Clonazepam...again ((Sorry))

I read about you all having GREAT results with this drug, but anyone have bad ones? anyone know what the risk of serious side effects are, what the percentage of having a seizure (when NOT epileptic are)?? am i neurotic? insane? or just plain phobic?...

Hi!

Klonopin side effects include: drowsiness, behavioural disturbances, slurred speech, tremor, confusion, agitation, depression, abnormal eye movements, heart palpitations, sore gums, gastritis, change in appetite, anorexia, diarrhea, constipation, urine retention, chest congestion, shortness of breath.

thanks!!

Give it a try, those side effects do not effect everyone, and many of them happen in rare cases/extremely small percent of the population.
The pharmaceutical companies are legally required to list all possible side effects, and again, does not mean that all using the med will experience the side effects.
Mostly are mild side effects,and go away after your body gets use to them, or some mild enough not to be bothered by.
Try it, if there is a problem doc will have you quit them or just change dosage. Don't deny yourself from something that may help you, and remember no one is forcing you to take them, right?
I wish you lots of luck wish this.
Please take care now,
DE

I will try it, It may be my *miracle* med right? Possibly give my my life back, I just need to keep reminding myself and I'm sure it'll be okay.

Well, none of us should pressure our minds about "miracle drugs",eh? But it's cool to keep an open mind.
Years ago I was so leerie of meds and such,balked way too much, and think I denied myself of time that I could of been on track sooner.
It's in the past, I can't go back, but vowed to myself to keep pushing, no matter how much it may sucks.
I refuse to give up, been there and done that, I will not give up trying to reach the balance, life is too short and I am getting old.
Now, to get outdoors and soak up some of this lovely Autumn weather.
Take care now,
DE

You are all of them! Just Joking. I haven't heard of anyone having a seizure, but you did, didn't you? Wow, scary stuff!

I'll check with a few friends I know....

Wow. I never knew that!

Thanks dottie

sorry, just to clarify i haev *not* had a seizure, its just simply one of my irrational fears...

Very good results from Clonazepam for me, and for many others it seems. Pretty mile compared to the Lithium classed drugs, and it has a long life, so it stays in your blood pretty evenly. Just make sure you always take it twice a day and not just when you feel like your having an episode. If not it wont work to its full potential, and you will end up spiking. And turn your day into a rollercoaster.

Good Luck with it though!

I find clonazepam made me so sleepy...I took it at night and I was still falling asleep at work the next day...Maybe I didn't give it enough time to get use to...but I was afraid to drive home from work! Afraid I would fall asleep!

Clonazepam is probably the most evil of all the benzodiazines. It is more addictive and the withdrawal is worse than any of the most powerful narcotics. If you have taken it for any length of time it will rebound on you, by causing increased anxiety. Most reputable psychiatrists refuse to prescribe any benzodiazepines any more. I have been dependent on numerous narcotics. It appears doctor find it easy to prescribe but don't have a clue on what you are going to experience when you withdraw. Now I am trying to withdraw from Clonazepam. I searched on youTube to find what other people experienced. I discovered very frightening experiences. I have been trying, under doctors help, to withdraw, .25 mg every 2 months. After really, really trying to make it work I started having body spasms, uncontrolled panic attacks, cognitive imparements, unable to eat or drink anything, kidney failure and many more. I am very frightened.

It all depends on the person. Klonopin did not do anything for me in any way. It did not do anything positive. It did not do anything negative. When I stopped it, cold turkey after a couple years of use, I experienced nothing. So it was like a sugar pill, in every possible way.

Sedated me, Gave me vertigo, made me extremely irritable. Felt toxic to the liver.

As far as I know, it didn't cause me many of the side effects. No seizures. However, I take other meds, so I don't know how they interact.

That said, I am having bad memory problems and was sent to a psychiatrist (not my own ) for evaluation. The results came back "mild cognitive impairment." That psychiatrist said the Clonazepam might be a factor. So, I am trying to get weaned off of it. I took it for (I think) at least ten years--at any rate, a long time.

I am having some withdrawal effects. My psychiatrist is aiming for getting me off taking 3 .5 mg pills a day over a six-month period. I am finding it to be more dangerous that way than I ever imagined when I was first prescribed it. I had no idea that my body would get so dependent on it.

I did not do well with that one, I got it prescribed for anxiety and it did make me feel better, made me feel pretty great when I took it to the extent I was oblivious to negative effects it was having on my judgement/impulse control. It soon turned from oh this is a nice relief from the anxiety to 'how much do I have left.' 'I gotta get my refill' 'I'm going to run out.' and so I'd get anxious about that. Due to the effects on judgement and impulse control I was drinking a lot on it to because I just didn't care that it said not to and eventually it led to a bad night of taking a little too much of the clonozepam drinking way too much and getting pretty out of my mind....I went to the psych ward after that night because I woke up in the morning wanting to off myself.

So yeah it can help some people, but if you do try it just be careful...if you have any close people maybe ask them to keep an eye on how it effects your behaviour(no one told me it was making me act weird because they didn't want to make me mad). As for seizures I didn't have any issues like that on it....it was just way to addictive and more trouble than it was worth.

I've been taking it for about 8 years and it helps me function, keeping my anxiety at bay. Best wishes to you
PG (up to 1.75 mg daily)

its a Benzo so has the tool to screw you bad , its not for long term use , its for getting you out a hole short term. Having said that im a Benzo tolerant and on them all my life now, or suffer a fate worse than death. I have done it once I have not the strenth or the will to detox again 4mg Ativan a day

I'm prescribed to take .5 mg at bedtime and .5 in the morning because I suffer from anxiety. It's not so much anxiety, but I'm high-strung. I'm also given extra klonipin for PRN if I have a panic attack. I noticed if I take more than 3 mg I get shortness of breath. I feel like my breathing is restricted. I never experienced a seizure however. All in all Klonipin has been a very helpful medication.

You may if on benzos a long time at a reasonable amount get seizure detoxing , I have but never when taking them, and I have took some big amounts.

I take it and have no side effects.
I am not addicted and have no withdrawal during the day after I take my dose at night for nightmares.
Each person has their own experience with this med just like any other...example, I have read several people say they have great results with prozac...while my system reacts to it like I have food poisoning.
Another example, Lamictal made me suicidal and I have never read that anywhere else on here.
It's worth giving it a shot and if it doesn't work for you, you can get off of it.

I am very sorry about what you are going through and maybe it is different in Canada, but in the US, this simply is not true.

I hope you get some help and start to feel better soon.

your not addicted, your tolerant like me, I don't take more than 4mg ativan which is a lot, but I don't need more like you don't need more clonazepam , but stop taking it full stop and you will get withdrawl .I don't mean 1 day I mean when you want to stop for good , it will shock you

I've taken clonazepam for years with good results (5mg daily) but I was starting to notice some short term memory problems which can be a side effect of long term use, so with my psychiatrist's agreement I started to taper off them. Even reducing very slowly - the withdrawal is hellish, worst I've experienced in my life. I had to stop the withdrawal at 3.5 mg and I'm going to stay at this dose for a while and then try tapering down again, when I'm a little more stable.

Good med, just be aware it's very physically addictive.

splitimage

Its a story I no well, I was 12 mg of Ativan and forced dtox but I stopped at 4mg , I will never move off 4mg the pain of the 8mg dtox is etched on my brain like a tattoo