[PiperLeigh]

My near weekly p-doc visits have been consumed with trying to get my med combo right to get me stable lately. I haven't wanted to be on a benzo, but my p-doc recently decided to put me on klonopin. I told her I was against being on it. I was a bit hysterical during my appointment, dealing w/ suicidal ideation and other problems, and she gently said that I didn't have to commit to being on it long term but that she thought it would be a really good idea for me to take it right now in conjunction with the other things she was putting me on.

Well, I hate that she was right (not really, I love that she knows what she is doing) but it has done a really good job calming me down. It has given me a chance to mentally rest. I didn't realize how totally exhausted I was and how much anxiety I had from trying to battle this latest episode. Taking it has allowed me to rest and given all the other meds she put me on a chance to do their job. It's been a week and I am already feeling SO much better. I am on a very small dose of the klonopin- just .5 mg once per day.

I know you all aren't doctors and can't give medical advice. But I would like to ask what your experiences have been with regard to coming off klonopin. I know folks that are on it for long periods of time or at high doses have to slowly taper off it. I don't think my p-doc is going to "let me off the hook" for about a month just to be sure I am really through this episode, but after that point, I am wondering how bad/hard it will be to taper it off. I've read plenty of horror stories, which is one reason why I was so hesitant to go on it in the first place. But since it has been a low dose, if she has me half the dose for a bit and then half again for another bit, it should go okay, right? Not every case of coming off klonopin is horrible, is it? I'm going to be asking her, but I have a feeling she is going to be redirecting the conversation for another visit or two until she feels I'm really through this. She's a great p-doc, but I know she doesn't want me to hang my hopes on anything too far in advance.

Could any of you who have been on klonopin / come off it give me an idea what to expect? Do any of you just use it short-term or on an as-needed basis? Thanks in advance! <3

[Bipolar mom]

I used klonopin as needed. If I felt a panic attack coming on I would take a .5 mg and in 15 to 20 minutes I would feel a calming effect. I went though a period where I took one pill everyday bc I was a mess, but when I stopped and went back to as needed I had no trouble coming off of it... The only side effect I had was slight fatigue..

I only ever used it as-needed. During anxiety attacks or if I'd get racing thoughts before bed. It worked really well! I forget what dosage I was on -- probably incredibly low since I'm so sensitive to medications. But if it's doing the trick, I'd keep taking it. I'm sure your pdoc will taper you off well. The only risk of short-term VS as-needed is that your body tends to grow a tolerance to it rather quickly & you need more milligrams to achieve the same effect.

[hamster-bamster]

1) Coming off - quit cold turkey after more than one year of daily (nightly) use without noticing

2) Effectiveness for anxiety - I tested what is more effective against anxiety, Klonopin or cardiovascular exercise, and exercise won. Better relief, more effective.

3) Effectiveness for sleep - loses effectiveness, I can now get at most 3 hours of sleep on it.

Because it is so ineffective overall, I do not use it anymore. But I had no side effects to complain about.

[InfiniteSadness]

Hi, I'm prescribed it to take everyday at a low dose. Should i still take it everyday or only when i'm anxious? which is quite frequently. Also helps with agitation.

[Anneinside]

I take Klonopin 0.5mg every night so I can sleep. If I continue to have trouble sleeping I can take an extra every 3 nights. Before I started taking Klonopin for sleep, I had anxiety. Then I started taking Abilify and got akathisia (restless movement of legs/feet). My pdoc put me on propranolol, a beta blocker used for high blood pressure. It is also used for akathisia AND anxiety. What do you know! Along with stopping the akathisia, my anxiety went away too.