# Klonopin and Alcohol



## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

I'm currently taking 2 mg of Klonopin per day. Is this a lot? I really don't even feel it, maybe a little drowsiness but it does keep my anxiety and panic in check.

I just moved into an apartment with 3 roommates. We are college students and live in a big city, so naturally we want to go out and explore the bar scene. I've felt like I have had to hold back. I haven't mixed Klonopin and alcohol EVER. I've read some crazy stories on here about the mix, so that's pretty much scared me off. I did drink once when I was taking .75 mg of Xanax per day and that was fine, everything just felt doubled, so one drink felt like two. I'd love to be able to go out with my roommates and maybe have a beer or two. I don't want to feel like the party pooper of the group. Any advice?

I know a lot of you may say, yeah go out and try one drink yada yada yah... But I've read people on here who said that they were on Klonopin, had ONE drink and blacked out. I don't need to be blacking out on people I hardly know.


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## Wellington (Dec 29, 2007)

The worst benzo with alcohol is ativan. Blacked me out after like 4-5 drinks when I had 2-3mg; and this happened in front of my parents. :sigh


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

Are we talking mixed drinks or normal drinks(1 beer = 1 glass of wine = 1 shot)?


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

I guess 4-5 drinks if they were normal drinks should have felt like 9 or 10 drinks due to the fact benzo's double the effect of alcohol.


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## trancediva88 (Aug 11, 2008)

I used to drink alot while taking klonopin..


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I remember when i had one beer 24 oz can and with clonazepam I felt extremely nervous like I was going to pass out and had to fight it.


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## Cured (Sep 13, 2005)

I used to drink way to much while taking Klonopin. Never blacked out, but I definitely have some embarrassing stories.


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

Well I went out tonight with my roommates for the first time. Of course we were going out for the night and I have the scheduling of my Klonopin at 10 AM and 10 PM, so I took a Klonopin before we left.

We took the subway to some party and area of town I had never been to, so that made me a little nervous. I drank 1/4 of a beer and didn't really feel much. I guess I am just really tired because I am used to going to bed at 11 PM and it's going on 2 AM!!! I guess next time I will feel what 1/2 a beer feels like.


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## BeNice (Jan 2, 2004)

I guess I was one of those people that had a crazy story. I had only taken .5 mg, but I had been drinking beforehand. I drank some after, of course, and I think that did it. I was pretty much asleep in a chair and when spoken to I wasn't really responsive. Apparently there was some drool. Also, I think I almost fell out of my chair but I was saved in time. ...and I don't really remember any of that stuff happening at all. I only remember leaving the place, after being woken up because the place was closing, on my bike and feeling pretty okay... until I wiped out on my bike. The parking lot I was riding into was closed off by steel ropes which I did not see. 

Not too long ago I had taken a little Klonopin and was drinking. It didn't have the same effect but it did make me pretty tired and I went to bed pretty early. 

I think it's good not to drink more than 2-4 normal strength beers, depending on your size and tolerance, when taking it.


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

I went out again last night. Took my 1 mg at 10 PM right before we left. I had two glasses of champagne and tried to allow at least 45 minutes to drink each one. Woke up with a tiny headache. It seems like moderation is the key.


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## Xplash (Sep 28, 2005)

I am after drinking probably 20 or more beer after talking an ativan, yeah i couldn't remember much the next day but even when i don't take ativan, after a hard nights partying i don't remember much anyway. But yeah, it does potentiate the effects of the alcohol.


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## Cured (Sep 13, 2005)

Yeah.... Klonopin and Alcohol shouldn't be taken together. I keep learning this the hard way, yet for some reason, I keep doing it. I am now trying to quit alcohol completely.


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## golden hummingbird (Aug 31, 2008)

I used to take up to 2 mg a day of klonopin to battle my anxiety and panic disorders. It's the max dose considered safe in a 24-hr period.


That being said, taking Klonopin and drinking is a very bad idea. Very very very bad. I've had some really messed up experiences where I forgot that I took my meds and drank anyway - lets just say I remember not to take any meds if I'll be drinking.


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

golden hummingbird said:


> I used to take up to 2 mg a day of klonopin to battle my anxiety and panic disorders. It's the max dose considered safe in a 24-hr period.


Are you serious? They're plenty of people on here who take 3-4mg per day.


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## Foh_Teej (May 5, 2004)

orbit55 said:


> golden hummingbird said:
> 
> 
> > I used to take up to 2 mg a day of klonopin to battle my anxiety and panic disorders. It's the max dose considered safe in a 24-hr period.


my ex gf was prescribed 9mg. 3 x 2mg and 3 x 1mg from 2 different docs. she never ever took that much a day though. Besides, the dose for epilepsy is in upwards of 20mg a day. Its nearly impossible to OD from benzos alone.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

orbit55 said:


> golden hummingbird said:
> 
> 
> > I used to take up to 2 mg a day of klonopin to battle my anxiety and panic disorders. It's the max dose considered safe in a 24-hr period.
> ...


Klonopin is FDA approved for up to 4 mg in the treatment of panic disorder; up to 20 mg a day for epilepsy treatment.


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## orbit55 (Apr 23, 2008)

UltraShy said:


> orbit55 said:
> 
> 
> > golden hummingbird said:
> ...


So what happens when a person with panic reaches 4 mg and it stops working?


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## firefly21 (Mar 28, 2012)

I took 0.5mg klonopin at 8am today. Is it safe to drink a few beers after 7pm tonight?


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## jade8225 (Apr 2, 2012)

Hi!

Obviously the thing to say here is , just to be cautious you should not mix the two. However most people do. If drink BEFORE you take your clonopin, you will be ok. However DO NOT TAKE IT WHILE DRINKING!!!! People have this misconseption, and this is why people drop dead. If the alcohol is in your system and you drink water in between then take it before bed. You should be ok. I am not a doctor, I am just a person who has taken this medication for a very long time. At the moment I am weaning off, and it's HELL!!!! 

Good Luck!


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## IfWinterEnds (Jun 4, 2010)

I have a prescription, for about 1 mg a day. But I don't take it every day, maybe 2-3 times a week, a little more than 1 mg overall. And I drink maybe once a week, less lately. But some times the two have mixed, no problem at all. Probably way different, but my cousin makes SURE to take her xanaax whenever she gets drinks. 

I started trying to space taking any of mine too close to drinking, but mostly because drinking wasn't as fun with it. If I wasn't super well rested, I'd sometimes just want to pass out sooner. And mostly klonopin stops my racing thoughts, but with drinking this made me feel less funny and less able to connect things super fast. So if I knew I'd be drinking I'd try to take as little as possible way earlier in the day.


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

3mg a day... usually mix a coke with malibu at bed time.... (like having a beer with caffeine)... take 2 at nite one in the morning... (2 for bad insomnia... one for anxiety..) some mornings i break in half if i'm feeling good before work... so kind of as needed..(dr even told me this was fine).. usually end up with some extras that i spread out for trips to the inlaws.. or other odd places (graduations etc)...


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## fuct (Sep 6, 2012)

Im prescribed 5mgs a day of klonopin due to social anxiety. Lower doses don't have any or enough effect. I wish I could take less since it kills my libido. I drink sometimes but it does't' enhance the buzz or anything. I guess I have a high tolerance? Whatever, it tends to be a lose-lose situation.


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## jo05 (Oct 2, 2012)

*klonopin and alcohol*

I would not drink a lot or I would just not take my meds that night. I've been hospitalized twice in the last month for it, almost died both times. Just be safe.


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## Inshallah (May 11, 2011)

Contrary to what you'll hear on the internet, respiratory depression is very real and not that hard to end up with. I recently had a small scare myself when I took 3* my prescribed Oxycontin dose... so that wasn't even a high dose... I had significant trouble breathing and stayed up for a while to make sure I wouldn't get into problems while asleep.

Watch out guys.


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## my head hurts (Apr 16, 2013)

I take 2 or 3 1mg klonopin a day for years.
I have taken at times when needed as many a 6 1mg tabs at once.
I drink one my favorite alcoholic drinks with the 6 tabs.
No problems.

I don't understand the fear of klonopin except for abruptly stopping take it.


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## my head hurts (Apr 16, 2013)

I forgot to say that I get no high or any feeling of uphoria from klonopin.


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## Sleepwalker (Apr 16, 2013)

*Drinking*

I've had some pretty hard nights of drinking while on klonopin and nothing serious has happened. A few blackouts but of you're drinking in a safe place that doesn't really matter. I take 4 mg at a time.


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

My only advice is to take ur recommended dosage AFTER YOUR HOME AND DONE DRINKING. Taking them before is dangerous. Can cause ur breathing and heart rate to slow and to black out... I know someone's gonna try this so my "best" advice is to only take what ur prescribed and go slow.


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## wheres the sunshine (Mar 27, 2013)

I would consider 2 mgs a day a lot. Is it still helping with anxiety? When I got to 2 mgs a day it didn't work as good, 3 mgs didn't help my anxiety and started giving me panic attacks. More isn't always better. Keep in mind that although people take more than 2 mg's, you can start to notice side effects the more you take. And tolerance can be a problem.

I've always found that drinking and benzos don't mix, particularly giving me a nervousness and a headache feeling afterward from just 1 or 2 drinks. I don't think it's a good idea, and it can be dangerous.


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

Take 4. 2 is just to sleep at night the other 2 are as needed I don't a use them.. They are 1mg.. I think 4 is a lot.. But 2 for sleep is extremely necessary.. I've tried weening myself off and no luck what so ever on the sleep side. I go days at a time without taking any during the day. I'm BP as well anxiety at work is basically a constant.. But if I start getting "spiders" on my back or wrestlers legs or hands.. Or getting mad.. I take one to two


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

wheres the sunshine said:


> I would consider 2 mgs a day a lot. Is it still helping with anxiety? When I got to 2 mgs a day it didn't work as good, 3 mgs didn't help my anxiety and started giving me panic attacks. More isn't always better. Keep in mind that although people take more than 2 mg's, you can start to notice side effects the more you take. And tolerance can be a problem.
> 
> I've always found that drinking and benzos don't mix, particularly giving me a nervousness and a headache feeling afterward from just 1 or 2 drinks. I don't think it's a good idea, and it can be dangerous.


"a lot" is subjective. Realize that medication affects everyone differently.


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## Captainmycaptain (Sep 23, 2012)

I never had problems with drinking while on benzos. In fact I wash down my morning valium with 9% Jesus juice. The only time I have blacked out was when I took 60 mg of Ambien and five or six shots of vodka. Absolutely had no recollection of the previous 12 hours.


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## KC420 (Jul 16, 2012)

Pretty much just drink slower and know your limits, it could be dangerous if you don't know when to stop drinking. I woke up in detox with a black eye one night and didn't remember anything.


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## wheres the sunshine (Mar 27, 2013)

istayhome said:


> "a lot" is subjective. Realize that medication affects everyone differently.


Yes, that's exactly why I said "can" start to notice side effects, not always. I've seen many on here with wildly different effects from person to person. My personal experience should not be considered as what will happen to everyone.


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## CD700 (Apr 22, 2010)

DONT DO IT
Trust me, any benzo + alcohol can be very dangerous. I can get smashed on alcohol and stay relatively in control but if i mix with a benzo and get drunk I flip out and do crazy weird **** that I have no recoletion of


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## istayhome (Apr 4, 2012)

blakeyz said:


> DONT DO IT
> Trust me, any benzo + alcohol can be very dangerous. I can get smashed on alcohol and stay relatively in control but if i mix with a benzo and get drunk I flip out and do crazy weird **** that I have no recoletion of


Don't blame all of that on the little pill. As you state, you were already "smashed on alcohol." Just in that state you're bound to do "flip out and do crazy weird **** that I have no recoletion of." 
Lay off the booze, that's the problem. Most people who take benzos regularly have no problem when drinking in true moderation. Anyone who's true goal is to recover from a mental disorder should not be getting wasted in the first place.


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## jmhfl7 (Feb 26, 2012)

2 weekends ago I took about 2 to 3 mgs of Clonazepam and while still under its effects (3 to 4 hours later) I started to drink. I do not believe it affected me. Let me put it this way, I took the 2 mg pill around 5pm, then took an extra 1 mg around 8pm while drinking and I drank until 3 or 4 am, ate breakfast then drove home about 1 hr distance. Yes, I was a little drunk and tired, but never passed out. Just because it did not happen to me, does not mean it will not happen to you. Do a test a home first


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

It varies.. I was not bright one time as I usually never abuse my meds but was mad one night and took twice my dosage (4 1mg Kpins) I drank. 3 guinneses and blacked out for an hour while still being functional. Cousin took me to his house and I woke up on his couch.. Not a fun experience.. Specially when ur older and have 2 kids... So yeah I'd say be very careful. It definitely can happen.
I will say staying at home taking normal dosage and drinking more then usual I wake up with no hangover almost every time


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## lola49 (Apr 3, 2014)

Im on .25 of klonopin...anyone know how that would be mixing with alchol?


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

CD700 said:


> DONT DO IT
> Trust me, any benzo + alcohol can be very dangerous. *I can get smashed* on alcohol and stay relatively in control but if i mix with a benzo and *get drunk* I flip out and do crazy weird **** that I have no recoletion of


Don't blame a pill for what you do while "drunk" & "smashed." You're drinking too much.

I regularly mix wine with Xanax without incident. The difference between us is that I'm not drunk. I'm only mildly buzzed and still fully in touch with reality such that no crazy weird s*** ever happens.

Benzos and alcohol can be safely mixed so long as it done so in moderation. If you can't do things in moderation, well, then all bets are off.


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## mellowyellow321 (Mar 18, 2014)

Cured said:


> Yeah.... Klonopin and Alcohol shouldn't be taken together. I keep learning this the hard way, yet for some reason, I keep doing it. I am now trying to quit alcohol completely.


I understand because I was there once. I eventually got over it and you can too. Keep at it!!!


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## mellowyellow321 (Mar 18, 2014)

cd700 said:


> dont do it
> trust me, any benzo + alcohol can be very dangerous. I can get smashed on alcohol and stay relatively in control but if i mix with a benzo and get drunk i flip out and do crazy weird **** that i have no recoletion of


haha +1


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

UltraShy said:


> Don't blame a pill for what you do while "drunk" & "smashed." You're drinking too much.
> 
> I regularly mix wine with Xanax without incident. The difference between us is that I'm not drunk. I'm only mildly buzzed and still fully in touch with reality such that no crazy weird s*** ever happens.
> 
> Benzos and alcohol can be safely mixed so long as it done so in moderation. If you can't do things in moderation, well, then all bets are off.


You cant just state that as the be all end all.. We are all different chemically and physically. Some cannot handle it at all.. Others can pop a few and drink a few.... There's not always one answer to everything.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

loophole said:


> You cant just state that as the be all end all.. We are all different chemically and physically. Some cannot handle it at all.. Others can pop a few and drink a few.... There's not always one answer to everything.


CD700 was crystal clear on what he meant when he spoke of drinking with the term "smashed" and "get drunk." That's a far cry from having some wine in the evening as I do. I don't get drunk or "smashed."

The answer is don't try to blame benzos for your excessive drinking. Getting s*it faced and doing stupid stuff is pretty much the same whether you're on a benzo or not.


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

Your wrong.. Just cause it effects u perfectly the u want doesn't mean the next guy has one glass of wine and his normal pill and everything is cool... To say that is dangerous on here.... Nana yeah your wrong what works. For you may not for someone else... I can tell your frustrated and getting ticked so whatever say and believe what you want. A Dr certainly wouldn't agree with ya and the site shouldn't either because like I said we are all chemically different. Hoot and holler all u want. Just hope someone besides u reads it. Because it is important to remember


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

loophole said:


> Your wrong.. Just cause it effects u perfectly the u want doesn't mean the next guy has one glass of wine and his normal pill and everything is cool... To say that is dangerous on here.... Nana yeah your wrong what works. For you may not for someone else... I can tell your frustrated and getting ticked so whatever say and believe what you want. A Dr certainly wouldn't agree with ya and the site shouldn't either because like I said we are all chemically different. Hoot and holler all u want. Just hope someone besides u reads it. Because it is important to remember


The man above has a bug up his a**. In the interest of helping calm him down, I'm going to add the following disclaimer:

I drink regularly (in moderation) while on benzos with no ill effect. You should not attempt to imitate anything that I do. If you dare to imitate me, you may be "go crazy" after a single glass of wine because we're all different. Mixing even the smallest benzo dose with a single drink may cause the following:

-you to run about naked in the streets
-you to have sex with the entire football team
-you to smear feces all over your body
-you to jump off a building thinking you can fly
-you to lead police on a 100mph chase after you rob a donut shop at gunpoint
-and any number of other things that are too numerous to possibly list in their entirety

Happy now? Or does it sound too sarcastic for your taste?


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## minimized (Nov 17, 2007)

Klonopin has done nothing to my alcohol consumption... the other day I had a beer on an empty stomach and then two more and felt nothing. And I drank pretty fast.

I blame Seroquel for making me into a human vacuum.


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## loophole (Apr 15, 2012)

minimized said:


> Klonopin has done nothing to my alcohol consumption... the other day I had a beer on an empty stomach and then two more and felt nothing. And I drank pretty fast.
> 
> I blame Seroquel for making me into a human vacuum.


Human vacuum?


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## ellespirit (Dec 2, 2012)

yes, serokel is really bad


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## Bubble B (Feb 3, 2014)

I was like 17 and took Klonopin and alcohol together and it didn't black me out, you will be fine. Klonopin has a really long half-life unlike ativan and xanax and sleeping benzos. The two together just made me be able to go to sleep faster, but it did not make me black out or pass out. Just no heavy drinking, have a glass of wine or something classy, NO SHOTS.


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