Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with klonopin

Is Klonopin as strong as they say?

ishotjr — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:12:50 -0800

Seeking first-hand experiences with Klonopin for muscle twitches but also for other reasons. I have a severe ongoing eyelid twitch. I was prescribed Klonopin, but am concerned about side effects and haven't taken it yet. Especially looking for people's experiences with Klonopin as taken to relieve muscle twitching, but other first hand experiences are helpful too.

Your anti-anxiety meds experiences?

scratch — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:05:24 -0800

YouAreNotMyDoctorFilter: More Xanax or maybe a switch to Klonopin? I have an almost-lifelong history of depression (from major with hospitalization through garden-variety dysthymia) plus anxiety--the depression 30+ yrs, the anxiety diagnosed only within the past few years. Been taking a low dose of Xanax for a few years that has helped a lot. I also take Lamictal and Zoloft. However, numerous, um, less-than-ideal life events have ratcheted up the anxiety level lately. I could up that Xanax dosage (with doc's permission, natch), but I know this will make me very sleepy and generally drag-assy. Doc has suggested switching to Klonopin. So (to get to the point already) I'm looking for personal experiences of people who've figured out a way to deal with Xanax sleepiness and I also want to hear from anyone who's tried Klonopin instead and what you think of one vs. the other.

Disclaimers: I know the warning signs of benzo dependency and I do not have an addictive personality. Current Xanax dose is only 1 mg prn. When I say "up the dosage" I mean minimally and gradually. Also, IMO "drink more coffee/Pepsi/Red Bull" is not the answer--caffeine doesn't help anxiety. Finally, I know about the benefits of exercise and yoga. I'm only asking for personal anecdotes of these two drugs, thanks.

Heart racing/pounding upon waking up.

desjardins — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 13:07:15 -0800

Heart racing/pounding upon waking up. This happens in the morning and also when I take naps. Relevant info: female, 34, no tobacco, moderate drinker, slightly underweight, no chronic physical issues. Blood pressure is usually on the low end of normal range. I almost always get 7-8 uninterrupted hours sleep/night and have no trouble falling asleep or waking up.

I am taking Lamictal, Zoloft, and Klonopin for anxiety/depression. Klonopin slows down the racing heart, but I dislike taking it in the morning because it makes me drowsy. I can't pinpoint when this started, but it seems like a few months ago. I do have panic attacks, but the racing heart has never been a symptom before. Besides, most of my panic is related to social phobia, so it doesn't make sense that I would feel that immediately upon waking. Note that this happens while I'm still lying down - I'm not getting up too fast.

I called my psychiatrist; he doesn't think it's related to the medication, and doesn't have any solid ideas. I got a pretty thorough workup in the hospital in July (was there for neurological stuff, not heart related, though they did do an EKG) and got a clean bill of health. Where should I go from here?

What have all these prescription drugs done to me?

Drohan — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:26:04 -0800

What has a decade anti-anxiety medication done to me? You name it, I've probably been on it at one time or another--Serzone, Topamax, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Zoloft, BuSpar, Gabitril, Provigil, Klonopin, Ativan, Lexapro, Seroquel...the list goes on.

I've gone from my early 20s to my early 30s constantly on some combination of medication to combat Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Some of the drugs I've been on have been to combat the major side effects (weight gain & sexual dysfunction) of the main drugs. I've also been in therapy the whole time.

At this point, I'm still experiencing anxiety, which I hope to deal with with yet another cocktail of drugs/therapy. I'm on 20mg of Cymbalta and 2mg of klonopin a day. I'm trying to go off the Cymbalta because it doesn't seem to be working. I just went off Seroquel because it was making it impossible to wake up and I had a feeling it was causing a huge explosion in weight gain.

My question: Will I ever be "normal" again? Now that I've gone off the Seroquel, will I have an easier time losing weight? Will I ever get my sex drive back? Before all these drugs, I had a really healthy sex drive. Even in the few months between being on SSRIs etc. over the past decade, my sex drive hasn't magically come back. Am I doomed to be overweight and sex-drive-less from an early adulthood of pharmacological roulette?

Zoloft, Klonopin, Craziness and a Desire to Change!

Gerard Sorme — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:15:02 -0800

I have fought depression, anger, fatigue, lack of motivation (and more) for thirty years. I have taken so many psycho-pharmacological drugs that I couldn't list them all. One constant has been antidepressants. I've been taking Zoloft for ten years. It has left me with memory problems, brain fog, etc. I also take Klonopin (2mgs a day) and that leaves me feeling jittery if I miss it and has the "tolerance' effect of needing more and more. I have tried tapering the Zoloft - very slowly - but I am like a raging lunatic off of it. The Doctor says, "symptoms have returned." I say, "withdrawal," or as they like to call it with antidepressants: "discontinuance syndrome." Hey, if you freak out without it - I don't care what you call it, but withdrawal is what most people would think. The niceties of the semantics I'm not interested in. ***More inside about my desire to try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*** I am wanting to try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and give it a major go. As in a treatment center that can help me taper meds while learning the CBT techniques in a serious and therapeutic setting. The Internet is overwhelming me with this topic. So, I turn to my fellow MeFites and hope that some of you have personal experience, experiences of friends, etc. concerning the too-little-discussed problem of antidepressant withdrawal and finding a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Treatment Center that can work with me on long-term goals. Living like this is no longer an option. Thanks in advance - more than you know.

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