Does Klonopin (Clonazepam) have no recreational value whatsoever?

[PotHeadBenzo]

Alright so basically I was prescribed Lorazepam (Ativan) 1mg/day for 2 months when I started Cipralex (Escitalopram). 1mg of Ativan was perfect for me because it would instantly relieve anxiety while also giving me a decent benzo high. After 2 months, my doc switched me to Clonazepam because he said there is too much potential for abuse with Ativan. The first month, I would take Clonazepam 1mg once a day to help with anxiety and it worked quite well in that regard. After I got my 2nd refill I just gradually stopped using it and only had 6 pills over a period of about 6 weeks.

At this point I was pretty much done with Benzo's and did not have any withdrawal effects at all throughout the few months that I was taking Ativan and Klonopin. I went off Klonopin pretty much cold turkey and would only take a pill once a week on stressful days.

Last week I got my hands on a few Xanax 2mg bars. The first day I took a bar and literally knocked out, woke up at 7 am and dredded wasting the pill. The second day I took the Xanax bar, it was a complete shit show. I have barely any recognition of the day and apparently I had no balance whatsoever and was walking like I was drunk. The 3rd bar was a bit more controlled because I just took it and watched some shows.

So fast forward to yesterday, I saw my bottle of Klonopins and thought "hey, I haven't used these in a while and probaly won't need them, let me try getting high off them". So first I took 600mg of Gabapentin (I've been taking it to potentiate Benzo's ever since Ativan and it DOES work. I think the Gabapentin I took on my 2nd day of Xanax probably put me over the edge and caused me to get that wasted). After the 600mg of Gabapentin I took 3 1mg pills of Klonopins. I waited about an hour and took another 300mg Gabapentin along with 3 more 1mg pills of Klonopins. I still didn't feel anything so I added a .5mg Ativan pill to try to give it a "kick start".

All-in-all I had 900mg Gabapentin, 6mg Klonopin, 0.5mg Ativan (and about 1.5g of weed, which I always take even with Ativan/Xanax) in a span of about 90 minutes. During the rest of the day, I did not have any anxiety whatsoever (felt like nothing could phaze me) which is great since that's the purpose of Benzo's. However, I did not experience any of the "high" I usually get from Ativan/Xanax. None whatsoever. I thought if I took that much Kpins I would feel at least some high but absolutely nothing.

So I guess my question is: Does Clonazepam (Klonopin) have any recreational "benzo high" at all or is it strictly just for anxiety relief (which I would rate it #1 out of the 3 benzo's I've had)? Is there a certain dose that might trigger a benzo high? Or should I just forget about the Kpins and only take 1 once in a while like I used to? I have not felt any withdrawal symptoms whatsoever when I stopped taking Ativan, when I cut down severely on Kpins, and after my 3 day Xanax binge. I could literally never take a benzo again and I wouldn't really care/have the urge to take one. So what do you guys think?

 

[ovo1024]

Everyone is different but to me Klonopin is my favorite benzo and possibly favorite drug all together, it takes a bit to kick in and can be rather subtle. But if I don't have a big tolerance to benzos so I'll take 5mg at once then in a hour and a half later I'll be feeling good, no anxiety and like you said nothing can phase me. I also will black out a bit, but since it has a long half life I will wake up the next day still feeling confident. But clonazepam isn't for everyone. Xanax is a close second but that's to sedating and I make bad decisions on it lol

 

[HeadHigh]

I have never taken klonopin, but if it doesnt get YOU high, then it has no recreational value for you. It may to others, as i have read many people abusing them, but other than keeping anxiety at bay, it may not really give a high.

 

[deos68]

k pins hmmm tough call as everyone has their own version of high and rec value
IMO for me: klonopin isnt something you take to go out and party with
klonopin is more for the aftermath of partying and of course for anxiety at the right doses, i can be fully functionally without doing stupid shit like i have done on xanax

 

[Intense]

It's not like a xanax, but definitely relieves my anxiety so that in turn is a little euphoric for me.

 

[theGirlWithBlueHair]

I know a lot of people that don't get any recreational effects from clonazepam, and most give it little value compared to the other benzodiazepines. That's what I've encountered at least.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Everyone is different but to me Klonopin is my favorite benzo

It's mine, too. At one time it was one of my top 2 favorite/most useful drugs.

What I loved about clonazepam was that the day AFTER I took it, I'd STILL feel amazing, almost hypomanic...long after the drug's effects had worn off.

I don't think that it's "recreational", though. If I want fun and recreation it's opiates, weed or speed. Benzodiazepines are merely tools, IMO, and it's important that they don't become the ONLY tool in your mental toolbox...because that's a problem. If used sparingly they can be somewhat useful though.

It's weird that the dr. would cite Ativan as having "too high of an abuse potential". A lot of people on this website seem to like to trash lorazepam in particular...IMO it's definitely not great but it's an OK anxiolytic...

 

[sonicwhite]

Man clonazepam was my drug of choice lol. My docs are going to either try Ativan or Valium because klonopin no longer works on me.


But yes it is recreational and I guess everyone is different.

 

[belfort]

klonopin has nevr gotten me high, ive taken up to 2.5 mgs and still, no high...great for anxiety though...ive never gotten high off of any benzos though tbh, just anxiety relief..why people keep insisting on getting high off benzos is just confusing to me especially if u need it for anxiety..

 

[Mycophile]

^^^

I totally agree with Belfort.

I've taken Klonopin for years and I just get anxiety relief from it and CANNOT get high off it.

The only time I ever experienced a benzo high was when I was given Valium IV before a surgery.

Other than that I have only taken Lorazapam in addition to Klonopin and it also gave me no recreational value.

I've never used Xanax but have HEARD that supposedly EVERYONE gets high off xanax---*supposedly*....but I just don't get it when people on here say "oh man I was SOOO high on Klonopin the other night!!" lol.

No offense to anyone who DOES get high on it, go for it if you want to, everyone reacts to drugs differently, but I don't get high off it, which is a GOOD thing cause I need it to work as a medication.

 

[PotHeadBenzo]

Yeah I guess I'm going to stick with Clonazepam for strictly anxiety relief. Out of Xanax/Ativan/Klonopin I find kpins to bet the best for anxiety relief because it lasts all day and still let's you function normally. It also gives you some extra confidence.

I just wish my doc would scribe some more Ativan for days that I want that extra little buzz lol

My old family doc was so lenient he would prescribe literally any drug you ask for. Might be time to hit him up and see if he still remembers me haha

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Nope, Xanax sucks too

 

[chelle216]

I'd say Xanax has much more of a recreational value than klonopin. I think there is a dramatic decrease in any type of rec value for other common benzos if you're dependent on a particular one. For example, if you're taking lorazepam everyday then the rec value of Xanax is decreased.

 

[jazzthedom]

Benzos...any...just knock me out. It's akin to taking a sleeping pill - function? Ha! More like snoozin'.

 

[Raysu]

For me clonazepam was a miracle drug in managing anxiety. Never got high even in massive doses but damn if it didn't pair nicely with other drugs insufflated-minty cool easy to breathe sinuses. As far as Ativan mild loopiness when combined with certain drugs, no value solo even for my anxiety. Valium was best IV and combined, also no high solo for me even in massive doses. Xanax was a benzo type high but took reaching blackout levels to feel. It was the only one with solo value IMO but it's rebound anxiety was worst also.

 

[MrRoot]

I don't know if clonazepam is recreational or not because everytime I get my hands on clonazepam someone invades my house and knocks me out for few days and leaves an empty bottle of clonazepam behind.

 

[Keif' Richards]

I don't know if clonazepam is recreational or not because everytime I get my hands on clonazepam someone invades my house and knocks me out for few days and leaves an empty bottle of clonazepam behind.

QFT, that damn guy. Me and a lot of other people don't find Benzodiazepines recreational in general. To this end, I feel that if one is going to experience any kind of euphoria or buzz from Benzodiazepines on their own, it would be with the shorter acting ones.

Benzos like Clonazepam (Klonopin) are best used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary. Whatever dose and frequency you can get by on, stick to that for as long as you can. There are major pitfalls with Benzo use in the forms of tolerance and dependence. Once these sneak up on you, not only will you have a dependence that needs feeding, you will also find that the efficacy of the medicine in general starts disappearing.

 

[manboychef]

Clonazepam is long acting, and takes a long time to effect you. It is the best benzo for those for GAD, or mild panic attacks. It is not particularly recreational.

For smoothing over anxiety clonazepam is the best bet. For panic attacks and just falling asleep xanax is the best. The good thing about benzos is there is a whole range on the spectrum between those two so you can pretty much select one for your need.

 

[T. Calderone]

In the interest of harm reduction, I'm closing this. Bluelight does not allow "Is this recreational?" type threads.

http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/441015-BDD-Guidelines