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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JaneB on September 9, 2003, at 16:19:21
Here goes:
I have had a long history of problems with sleep/anxiety/depression.Klonopin seems to be a good treatment for me. However, .50mg use to work for sleep but now I need 1mg. Is there any good reason for not going up to the higher dose (after 5 years at .50mg)?
I know that Ambien will put me to sleep fast and could be an alternative. But it is so expensive.
Is there something chemically better about Ambien over Klonopin?
Jane
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on September 10, 2003, at 5:43:28
In reply to Ambien/Klonopin prices/benefits/side effects ?'s, posted by JaneB on September 9, 2003, at 16:19:21
Ambien doesn't interfere with natural sleep cycles in the way that Klonopin and other benzodiazepines do, but it is also very short-acting. So, if your problem lies solely in falling asleep (i.e. you have no trouble staying asleep, don't wake up too early) then Ambien is certainly superior to Klonopin for that purpose. If you *do* have trouble sleeping through the night though, many doctors employ the tactic of having you take a second dose upon early awakening.
Normally I wouldn't recommend raising one's benzodiazepine dosage just because the sleep-inducing side effect wears off, *but* if it stuck with you for five years, you may be a special case... I'd talk to your doctor about it if I were you. Sounds like a viable option to me.
Just one last thing -- have you tried trazodone or Elavil (amitriptyline) for sleep? They're both very inexpensive (about $10/month) and quite effective.
Posted by JaneB on September 10, 2003, at 7:13:49
In reply to Re: Ambien/Klonopin prices/benefits/side effects ?'s » JaneB, posted by Ame Sans Vie on September 10, 2003, at 5:43:28
> Ambien doesn't interfere with natural sleep cycles in the way that Klonopin and other benzodiazepines do, but it is also very short-acting. So, if your problem lies solely in falling asleep (i.e. you have no trouble staying asleep, don't wake up too early) then Ambien is certainly superior to Klonopin for that purpose. If you *do* have trouble sleeping through the night though, many doctors employ the tactic of having you take a second dose upon early awakening.
>
> Normally I wouldn't recommend raising one's benzodiazepine dosage just because the sleep-inducing side effect wears off, *but* if it stuck with you for five years, you may be a special case... I'd talk to your doctor about it if I were you. Sounds like a viable option to me.
>
> Just one last thing -- have you tried trazodone or Elavil (amitriptyline) for sleep? They're both very inexpensive (about $10/month) and quite effective.Yes, I tried trazodone three different times. The headache was severe right away.
Also Elavil. Elavil serves as a pain treatment and it worked great for a couple of years. The difference between clonazepam and elavil for me is that I feel speechless on elavil. On Klonopin I feel social. Does this make sense?
Thanks,
Jane
Posted by Viridis on September 11, 2003, at 2:35:24
In reply to Ambien/Klonopin prices/benefits/side effects ?'s, posted by JaneB on September 9, 2003, at 16:19:21
I agree with ASV, although of course this is something to discuss with your doctor. If K was an effective sleep med for five years at the same dose, then maybe a slight increase would help for a similar length of time. The conventional wisdom is that most anti-anxiety benzos disrupt sleep cycles and build rapid tolerance (re: insomnia, not anxiety). But this is the "average" case, and hardly anyone is actually average.
So, this seems like a reasonable proposition for your doctor.
Also -- if your insomnia is triggered by anxiety, maybe the K is exerting its effects via anxiety relief. If that's the case, then dosage escalation shouldn't be a big concern. (Just a thought).
Posted by JaneB on September 11, 2003, at 12:13:52
In reply to Re: Ambien/Klonopin prices/benefits/side effects ?, posted by Viridis on September 11, 2003, at 2:35:24
> I agree with ASV, although of course this is something to discuss with your doctor. If K was an effective sleep med for five years at the same dose, then maybe a slight increase would help for a similar length of time. The conventional wisdom is that most anti-anxiety benzos disrupt sleep cycles and build rapid tolerance (re: insomnia, not anxiety). But this is the "average" case, and hardly anyone is actually average.
>
> So, this seems like a reasonable proposition for your doctor.
>
> Also -- if your insomnia is triggered by anxiety, maybe the K is exerting its effects via anxiety relief. If that's the case, then dosage escalation shouldn't be a big concern. (Just a thought).Yes, the sleep problems escalate before an airplane trip or company coming, dinner parties, etc. Or bad news and even stressful movies. I have found that intermittent increases necessitated by stressful events are much better than a continuous increase. Now I just have to have the wisdom to know when to take the increase so I am not still awake at 2 AM before a big trip or after a stressful event. Thanks for your input.
Jane
This is the end of the thread.
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