you like Buspar? I have found it to be remarkably effective and have been curious about how it does with other ADs (vs. Effexor, which I take.) If you noticed benefits at the lower doses of Buspar, I'd recommend moving up a dose, because, for me at least, benefits continued to appear at higher doses.

Additionally, I take the same dose of Klonopin. I'm prescribed .5 mg. three times a day, but holy crap....I'd be asleep! I only take 0.125 and probably only twice a day, most days.



> Ok, this could be related to placebo/negative placebo. First, can Klonopin be effective at 0.125 mg doses? I think yes because some people are perscribed this dose. Also, in polytherapy the Klone may not have to work as hard.


I also take gabapentin (which acts on the same neurotransmitter, GABA, as benzos like Klonopin do, and I believe it magnifies the effect of the Klonopin. Without gabapentin, I bet I'd need a higher Klonopin dose.



> Second, I've read that Klonopin has a 36 hour half-life. I know, from reading and use, that Klonopin works its best for about 6 hours. However, I wonder if there is a sublter effect of Klonopin in the body, something we don't notice because it is so subtle. This may be lasting for a few days with each Klonopin pill, and it may be what's helping me out here. Is this possible?


This makes sense to me. I don't see why it couldn't be the case?


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## Caedmon (Dec 14, 2003)

PBNC said:


> I also take gabapentin (which acts on the same neurotransmitter, GABA, as benzos like Klonopin do, and I believe it magnifies the effect of the Klonopin. Without gabapentin, I bet I'd need a higher Klonopin dose.


This seems to be true for me as well. 1/4 of a 5mg diazepam tablet sends me to bed nowadays, whereas I used to take 15mg and be totally fine. I have stopped taking diazepam altogether. I find Parnate + gabapentin to be superior for me.

So, yeah, it happens. I also have read... somewhere... that 5ht and GABA circuits are synergistic against anxiety when agents are used together. Er, something like that.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

PBNC said:


> I also take gabapentin (which acts on the same neurotransmitter, GABA, as benzos like Klonopin do, and I believe it magnifies the effect of the Klonopin. Without gabapentin, I bet I'd need a higher Klonopin dose.


I've tried gabapentin (Neurontin) too. For me it was a sugar pill that didn't help, but didn't have any side effects either. I took it in addition to my substantial daily Xanax dose and noticed absolutely no magnifying effect at all.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

jakejohnson007 said:


> First, can Klonopin be effective at 0.125 mg doses? I think yes because some people are perscribed this dose.


My guess is that tiny dose wouldn't be felt by most people. Consider that Klonopin tablets come in three sizes: 0.5, 1 & 2 mg. You're talking about a quarter of the smallest pill they make. If such tiny amounts were effective I must wonder why they don't make tablets any smaller than 0.5?

There are always exceptional cases, so I'm sure there are a few that might find 0.125 mg effective.


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## jakejohnson007 (Jul 27, 2006)

I agree, it's a very small dose. In monotherapy, I don't think such a small dose would have much of an effect at all on me. However, in polytherapy with Paxil, it seems like a very small dose can still help me out. I was wondering if this was placebic (knowing I was on a benzo just calmed me down), or if in polytherapy very low doses of klonopin could help out. Caedmon, your point about synergistic 5HT and GABA pathways could definitely explain what I'm experiencing.

Arthur56, I think I'm going to stay on Paxil as part of my med cocktail. True, paxil by itself does not solve my problems, but it does help me out noticably. I also have dysthymia and significant depression besides my SA. Additionally, I worry that the depressant effects of Klonopin will catch up with me if I am not on an AD simultaneously to offset these. So yeah, I think I'll be staying on Paxil. I mean, this makes the most sense, right?

I think Paxil is a mainstay, unless I trade it for an activating AD. I'm too sleepy on Klonopin + Paxil, so I need a stimulant (coffee) to get me through the day. Also, coffee doesn't make me anxious... it lets me focus. I wonder, how would a combination like Effexor/Cymbalta (these are both SNRIs, right?) help me out?


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## peregrine (May 31, 2005)

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## jakejohnson007 (Jul 27, 2006)

what do you mean by "standing dose"?


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## peregrine (May 31, 2005)

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