Benzos Is this just me or is this true of Clonazepam?

[poppyplanet]

It seems as though that when I first receive my script of Klonopin, the first day of taking them, I need a considerably higher dose than the next day. Is this because the Klonopin is already in my blood from the day before so I generally don't need as much?

Also, I'm prescribed these .5mg mylan brand, and they are very very shitty compared to every other brand I've tried like the Tevas. If I told Walmart I wanted to special order another brand, would they give me any problems? Would they take a crazy amount of time to arrive, if I ordered another brand? I just know from my experience, and other's experiences with walmart pharmacy employees, they lack a certain sense of compassion and often take it into themselves to play "doctor" and not just dispense the drugs that they're job requires. I would go to another pharmacy but walmart is cheap and I can't afford the more expensive pharmacies.

Thanks in advance for your replies, this site is great and the people on it, make it that way.

 

[Druidus]

It seems as though that when I first receive my script of Klonopin, the first day of taking them, I need a considerably higher dose than the next day. Is this because the Klonopin is already in my blood from the day before so I generally don't need as much?

That would be my assessment. I've taken all manner of benzos for years, and I currently take k-pins. I experience the same thing you do. It simply has a long half life.

Also, I'm prescribed these .5mg mylan brand, and they are very very shitty compared to every other brand I've tried like the Tevas. If I told Walmart I wanted to special order another brand, would they give me any problems? Would they take a crazy amount of time to arrive, if I ordered another brand? I just know from my experience, and other's experiences with walmart pharmacy employees, they lack a certain sense of compassion and often take it into themselves to play "doctor" and not just dispense the drugs that they're job requires. I would go to another pharmacy but walmart is cheap and I can't afford the more expensive pharmacies.

Well, I can't tell you what they'd do, but, yes, pharmacies can be huge jackasses when customers request what you want. Perhaps you could try potentiation? Maybe try a small amount of ethanol. If you don't want to do that, IIRC, white grape fruit juice potentates Xanax, and IIRC also clonazepam. I believe Tagamet works MUCH better, though by the same function. If you can't get the higher quality brands, then simply improve them through potentiation, for superior effect.

Other than that, you're at the sadistic whims of wal-Marts oh so caring and compassionate pharmacists. IME, thy will fuck you over, sometimes in ways that seem like they had to go out of their way to do it.

I'd just potentiate, honestly. It's better than the hassle with the pharmacy, and it makes for a vastly superior functioning of your medecine. Why go through the trouble to get a minor improvement of the same drug through a better brand when you can cheaply make your pharm better, more effective, longer lasting, and, all in all, upgrade them to a far superior nature: Clonazepam 2.0.

 

[poppyplanet]

Thank you for the above reply Druidus. I did take 3mg of Klonopin tonight but couldn't get the white grapefruit juice until about 2 hours after taking them, so it didn't work out very well, as you're suppose to drink the juice prior to taking the benzo. Also, I have 2mg left for tommorrow morning, I currently have about a half gallon of white grapefruit juice. If I did this method tomorrow, the correct way, do you suppose I could cut my dose in half? My tolerance currently requires me to take at least 2 to 3mg to feel anything from them. I can't afford tagment or anything else at the moment so the juice is the only option I have for tommorrow. And I would definitely have asked my Doctor for a higher strength klonopin by now, but the truth is, where I live, in south jersey, these doctors are very strict when it comes to benzos and pain meds. If I asked him, he'd more than likely just take me off the meds altogether stating that it's not working anymore so why higher the dose, sucks I know. It's a free clinic so it's the only option I have since I don't have much money. Anyway, can you answer my question above concerning the grapefruit juice and my remaining 2mg tommorrow? That would be lovely, and I'm about to read your private message right now. Thanks again.

 

[Druidus]

You can't reduce the dose by half with only grapefruit juice. Try 7/10 of you normal dose.

As for your doctor, you could try to explain that sometimes you experience panic type mental states, which are somewhat mitigated by your clonazepam. Hopefully you won't have a sadist as a doc, and he'll either raise your dose or add oa short term Benzos like Xanax or more likely lorazepam. Just make sure he knows that it works for you for everything, but sometimes your panicky state can break through sometimes, makIng it necessary to find a way to deal with that unpleasant experience while maintaining the treatment that ou works almost all the time.

then you can have a shorter half-life benzo for use when you feel breakthrough anxiety. Don't ask for more, jut explain the problem you're experiencing while maintaining that the clonazepam works almost all the time. Definitely don't ask for another benzo. Just explain about the occasional breakthrough anxiety/panic and let him come to his own conclusion. At worst, he'll put you on a crappy non-benzo, after which you can claim the breakthroughs got worse since you started the new med. even if you have to go through a few mess, he'll eventually give you something meant to handle such breakthroughs, short acting benzos. Ativan is ideal, because it can be taken sublingual lay for very fast effect.

Good luck, believe me, I know how hard it can be to get a doctor to understand your need. They really can be arrogant presumptuous uncaring jerks, if you don't act like they want you to.

 

[poppyplanet]

I fear lorazepam, I've tried this benzo and it surprises me that people actually get any relief from it. Shitty in my opinion. And Doctors around here, especially my doctor, won't even give me 2 weeks worth of tramadol as he takes it week by week with no refills. I'm telling you man, NJ doctors are very conservative. And I've been threw a whole array of different doctors over the years. Crazy when you really need the meds as opposed to someone just trying to doctor shop. It's a shame others have to ruin it for us. That and the fact that alot of these Doctors don't want any problems with the DEA.

 

[Druidus]

I typed a huge post and then it got lost somehow, so I'll PM you, likely in a couple hours, about how your should go about dealing eith an inconsiderate and empathy challenged doctor. I've dealt eith them too, and there are strategies that can help.

When I get more time, in a few hours, I'll send you my advice, warnings, and descriptions of how I deal with doctors who'd rather cover their own ass than be a true doctor who helps those in distress in accordance with their oath. It's hard, but I promise, if you work at it using my planning, you'll achieve your goal of the benzos you need.