# On Klonopin 6 mg per day (Very helpful but is that safe?)



## Ashwin (Aug 6, 2010)

I have suffered from severe social anxiety for all my life... :blank never could speak up for myself.. so shy.. finally got hold of my psychiatrist to give me Klonopin (he prescribed 1 mg/day). I tried that out... sort of worked but was not strong enough. So I tried increasing the dose slowly.. and now I'm at 3mg in the morn and 3 mg in the eve. It works perfectly. :yes I'm almost free of all social anxiety. I can be myself the way I want to be. Thought I finally found the solution to this huge disabling problem in my life. I can perform so much better at work, catch up with old schoolmates that I never could've dreamt of without Klonopin. So I'm happy finally.. :teeth

I also heard that tolerance does not build up to the Anti-anxiety effects at all. And read about people using klonopin for 20 years +. So I just thought I'll walk that way long term klonopin perhaps if thats the only thing that can set me free from the the pain I experience due to crippling social anxiety. 

Qn 1: Does anyone out here take 6mg + per day long term??
Qn 2: I know bout the withdrawal symptoms.... But I'm not going to worry about it until 20 years from now (I'm only 30 now)... But what precautions should I take???
Qn 3: What is the max safe dosage per day a person can take??
Qn 4: Any suggestions welcome.. 

Thanks.. Ashwin


----------



## Arisa1536 (Dec 8, 2009)

Ashwin said:


> I have suffered from severe social anxiety for all my life... :blank never could speak up for myself.. so shy.. finally got hold of my psychiatrist to give me Klonopin (he prescribed 1 mg/day). I tried that out... sort of worked but was not strong enough. So I tried increasing the dose slowly.. and now I'm at 3mg in the morn and 3 mg in the eve. It works perfectly. :yes I'm almost free of all social anxiety. I can be myself the way I want to be. Thought I finally found the solution to this huge disabling problem in my life. I can perform so much better at work, catch up with old schoolmates that I never could've dreamt of without Klonopin. So I'm happy finally.. :teeth
> 
> I also heard that tolerance does not build up to the Anti-anxiety effects at all. And read about people using klonopin for 20 years +. So I just thought I'll walk that way long term klonopin perhaps if thats the only thing that can set me free from the the pain I experience due to crippling social anxiety.
> 
> ...


Hey ashwin :hs

I was on 2MG of klonopin for just under one year
I sometimes managed to save a few and take 6MG in social situations or if i was especially anxious or preparing for something i did not want to do like a family gathering or public meeting etc. i found at first 6MG was like walking on air, i would lie down and feel like i was lying on a cloud, i also felt extremely dizzy and sick. I could not eat and my throat was dry. Sleeping was easy but it did not help socializing. 2-3MG of lorazepam was a great social inhibitor but 6MG of a supposedly stronger benzo (klonopin) was not effective in making me more sociable which was strange but the side effects were stronger, however you will find you build up a tolerance to them and coming off them or even just cutting down to 5.5MG a day will make you feel a bit sick and give u headaches so be careful, i am withdrawing now and on 0.0MG a day and its horrible, i mean the effects are not as bad ad they were but i am still cranky and cannot sleep seriously its like being off heroin or something its ridiculous so be careful with them because they are difficult to let go of, even though you may not feel like they are doing anything


----------



## InterestinglyInteresting (May 7, 2010)

the only thing id be concerned about it memory loss/cognitive difficulty.


that beinig said i too find this med very helpful.





withdrawals can be serious (seizures) or moderate (anxiety, craziness, mania).


but if you ever need to go off it just do it with a doc


----------



## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

it's not safe. an article was just published a few days on psychology today saying that benzos cause brain damage.


----------



## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

Recipe For Disaster said:


> it's not safe. an article was just published a few days on psychology today saying that benzos cause brain damage.


Could you link to this article.

As far as I knew it wasn't dangerous, but you probably shouldn't be driving on that much.


----------



## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

FateFilter said:


> Could you link to this article. As far as I knew it wasn't dangerous, but you probably shouldn't be driving on that much.


It's a blog. Here's the link:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/50664

I don't buy most of it but I agree about tolerance to anti-anxiety effects. That definitely occurred with me. About long-term memory problems even after stopping them. I'm not sure but I'm not very convinced. Memory problems while on them. They occur but they're sedatives, so it's not surprising. I think some of it is just benzophobic hysteria.


----------



## FateFilter (Nov 12, 2010)

Kon said:


> It's a blog. Here's the link:
> 
> http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/50664
> 
> I don't buy most of it but I agree about tolerance to anti-anxiety effects. That definitely occurred with me. About long-term memory problems even after stopping them. I'm not sure but I'm not very convinced. Memory problems while on them. They occur but they're sedatives, so it's not surprising. I think some of it is just benzophobic hysteria.


It is based on a British newspaper article, and the British are known for their harsh stance on benzos, so I do think a lot of it is hysteria. I bet there is a little brain damage, but something like the damage from alcohol, but on a much smaller scale. Any damage is probably made up for in cell regrowth and ends up without any real damage. That's my guess at least. There's no real proof right now that I know of.


----------



## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

its much, much worse than damage from alcohol. there are many cases of people only taking benzos for a few months and ending up with long term symptoms. there are horror stories like this all over the internet. it's not some mass conspiracy. benzos actually cause this type of thing in an alarmingly large percentage of their users. i know from firsthand experience, being off benzos 16 months now and still quite mentally disabled. go to benzo.org.uk.


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Oh how did I know RFD would be posting in this thread


----------



## Recipe For Disaster (Jun 8, 2010)

i'm trying to stay away from benzo threads but someone asking if it's safe to take 6 mg of klonopin every day? how could i resist?


----------



## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Recipe For Disaster said:


> i'm trying to stay away from benzo threads but someone asking if it's safe to take 6 mg of klonopin every day? how could i resist?


I couldn't agree more


----------



## jim_morrison (Aug 17, 2008)

Ashwin said:


> I have suffered from severe social anxiety for all my life... :blank never could speak up for myself.. so shy.. finally got hold of my psychiatrist to give me Klonopin (he prescribed 1 mg/day). I tried that out... sort of worked but was not strong enough. So I tried increasing the dose slowly.. and now I'm at 3mg in the morn and 3 mg in the eve. It works perfectly. :yes I'm almost free of all social anxiety. I can be myself the way I want to be. Thought I finally found the solution to this huge disabling problem in my life. I can perform so much better at work, catch up with old schoolmates that I never could've dreamt of without Klonopin. So I'm happy finally.. :teeth
> 
> I also heard that tolerance does not build up to the Anti-anxiety effects at all. And read about people using klonopin for 20 years +. So I just thought I'll walk that way long term klonopin perhaps if thats the only thing that can set me free from the the pain I experience due to crippling social anxiety.


Depends I suppose, you can only expect so much from medication, I think what's problematic is when people keep pushing the dose higher and higher expecting to get the initial benefits back. After your body get's used to it, it starts to work in the background more and it may sometimes feel as if it's not working though it generally is. I would suggest sticking to 2-3mg maximum per day.


----------



## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

Let's just say this... In the state where I live, if you take over 4 mg per day, you need a BIG reason for doing so and even a letter from the doctor in some cases...


----------



## Under17 (May 4, 2010)

I don't know, that kind of dose would probably make me feel depressed as hell.


----------



## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

At .5MG it has made me sedated, but not sleep. 6MG seems really strong. You should seek professional advice.


----------



## Himi Jendrix (Mar 24, 2010)

I took 4mg for about two years. It was sorta helpful for anxiety. I was able to graduate college during the time. 

I eventually got tolerant and got off of it. I take xanax now and its way better for me.


----------



## mark555666 (May 1, 2008)

klonopin is way better than being an alcholic man. I took 4 mg for about a year and never experienced any problems. I'd say it's safe.


----------



## leon21 (Nov 8, 2009)

orbit55 said:


> Let's just say this... In the state where I live, if you take over 4 mg per day, you need a BIG reason for doing so and even a letter from the doctor in some cases...


I like the state you live in...

btw, 6 mg/day Klonopin for 20 years IS a recipe for disaster...:teeth


----------



## mikoy (Aug 12, 2010)

My uncle is on clonopin for 20 years, and his memory is wreck :f


----------



## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

Recipe For Disaster said:


> it's not safe. an article was just published a few days on psychology today saying that benzos cause brain damage.


Finally a mainstream periodical comes out with findings and pharma cover up for profit about the cognitive impairment of even moderate daily use. Psychiatrists and patients could attest to this decades ago and now its only gaining mainstream light??

Its a sad state of affairs when there's even a reasonable suspected issue such as so and it's brushed under the carpet by big pharma and clinicians. I just shake my head. Hell as a klon. user I could of tould you most of these effects ring true!!!


----------



## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

Freesix88 said:


> klonopin is way better than being an alcholic man. I took 4 mg for about a year and never experienced any problems. I'd say it's safe.


I'm not sure what the research says but I'd say a majority of benzo users drink. Taking a high benzo dose is only going to make both problems worse.


----------



## gordonjohnson008 (Nov 2, 2008)

I'm not sure how much definitive evidence there is of benzos causing long-term brain damage. There is evidence of benzos enlarging cerebral ventricles much like alcohol. Quite likely, taking benzos long-term has similar effects on the brain as alcoholism, which is not pretty.

However, I hate to see hysteria and media pressure coming from people who don't need these drugs to make them unavailable for people in a hard place who may truly benefit from them.

I think most people will agree that taking a significant dosage of a benzo daily for a long time has a high RISK of brain damage, memory impairment, etc., so definitely avoid doing this if possible. Taking a benzo for several months, or taking it PRN for a few years, is lesk risky.

Life's too short to be miserable. But it's also too long to risk brain damage. Proceed with caution.


----------



## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

When I took benzo's and partied a lot, I felt like my body was rotting.


----------



## bht96 (Dec 25, 2008)

I have been taking 3 mg of Klonopin for 3 years. I absolutely have not noticed any adverse effects on my cognition. It helps me immensely in calming down and that in itself has helped my concentration by not being so hyper-vigilant and self-conscious in public. In fact, I am taking prerequisite courses for graduate school and I have consistently been getting the top grade in most of my classes. I had gone from being an average student to a "A" student. I just hope that, in the long term, Klonopin won't cause any irreversible brain damage. So far, it has been very helpful.


----------



## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

If the klonopin is working then don't go worrying even on 6mg a day. There's far worse meds you could be on then clonazepam. If you feel the need to keep chasing the high or increasing the dose THEN you might run into a problem. But I am a Klonopin user and tolerance doesn't seem to build..to this benzo only


----------



## leon21 (Nov 8, 2009)

bht96 said:


> I have been taking 3 mg of Klonopin for 3 years. I absolutely have not noticed any adverse effects on my cognition. It helps me immensely in calming down and that in itself has helped my concentration by not being so hyper-vigilant and self-conscious in public. In fact, I am taking prerequisite courses for graduate school and I have consistently been getting the top grade in most of my classes. I had gone from being an average student to a "A" student. I just hope that, in the long term, Klonopin won't cause any irreversible brain damage. So far, it has been very helpful.


Did I miss something? 

http://www.socialanxietysupport.com/forum/f30/need-advice-cant-concentrate-89379/


----------



## Positive (Jun 29, 2009)

bht96 said:


> I have been taking 3 mg of Klonopin for 3 years. I absolutely have not noticed any adverse effects on my cognition. It helps me immensely in calming down and that in itself has helped my concentration by not being so hyper-vigilant and self-conscious in public. In fact, I am taking prerequisite courses for graduate school and I have consistently been getting the top grade in most of my classes. I had gone from being an average student to a "A" student. I just hope that, in the long term, Klonopin won't cause any irreversible brain damage. So far, it has been very helpful.


Can you be specific in terms of what your case might be as well as what you do? I find that being on benzos its best not to drink, and that benzos more or less affect cognitive memory. I notice I have not been as sharp as before.


----------



## leon21 (Nov 8, 2009)

Positive said:


> Can you be specific in terms of what your case might be as well as what you do? I find that being on benzos its best not to drink, and that benzos more or less affect cognitive memory. I notice I have not been as sharp as before.


The same with me...i`m on Klonopin since 2 weeks and really notice how I "forget" things in short term.
And I have tried like almost 30 meds in 4 years...never had any problems with memory. Klonopin is my first benzo.


----------

