running out of benzos early, built-in tolerances?

[symmetry]

i'm sure this has been covered somewhere, but i don't know what keywords to search really.

i got prescribed klonopin for tremors, insomnia, and severe muscle spasms, as well as an "add-on" for my epileptic condition on july 2nd and got given 200 pills. i was told to take half to one tablet per night. this had no effect whatsoever, i didn't feel drowsy at all and i even smoked some weed and still felt nothing. gradually i started upping the dose myself without notifying the doctor (mistake #1 i guess) just so i could get some sleep but found bad side effects: extreme irritability, very unrefreshed sleep, depression, etc.

taking about 3mg and smoking some bud is usually enough to put me into a light sleep and my tremors are gone. the sleep can best be described as being as if i've been up all night and then checking the clock and seeing that hours have passed; it's like my brain hasn't completely turned off.

so i've been taking about 6 of these per day instead of the prescribed one or half. i spoke briefly to the doctor on the phone and he said i could up my dose to two at night, but he seemed to think it was because of tolerance, but i find that hard to believe because the initial dose had no effect anyway.

so is it possible i just have a natural tolerance for clonazepam?

anyway, now here i am a month later and i only have about 14 left. at this rate, i'll run out by the end of the week (but i'm trying my hardest to taper back). i binged a few times also.

my general practitioner is obviously going to be weary to give me another prescription knowing that i've taken 200 in a month when it was supposed to last me a LOT longer. are there any suggestions as to what i should do? i'm an epileptic, so sudden stoppage of clonazepam may cause status epilepticus.

i know i should have discussed these problems with my various doctors earlier but i just got so tired of it, i had shoulder surgery in june so i'm seeing doctors every week for different things as well as physiotherapy and none of them seem too concerned about my various conditions.

i'm just not sure what course of action i should take here. i know rapid discontinuation of benzos is dangerous, but it barely seems to effect me at all so maybe it won't be so bad? the doctors obviously going to treat me like a drug fiend if i go back for another script and i don't want to deal with that. i binged a few times but it's not like i was taking immense dosages or anything or with any kind of regularity. and clonazepam doesn't even seem like the right drug for me anyway.

i just want something to stabilize my epileptic condition, fix my tremors and muscle spasms and help with my recurring insomnia.

any suggestions as to what to do?

 

[Tommyboy]

This is a tough situation.

Given the relatively low dosage and short period of time that you were prescribed the clonazepam, and the doctors instructions on how to take the drug, the doctor may not feel that it is necessary to have to taper you off. You should be somewhat honest with the doctor, and tell then that you tried half a pill, and it was not effective so you were taking a whole pill since the beginning.

Do everything you can to make the remaineder of your pills last. Drinking pure white grapefruit juice is know to make the pills "last longer". Without getting to in depth, basically the pure white grapefruit juice prevents your body from breaking down and removing the drug from your system. Since it takes longer for your body to break it down, it is active a little longer.

Natural tolerances are not unheard of. You should atleast mention your concern of stopping abruptly. I would suggest trying to get 1 more prescription for tapering off, and then stay away from benzos in the future. They are a med that should be avoided if possible.

 

[symmetry]

thanks for your response.

i think clonazepam could be effective at the dose i'm at (3mg) a day because the tremors and muscle spasms are gone but i doubt the doctor will agree. it's just the insomnia that's the problem, so maybe i could just switch to a different benzo?

i also don't want to have to explain all to my mum whose been so patient through all this and have her drive me to another appointment (can't drive because of epilepsy) and also have her worry about my drug use, so i kind of want to avoid going to the doctor. are my withdrawal effects expected to be severe?

i'm really in a bind here. i moved back home for my shoulder surgery, but i'm moving back out this week and if i have a seizure straight away after i move out my parents are only going to suspect the worst.

really don't know what to do.

 

[Tommyboy]

I am currently on valium, and it works great for my tremors. I was prescribed 3 mgs of xanax daily for over 4yrs. When I decided to taper off, I switched to valium. I used to have tremors, even whe I was on the xanax but the valium controls it.

Your withdrawals shouldn't be severe. Everybody is different, so I can't say for sure. I have friends that have gone on binges of taking 10mgs of xanax a day for over a month, and they only had trouble sleeping when they stopped. Other people are more senestive.

I am down to 4 mgs of valium for my taper, and have never stopped taking benzos since I was prescribed them so I don't have personal experience with stopping.

 

[symmetry]

i was on valium previously, before i was on clonazepam. it was about three weeks before i got prescribed clonazepam, 5mg a day, just one repeat. he was a good doctor, he seemed to understand my problem and he thought diazepam would be a good solution, but just take it for now until i got to see my neurologist. i think it was better than this, but my memory is such a blur. do you think i could just go to the doctor and tell them i got prescribed clonazepam by my neurologist but am suffering from the side effects and have him write me a valium prescription?

but i think in general my dosing has been sporadic so it's hard to say anything for certain but i'm pretty sure i just have a weird built-in tolerance to benzos

i believe my grandmother took them for a long time, probably still does, i'm not sure i don't keep contact with her

genetic thing maybe?

 

[monstanoodle]

do you think i could just go to the doctor and tell them i got prescribed clonazepam by my neurologist but am suffering from the side effects and have him write me a valium prescription?

but i think in general my dosing has been sporadic so it's hard to say anything for certain but i'm pretty sure i just have a weird built-in tolerance to benzos

i believe my grandmother took them for a long time, probably still does, i'm not sure i don't keep contact with her

genetic thing maybe?

Yes, I think asking to go back on Diazepam would be a better idea.

It's certainly possibly to have a natural tolerance to Benzos. Another thing is that somtimes tolerance just doesn't seem to go away, so when you were on Diazepam this could have caused a sustained-tolerance.

Then again, it could very well be genetic, though there's no certainty for that in research as far as I'm aware.

 

[phatass]

you shouuld be honest with your doc, say how much you've been taking to get rid of the insomnia, as this will be your first screw up, the doc will most likely let it slide... this won't happen often , so don't let it happen again,

clonazepam doesn't do much for me, especially for insomnia, its not sedating AT ALL for me, i would suggest either you switch to a hypnotic benzo for insomnia, and atiny dose of clonazepam for its strong anti-epileptic properties), or switch to diazepam (valium) it is sedating (less than a hypnotic, but very descent none the less), and has good anti-epiliptic attributes to it...

 

[Violenza666]

It might not be the benzo for you... at first kpins made me tired as shit but now its like taking nothing except I have no anxiety... They do their job for me but for insomnia perhaps Valium or temazepam might be better suited for you!! Talk to your dr, good luck!

As for what to tell your dr you could say that you dropped some in the sink... like you knocked the bottle over when you were taking it or something like that.... do not make a habit of that but it might work out for you one time. Good luck!

 

[K'd-OUT-in-AZ]

Clonazepam has the most superior anti-epileptic properties of all the benzodiazepines, in fact it was only prescribed for epilepsy/seizures in the UK before being prescribed for anxiety. If you were prescribed it for a seizure disorder I'm surprised you were given such a low dose. The maximum daily dose for epilepsy is 20mg. However it isn't the most effective benzo for insomnia.

Your next appointment you may want to tell your doctor that it doesn't work for you and maybe ask for something like Diazepam which also has potent anti-epileptic properties. Its more sedating than Clonazepam so it may work better for your insomnia. If he doesn't switch you then just admit and be honest that you have been taking more than prescribed. He should taper you off.

More important, you need to be treated for your seizure disorder. What other meds are you on for it?

 

[symmetry]

i'm on keppra for epilepsy, which is mostly efficient. seizure frequency has dropped, haven't had one since about march. when i went to see my neurologist i hoped he'd just continue me on diazepam, but put me on clonazepam for its anti-epileptic properties as well (even though he admitted they were tolerance forming and stop working etc.) and obviously such a low dose isn't going to be effective for epilepsy anyway, so i don't know why he didn't just keep me on diazepam.

i don't see my neurologist until october (i really need to get on private health care) so i'm gonna have to go see the doctor who prescribed me diazepam and hope for the best i guess.

 

[symmetry]

so i got switched to diazepam, and am having the same problems. 5mg at night does not put me into a restless sleep.

in fact just to test it, i parachuted 20mg about half an hour ago and i feel slightly more relaxed but not substantially so.

none of these doctors are gonna buy the "natural tolerance" theory, are they? or maybe my tolerance has just been raised by the clonazepam.

i am completely stuck.

 

[Tommyboy]

Since the valium has a very long half-life, some people (myslelf included) have noticed that it seems to work better after a couple of days as if it is building up in your system. Since it is in your system so long, when you take your dose the next day, the previous dose is still in your system hence leading to it building up and working better.

Valium doesn't put me to sleep like xanax did. I have very little experience with klonpin, but do recall that it didn't put me to sleep that well either.

Chances are that doctors are not going to buy into the natural tolerance theory, especially for a drug that is controlled, and widely abused.

What do you mean by "i am completely stuck"?

If you stick to 5mgs as prescribed, your body should naturally lower its tolerance and the 5 mgs should be effective. 5mgs is a relatively low dose, but if it is only to be taken once at night then it should have some therapeutic value.

I think you need to re-evaluate what you are looking to get out of this drug.

 

[symmetry]

i just wanted something that could treat my insomnia, tremors and muscle spasms. like i said, tremors and muscle spasms are under control, but the insomnia is still a problem.

i suppose i'm just going to build a tolerance to the sedative effects anyway, so even if it was effective for insomnia they wouldn't give it to me long term. the insomnia is an issue because sleep deprivation provokes seizures in epileptics and has with me in the past.

so it just seems like there's no long term solutions to these problems.