Klonopin advice...and my doctors odd advice.

Posted , 4 users are following.

My doctor prescibed me 1mg a day along with my 30mgs of citalopram. I went up to 40 for 4 days and it was rough so my doc said to go back to 30.

Ok now here is my issue my doctor told me I shouldn't feel like that after switching to 40.Everything I've read says that you can experience side affects again when increasing a dose.My doctor says this shouldn't be happening I should feel better by now. My doctor says she's watched people suffer for weeks waiting and waiting for a med to work and it never does.

It has worked in the past 2 years after increasing dosages.

So im confused should I go on this 1mg a day klonopin routine or try to tough it out on 40 with the klonopin?

And I've heard horror stories about klonopin. I've been posting a lot but I'm just so confused.

0 likes, 14 replies

14 Replies

  • Posted

    I an on .5 Klonopin I take one in the morning. I am also on 30 mgs of Citalopram. That combination has worked great for me.
    • Posted

      Thanks Diane I'm wondering if I should have tried to manage on 30 as maybe it was just a blip. I'll go back to 30 like my doctor suggested. It's only been 4 days on 40mg so dropping back to 30 shouldn't be a problem.

    • Posted

      Iv taken Klonapine since 2014. Fr May - Sept of 14 it was 1mg then tapered down to 0.5mg an have stayed there ever since. I sometimes half the pill. If a pill is scored down middle you can break in half an take half. To get down to 0.5mg I had to taper down by cutting pill into fourths. For couple months then Dr wrote rx for 0.5mg pills. Half those sometimes. Iv started Effexor now fr Citolopram 20mg. Wasn't fitting me so switched to Effexor. On day 12. I feel better. Not so very tired an non-motivated. Not hardly any side effects. Some dizzying an couple headaches. Just some insomnia. But take Klonapine to calm down. I went straight onto Effexor. Klonapine is a benzodiazapin so it is addictive but if used properly it is very useful an needed. Goodluck.

    • Posted

      Thanks zio I've heard awful things about klonopin and today my doctor said I might have to take it for life which is a scary thought.

    • Posted

      I hope you are seeing a Psychiatrist not a general practice dr. They don't know squat about all these meds an mental health really. The flu is quit different from Bi-polar!! Or depression. Or GAD! Psychiatrist's know the drugs an the conditions. Everyone is different an respond different. Like I said Effexor is med #8 for me an I'm on day 13. I feel alot better. It can happen if it's the rt drug an the rt dose. I mean starting to feel better in 2 wks. I was pretty low on Citolopram. Nothing wrong with Klonapine. It's a long acting benzo or anti-anxiety med. Xanax is fast acting. Don't make it a big deal if you are taking it for a diagnosed condition. Just like high blood pressure! Or diabetes! You can learn other ways to handle your anxiety by visiting a therapist or counselor or psychologist. Exercise is very beneficial. Sunlight to. Im in USA Tx. Fighting wildfires here in Tx Panhandle. Very stressful here where I live. Its very dry an no rain an windy. Like 70 mph gusts here lately. So xount your blessings. I am now! Goodluck

      Zio

    • Posted

      Thanks a lot Zio and yes I am seeing psychiatrist my 3rd one actually.
  • Posted

    Ummmmmmm ..... then your doctor needs to be re-educated about Citalopram.  100% you'll get side effects when increasing the dose and no way would you be feeling better by now.

    Yes people do wait weeks and weeks to get better ......... in fact most people wait months and months.  Took me 6 months to recover.

    Get your doctor to look at this website - it may open her eyes a bit.

    I've been on these meds twice - 2nd time I had a different experience and it took longer.  

    A larger dose doesn't mean you'll get better any quicker than a lower dose either.  Why take more than you need anyway?  A lot of people struggle on 40mg.

    A lot of people try and get rid of their symptoms by increasing / lowering their dose too often or swapping / adding in other meds.  This just causes more side effects and your body won't know whether its coming or going.  You wouldn't expect a broken leg to heal in weeks, and this is no different.  It takes a long time to become ill and so it'll take a similar amount of time to reverse the effects.

    These meds take months, and even when recovering you'll be up and down and often feel like you're going backwards.  That's normal.  Patience and perseverance is needed.

    I do wish doctors would know their stuff before messing with people's meds.

    • Posted

      Thanks for your reply Kate. I'm honestly hoping I didn't need the 40 and I'll be fine staying on 30. I'm also hoping the klonopin helps even me out until I get over this bump.

      I agree doctors dont seem to understand no matter how many I talk to they all seem to think the same thing. It's frustrating im wondering if I should have stuck with 40 now ugh.

    • Posted

      I'd stick with the 30mg for now and see it through.  A lot of people do have other meds prescribed too to help them through the difficult stages - I'm sure it'll be a great help.

      There are some lovely doctors who are just great with this sort of thing, but also many who don't know much at all or just don't seem to care.

  • Posted

    If you are taking a small amount don't worry. I am trying to cut back from .5 to 1/2 of that a day. So I am taking 3/4th a day and had no side effects. I would like to get to 1/2 pill a day. I don't care if it is the rest of my life since I am 59.

    However, I will say it gave me my life back when I was lost. Ativan didn't work to keep my anxiety at bay.

    • Posted

      I think it helped last night but today I have awful anxiety again which is nothing new lol.
    • Posted

      I Take My Klonopin In The Morning Around 7 Then My Citalopram Around 10:30.. I Have To Take another med for high blood pressure at night so I am almost always calm.

      I have also learned the CBT techniques for relieving anxiety and training my brain to fight it off. I go for a walk, or get on my bike etc if I feel a bit anxious. I stop it before it reaches an attack.

  • Posted

    Sounds like you might go to #4!
    • Posted

      It's tough in Rhode Island not too many places to go. Honestly the only reason I like this one is she isn't trying to cram everything in the world down my throat at once. One doctor gave me gabapentin,mirtazipine,hydroxzyne,propranol,buspirone,ativan and citalopram anx was like go nuts lol after further research I stuck with the citalopram only. Next doctor says I refuse to increase your 10mg citalopram after a year take this amitriptyline with it.....so doctor 3 says ok I'll increase it for you. Here we are now feeling awful again doctor says take this klonopin to level you out until you feel better lol.

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