# Does Klonopin lower cortisol levels?



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Hi - I'm wondering if anyone has any information regarding how Klonopin (Clonazepam) affects the body's cortisol levels? Since I'm taking this drug, it would be nice to know exactly how it's working in my body - and whether or not - and if so, how - it has an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

I've tried Googling the topic - but I'm often not that successful in Googling topics like this. You know how it goes - you type in a term, and get a bunch of webpages that aren't quite what you're looking for - and you never quite get a good, definitive page that satisfactorially explains what you're looking for.

Recently, I've been suffering from "little things" that make me wonder if Klonopin lowers cortisol. For one thing, my allergies are worse (I have a lot of fatigue), and I've suffered from two bad colds/respiratory "attacks" that are not typical for me. There have been times when I've wondered if certain SSRI's lower cortisol levels, too.

I've been wondering for a couple of years now if "adrenal fatigue" (which includes too-low cortisol levels) are responsible for my problems in the first place. It would be ironic, in a way, if the drugs that are supposed to be helping me are doing "collateral damage" by lowering my cortisol levels even further.


----------



## Wellington (Dec 29, 2007)

I do know that Klonopin can cause chest congestion. Benzos like valium/xanax are not known to. I'm currently having a problem with excessive mucus in my throat/respiratory tract. I might switch to diazepam and see if it changes.


----------



## Drew (Jan 23, 2006)

I'd do a search over on Google Scholar and take a look at the studies that come up:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=(clonazepam+OR+klonopin)+cortisol&btnG=Search

Less reliable, but you may also find some info on Dr Bob's forums:
http://www.google.com/search?q=site...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Wellington said:


> I do know that Klonopin can cause chest congestion. Benzos like valium/xanax are not known to. I'm currently having a problem with excessive mucus in my throat/respiratory tract. I might switch to diazepam and see if it changes.


This is what I'm experiencing. Bouts of excessive mucus in my respiratory tract. My respiratory tract seems increasingly sensitive to environmental factors - I seem to develop a "cough" or "congestion" a lot more easily these days.

I swear - with each drug...it's always _something_. I wonder what side-effect I'll experience next - because I know more are coming as this drug (or its metabolites) build up in my system.


----------



## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Wellington said:


> I do know that Klonopin can cause chest congestion. Benzos like valium/xanax are not known to. I'm currently having a problem with excessive mucus in my throat/respiratory tract. I might switch to diazepam and see if it changes.


Interesting. I'd never heard of that before. Never experienced it either, though I've taken all of the above at one time or another.


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Drew said:


> I'd do a search over on Google Scholar and take a look at the studies that come up:
> http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=(clonazepam+OR+klonopin)+cortisol&btnG=Search
> 
> Less reliable, but you may also find some info on Dr Bob's forums:
> http://www.google.com/search?q=site...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a


Thanks for the links - I've made my way through a few pages of "Google Scholar" just now. It's hard to read dry, technical academia-speak - but I suppose it's a necessary evil if you want to really edcuate yourself. So far, I haven't found exactly the "study" that addresses this issue - and it seems that the more interesting links are inaccessible because they require payment for access to the article.

For example - there is this article from the "Journal of Clinical Psychiatry" that seems interesting - called "Megadose Clonazepam Dependence: A Case Report". Besides being an interesting topic in general, it seems like an article that might be more likely to address the Klonopin-Cortisol connection. But not even an abstract of this article is available - and it seems that this site requires "regi$$$ration" for access.


----------



## kintrovert (Oct 28, 2005)

Wow - it seems that there are few, if any, sites that really discuss how Klonopin affects cortisol and the HPA axis. This is a really important topic. Some people's adrenal glands are functioning on a subpar level - and while their adrenals may be producing adequate (or too much) adrenaline, they may not be making enough cortisol. Too much adrenaline - esp. in the absence of cortisol - can make us overly-anxious and unable to handle stress. Cortisol is a "stress" hormone - but it is a hormone that allows us to _deal_ with the stress - AFAIK, it's the "calming" stress hormone - the "I can handle this!" hormone. You don't want to have too much cortisol, but you don't want to have too little of it, either. It's also anti-immflamatory and boosts our immune systems against allergies and colds, IIRC.

There is so much we're in the dark about as far as how these drugs are actually working inside our bodies - i.e. how they affect our hormone levels, etc. Do the drug companies want to _keep_ us in the dark - or do they even know what's going on, themselves? I've also wanted to know if these drugs act as "xenoestrogens" in our bodies - but I don't think there is any information on that, either. It wouldn't be good news if these drugs are adding to our xenoestrogenic loads.


----------



## winston705 (Apr 23, 2011)

*this artical confirms decrease in cortisol with clonazepam treatment*

http://psy.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/29/3/333.pdf


----------



## aftabak1 (Oct 15, 2011)

*answer probably*

dear brother i am a doctor,and understand that you klonopin is having the desired effect,because as the cortisol level decreases so the allergic effects increase.nevertheless you know why you want to lower cortisol level and when desired benifit is achieved can quit it.plus do reply me as to what benifit did you get from klonopin.I am want to try it on boy aged 13 under social stress,flabby or obese,slow growth rate etc, a sign of cotrisol excess.please do post me your answer directly to my email [email protected].
with kind regards
dr aftab


----------

