I have been prescribed Klonopin for anxiety issues. They're .5 MG each, and my doctor said take them once to three times a day. Before I get into using them, I was wondering what others experiences were, how you used them, and what were the effects.





I have been prescribed Klonopin for anxiety issues. They're .5 MG each, and my doctor said take them once to three times a day. Before I get into using them, I was wondering what others experiences were, how you used them, and what were the effects.
My dad took Klonopin for a while... he's off it now though. It seemed to have worked well for him, but I hear it can be addictive.





I heard about the addictive quality as well, that's why I'm alittle afraid.



I am on Klonopin currently. I have been on it since June. I was also prescribed the 0.5 mg dose. I don't always take the full dose and half them when I am feeling "ok", I also do this because I don't want to become addicted. I really havn't felt any negative side effects so far. I still feel alert. Before this I had seroquel and that made me extremely tired.
"That's why I never kiss 'em on the mouth!" ~Jayne





Does it just make you more "relaxed" mentally? Like not fretting over things you used to.





It makes you stop panicking when you have an attack.
It was SUCH an abused drug when I live in OC. :/ Careful. Only take as perscribed.
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Yes, I feel a lot more serene and calm. I can handle stressful situations and pressure a lot better. And my mind is still clear and lucid and not foggy as it was with seroquel. I don't have nearly as many panic attacks as I used to and the few that I have are MUCH shorter in duration and intensity. I am sure I could take a higher dosage and eliminate them completely but I don't want to become addicted.Originally Posted by sc0101
"That's why I never kiss 'em on the mouth!" ~Jayne
I would take it on occasion if I felt anxiety coming on. I don't know the extent of your anxiety/panic disorder, but perhaps you should get a second opinion to see if you really need it several times a day.
A girl I danced with years ago developed a heavy addiction to it after her best friend at our club drowned. She ended up dying of a heroin overdose about a year later. Not saying the same thing's gonna happen to you, but she was robbed of all life and personality from her Klonopin abuse. And the fact that she often drank while on it didn't help.
Just be careful. It is potentially addictive but can also be a big help to people with anxiety issues.
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Klonopin is Clonazepam. Like all the other "-pam" drugs like Diazepam (Valium), Lorazepam (Ativan), etc., it is a benzodiazepine. It acts on GABA receptors in the brain to create a calming, sedative effect. It is very useful for anxiety but ideally should only be used occasionally because it is very addictive. Other medications such as SSRIs (Paxil, Lexapro, Celexa, etc) should be used instead for longer term anxiety control.





I've been on Lorazepam and I'd recommend ONLY taking it when you feel a panick coming on. Not 2-5 times daily unless you're panicking 2-5 times daily.
Look like a woman
Think like a man
Act like a lady
Work like a dog
- My Great Grandmother Bessie's Recipe for Success



I am also on an SSRI, Lexapro for my seratonin as well as an aminoketone; Wellbutrin to cover my norepinephrine and dopamine. (I don't want to miss any of the happy neurotransmitters.) Because my Lexapro dosage was doubled (from 20 mg to 40 mg) my doctor is going to see about weaning me off the Klonopin eventually. My doctor told me that she wouldn't recommend for anyone to go off of it cold turkey due to bad withdrawal symptoms. I am very closely monitored. And my DBT skills have been very effective.Originally Posted by Adrenaline
I love the Wellbutrin because it helps with depression and helps keep me motivated but it also increases my anxiety. (Wellbutrin has been known to do that.) That's why my Lexapro dosage was uped to counteract that downside of Wellbutrin. (I hope that made sense. I must sound freakishly over medicated.) It's a large balancing act.
"That's why I never kiss 'em on the mouth!" ~Jayne





I think Klonopin is an occasional-use/short term drug too. Although I have to admit I don't personally find it as um, recreationally appealing as perhaps Xanax or Valium . . . which is a good thing, of course.
I think that upping the Lexapro dosage will mean you can come off of the Klonopin pretty easily -- Lexapro is really effective with anxiety. I sure do hate Wellbutrin. It made me super dizzy and anxious.
Anyhow, I like having my little safety bottle of Klonopin (same as yours, lowest available dosage) around in case of panic.
I was prescribed Lorazepam for years. It is intended to be a short-term drug, but my doctor was a quack (he lost his liscense to practice recently as he was moonlighting as a drug-dealer). In the meantime, I became VERY addicted to the Ativan and increased my own intake, as it wasn't "working" for me anymore. I needed help to get off of them and am still experiencing side effects (sleeplessness) from spending such a long period of time on the stuff. Careful..benzo's are soooooo addictive. I wish that someone had warned me about them. I would have just chosen to deal with my anxiety, since after the benzo's stop being prescribed, the anxiety-provoking situations still arise. It's called life. I now in the process of re-learning how to cope with my anxiety without the crutch of benzo's and it's really hard but worth it becuase I had to break the addiction.
Good luck!
I was on it for a short time, I only used it though when I felt attacks coming on. I did feel almost mentally addicted to it at one point and I was only taking once or twice a week... but it makes you feel like if you have any sort of anxiety you need it right away. My mom thankfully caught on to this and stopped me from being on it.
i am currently taking klonopin & paxil for my anxiety attacks & it works very well for me. i take the .5 mg when i feel an attack coming on or if i know i am going to be going somewhere uncomfortable for me (i.e. crowded places.. etc.). without it i would probably be in the emergency room every single day of my life due to these panic attacks because before i use to feel like i couldnt breathe which would cause me to hyperventilate, my vision would get blurry, & if it got to a certain point i would lose feeling in my fingers and toes. now im sure not all ppl get panic attacks to the same extreme as me but for me this medication has been a life saver. i would definately only take it when you feel an attack coming on though or usually i have anxiety in the morning when i first get up so ill take one when i take my paxil. definately be careful though.. this medication makes you forget when combined with alcohol.. many times after a night of working & drinking w. guests ive woken up the next morning not remembering all the details of the evening. i never forgot anything big but just small details like conversations with other dancers. my club is very strict and is in boston where there is a no contact rule where we literally do dances 3 feet away from customers no matter if it is in the dance area or you're in the champagne room so there is always someone watching you which makes me feel safe but if your club isnt like that be careful drinking while on that medication. i hope this was helpful and i wish you the best of luck!





Thank you for the concern. I was too alittle taken back when she said 1-3 times, as I'm not that big on medication and I try to avoid it when possible. I've decided to just do half of a .5mg daily, and keep up with current anti stress things such as yoga, working out and volunteering.Originally Posted by NinaDaisy
I've known two people prescribed Klonopin and neither had a problem with it. One girl had anxiety over losing a friend on 9/11 and would take it when she needed it and never got addicted or anything. The other girl had some serious emotional issues (she was diagnosed as schizophrenic at one point) and I think she was on so many meds that one hardly made a difference and she is now on Lithium. But she never got addicted to it either.





Sorry to bump this, but I'd like to get some more insight on this drug.
My doc just prescribed me on this. Each pill is .5mg. She advised me to take a half pill in the day, and a full pill later in the day. Am I the only one that this pill makes sleepy? I never realized I had anxiety, until recently.
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Sent you a PM Cinammon.
I would recommend NOT taking this drug (or any benzo) as prescribed. Take much less!
I have taken very small amounts of benzos for years. Docs prescribe 2 or 3 a day! Woah! That's way, way too much in my opinion. That is how people get addicted. I take a half when I feel anxiety coming on, another half if that doesn't do it. For me, this leads to maybe 3 pills in a WEEK, not in a day. Of course, if you need 3 a day, take them, but for most people I think this is far, far too much medication.





I agree. I'm prescribed .5 mg of Klonopin like you and I'm supposed to take it 3 times daily. I don't want to become addicted as well so I only take it once a day when I feel a panick attack coming. When I'm PMSing and more on edge I'll take 2 a day sometimes, but never anymore than that. It is extremely effective with panic attacks, which I've been suffering with for about 2 years. I also take Effexor for General Anxiety disorder. Hopefully I won't have to take this crap for the rest of my life.
We must all seriously take the same shit, lol. I have the same Klonopin prescription, 0.5 mg, supposedly to take twice a day.
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The SO takes it 3 times a day, and on top of that he is on cymbalta and zoloft. He takes the klonopin for seizures though and the others for depression.
He counter the sleepy affects with redbull or something similar. If he doesnt get an 'energy' drink he will go to sleep for at least a couple hours. Trying to get him up is almost impossible.
As a matter a fact, I just reminded him to take his afternoon dose.
Its basically a lot like xanax. highly addictive. But until you know how you react to it ., try taking one before bed.
Because I was given xanax and scripted the same dosage as you are right now , .5 mg and 3 times a day. I took one and it would knock me out.
So i never took the 3 , just one or two before bed worked well for me. And if I felt an attack coming on i'd take half of one during the day
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