Klonopin for the rest of my life? Any long term users.

Long story short I take citalopram for anxiety lately it's not helping anymore after going back to the doctors a million times she decided to put me on klonopin 1mg a day for a month in addition to the citalopram.

Now here is the part that makes me uneasy she told me I might be one of those people who take klonopin they're whole life.

I was on ativan for about 6 months and came off it no problem when my anxiety went away and I can't say I ever built a tolerance.

I've heard horror stories about this stuff and just want to make sure it's safe to take long term. I asked my doctor repeatedly if this was a good idea and she said she was positive.

I just want to know if anybody has any positive stories about long term klonopin use.

I'm surprised a doctor would tell anyone they might be on a benzo for their whole life!

I think you'll be fine, though, if you've come off Ativan before and coped. I'd suggest only taking it when you need it but others may suggest otherwise.

I'me currently coming off zopiclone and diazepam and having a lot of physical issues but not mental ones, thank goodness.

I think it's very irresponsible of your doctor to tell you this.

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Originally Posted by kain

Long story short I take citalopram for anxiety lately it's not helping anymore after going back to the doctors a million times she decided to put me on klonopin 1mg a day for a month in addition to the citalopram.

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Is citalopram the only antidepressant stocked by pharmacies in your part of the world? What is the point in continuing to take a drug which isn't working? Madness. Unfortunately, this seems to be a growing insanity lately. :weep:

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Now here is the part that makes me uneasy she told me I might be one of those people who take klonopin they're whole life.

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In addition to citalopram?

I wouldn't have a problem per se with taking benzodiazepines (BZDs) long term if there was a guarantee that patients were weaned off them slowly when it came time to quit, and everyone eventually needs to quit if only because BZDs become increasingly problematic in older age for a host of reasons.

Unfortunately, being allowed to wean off slowly over several months to a year isn't always an option. Doctors change their minds about BZDs, move, retire, or fall under the proverbial bus and the replacement might think BZDs are the devil's work and demand patients quit them asap, often within a couple of weeks, some even insist on cold-turkey. Much misery then ensues.

The second problem with your doctor's idea is there is good evidence BZDs significantly reduce the effectiveness of antidepressants by blocking hippocampal neurogenesis which is how ADs create the therapeutic response (see: Boldrini M, 2014; Nochi R, 2013; Sun Y, 2013; Wu X, 2009; Stefovska VG, 2008).

In light of these studies benzodiazepines use should probably be limited to a couple of weeks when first taking antidepressants just to ease the initial increase in anxiety levels, for a while after AD dose increases for the same reason and thereafter for occasional breakthrough anxiety. If an antidepressant isn't adequately controlling anxiety on its own even at the maximum recommended/tolerated dose then switching to another which might will probably work should be considered ahead of supplementing it with a benzodiazepine.

In the extremely unlikely event citalopram is the only antidepressant sold in your area then supplementing it with buspirone (Buspar) would be a much better option as it has a proven track record for boosting the effectiveness of serotonergic antidepressants and kick-starting those that have pooped-out (it may also reduce some of their side-effects).

Oh dear, I don't suppose a responsible doctor would advise going on Klonopin for the rest of your life, no. :lac: My therapist took me off Rivotril after 9 years of taking it daily, after I'd developed both a mental and a physical dependency on it. She told me that a long-term use of Klonopin causes cognitive decline.

Thanks for the replies everybody. Citalopram did work and I'm thinking maybe it still does and I'm just going through a rough patch. At this point I'm desperate and if the klonopin helps I'm all for it.

Klonopin would help you, there's no doubt about it, and also, there is nothing wrong with taking it occasionally alongside Citalopram if you really need it. However, prolonged use is not recommended. Perhaps only taking half of it every other day or once every 3 days would work. You could also try carrying a bottle of it in your bag to make you feel like you can take it in case you needed to, which might make you feel more secure. :)

Well she wants me to take a 1mg a day for a month I havnt experienced much relief today but I'm hoping after a few days I'll level out again. I just have the most unbearable anxiety had it under control for months but now it's back :/. I think I'd rather stick it out see how this month goes before trying to switch antideppresnt.

1 mg is a moderately high dose. It should make you feel better immediately, I think. If you take 3 a day, it should alleviate some of the awful symptoms, and after a week, you should feel a lot better. Please be careful, though, as dependency can develop after 4-5 weeks of continual use.

I was on Klonopin for roughly ten years. Just recently, a little over a month ago, I came off of it. I definitely felt some withdrawals but nothing horrible. The withdrawals, by the way, were mental, not physical. At times I doubt my decision to quit taking Klonopin. For me, at least, it helped in the moment. It certainly isn't a cure, though.

I'm in a similar situation as I have been prescribed 1mg a day of klonopin for the past 2 months.I also take venflaxine and mirtizapine which do not seem to be helping yet am being kept on them. I too am worried about becoming dependent on them, which I think I am.

How many milligrams of Venlafaxine are you on? I'm finding the medication helpful, but take half a tablet of Rivotril 0.5 mg on an as per needed basis.

Just to update I'm still on the klonopin but cross tapering off of citalopram into fluxotine. I've told my doctor I don't want to take klonopin forever and she said if the Prozac works I'll know when I'm ready to come off them. I knew when I was ready to come off Ativan so I guess I'll cross the klonopin bridge when I come to it.

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Originally Posted by kain

Just to update I'm still on the klonopin but cross tapering off of citalopram into fluxotine. I've told my doctor I don't want to take klonopin forever and she said if the Prozac works I'll know when I'm ready to come off them. I knew when I was ready to come off Ativan so I guess I'll cross the klonopin bridge when I come to it.

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My psych put me on escitalopram and clonazepam. He wanted me to take it daily and then even more as-needed. I did for a time but I was very aware of the possibility of being "hooked" and knew when I would be able to go off of the clonazepam. Now I only take as-needed, which is (thankfully) rare. My new psych was really happy to hear that I'd done that myself as the general thought is that long-term clonazepam isn't ideal.

Hi
I have bad anxiety and clonazapam helps me. I have been off and on it for rhe last few years. I have tried many antidepressants and am now trying Clomipramine. My psychiatrist said I may have to be on Clonazapam long term and he said that it would be just fine.
I have to be able to function or why bother living. Anxiety is very cruel and painful.
Mugs

Well, I'm still on Clonazapam (2MG daily). It's been a year now. This whole time i've been trying different antidepressents so that i don't need to take a benzo. I'm ashamed and scared that i have to rely on a benzo. Does anyone else still take their klonopin? Were you able to come off it when you found the right med?

I do. After having been on it for 9 years, I managed to stop taking it on a daily basis, but I still need to rely on it when I'm highly anxious... which is quite often, sadly. :weep:
I relate to the feeling of shame. It's disappointing to know you're not able to control your anxiety without the aid of Klonopin. Also, it seems that no anti-depressant is quite right for me. I've tried 3 so far, and I still need Klonopin to fully relax me.

I know how you feel, Anna. It stinks to rely on a bento but I just need to accept it. I get terrible panic attack’s and need my life back. If that what helps, then so Be it

You're right. There's no need to beat yourself up over needing benzos every now and again. It's Monday today, so I'll try and cope without one, but I'm scared of panicking at work. Anxiety is such a bully. :weep:

I know how you feel. In fact, I'm starting think that I've gotten worse trying different antidepressents. I never had the extreme panicking before trying different SNRI's , SSRI's , etc. I only needed Xanax because I had a hard time tolerating an antidepressant. Right now I cold turkey Cymbalta, which is a bit brutal. I was having horrendous stomach pains and weight gain, so my doctor told me to stop now and to switch to Viibryd. I'm on a tiny dose of that right now. I almost feel like just stopping the antidepressant merry go round and maybe just try a beta blocker for my fast heart rate, and then trying to taper of Klonopin. Thoughts?

Hi all,

After being admitted to hospital I was changed from Duloxitine to Quetiapine (50mg am & 75mg PM) & Klonopin 0.5mg in the morning as that when my anxiety is worse, been diagnosed with BPD (now known as EUPD).
I’ve been experiencing issues falling asleep & waking early with the anxiety & it’s not been like that for a few weeks (does this mean that my dosage may need changing?
Doctors don’t really want to keep me on the Klonopin although it does work.

Help greatly appreciated!

HB xx