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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Mr.Scott on January 5, 2005, at 22:18:08
Hello friends,Of course... I was at the doctors office today and while we addressed adequately my overall situation I forgot to ask him about getting off the .5mg of klonopin I take.
He did say that he doubted .5mg is having any negative effect on my depression, and that the dose is quite small.
Still... I WANT OFF!
What do you think is the optimal way to get off this dosage? I wish I could check into a hospital and be done with entirely in 4 weeks. Any recommendations on how to taper this based on personal experience. Is there any 'easiest' way?
Scott
Posted by Glydin on January 5, 2005, at 23:08:14
In reply to Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by Mr.Scott on January 5, 2005, at 22:18:08
Your dose is low as was mine the last time I tapered --- I lasted 2 1/2 months off, but that's another story and it's actually a good med for me.At .5 mgs, I tapered to .375 mgs for 2 weeks, .25 mgs for a week and 1/2, .125 mgs for a week to off. I had no problems with the taper.
Good Luck
Posted by justyourlaugh on January 6, 2005, at 0:14:33
In reply to Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by Mr.Scott on January 5, 2005, at 22:18:08
i was on it for a long time..it did not appear to help or hinder..i just stopped..
i was on a much higher dose.
everyone is different but i really do not think you have much to worry about unless it was really helping you and you were not awear..
imo
jyl
Posted by djmmm on January 6, 2005, at 9:52:49
In reply to Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by Mr.Scott on January 5, 2005, at 22:18:08
>
> Hello friends,
>
> Of course... I was at the doctors office today and while we addressed adequately my overall situation I forgot to ask him about getting off the .5mg of klonopin I take.
>
> He did say that he doubted .5mg is having any negative effect on my depression, and that the dose is quite small.
>
> Still... I WANT OFF!
>
> What do you think is the optimal way to get off this dosage? I wish I could check into a hospital and be done with entirely in 4 weeks. Any recommendations on how to taper this based on personal experience. Is there any 'easiest' way?
>
> Scott
>
>Just do it as slowly as possible...it may take you months. 2 months may seem annoying, but trust me, you will feel physically and emotionally better the slower you discontinue the med.
Posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 10:56:38
In reply to Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by Mr.Scott on January 5, 2005, at 22:18:08
Contrary to your doctor's doubts, .5mg klonopin is easily enough to have an effect on your depression. For me, .5mg alone is enought to send me into a depression that is deep and lasts for days. It may seem hard to believe that such a "low" dose can bring on depression, but I have tried this 4-5 times and I've had the same reaction every time.
It really kills me because I have such a problem with social anxiety and klonopin can be very helpful for that, but the depression that I get even from the smallest doses of klonopin outweighs the positive effects.
And I can't describe it too well, but the depression I get from Klonopin feels different and a lot worse than my regular depression, even when that depression is bad. The klonopin depression just makes me feel so sad and deserpate and pitiful; I usually end up crying and thinking of suicide.
I may start a thread on this at some point, but I wonder if anyone else who gets depressed from klonopin has noticed that the klonopin depression is somehow different and worse than regular depression.
> He did say that he doubted .5mg is having any negative effect on my depression, and that the dose is quite small.
>
> Still... I WANT OFF!
>
> What do you think is the optimal way to get off this dosage? I wish I could check into a hospital and be done with entirely in 4 weeks. Any recommendations on how to taper this based on personal experience. Is there any 'easiest' way?
>
> Scott
>
>
Posted by Mr.Scott on January 7, 2005, at 2:09:25
In reply to Re: Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by Dan Perkins on January 6, 2005, at 10:56:38
Really...I have always suspected it causes depression. Please expound on your experience with it.I have taken 1 benzo or another for 11.5 of the last 13 years and so am quite anxious to get off of the .5mg of clonazepam that i still take in light of the fact it might be worsenning things.
I'm totally lethargic and if I could I'd sleep 18 hours a day easily.
Scott
Posted by Dan Perkins on January 7, 2005, at 9:42:26
In reply to Clonazepam and Depression » Dan Perkins, posted by Mr.Scott on January 7, 2005, at 2:09:25
Well, I noticed one time that I sunk into this really miserable and deep suicidal depression that lasted a few days soon after taking Klonopin.
I really doubted at first that the Klon had anything to do with it because I hadn't taken a lot and the depression just seemed too bad and lasted too long to have been caused by a single dose of a drug. So I didn't think much of it, but weeks later after I took another klonopin pill, I sunk into that same kind of suicidal depression. I was really surprised but still in a bit of disbelief that klon could have caused it. It was only after reapeating this awful experience a couple more times that I was 100% sure that klon was the culprit. I'm not a glutton for punishment, I just really wanted to be sure that klonopin was the cause because it was so effective at dealing with my social anxiety.
The depression that I get from Klonopin has some notable distinctions from my usual depression. The klon depression is very sad and I usually end up crying, which is something I rarely/never do no matter how bad my depression gets. I also always think of suicide in the klonopin depression. The klon depression starts to set in about a half day after taking my dose and it lasts about 2-4 days, then lifts.
> Really...I have always suspected it causes depression. Please expound on your experience with it.
>
> I have taken 1 benzo or another for 11.5 of the last 13 years and so am quite anxious to get off of the .5mg of clonazepam that i still take in light of the fact it might be worsenning things.
>
> I'm totally lethargic and if I could I'd sleep 18 hours a day easily.
>
> Scott
Posted by Phillipa on January 7, 2005, at 16:50:02
In reply to Re: Clonazepam and Depression, posted by Dan Perkins on January 7, 2005, at 9:42:26
After reading all your Posts I'm starting to really believe that it's the Klonopin I'm taking. Taking l 1/2mg a day. Asked pdoc if it could depress you and he said all benzos do, but I have not found that to be true. Phillipa
Posted by jasmineneroli on January 7, 2005, at 17:43:55
In reply to Re: Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by djmmm on January 6, 2005, at 9:52:49
Going off slowly and carefully is the only way to do it without possible side effects and re-bound anxiety.
I was able to lower my dose to .25mg per day from 1mg per day without a problem. Others do not find it as easy, though.
Going off Klon. for a while, will be the only way to see if it really has any impact on your depression or not.
It's important to keep careful record notes of how you feel each day, as you drop down the Klon. dose, and then after a week or two without it.
You may find, that in lowering the dose, you will come to a low amount that is both therapeutic as far as anxiety is concerned and does not cause any lethargy.
Be aware that an absence of anxiety maybe misread to be depression.....once you do not feel your major symptoms of anxiety or stress, you may be more aware of any underlying depression. This was perhaps there all along, but when you were anxious, you just didn't notice it.
For myself, before I started Klon. treatment for GAD, I was convinced I didn't have depression....my Pdoc thought otherwise. He told me I had symptoms of mild depression caused by so much anxiety. He said it was extremely common for people with chronic anxiety to have periodic depression.
Stress in itself gives an energetic and driven wound-up response. Without it, you might feel lethargic or low, by contrast.
Some people like "living on adrenalin", they feel more alive...they just don't like the crippling anxiety that comes along with it.
Take care.
Jas
Posted by yxibow on January 8, 2005, at 15:09:23
In reply to Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by Mr.Scott on January 5, 2005, at 22:18:08
> He did say that he doubted .5mg is having any negative effect on my depression, and that the dose is quite small.
>
> Still... I WANT OFF!
>
> What do you think is the optimal way to get off this dosage?Well I hate to second an opinion, maybe its because of the dose I'm on (and seizure patients take up to 20mg)... but .5mg is a small dose considering it is the smallest available, especially if you've been on it for a period of time, you've probably adjusted to it.
However that being said, I would say a short period of taper, between 1/8 and and 1/4mg down a week (pill splitter) up to a month would be more than adequate. While the anti-benzo crowd would say a lifetime of tapering, this just promotes the agony of it all and I find it false science. A good balance is prudent, prevent shock to the system and overcaution of raising the seizure threshold, and all should accomplish itself.
This is the end of the thread.
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