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Benzos Clonazepam not effective

C

crakkattack

Greenlighter
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
37
Location
Dallas, Texas
I have had chronic anxiety/depression for about a year or so now, but it hasn't gotten uncontrollable until recently. Lots of triggers in my life (family problems, losing friends because of mental incapabilty, etc.) have caused it to become an overwhelming issue.

I'm not novice to drugs, I've done my fair share ranging from H to Coke, but obviously I did not want to rely on those kind of substances to help with my anxiety.

My anxiety attacks got to the point where I was ripped things off walls, breaking shit, sweating like mad, basically going crazy. So my psychatrist put me on Klonopin, hoping it would ease the attacks. It helped for a couple days, but it seems just out of the blue, it stop working. I would have an attack, pop one, and no relief what so ever. I have tried Xanax before, but it does not help in my situation.

I guess basically what I'm wondering is not being effective due to my past drug usage, or am in need of a different benzodiazepine? Because these attacks literally control my life, and I desperately want to get them under control, so any advice would be greatly appreciated. And sorry if I rambled a bit, I'm just kinda desperate, and I know bluelight is a extremely helpful community. Thanks, peace.
 
To me, that benzo makes you so sleeping. You ever tried a short acting benzo instead? Like Lorazepam?
 
From my experiences reading about issues like these, I would recommend to switch to a different benzo. Many people report not getting positive effects from clonazepam after just a few doses, at a far greater rate than with other benzodiazepines. I'd just go to your doctor and say that you want to try a different benzodiazepine as this one helped, but you want one more suited to instant anxiety relief (alprazolam). Clonazepam acts over a much longer period of time and thus is much less suited to the instant-type anxiety attacks that you are experiencing.

I definitely think doing this switch will solve your problem. Good luck.
 
I would try and stay away from benzos. They do help at first, but then you just become dependent on them. Tolerance builds, and you just need more. Before you know it, it controls you. I suggest doing anything you can besides taking benzos. They only mask the problem, they do not fix the problem, in my opinion. Im trying to get off valium because of these reasons. If all else fails, you could try higher doses of Klonopin, for me it would work great if I had those problems, you are probably just on too small of a dose. But, as I said, tolerance builds and there are dependency issues. You could also try Xanax again, in higher doses, but from my experience, I would stay away from these types of drugs. That's just my thought. I hope the best for you.
 
Yea man, try alprazolam. You should also possibly look into other treaments for long term use. You really don't want to end up becomming dependant on benzos for daily treament...they don't work well this way...as you will end up having to take more and more and more...etc...to the point where you're taking sooo much that everyone thinks you're a fucking retarded zombie..but you yourself internally don't feel that slowed down if at all. This is when you have really high amounts of BZDs in your body...it's pretty rediculous.

I'm currently at the beginning of my high dose buspar regiment. I know it's on the lower end of treating this crap, but it's mostly just to tide over the terrible PAWS from ceasing daily clonaz...I'll let you guys know how it goes. I MIGHT actually try out some dex-amp for this..My doctor wants to see not just how but what the buspar does first.
 
Captain.Heroin said:
Clonazepam causes paradoxical reactions in many people, including myself.

Try different benzodiazepines.
Click to expand...

All benzos may cause paradoxical reactions, it just happens that clonaz does this to you. I love clonaz, best benzo, long duration of action and very rapid onset with the liquid drops (that's a plus but that could be problematic as this liquid form can be VERY addictive. I won't complain, though).
 
I'm on Klonopin and sometimes it works and sometimes it just doesn't. I found out time and time again that although the doctors around here are hesitant to prescribe it, Xanax is the most effective, in my opinion, especially for panic attacks.
 
I have a Clonazepam (0.5mg) prescription, but I use it very infrequently... sometimes I'll pop one when I'm having a really bad panic attack and it won't do anything though, so I have to take another one, sometimes I've had to take up to 4. It's very picky about when it wants to work for me.
 
Sometimes, a certain manufacturer's version of the pill doesn't seem to work for me, but another manufacturer' s will work. Since it worked in the beginning, do you think that it was a placebo effect or that you may need a higher dose? Does anything negate the absorption of benzos? Call you doctor and tell him/her. Also, I hope you are in counseling or therapy of some sort so that eventually you won't suffer from anxiety or need medication for it.
 
loulou reed said:
All benzos may cause paradoxical reactions, it just happens that clonaz does this to you. I love clonaz, best benzo, long duration of action and very rapid onset with the liquid drops (that's a plus but that could be problematic as this liquid form can be VERY addictive. I won't complain, though).
Click to expand...
Yeah this is true. I have heard of people staying up all night even though they drank on temazepam. Temazepam is the most sedating and overall best benzo for me. So it can really vary per individual.

Some other people find paradoxical reactions from diazepam (valium) or lorazepam (ativan), though I can tolerate both of these.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I have gotten up to taking 5mg doses in desperation to resolve the panic attacks I get, so dosage is definitely not the issue because that is too high. And like I said, Xanax, although many people say it helps immensely, it just doesn't help with my panic attacks. At best it makes a little tired, but that is it. So is there a specific benzo that might help me cope with these outrageous a tad better (i.e. Diazepam, Lorazepam) because they tend to last for long periods of time, and I am very certain Xanax does not help, for I have tried it. Thanks in advance.
 
Oh i forgot, my doc is already hesitant to give me benzos to help out the attacks due to my past Heroin usage, and the obvious benzo addictive potential. I have no intention on doing so, but what would be the best way to ask for a different benzo if that is the case, knowing that she knows my past drug history? Thanks.
 
DarkSkys said:
To me, that benzo makes you so sleeping. You ever tried a short acting benzo instead? Like Lorazepam?
Click to expand...

Weird... clonazepam has never made me sleepy. It doesn't have any hypnotic properties that I'm aware of. But it is an anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) medication, so maybe its relaxing effects are enough to make you sleep. I've given up using benzos and such for sleep... tried temazepam, triazolam, diazepam, and zopiclone, and eventually got too tolerant to them. Now I use major tranquilisers like Seroquel or haloperidol.
 
crakkattack said:
Oh i forgot, my doc is already hesitant to give me benzos to help out the attacks due to my past Heroin usage, and the obvious benzo addictive potential. I have no intention on doing so, but what would be the best way to ask for a different benzo if that is the case, knowing that she knows my past drug history? Thanks.
Click to expand...

I'd just be honest. Tell your doc that clonazepam isn't effective for you, and you'd like to try something else. See what they suggest. Even an SSRI anti-depressant may help, as they can be good for treating anxiety along with depression.
 
crakkattack said:
Thanks for the feedback. I have gotten up to taking 5mg doses in desperation to resolve the panic attacks I get, so dosage is definitely not the issue because that is too high. And like I said, Xanax, although many people say it helps immensely, it just doesn't help with my panic attacks. At best it makes a little tired, but that is it. So is there a specific benzo that might help me cope with these outrageous a tad better (i.e. Diazepam, Lorazepam) because they tend to last for long periods of time, and I am very certain Xanax does not help, for I have tried it. Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

There's a lot of benzos. I would recommend diazepam (the longer lasting ones seem to work better for you from what I've gathered thus far), or temazepam. Lorazepam is another good one with less sedation than other benzos.

Please don't take a high dose of benzos every day though, that may lead to unwanted complications like physical/psychological dependency. With that being said some people can take low dose benzos every day and function fine, and not develop a tolerance.

Good luck!

crakkattack said:
Oh i forgot, my doc is already hesitant to give me benzos to help out the attacks due to my past Heroin usage, and the obvious benzo addictive potential. I have no intention on doing so, but what would be the best way to ask for a different benzo if that is the case, knowing that she knows my past drug history? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Well I don't want to be an ass here, but clonazepam is the only benzo doctors are more willing to hand out IMO. If you can get anything other than clonazepam, I think they aren't going to mind letting you have any other ones, they may just keep your count or dosage moderate/low.

Just explain to her that you don't find Xanax addictive, and that's what everyone likes. Try to make it clear you have only had a problem with heroin, and not benzos. Bring back the bottle with leftover pills if you have them, and show her you're not abusing them (a benzo addict typically wouldn't bring in leftover pills because there wouldn't be any).

Explain what anxiety/panic for you is like, and what taking benzos for you is like (just relieving the anxiety/panic, and not getting you high).

Best of luck and let us know how it goes.
 
for some reason, clonazepam made me chilled out, but not sleepy, i took 14-15mg of it in 12 hours and felt hardly anything.
 
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