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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Clonazepam and Dosage effectiveness

P

PhakeJake

Greenlighter
Joined
Sep 16, 2014
Messages
7
Hello Bluelight, this is my first post.

I was recently prescribed .5mg of Clonazepam for anxiety. It is instructed to be taken "One tablet by mouth twice a day as needed". What I've found is that .5mg doesn't effect me much (even though I have 0 tolerance built up to any Benzos) - I know that 1mg doses are also available. My question is if I take 1 dose a day (2x.5MG tablets) in the morning, will that be more effective throughout the day, or is it better to spread them out and take 1 in the morning and 1 at night? While I feel a slight effect o the .5, it's not getting the job done for the anxiety and I'd like something stronger. I am also concerned about dosage because of what I've been seeing online about the terrible withdrawals, so I don't want to abuse this drug or use it "to get high". I will discuss the possibility of upping my daily dose to 2 times a day at 1mg. My next appointment is set for 1 month. Just wondering what your thoughts are - I know 1MG is safe to take so I'm not so concerned with the safety of taking 1MG at once, more interested in maximizing its effectiveness throughout the day. (ex: if it's 1MG to my system all at once, am I going to feel more relaxed throughout the day). Given its long half-life I'm not exactly sure how this works in detail but I know it stays in your system for quite a while. I realize everyone is different, but any opinions on this would be helpful. I may just have a high natural tolerance to these. If anything needs to be clarified just let me know. Clonazepam and Wellbutrin were prescribed for Anxiety issues due to recent occurrences in my life that caused anxiety to skyrocket, and I am generally anxious and tend to overthink everything, otherwise no depression or any other type of issues.

Background/Info:
40 y/o Male
210lb
physically very healthy and active, lifestyle and diet are in order. Generally happy.

Thanks-
J
 
I have been prescribed xanax for years with roughly those same instructions printed on the bottle. I have personally never encountered much tolerance build up or any serious dependency issues, but have noticed a bit of rebound anxiety after taking my meds on numerous sequential days (4 or 5 straight). I'd advise that you start by asking your doctor if it is okay to take 1mg when you're experiencing serious anxiety, and certainly avoid taking your medication twice daily or even daily if possible (the bottle does say "as needed", after all). The higher dose should give you a notable elevation in effect and shouldn't pose any problems if you only take your medicine periodically, "as needed". The last thing you want is a benzo dependency if it can be avoided, and taking even a small dose (.5mg) twice daily will eventually lead to addiction. Increasing your dose to one that actually works, however, shouldn't pose any serious problems especially if you're only taking your medication here and there... but once again, you should probably run it by your doctor for posterity's sake.
 
I have been on and off this same drug for years and can tell you that the stories of withdrawal are true, and the whole take "as needed" thing cannot be stressed enough , also...
Unlike xanax this drug does not hit hard. It is a slow acting very long lasting benzo . I would recommend taking it on an empty stomach for fast absorption and allow 2 hours before determining weather or not it is actually helping you. I could go on and on about this... but I'll try to keep it short/simple. This drug has such a long half life that it actually builds up in peoples system without them even knowing it. Within a month you could become addicted physically. " This drug isn't doing much for me" is a damn sure reason why people take more and more . If this drug isn't touching your anxiety, I would suggest YOU stop touching the drug. If you haven't been taking it long enough to become hooked and it is not helping...I'd drop it. The last thing your anxious mind needs is become addicted to a drug that doesn't even help. Also, Wellbutrin FOR anxiety??? Wellbutrin made my anxiety go crazy and that's why I can't take it. It could for sure be the reason why this benzo isn't helping. Wellbutrin (and im sorry if im spelling it wrong) activates dopamine which is the brains reward chemical . Stimulation for anxious person can make the sketchy brain way worse. I know , because it did that to me. Have you considered an SSRI?
 
Vitaman, Thanks for the input - I'm willing to give it a solid effort at 1mg AM on an empty stomach, as I do feel the 1MG may be helping me. I took 1mg this morning, along wiht the 150mg wellbutrin and I've been feeling pretty well all day. The .5 didn't appear to do much. She said she prescribed me the wellbutrin to allow me to remain active during the work day, as clonazepam is known to make people drowsy. It is mainly presribed for depression but can also help with anxiety. She did tell me it's not being described for depression, and that she did not think I suffered from any sort of depression. I'll ask her in more detail about the combination of the two and why/how they interact. I have seen cases online where people are rpescribed both for anxiety issues. I may skip a day of the wellbutrin and see how I feel on just the clonazepam 1MG in the morning. If I feel that I can't function I'll start taking it again, I don't want to be a zombie.
 
Benzos definitely have that "zombie" effect , which is totally appealing to people who have anxiety because we'd rather feel dead inside than feel like we're about to jump out of our skin and can't fucking breathe . Here's something that I've noticed about the zombie effect that I find incredibly dangerous = it makes you want more drugs. It makes me want all kinds of drugs just to make the electricity in the old brain start lighting up again. That's just me though. I hate benzos but for some they are a necessary evil. Far from my fave drug class for sure.
As for you skipping a day of Welbutrin , man I dunno if that's the best idea. 1, you may have enough of that shit in your system to where you wont even tell a difference or 2. the difference might be awful. It wont kill you, that im certain. so if you wanna try it, go for it. Just dont be surprised if you feel like butt shit. Also don't be surprised if you feel no difference at all. It might take more than a day off it to feel a difference and at that point you could be screwing with the levels in your blood too much and I don't want you having rebound anxiety or panic attacks.
 
Fair enough. Will continue the wellbutrin once a day and .5 x 2 or 3 a day until my next visit. I want to ask her opinion before making any changes. My main goal is to get the benzo dosage up to where I feel it is working.
 
VitamaN said:
Wellbutrin FOR anxiety??? Wellbutrin made my anxiety go crazy and that's why I can't take it. It could for sure be the reason why this benzo isn't helping. Wellbutrin (and im sorry if im spelling it wrong) activates dopamine which is the brains reward chemical . Stimulation for anxious person can make the sketchy brain way worse. I know , because it did that to me. Have you considered an SSRI?
Click to expand...

Welbutrin is an antidepressant and is prescribed much like many of the SSRIs on the market. A close friend of mine started taking it to quit smoking (it has its benefits as a smoking abstinence aid as well) and decided to continue taking it because it was working wonders for his general anxiety. I have also seen Welbutrin trigger manic/depressive episodes in a couple of my good friends, so, like many antidepressants, it is pretty unpredictable.

@PJ: If you are prescribed the Clonazepam for episodic panic and it isn't working, maybe you could ask your doctor about trying alprozolam instead. I find that has more of a punch, but is a short-acting benzo and is therefore ideal for anxiety attacks. Of course, you run the same risk of dependency with Xanax as you would Klonopin, but if you take it strictly for the purpose of reversing panic/anxiety attacks, it shouldn't cause you any issues (Of course, I've never enjoyed the "high" Xanax has to offer and have therefore never been tempted to take it recreationally). Xanax is far less subtle than Klonopin, so you might find it better suited to your needs (Klonopin is sometimes prescribed as a last resort for terminal general anxiety and in these cases, the patient must concede to dependency as an inevitability).

Anxiety is a tough symptom to medicate. As is the case with many anxiety patients, you may find that the first medications you're prescribed are not ideal for your condition, and you may end up jumping from clonazepam and welbutrin to alprozalam and paxil, then to lorazepam and zoloft, etc. until you find your chemical niche. Obviously, attacking the source of your anxiety is the healthiest long-term solution, but in the mean time, be careful with your meds because antidepressants and especially benzodiazepenes can be habit forming. Skipping a day on your Welbutrin shouldn't hurt you, but it has been known to induce (or at least increase the risk of) seizures, especially when taken erratically, so I'd be careful with it regardless.
 
I have general anxiety, not specifically episodic panic attacks. My description to the doc was that I always felt on edge, anxious, overthink thigns too much, worry too much, etc. I have no idea why this is. I am a confident strong person with a good life and a good family - I just have these feeling that seem to hinder my existance , something that takes the edge off without beign too hard core is what I need, and I think the longer lasting benzos may be doing the trick. I just don't want to have to take twice as much as prescribed for it to be effective. I want to meet with her and say hey look, I'm having to take 2 .5's at once, sometimes twice a day, and I will run out of meds too soon. Please prescribe me at least 1mg so I can have enough to last me the whole month. From what I've read many people take these daily for general anxiety because it's something you deal with during daily life, not something that comes and goes or is related to any particular panic episode. The script says "1 to 2 times a day as needed". With general anxiety... I feel like they are needed daily at least for the time being.
 
Well that's news to me. I've never heard of wellbutrin being RX'd for anxiety. For quitting smoking, yes , but never the other.
To you, Phake, please don't go mistaking 1MG for being a low dose. It seems low, but for a benzo this potent it's actually a moderately high dose if used every day.
 
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