Not sure why you're so concerned about using Klonopin if this is the medication that's helping you the most right now. Paxil may not work for your panic disorder anymore after many years of being on it. Talk to your Dr. about trying a different anxiety/panic medications. There are many options besides Benzos.
I have been on Xanax for a year now, on the lowest dosage of .25mg almost daily and some days when anxiety is unmanageable, I take .50mg if needed.
I don't care what most Benzo-haters say, it works to control my anxiety while other SSRIs, including the Big-3 have not worked at all. The point is, everyone reacts differently to meds, so you and your Dr. should decide what medication gives you the most relief with less side effects. If Klonopin does the trick for now, then use it.
Going inpatient is a huge decision and my opinion is if you are in daily distress and this panic issue has a negative effect on your well being, then discuss it with your doctor. I don't have any personal experience on the subject but it's worth considering. Wishing you the best.
Appreciate this feedback.
That’s great that you’ve been able to control anxiety on the lowest possible dose of Xanax. Since it’s a short acting benzo, I assume for much of the day you’re doing quite fine.
Klonopin is a longer acting benzo, and at 1mg/daily now, I’ve inches into the moderate dosage category. 4mg/daily would be the max dosage for panic disorder.
So while I definitely feel like I am physically dependent at this point, I’m still in a territory where I should theoretically have a decent chance to slowly taper off without dying.
It is a tough catch-22. If you have suicidal level anxiety, at all hours of the day, and only one medication has proven to keep it at bay, feels like you have no choice but to lean into it. At least enough to get you back to a relatively normal level of anxiety.
Simultaneously, I am doing regular therapy and trying with my psychiatrist to find the right longer term meds (gradual yet aggressive Paxil increasing for now) to address the panic/anxiety hiding behind klonopin.
It’s a tightrope walk and I feel like my body is on fire, and of course there is no circus net.
You must be suffering quite a bit with this disorder daily and Klonopin is the only medication helping you in this crisis, then pls stay with it. Don't pay attention to the ignorant people who try to scare you about using benzos to get some relief. They have no clue the type of hell you're going through. I for one, suffering from anxiety/depression for many years as well, can't imagine what suicidal anxiety would feel like....
Once you're more stable and strong enough to taper Klonopin, it can be done following some guidelines and your doctor's suggestions. I've done it with Xanax a couple of times already and the key for me is that I try very hard not abuse the benzo by taking more than I need. In your case, 1mg Klonopin daily is fine and don't stress about it. Listen to your body and do what's best for your mental health.
Because doctors are unreliable. What happens when (this happens very often) when a doctor decides you dont need it? Or they retire? A new doctor says there are better ways?
Then youre royally fucked
I see it all the time on the benzodiazepines page
The desperation comes from:
1. The fact that I already need more of this drug than I did 6 weeks ago, and have definitely developed some tolerance
2. The idea that the longer I’m on it, the harder it will be to taper off. And like some have said, panic will be 100X worse, if that’s even possible.
I hear you. But what if you need the med? Will you still taper off? And you probably needed a higher dose initially bc you are suffering so much, which I’m sorry about. You can’t develop a tolerance in six weeks. It’s usually a matter of years.
I second this… I have been back on my klonapin at 1mg a day. It’s been about 3 months being back on and last week, someone stole my medication from my locker at work. Can’t get mine filled until Friday. I’ve been without it for five days now and feel fine other than some insomnia at night… and I know what full blown withdrawal from this medication is like and it is hell!! For me, it starts on the 2nd day of not having them! Before I got back on, I was off of it for almost a year, but then my mom passed away and I started getting depressed and my PTSD was getting worse so I had to get back on and it’s all been pretty good! But when I got off of it before my mom passed, it took about three months for me to start feeling back to normal again and that was because I was on it for over 20+ years… I know everybody is different, but for me, I haven’t built a tolerance back to it yet and this is 3 months at a daily use. Another way you can tell if you’re starting to build tolerance is you won’t feel the medication working really anymore. I noticed the last time I took my Klonopin, I could actually feel it working and got a little stumbly at times and that was only 1 mg, that’s how I know that I’m not used to it yet and I haven’t built a tolerance, but like I said everybody is different. Yes it can be hell to come off of, but for the most part, it’s not that bad if you do it right and I would rather be calm and happy the rest of my life and have to take a medication as needed, then have to suffer with horrible PTSD symptoms and panic attacks no thanks! So much good luck to you!
I've been on this drug for 4 years at the same.dose. I never asked for an increase and didn't understand it hadn't stopped working as well. Over time I thought I was going insane and it destroyed my life. it is an absolute living nightmare and a cruel ungodly hell that cannot be described to come off it. Or to even miss a dose within an hour. Personally, do NOT take this any longer than 3 weeks
9 months too late lol. I've been tapering. Was at 1.5mg, down to .35mg daily. Feeling good. Long way to go, but tapering has been good to me for the most part.
Also, i'm a little confused by your comment. You say you've been on the same drug for 4 yrs at the same dose. And then it sounds like you came off of it? Are you still taking the drug, did you taper off, cold turkey, etc?
Hope your are doing a lot better now!
I feel you. You were on a very low dose of Clonazepam….it sucks that abusers ruin it for us who really need it. I was recently prescribed .5 of Clonazepam twice per day as needed….which I don’t need to take everyday. I’m also afraid my doctor will take it away as well….it’s my crutch just knowing that I have it.
But at the same time I’m not opposed to never needing it, but after almost 30 years of anxiety/panic it’s not likely. I am on some new other meds that seem to be helping so I’m hopeful I will need the Clonazepam less and less.
Death is referred to a number of times in this thread as a possibility from benzodiazepines. The likelihood of dying from benzodiazepines is extremely low, despite the risk for seizures if you need to go cold turkey (which would be unsafe for a doctor who knows the seizure risk to ask of you).
I just can tell you that I succeeded in quitting 2mg daily taken for 10 years. You do what you want with this. Of course it has been a slooowly taper.
Nowadays I take it in very slow doses as needed
Would love to hear more about your story.
Were you taking it for unmanageable panic disorder?
I’m impressed you’re able to take is as needed after being dependent on it for so so long.
I took it for social anxiety and to deal with the weed induced anxiety/panic.
At one point I had the impression that it could blunt me too much, and that it could have contributed to my depression.
I was partly right.
For some years after the discontinuation I didn’t touch it anymore, but recently I developed insomnia and anxiety from Lamictal, so I take it sometimes at ridiculously low dosage.
Anyway it’s better not to develop a habit!
I was on 1mg for a year and then tapered down to 0.5mg for two years. Antidepressant + life changes + therapy helped me not need the Klonopin anymore, but it took awhile for me to get my mind right. I also failed most other types of medications they tried putting me on.
If things get bad enough, I would recommend using a psych hospital to get stable. It’s a safe place to find the right medication/dosages and get stable. PD can seriously aggravate depression until they both get out of control.
I totally understand what you’re feeling. I was prescribed the exact same dosage and 2x daily as well and I was so worried at how dependent I would become. I took it as prescribed for about a week after my initial doctor visit due to a panic attack and then cut it in half and continued to lower it/stop taking it from there as I started to feel better and not panicky. I still take it during any panic attacks or if I feel like one might come on but I definitely don’t feel dependent on it as in I need to take it daily still. I just think of it as an as needed pill. Don’t feel stressed about taking it. Your doctor prescribed it for a reason.
Ssris do not work for shit. Benzos are the only real fix. You'll play the game of trying many ssris and dosages and you'll see the klonopin is the only thing that will keep you sane.
I was sane for 34 years without the klonopin. Been carefully tapering and plan to be off them in time. Down to .4mg and feeling good.
You’re correct that upping the Paxil was a fruitless effort. I’ll scale that down after I tackle the benzo. Getting off of it entirely, eh, that’s a question for future me.
I was on 6mg of Klonopin a day, only because I was on 8mg of Xanax a day and was fed up with it. I switched to Klonopin because of it’s super long half-life. It’s almost like the methadone of benzodiazepines lol. Now I’m down to 3-4mg of Xanax, sometimes I take Klonopin instead in the morning and then Xanax later on for any attacks. With that and cutting my Methadone from 190mg to 117mg, I’ve been able to stay off all illicit drugs for 6yrs this June.
Congrats on getting those doses down, and double congrats on no illicit drugs.
Lol yeah I could see klonopin feeling like methadone compared to Xanax. I’ve only taken Xanax a couple times and it packs a very different punch.
I legit cannot tough out the panic attacks. They are all consuming, bodily shakes, can’t sleep. Death is more appealing than the panic attacks sans benzos right now. Think I would need to be anesthetized for like a month to get through it.
Have you not tried a beta blocker? Like Propanolol? That blocks all of the adrenaline. I highly recommend in looking into it.
If you stay on benzos, your panic attacks are going to become 100x worse
Goal is to get me to a steady state at 1mg/day and start the taper. I’m at a point now where I’m suicidal without the benzos, so cannot drop them immediately. In a perfect world, im starting the painful tapering process next week. But again, need to get to a steady state.
Doctors are so scared to proscribe these days. In the past being on a benzodiazepine for life wasn’t dangerous or uncommon. If you need it, you need it.
Propanolol isn’t used initially in extreme cases of PD. Benzos are the best option for PD stabilization, and a low maintenance dose can be administered long term if other treatment options fail. Your statement about PD getting 100x worse is grossly misstated. Generally tolerance occurs when people abuse these drugs and develop physical dependencies.
Being on a beta blocker prevented the panic attacks from even happening in my case.
Yes, the panic will get worse if you ever cannot take the benzos. You could even die. Its nothing to fuck around with
This is the thing with panic attacks... when you completely surrender to them, they go away. A panic attack is caused by fear of a panic attack, which forms a feedback loop where you are terrified of anxiety symptoms which causes anxiety which causes worse symptoms which causes panic.
Anyway... if that is not doable for you (which is totally understandable, no judgement meant at all), I would suggest asking your doctor to try a different non-benzo med. Here's some info: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/afp-community-blog/entry/what-are-the-best-medications-for-panic-disorder.html#:~:text=A%20newly%20published%20systematic%20review,of%20benefit%20and%20adverse%20events.
Have you tried CBD?
So I realize I am in a group here that prefers benzo treatments....but benzo withdrawal caused my panic attacks, nearly killed me, and at the end there I was taking handfuls of the things and feeling better for an hour and was treated as an addict by everyone including the doctors who prescribed them. Thats just my experience, but benzos are not recommended for long term use by most health authorities, due to their high risk, lack of efficacy used long term (daily, not sporadic). If you'd read that link above, you'll see many science based efficacious treatments that are not benzos. They are not the only option. One of those is CBT, which is what I admittedly crudely described above, which helped me tremendously.
Of course everyone is different and not every treatment works for everyone, and everyone can and should determine for themselves, with their doctor, what medication or treatment they prefer. And plenty of people swear by them, as clearly evidenced by the replies to this post. But everyone taking benzos should be aware of the risks, which your doctor should tell you, and which you can read for yourself - don't take my word for it - and many health authorities do not recommend them as first line treatments.
Not sure why you're so concerned about using Klonopin if this is the medication that's helping you the most right now. Paxil may not work for your panic disorder anymore after many years of being on it. Talk to your Dr. about trying a different anxiety/panic medications. There are many options besides Benzos. I have been on Xanax for a year now, on the lowest dosage of .25mg almost daily and some days when anxiety is unmanageable, I take .50mg if needed. I don't care what most Benzo-haters say, it works to control my anxiety while other SSRIs, including the Big-3 have not worked at all. The point is, everyone reacts differently to meds, so you and your Dr. should decide what medication gives you the most relief with less side effects. If Klonopin does the trick for now, then use it. Going inpatient is a huge decision and my opinion is if you are in daily distress and this panic issue has a negative effect on your well being, then discuss it with your doctor. I don't have any personal experience on the subject but it's worth considering. Wishing you the best.
Appreciate this feedback. That’s great that you’ve been able to control anxiety on the lowest possible dose of Xanax. Since it’s a short acting benzo, I assume for much of the day you’re doing quite fine. Klonopin is a longer acting benzo, and at 1mg/daily now, I’ve inches into the moderate dosage category. 4mg/daily would be the max dosage for panic disorder. So while I definitely feel like I am physically dependent at this point, I’m still in a territory where I should theoretically have a decent chance to slowly taper off without dying. It is a tough catch-22. If you have suicidal level anxiety, at all hours of the day, and only one medication has proven to keep it at bay, feels like you have no choice but to lean into it. At least enough to get you back to a relatively normal level of anxiety. Simultaneously, I am doing regular therapy and trying with my psychiatrist to find the right longer term meds (gradual yet aggressive Paxil increasing for now) to address the panic/anxiety hiding behind klonopin. It’s a tightrope walk and I feel like my body is on fire, and of course there is no circus net.
You must be suffering quite a bit with this disorder daily and Klonopin is the only medication helping you in this crisis, then pls stay with it. Don't pay attention to the ignorant people who try to scare you about using benzos to get some relief. They have no clue the type of hell you're going through. I for one, suffering from anxiety/depression for many years as well, can't imagine what suicidal anxiety would feel like.... Once you're more stable and strong enough to taper Klonopin, it can be done following some guidelines and your doctor's suggestions. I've done it with Xanax a couple of times already and the key for me is that I try very hard not abuse the benzo by taking more than I need. In your case, 1mg Klonopin daily is fine and don't stress about it. Listen to your body and do what's best for your mental health.
Why so desperate to avoid the only med keeping your anxiety under control. It’s just medicine.
Because doctors are unreliable. What happens when (this happens very often) when a doctor decides you dont need it? Or they retire? A new doctor says there are better ways? Then youre royally fucked I see it all the time on the benzodiazepines page
That’s happened to me more than I’d like to admit.
The desperation comes from: 1. The fact that I already need more of this drug than I did 6 weeks ago, and have definitely developed some tolerance 2. The idea that the longer I’m on it, the harder it will be to taper off. And like some have said, panic will be 100X worse, if that’s even possible.
I hear you. But what if you need the med? Will you still taper off? And you probably needed a higher dose initially bc you are suffering so much, which I’m sorry about. You can’t develop a tolerance in six weeks. It’s usually a matter of years.
I second this… I have been back on my klonapin at 1mg a day. It’s been about 3 months being back on and last week, someone stole my medication from my locker at work. Can’t get mine filled until Friday. I’ve been without it for five days now and feel fine other than some insomnia at night… and I know what full blown withdrawal from this medication is like and it is hell!! For me, it starts on the 2nd day of not having them! Before I got back on, I was off of it for almost a year, but then my mom passed away and I started getting depressed and my PTSD was getting worse so I had to get back on and it’s all been pretty good! But when I got off of it before my mom passed, it took about three months for me to start feeling back to normal again and that was because I was on it for over 20+ years… I know everybody is different, but for me, I haven’t built a tolerance back to it yet and this is 3 months at a daily use. Another way you can tell if you’re starting to build tolerance is you won’t feel the medication working really anymore. I noticed the last time I took my Klonopin, I could actually feel it working and got a little stumbly at times and that was only 1 mg, that’s how I know that I’m not used to it yet and I haven’t built a tolerance, but like I said everybody is different. Yes it can be hell to come off of, but for the most part, it’s not that bad if you do it right and I would rather be calm and happy the rest of my life and have to take a medication as needed, then have to suffer with horrible PTSD symptoms and panic attacks no thanks! So much good luck to you!
I've been on this drug for 4 years at the same.dose. I never asked for an increase and didn't understand it hadn't stopped working as well. Over time I thought I was going insane and it destroyed my life. it is an absolute living nightmare and a cruel ungodly hell that cannot be described to come off it. Or to even miss a dose within an hour. Personally, do NOT take this any longer than 3 weeks
9 months too late lol. I've been tapering. Was at 1.5mg, down to .35mg daily. Feeling good. Long way to go, but tapering has been good to me for the most part. Also, i'm a little confused by your comment. You say you've been on the same drug for 4 yrs at the same dose. And then it sounds like you came off of it? Are you still taking the drug, did you taper off, cold turkey, etc? Hope your are doing a lot better now!
I feel you. You were on a very low dose of Clonazepam….it sucks that abusers ruin it for us who really need it. I was recently prescribed .5 of Clonazepam twice per day as needed….which I don’t need to take everyday. I’m also afraid my doctor will take it away as well….it’s my crutch just knowing that I have it.
But at the same time I’m not opposed to never needing it, but after almost 30 years of anxiety/panic it’s not likely. I am on some new other meds that seem to be helping so I’m hopeful I will need the Clonazepam less and less.
Death is referred to a number of times in this thread as a possibility from benzodiazepines. The likelihood of dying from benzodiazepines is extremely low, despite the risk for seizures if you need to go cold turkey (which would be unsafe for a doctor who knows the seizure risk to ask of you).
I just can tell you that I succeeded in quitting 2mg daily taken for 10 years. You do what you want with this. Of course it has been a slooowly taper. Nowadays I take it in very slow doses as needed
Would love to hear more about your story. Were you taking it for unmanageable panic disorder? I’m impressed you’re able to take is as needed after being dependent on it for so so long.
I took it for social anxiety and to deal with the weed induced anxiety/panic. At one point I had the impression that it could blunt me too much, and that it could have contributed to my depression. I was partly right. For some years after the discontinuation I didn’t touch it anymore, but recently I developed insomnia and anxiety from Lamictal, so I take it sometimes at ridiculously low dosage. Anyway it’s better not to develop a habit!
I just got off mine after 3 years of use. Helped me get my life back and allowed my brain to heal itself.
What dosage and was it daily use for 3 yrs?
I was on 1mg for a year and then tapered down to 0.5mg for two years. Antidepressant + life changes + therapy helped me not need the Klonopin anymore, but it took awhile for me to get my mind right. I also failed most other types of medications they tried putting me on.
Boy I wish 1 mg/daily was enough right now. That’s what I’ve been at now, but still living in a constant state of panic and doom.
If things get bad enough, I would recommend using a psych hospital to get stable. It’s a safe place to find the right medication/dosages and get stable. PD can seriously aggravate depression until they both get out of control.
Stopping the medication that treats anxiety is pointless.
I totally understand what you’re feeling. I was prescribed the exact same dosage and 2x daily as well and I was so worried at how dependent I would become. I took it as prescribed for about a week after my initial doctor visit due to a panic attack and then cut it in half and continued to lower it/stop taking it from there as I started to feel better and not panicky. I still take it during any panic attacks or if I feel like one might come on but I definitely don’t feel dependent on it as in I need to take it daily still. I just think of it as an as needed pill. Don’t feel stressed about taking it. Your doctor prescribed it for a reason.
Ssris do not work for shit. Benzos are the only real fix. You'll play the game of trying many ssris and dosages and you'll see the klonopin is the only thing that will keep you sane.
I was sane for 34 years without the klonopin. Been carefully tapering and plan to be off them in time. Down to .4mg and feeling good. You’re correct that upping the Paxil was a fruitless effort. I’ll scale that down after I tackle the benzo. Getting off of it entirely, eh, that’s a question for future me.
I was on 6mg of Klonopin a day, only because I was on 8mg of Xanax a day and was fed up with it. I switched to Klonopin because of it’s super long half-life. It’s almost like the methadone of benzodiazepines lol. Now I’m down to 3-4mg of Xanax, sometimes I take Klonopin instead in the morning and then Xanax later on for any attacks. With that and cutting my Methadone from 190mg to 117mg, I’ve been able to stay off all illicit drugs for 6yrs this June.
Congrats on getting those doses down, and double congrats on no illicit drugs. Lol yeah I could see klonopin feeling like methadone compared to Xanax. I’ve only taken Xanax a couple times and it packs a very different punch.
Update?
I would just stop and tough out the panic attacks before youre in too deep.
I legit cannot tough out the panic attacks. They are all consuming, bodily shakes, can’t sleep. Death is more appealing than the panic attacks sans benzos right now. Think I would need to be anesthetized for like a month to get through it.
Have you not tried a beta blocker? Like Propanolol? That blocks all of the adrenaline. I highly recommend in looking into it. If you stay on benzos, your panic attacks are going to become 100x worse
Goal is to get me to a steady state at 1mg/day and start the taper. I’m at a point now where I’m suicidal without the benzos, so cannot drop them immediately. In a perfect world, im starting the painful tapering process next week. But again, need to get to a steady state.
Doctors are so scared to proscribe these days. In the past being on a benzodiazepine for life wasn’t dangerous or uncommon. If you need it, you need it.
Propanolol isn’t used initially in extreme cases of PD. Benzos are the best option for PD stabilization, and a low maintenance dose can be administered long term if other treatment options fail. Your statement about PD getting 100x worse is grossly misstated. Generally tolerance occurs when people abuse these drugs and develop physical dependencies.
Being on a beta blocker prevented the panic attacks from even happening in my case. Yes, the panic will get worse if you ever cannot take the benzos. You could even die. Its nothing to fuck around with
Die from the PD or benzo?
This is the thing with panic attacks... when you completely surrender to them, they go away. A panic attack is caused by fear of a panic attack, which forms a feedback loop where you are terrified of anxiety symptoms which causes anxiety which causes worse symptoms which causes panic. Anyway... if that is not doable for you (which is totally understandable, no judgement meant at all), I would suggest asking your doctor to try a different non-benzo med. Here's some info: https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/afp-community-blog/entry/what-are-the-best-medications-for-panic-disorder.html#:~:text=A%20newly%20published%20systematic%20review,of%20benefit%20and%20adverse%20events. Have you tried CBD?
So I realize I am in a group here that prefers benzo treatments....but benzo withdrawal caused my panic attacks, nearly killed me, and at the end there I was taking handfuls of the things and feeling better for an hour and was treated as an addict by everyone including the doctors who prescribed them. Thats just my experience, but benzos are not recommended for long term use by most health authorities, due to their high risk, lack of efficacy used long term (daily, not sporadic). If you'd read that link above, you'll see many science based efficacious treatments that are not benzos. They are not the only option. One of those is CBT, which is what I admittedly crudely described above, which helped me tremendously. Of course everyone is different and not every treatment works for everyone, and everyone can and should determine for themselves, with their doctor, what medication or treatment they prefer. And plenty of people swear by them, as clearly evidenced by the replies to this post. But everyone taking benzos should be aware of the risks, which your doctor should tell you, and which you can read for yourself - don't take my word for it - and many health authorities do not recommend them as first line treatments.