Benzos Afraid to take clonazepam, because of addiction/ increased anxiety when not on it.

[Visionary_Kpsycho]

I do suffer from anxiety, but I have been off of clonazepam for 5 months, because I was taking 1.5mg a day for over 8 months (might not sound a lot...(is it??). I always smoked weed to get rid of my anxiety (believe it or not it is the best cure for "my" anxiety). But when I do not have weed I get extreme anxiety (even when there are no more mental/physical withdrawals) I am just an anxious person in general. What I am wondering is, does 0.5 of clonazepam a day, give you seizures, when you are not on it? This is my whole problem; I’m afraid if I start taking clonazepam again Ill need it every day, then eventually I will need to get off of clonazepam in the future, because I know I can’t use it for the rest of my life. So I am wondering, what I should do? I ask information to you guys on Bluelight, because I’d rather get information from intelligent people who have been through this then an intelligent doctor who hasn’t been through these kinds of experiences (but only reads about them). So please what do you think I should do? Take clonazepam and start using it every day? (Because in reality for me to be a functioning member of society I really do need that 1 pill (0.5-1mg)… Sounds weird, but it’s true.

Hopefully some of you on here can help me out, and give some positive feedback!

 

[qwe]

it's possible that something like a beta blocker might slow down your brain in just the right way.

 

[Znegative]

It doesn't sound weird at all, to fel like you need a medication to be a functioning member of society, amd in fact, a lot more functioning members of society ARE on some type of medication than you would think.

However clonazepam is a potent benzodiazepine, and even low dosages, if taken continuously over time, can produce withdrawals upon ceasing use. Like QWE recomended, perhaps trying to find a non-addictive alternative might serve you better since you don't want to be addicted to benzo's. Just keep in mind that most anti-anxiety drugs that are not benzo's or barbs, tend to be a title less effective (at the same time, it can be worth the trade of not having to risk serious addiction)

 

[Jabberwocky]

With a proper taper, if you anxiety is or can be so severe, clonazepam might be something of a necessity. Then again, you are obviously a little apprehensive about the consequences of long term use (which is a good thing, as you should be). What was it like coming off the 1.5mg you had taken for a prolonged amount of time before? Was it under the care of a doctor, did you taper, etc.?

I would only really recommend clonazepam under two circumstances: you anxiety is SO bad you absolutely need something like that; or you want to use it for a period of time during which you hope to sort out issues in your life, undergo CBT or something, and basically use it so you don't have to worry about anxiety while you're working on the quality of your life (the idea being, when it comes time to come off the clonazepam, you've increase the quality of your life enough so that it isn't really necessary any more).

As the above posters state though, it might be best to first look at other alternatives to benzos. This might even include drugs such as SSRIs/SNRIs. I would stay away from antipsychotics if you can help it though (again, unless your condition warrants such a treatment, which it doesn't sound like it does).

Good Luck OP!!!

 

[Visionary_Kpsycho]

What was it like coming off the 1.5mg you had taken for a prolonged amount of time before? Was it under the care of a doctor, did you taper, etc.?

To - Toothpastedog, I was tapered off 1.5 to 1mg then after that i jut quit cold turkey. I used weed as a very potent anxiolytic. Just smoked high quality weed all the time, about 4 grams a day to my face. Then basically tapered off the weed, to about a gram a day though a vape. It was under a care of a doctor, as i saw him, for follow ups every 2 weeks for him to see how the withdrawals were going. He recommended tapering off, but i basically had enough and said fuck it, and stopped at 1mg a day)

 

[Visionary_Kpsycho]

and thanks for the positive feedback guys

 

[ReHab_SwAg]

beta blocker like propanolol and bud

 

[gluteus_maximus]

It's probably not a good idea to be on benzos long-term, especially if you can live without it. Physical dependence on benzos is a nasty ordeal, they get diverted a lot, withdrawal symptoms can be extremely severe, and tolerance builds up pretty fast. I think most responsible doctors are pretty selective about who gets permanent benzo scripts.

SSRI's are sometimes used for anxiety disorders, and cognitive behavioral therapy has some promising results. I really like the idea of finding a non-addictive medication, but you might benefit from adding some therapy and meditation into your treatment.

 

[Missykins]

it's possible that something like a beta blocker might slow down your brain in just the right way.

Beta-blockers block peripheral receptors that control heart and respiratory rate (i.e., they act specifically on beta receptors of heart muscle which contro heart rate). They are effective in treating anxiety because by preventing tachycardia ("racing heart") they subjectively decrease feelings of anxiety. I do think they help a great deal, especially during acute attacks, they are not controlled substances, and have no addictive potential.

Have you been placed on any traditional anti-depressants?

 

[Jabberwocky]

And of course there is always Buspar... But I wouldn't wish that upon even my worst enemy

I'd seriously check out the anti-depressants, especially if you have anxiety+depression or anxiety+insomnia or some mix of disorders. But if it's just anxiety, I agree with everyone above. I have a friend who switched from Xanax to a beta blocker and he's happy as a clam. He like his new meds over the benzos primarily because they have so fewer side effects, let alone issues with dependency/addiction. After talking to him I'd strongly encourage you to check out the bb's.

Good luck1!!

 

[Opanaking]

Do you exercise? That's what you need to start doing everyday if you dont. You dont need a drug to be a functioning member of society. You just need to get out there and make shit happen. It will be tough at first and you'll probably be anxious. But slowly you'll learn how to be less anxious day to day. There's a lot of things you can probably change about your life style to take out whatever is making you feeling anxious. If your excuse is your just naturally anxious then I would say welcome to the real world, people get stress.

Probably the best thing you could do for your self if you are anxious would be get busy, start exercising, and cut back on smoking weed. It's going to make you more anxious in the long run.

your still experiencing some post acute withdrawal from being on klonopin for 9 months then off of it for only 6. Your still recovering. Some natural remedies for anxiety that work well are passion flower and valerien. Try those and start exercising. If you must you can always get a benzo to take as needed for those times when your extremely anxious. The only thing you can really do to help your self in the long run is learn how to deal with it.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Very good points!!! people usually, just as I did in my posts, emphasizing how important a healthy diet, exercise and regular sleep schedule can be at reducing anxiety and depression, as well as many other ailments. shit, that's the only reason I'm really sane these days, my healthy habits that is.