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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by bristol on February 27, 2004, at 6:19:58
Ok - need some help here from all of you. I've been on Klonipin for close to three years now and It WAS a great drug until recently. It helped me with my anxiety and racing thoughts so that I could sleep but I ended up getting a side effect that doesn't occur for most - getting angry and hostile + I started developing respiratory problems. I'm down from 2.5mg to 1 mg but have had trouble sleeping all week. I'm on my fifth day with intermittent sleep. ie. I get really tired so I go to sleep and then I wake up after two or three hours and have been repeating this for a week now.
I'm also tired of my pdoc. I've tried so many ad I just feel that maybe I just need to focus on the positives for a while and not try and re-hash stuff in therapy. Have any of you tried this b-4? I'm BP2 and have PTST. I just want it to be ok..Sleepless calling for help.
I also have problems at work - people tend to dislike me and I've always felt like an outsider. Never part of the clique. Do any of you ever find yourself in this position? If I try and participate, I end up saying something that someone doesn't like and then I agonize over it forever...How do I stop the cycle and the spiral in my own head?
Posted by jlbl2l on February 27, 2004, at 10:23:32
In reply to Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by bristol on February 27, 2004, at 6:19:58
getting angry and hostile is a VERY common side effect of klonopin. also experienced this. until i went off klono, i didnt realize how "mean" i had become towards people.
Posted by karmafairy on February 27, 2004, at 10:34:48
In reply to Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by bristol on February 27, 2004, at 6:19:58
Might you be able to get a prescription of some type to help with your sleep? It only seems natural that you'd be having difficulties staying asleep after stopping Klonopin. Therefore, it only seems natural that your Psychiatrist would offer some kind of temporary fix to help you sleep.
Posted by DepNYer on February 28, 2004, at 16:23:45
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by karmafairy on February 27, 2004, at 10:34:48
If you've already made it from 2.5 to 1 mg (greater than a 50% reduction), you might want to slow down your weaning process. Certainly sleeping only 1 or 2 hours at a time will make anyone cranky and make it difficult to relate to others. I would strongly agree that a med to help you sleep would help in the short term. Something like Ambien may be a good choice if your pdoc is willing to give it to you. Remember that with any withdrawl of a medication like Klonopin , the lower the dose, the slower you go, giving yourself a chance to adjust to your new state of equilibrium.
Posted by Chairman_MAO on February 29, 2004, at 9:46:35
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by DepNYer on February 28, 2004, at 16:23:45
> Remember that with any withdrawl of a medication like Klonopin , the lower the dose, the slower you go, giving yourself a chance to adjust to your new state of equilibrium.
This is excellent advice that is not heeded often enough. It's often easy to cut half of the dose or more quickly. Do not try to rush the final 1mg - 0.5mg [- 0.25mg]. As a general rule, the whole taper process cannot be done in less than a month. Funny how antidepressants take 4-6 weeks to work, it takes one month to form a physical dependence on any drug, and it takes the same amount of time to taper off ...
Posted by dave1 on February 29, 2004, at 10:08:44
In reply to Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by bristol on February 27, 2004, at 6:19:58
HI,
Try Nyquil or Benadryl - anti-histamines for sleep. That's what I'm doing because my pdoc cut back my ativan and suggested an antihistamine for sleep.
Dave
Posted by dave1 on February 29, 2004, at 10:14:02
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by jlbl2l on February 27, 2004, at 10:23:32
Hi,
Would anger and irratability also be caused by
other shorter acting BZ's like ativan or xanax???
That's what I'm taking and lately have been having a short fuse.Thanks,
Dave
Posted by Simcha on February 29, 2004, at 10:59:31
In reply to Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by bristol on February 27, 2004, at 6:19:58
I use Ambien for sleep emergencies. It works for me. Maybe your pdoc will let you take this. Mine seemed to be game for emergency situations.
An emergency situation is when increasing my Neurontin does not work. Also I might try Valerian and Skullcap before I'll resort to Ambien. Often the Neurontin, Valerian, or Skullcap works.
I believe there is no one solution to any of our problems. Sleep seems to be a complicated issue for me. I've had difficulties with it all my life. Now that I have some pharmaceutical help I sleep much better and more regularly.
I hope you find what you need including a new pdoc if that is what you need.
Blessings,
Simcha
Posted by jlbl2l on February 29, 2004, at 12:04:09
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc » jlbl2l, posted by dave1 on February 29, 2004, at 10:14:02
ALL benzos can cause irritation, crankiness and anger. ALSO neurontin appears to as well. im not sure why. it could be the disinhibitory effect. if your emotions are disinhibited, your anger will come out like any other emotion. trust me, my 5 year relationship was ruined by klonopin.
Posted by Bristol on March 1, 2004, at 0:18:11
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc » DepNYer, posted by Chairman_MAO on February 29, 2004, at 9:46:35
Thx for the info - NEVER even thought of that. I was doing great up until the 1.5 mg down to 1.25 mg and then I've been up all night. Last night I didn't sleep at all so tonight I'm going to go back up to 1.5mg. I think it's going to take me a while to go down and off + I'm soooo angry and irritable. I'm incredibly cranky towards those closest to me. It's like they can't say anything right without me launching an attack - this is hard.
> > Remember that with any withdrawl of a medication like Klonopin , the lower the dose, the slower you go, giving yourself a chance to adjust to your new state of equilibrium.
>
> This is excellent advice that is not heeded often enough. It's often easy to cut half of the dose or more quickly. Do not try to rush the final 1mg - 0.5mg [- 0.25mg]. As a general rule, the whole taper process cannot be done in less than a month. Funny how antidepressants take 4-6 weeks to work, it takes one month to form a physical dependence on any drug, and it takes the same amount of time to taper off ...
>
>
Posted by Bristol on March 1, 2004, at 0:20:05
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by dave1 on February 29, 2004, at 10:08:44
>HI Dave: Thanks so much but I am weary of taking anti-histamines for sleep. I kinda got hooked on Tylenol PM for a while and then I had viscious nightmares. Still have dreams but not the nightmares that I had before...
HI,
>
> Try Nyquil or Benadryl - anti-histamines for sleep. That's what I'm doing because my pdoc cut back my ativan and suggested an antihistamine for sleep.
>
> Dave
Posted by Sad Panda on March 1, 2004, at 1:53:46
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by Bristol on March 1, 2004, at 0:20:05
> >HI Dave: Thanks so much but I am weary of taking anti-histamines for sleep. I kinda got hooked on Tylenol PM for a while and then I had viscious nightmares. Still have dreams but not the nightmares that I had before...
>
> HI,
> >
> > Try Nyquil or Benadryl - anti-histamines for sleep. That's what I'm doing because my pdoc cut back my ativan and suggested an antihistamine for sleep.
> >
> > Dave
>
>I'd recommend an AD for sleep like Remeron or Doxepin. The sleep with these two is caused by antihistame action, in fact, these two meds are the worlds strongest antihistamines. Something else they do is block 5-HT2a which has been proven to improve sleep quality.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by HIBA on March 1, 2004, at 22:35:17
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc, posted by Bristol on March 1, 2004, at 0:18:11
Experiencing a sleepless night will make you more anxious towards the next night and this anxiety itself will contribute to another sleepless night. For me, klonopin was the easiest thing to withdraw. Much easier than an antidepressant.
To escape from this anticipatory anxiety, I recommend you a little bit of sulpiride if you are in Europe. 50 mg of sulpiride will to alleviate your anticipatory anxiety and I think it is much better than benzos to treat psychic models of anxiety. Don't worry over the discomforts you feel now. It will pass soon. Only a matter of time.
HIBA
Posted by bristol on March 4, 2004, at 1:06:06
In reply to Re: Going off Klonipin - no sleep + Quitting Pdoc » Bristol, posted by HIBA on March 1, 2004, at 22:35:17
I'm back on 1.5Mg and I slept well last night for the first time in four day's! Wow...I can't get Sulpiride where I live. What is it and is there another variation that other countries use?
> Experiencing a sleepless night will make you more anxious towards the next night and this anxiety itself will contribute to another sleepless night. For me, klonopin was the easiest thing to withdraw. Much easier than an antidepressant.
> To escape from this anticipatory anxiety, I recommend you a little bit of sulpiride if you are in Europe. 50 mg of sulpiride will to alleviate your anticipatory anxiety and I think it is much better than benzos to treat psychic models of anxiety. Don't worry over the discomforts you feel now. It will pass soon. Only a matter of time.
> HIBA
This is the end of the thread.
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