# Klonopin (clonazepam)



## malibubarista (Jul 6, 2008)

Well, it's about my fourth day on this medication (first meds taken for SA). First night, I took it and instantly fell asleep (on the garage floor, mind you)...it really knocked me out. But the day after, I felt amazing! I felt comfortable in my own skin, and guess what. I felt so comfortable I went out and had sex for the first time because I was feeling so good (normally just the thought of someone seing me half-naked would have killed me..) 
The next night when I took it, I didnt fall asleep immediatly, but instead was extremely loopy and cracked out...

It has been making me relaxed more and enjoy spending time with my family a lot more as well.

Anyways, I will not write a novel about just a couple of days, but I wanted to point out that today, I did not feel the meds working. I felt extremely irritable, mad at the world, and just flat out a [email protected]$$! Is this common? I do not want to be angry everyday! Also, I have been thinking a lot today and yesterday about me going insane. Am I psychotic? Because I'm pretty sure I'm almost there.

Also....could clonazepam cause insomnia? I know a side effect is lack in sexual desire..which by the way is killing me. 

Thanks for any response I might get! Advice/ help would be appreciated!


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## prozacilhan (Jul 26, 2008)

klonopin is the best for SA.


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## malibubarista (Jul 6, 2008)

thats what I have been reading, I'm just not sure that I can handle these side effects. Random bursts of complet anger? Not so good at my job...


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

ive taken clonazepam for two years and only had one severe reaction when I stopped taking my medication. my panic attacks came back but when im on the medication only i feel drowsy.


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## Steiger (Aug 4, 2008)

Nowadays Clonazepam for me feels just like a sugar pill. I believe i've already build up a considerable tolerance to it, but on the first days, yeah, I felt just like you did.

I have always been a late sleeper, and before I decided to stop taking the drug, I'd take something like 4 or 6 mg during the day, mix it with a beer or two, and still couldn't sleep before 4 a.m. Can't blame the drug, though, I blame the damn tolerance.

I was taking it daily and for two years. Never had any significant sexual side-effect. Are you mixing it with other drugs? And how much are you taking?


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

I love my 2mg Klonopin pills  They are so handy!


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## malibubarista (Jul 6, 2008)

1mg a night, only other medication im taking is clarinex for allergies


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## WhiteWings (May 27, 2008)

Noca said:


> I love my 2mg Klonopin pills  They are so handy!


 :lol i swear it seems everytime i jump on this site i run into at least 1 topic where noca will be confessing his love for his clonazepam.. :rofl

but i so agree, i luv my 2mg tabs aswell... all this talk about em makes me wannna go hav 1


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## BNelley24 (Nov 9, 2007)

Be careful with Klonopin. I know all these feelings all too well. I have been taking Clono for 3 years now. I began to abuse them because of depression and tolerance. Please be careful and follow doctor orders. Yes, Klonopin can do wonders, but it can also have serious side effects and lead to problems down the line if not followed correctly. Goodluck.


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## Cured (Sep 13, 2005)

BNelley24 said:


> Be careful with Klonopin. I know all these feelings all too well. I have been taking Clono for 3 years now. I began to abuse them because of depression and tolerance. Please be careful and follow doctor orders. Yes, Klonopin can do wonders, but it can also have serious side effects and lead to problems down the line if not followed correctly. Goodluck.


Agree'd. Once you build up a tolerance.... they really start to suck. I have dropped down to a half mg 3 times a day because I was popping them like tic tacs and getting few results. And withdrawal really sucks!!!


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## KILL__JOY (Jul 30, 2008)

> Agree'd. Once you build up a tolerance.... they really start to suck. I have dropped down to a half mg 3 times a day because I was popping them like tic tacs and getting few results. And withdrawal really sucks!!!


* :ditto I hate when I build up a tolerance, cuz then I just take more and more :rain *


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## malibubarista (Jul 6, 2008)

well i havent taken them in... 3 nights, after about 2 weeks on them and basically, i cannot sleep.


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## Wellington (Dec 29, 2007)

Just hold on there bud. Those effects should diminish within a few days (atleast mine did).


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

How much do you take? I took 0.5mg for the first time today and didn't notice much in the way of anxiety relief. Initially, I felt drowsy and almost fell asleep on my lab bench but the sleepiness went away in an hour or two. I was expecting the anti anxiety effect to be stronger and last longer. I really, really don't want to increase my dose.


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## philomath (Aug 10, 2006)

FYI, I asked my psychiatrist (Stanford M.D.) about Klonopin, and he told me that he doesn't prescribe these short-term effect drugs because they are highly addictive over time. He also mentioned that in order for these drugs to keep working, one will have to keep increasing the dosage, as your body adjusts to the medication. And eventually they will lose the effect they once had. 

To me, that's frightening information and enough to keep me far away from taking drugs like Klonopin. Ever. 

I hope that people who take medications on this forum are doing serious homework on the drugs. I wouldn't believe everything your doctor tells you, either--do the homework yourself before you put any kind of drug into your body. Meds for psychological disorders can do serious, serious damage in the long-term, and so may unsuspecting people think that they're relatively harmless and just follow doctor's orders. Don't. My doctor would have easily handed me a prescription today for an anti-psychotic that is riddled with harmful side effects, and he doesn't have a clue about what's going on with me at all. I denied the prescription and told him I wanted to read about it--on my own--first. 

Good luck everyone.


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

Yeah, my uncle who happens to be a neurosurgeon, also does not recommend such drugs. But what can you do? Some people have severe anxiety that needs to be medicated if they are to make any progress. I have a strong family history of anxiety so I am certain my case is biologically rooted and something like a benzo. should hopefully help me at least get started in the right direction in overcoming this problem.


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## BeNice (Jan 2, 2004)

If it's going to make me not be sitting there shaking, or holding in my shaking, while hanging out with people, I'm willing to take the risk. If it's going to increase my chance of meeting a girl, even better. I think that it does help with the latter.


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## fchtrading (Jun 11, 2008)

Klonopin definitely helps but it doesn't take the edge off like Xanax does for me. Tranxene also worked better for me than klonopin.


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## paranoid (Oct 17, 2006)

I love Klonopin, just wish my doctor would prescribe more than 15 measly 1 mg pills a month. I need 2-3 mg to really feel relaxed, so I have to ration them for specific problem days. If only I could have a limitless supply....!


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

paranoid said:


> I love Klonopin, just wish my doctor would prescribe more than 15 measly 1 mg pills a month. I need 2-3 mg to really feel relaxed, so I have to ration them for specific problem days. If only I could have a limitless supply....!


i have a limitless supply. I have a script for 5mgs a day and i rarely use klonopin anymore. Maybe just twice a week.


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## Wellington (Dec 29, 2007)

I only use it 2-3 times per week or less. On the anxiety-provoking days ill take only around 1mg.


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## paranoid (Oct 17, 2006)

Noca said:


> paranoid said:
> 
> 
> > I love Klonopin, just wish my doctor would prescribe more than 15 measly 1 mg pills a month. I need 2-3 mg to really feel relaxed, so I have to ration them for specific problem days. If only I could have a limitless supply....!
> ...


How did you get a limitless supply? I can't ever get my doctors to be generous with it...


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## X33 (Feb 13, 2005)

Those who are taking <3 times a week must have a good handle on their anxiety. If it weren't for the side effects (drowsiness especially), I would Klonopin 5-7 days a week.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

Thats why I take some ziz zazz an explosive energy booster with no crash to compensate for the drowsiness of klonopin eventhough Im like depressing the gas and brake of a car at the same time.


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## wcameron85 (May 11, 2012)

Clonazepam is by far the best of the modern benzos its extensive half life is only comparable to that of diazepam. Don't be confused, just because the half life is seventy two hours doesnt mean you will feel the accute affects for more than four to six hours. I desperatley need to find a doctor thats willing to prescribe three to four milligrams a day. I can not express in words how dramatically the quality of my life is improved when I have a benzo prescription, especially clonazepam or diazepam. If any of you have any Ideas where I could find a decent doctor that would provide me with three to four mg a day of clonazepam or twenty to thirty of diazepam i would be so appreciative. E mail me with any information you possibly can and I would be incredibly appreciative.


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## wcameron85 (May 11, 2012)

The problem with benzos is that they do there job too well so people are inclined to abuse them especially in conjuncture with opiates or opiods, wich is a dangerous mix. I personally think that benzos are safer than alcohol, Alcohol is much more toxic in large quantities and if a benzo is taken as prescribed it actually helps lift the fog from my brian and help me get more accomplished.


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## Don Gio (Dec 14, 2011)

prozacilhan said:


> klonopin is the best for SA.


How many mg are we talking about???


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## reef88 (Mar 5, 2012)

Noca said:


> i have a limitless supply. I have a script for 5mgs a day and i rarely use klonopin anymore. Maybe just twice a week.


I have an unlimited supply of whatever I want, I just have to print the Rx and write anything I want on it. Beat ya:evil:boogie

This was a friendly post by the way, don't take it the wrong way.


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## Aibreanban (May 29, 2013)

Hey everyone... hope someone responds, I see some of these posts are quite old...
I don't want to waste time typing out my entire story, but points are that I'm 34 now and have had issues my entire life, but only got them addressed last year, clinically. 
I'm on Wellbutrin 300mg xl (used to be SR) for 10 months and that's helped with ONE side of things....(depression, some paranoia)
Initially my psychiatrist FLAT OUT told me in my 1st 2 meetings with him that he "refused" to prescribe benzos to patients (this is his initial speech to me before even TALKING to me) and just wanted me to go to CBT. I told him repeatedly that, hey, nice idea, but I can't afford that. End of. I never once ASKED him for benzos before or after this, btw.
I came to him from having a "crisis" due to possible "serotonin syndrome" from Prozac and had been prescribed ativan for the first time ever (last year) which I found didn't do much as prescribed. (Of course this "episode" is a separate issue from my regular anxiety.) Turns out I now know that I have a pretty high tolerance for the stuff and not in any way because of any dependence/addiction... just chemistry wise from the get-go (I also dont get drunk easily AT ALL... anyone else have these same 2 connections???)
This same doc (even after me telling him about the "prozac episoide" prescribed me (on top of wellbutrin) cipralex, which caused the EXACT SAME reaction, which caused an emergency room visit and additional ativan. He then started to reconsider if I was bipolar, or if this was just the same "serotonin syndrome" (but has since forgotten all about either, cuz he sucks.)
ok, wow, this is way too long, sorry. BLAH BLAH BLAH
Ok so the same doc who said he flat our refused to prescribe benzos as a means to manage anxiety went from me having (not from him
-1 rx for 10 ativan 1mg to be taken half at a time or max 2 day (from fam doc)
-2nd rx 15 ativan 1mg as needed (from emerg room)
FROM PSYCH:
-15 0.5mg clonazepam as needed to "help me sleep" (for an upcoming trip) 

I then made a phonecall to a crisis line (connected with the program/hospital he works at) and without me EVER ASKING OR DISCUSSING
at my next session, WITH NO DISCUSSION, gave me 0.5mg clon 3x a day every day with 1 refill... so i went from having 15 pills that I had to "manage out myself as needed" to 180pills at my disposal at any damn time I wanted.
I went home reeling. As this guy was SO HARDCORE anti-benzo and NOT ONCE did I ask him or bring it up ever KNOWING HE SAID HE WOULD NEVER DO THAT!???

So here's the thing.. this is why I'm posting:
I want to know from people with experience.
I have YET to take it as prescribed (3x a day, every day). I actually have yet to finish a 90 pill bottle and have, actually, (this makes me chuckle because of this guy's previous stance) *4* bottles of 90 pills on log for me at the pharmacy for the taking whenever I ****ing want. dangerous right? ANYWAY. Look, I have a high tolerance and I HAVE TO take 2 pills at once to have even the slightest effect. Now, doing this helps immensely with sleep... but... that sleep is 100% rem/dream sleep and I dont get "deep sleep" on those days and find that the days I dot take it I have **** sleeps/ Like 3-4hours. 
My bottom line: Im perfectly fine with taking this stuff when I FEEL I need it in the way that I FEEL it needs to be taken (2 at a time initially, then less to add one. I have yet to exceed 3.5 (pills) (2.25mg) a day and I have also yet to take it consecutively more than 2 days in a row.

MAIN Q:
Is clonazepam depedance ONLY caused by taking it EVERY DAY for a "period of time" or can my "willy-nilly" "sometimes once a week, sometimes 3x a week" method also a means to dependance? Honestly, I want to kow from someone who does this. Is there someone out there who sometimes takes 5 pills a week then none, then 10, then 2...? like this is what I;ve been doing. But the prob is I can never take just 1 pill as it has ZERO effect.
side note: in case anyone thinks my tolerance is psycosomatic: I had gallbladder surgery in march and (this was even BEFORE this rx for clonazepam with renewals) I had a MASSIVE panic attack upon awakening from anesthetic and they have me IV valium and, between gasping breaths, I told them "that wont work!" and then I heard the nurse say to the doctor across the room "we gave her valium... with no effect!" and then they gave me propofol (after 15 more mins of my suffering) and it was PERFECT. Not only did it not produce the expected effect of me passing out, it made me 100% alert and totall clear and everyone was kinda blown away. So.. that's my chemistry. Not sure if anyone else has similar things. I could rival an Andre the Giant type in alcohol consumption with little effect too.
Someone give me some info/sharing.

Oh, maybe I should add that, by the way, the fact that his doc actually DID go back on his word and give me the Clon actually I FEEL is a GOOD thing for me. I feel like I'm being the responsible one and he isn't, but it COMFORTS ME/placebo-effect to know that if "anything happens" I have a **** load of pills at my disposal. the way I take it is does work. I just fear the "slippery slope" and I guess I just want to check if the "not every day" method is pretty ok for a long-term thing?


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## alittleunwell (May 27, 2012)

Aibreanban said:


> Is clonazepam depedance ONLY caused by taking it EVERY DAY for a "period of time" or can my "willy-nilly" "sometimes once a week, sometimes 3x a week" method also a means to dependance? Honestly, I want to kow from someone who does this. Is there someone out there who sometimes takes 5 pills a week then none, then 10, then 2...? like this is what I;ve been doing. But the prob is I can never take just 1 pill as it has ZERO effect.


Well, that's more or less what I've been doing for the past year. My pdoc would have no problem handing me a scrip every month -- but I don't go for that because I'd rather not get addicted thanx. I get a month's worth maybe every 3 months. I don't take as many as 10 a week though, never need quite that much. One doesn't do anything for me either, but I split them and take 1 1/2. Seems to be working fine.

I too tend toward unusual reactions to sedation drugs. Can't take valium in IV, gives me hallucinations. Propofol is like ants crawling all over the inside of my body and also makes me cry uncontrollably. So far Fentanyl is the only thing they can use for sedation if they don't want to give me a general and put me to sleep. They found this out the hard way while I was in hospital having my gallbladder out btw. I tried to tell them but they wouldn't listen. I rarely drink alcohol, it only makes me tired and that's no fun!

You sound like me. I'm great at hoarding pills and using them sparingly, mainly because I want them to keep _working_ so don't want to build up a tolerance. I don't think people like us get addicted. We're too obsessed with making sure we don't. At least that's me.


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