Clonazepam (Klonopin, Rivotril)
- Thread starter erik
- Start date
Member
Yes it is, and I really didn't know that until recently. I was on that dosage for at least 7 or 8 years - nonstop. My new doctors are very concerned and have really been good about explaining the dangers of Clonazepam and lowering the dosage every other month. As I said, I'm taking 0.5 mg twice a day, but next month I hope to only take 0.5mg once a day. Then go down to half of that and then completely stop.
ReyKalinic
Member
- Mar 3, 2016
- 89
- Tinnitus Since
- 2000
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Probably vestibular neuritis in summer 1999
undecided
Member
Reading through this thread, I decided to share a story.
Doctor had prescribed 5mg of Valium (well, Prazepam actually, essentially the same thing, maybe slightly more potent) 3 times a day, long ago.
I don't use benzos anymore, but I "filled" the prescription anyway. Who knows, maybe there's a dope pushing career for me out there, therefore I build a stockpile.
So yesterday I was having a truly shitty day, took a dose, did nothing, so I call the doc.
Me: Doc, I used the Valium, didn't get any relief, what now?
Doc: Ugh, how much did I prescribe?
Me: 5mg, three times a day.
Doc: Well, take another pill, it won't hurt, but don't make a habit out of it. (very sensible advice)
Me: You, mean I should go up to 160mg? (note: 32 times the prescribed dose, that's how much I actually used)
Doc: (dead silence)
Me: (waiting)
Doc: We should talk really soon.
Me: Okee.
I won't be talking to him anytime soon. Besides benzos, I'm done with doctors (except dentists, they are a necessary evil).
I just felt that even though I don't use this crap anymore, my brain is still in an abnormal state and getting back to normal takes a ton of patience and self-restraint.
Just a word of caution for everyone.
Stick to your recommended dose and get off benzos as soon as possible. They are not a cure, sometimes not even a relief). I'm very lucky that I never developed any craving for the drug, now I would be in a deep pile of turds.
Hope someone enjoyed this post. True story, too.
Doctor had prescribed 5mg of Valium (well, Prazepam actually, essentially the same thing, maybe slightly more potent) 3 times a day, long ago.
I don't use benzos anymore, but I "filled" the prescription anyway. Who knows, maybe there's a dope pushing career for me out there, therefore I build a stockpile.
So yesterday I was having a truly shitty day, took a dose, did nothing, so I call the doc.
Me: Doc, I used the Valium, didn't get any relief, what now?
Doc: Ugh, how much did I prescribe?
Me: 5mg, three times a day.
Doc: Well, take another pill, it won't hurt, but don't make a habit out of it. (very sensible advice)
Me: You, mean I should go up to 160mg? (note: 32 times the prescribed dose, that's how much I actually used)
Doc: (dead silence)
Me: (waiting)
Doc: We should talk really soon.
Me: Okee.
I won't be talking to him anytime soon. Besides benzos, I'm done with doctors (except dentists, they are a necessary evil).
I just felt that even though I don't use this crap anymore, my brain is still in an abnormal state and getting back to normal takes a ton of patience and self-restraint.
Just a word of caution for everyone.
Stick to your recommended dose and get off benzos as soon as possible. They are not a cure, sometimes not even a relief). I'm very lucky that I never developed any craving for the drug, now I would be in a deep pile of turds.
Hope someone enjoyed this post. True story, too.
I have macular degeneration in addition to the T and I strongly sugguest that you see an eye Doc. Not supposed to have floaters/ They always ask me if I have them when I go for the eye check up. It's worth it to keep good vision. Hope you feel better.
3ri0w
Member
- Nov 25, 2015
- 398
- Tinnitus Since
- 2012, H 2016, 12/2018(?)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- loud noises, ringing came back 12/2018 after 1year of silent
Sorry if these are stupid questions but I could not get straight answers from my doc
1) how often can you eat klonopin without getting addicted
2) does the change of getting addicted disappear if I eat klonopin for 2 weeks "as needed" (2-4 times a week) and then stop for 2 weeks (so that I don't eat any klonopin at all and don't drink alcohol due to the GABA thing)? And then continue the cycle of taking for 2 weeks, stopping for 2 weeks. Cycling until a cure for T is found
Or am I just being naive?
1) how often can you eat klonopin without getting addicted
2) does the change of getting addicted disappear if I eat klonopin for 2 weeks "as needed" (2-4 times a week) and then stop for 2 weeks (so that I don't eat any klonopin at all and don't drink alcohol due to the GABA thing)? And then continue the cycle of taking for 2 weeks, stopping for 2 weeks. Cycling until a cure for T is found
Or am I just being naive?
Pleasure_Paulie
Member
My psychiatrist recommends 2 weeks as max daily usage.
Klonopin is generally pretty good for addition due to its long half-life. If you start and stop, you will limit the chance of getting addicted and building up tolerance. But you know your own body.. Trust me when I say you will know if you're getting addicted..
3ri0w
Member
- Nov 25, 2015
- 398
- Tinnitus Since
- 2012, H 2016, 12/2018(?)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- loud noises, ringing came back 12/2018 after 1year of silent
I don't know my body that well, it is kinda new to me
how will I know if I'm getting addicted (honest qeustion)
Pleasure_Paulie
Member
You will become super irritable, require higher dosages, become obsessed with wanting more of the drug, becoming angry if you can't your next hit and what not.I don't know my body that well, it is kinda new to me
3ri0w
Member
- Nov 25, 2015
- 398
- Tinnitus Since
- 2012, H 2016, 12/2018(?)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- loud noises, ringing came back 12/2018 after 1year of silent
Pleasure_Paulie
Member
Don't let it happen! You're in complete control. Seek medical attention but you will most likely be put on a tapering plan to try and get yourself off it perhaps with the use of other drugs to assist.
3ri0w
Member
- Nov 25, 2015
- 398
- Tinnitus Since
- 2012, H 2016, 12/2018(?)
- Cause of Tinnitus
- loud noises, ringing came back 12/2018 after 1year of silent
Thank you
What about toxicity, when using Klonopin on and off "as needed"? Like when you are only using it twice a week you cannot really taper up/down.. so I wonder if this would lead to toxicity then?? It would be very nice to have something that gives a bit relief on a bad day though.. oh damn, I am so unsure about this.
Pleasure_Paulie
Member
@Pleasure_Paulie
thanks for your reply! I really did not want to go the benzo route, but currently I see no other way. My doctor did not want to prescribe it to me either.. and I really get why, but it's just the only thing that seems to help a bit. Do you use it only once a while in order to prevent tolerance?
thanks for your reply! I really did not want to go the benzo route, but currently I see no other way. My doctor did not want to prescribe it to me either.. and I really get why, but it's just the only thing that seems to help a bit. Do you use it only once a while in order to prevent tolerance?
Pleasure_Paulie
Member
@Emmi I used Klonopin about 3x week when my T initially started; now I use occasionally. I use between .5 and 1mg. I don't have any side effects except my eye went blood shot when I tried 2mg once. I''ve never taken it for more than 3 days in a row, and never had any addiction issues or withdrawal problems. It honestly has a much worse rep than it deserves.
Usage may vary, but honestly it's never done a huge amount for my T; it can help to relax you and stop you jumping off a veranda which we all consider when our tinnitus is bad haha. I believe some people respond better to Xanax, but I would try Klonopin first.
I'm currently trailing 75mg of Lycria and .5mg of Klonopin to see what effect that has on my T. I had my first dosage an hour ago
Usage may vary, but honestly it's never done a huge amount for my T; it can help to relax you and stop you jumping off a veranda which we all consider when our tinnitus is bad
haha. I believe some people respond better to Xanax, but I would try Klonopin first. I'm currently trailing 75mg of Lycria and .5mg of Klonopin to see what effect that has on my T. I had my first dosage an hour ago
Benzos are GABA agonists. They increase the electric current flow through the GABA receptors in your brain. GABA receptors provide the 'stop' signal in your brain, in that they silence neural activity. When you artificially amplify the stop signal in the brain through use of Benzos, the brain's natural regulation of it's GABA release goes down. Thus, when you suddenly stop taking Benzos, the brain is unprepared and is not creating nearly enough of its own stop signal. This creates hyperactivity and hyper-synchrony in your brain. Hyperactivity and hyper-synchrony causes tinnitus. This is why it is important to take no more than you need and to taper your dosage down.
Tinnitus is created from the aberrant physiology of your brain, folks. The effects of Benzos can be entirely explained through their actions on the brain, not the ear. The fact that you can get tinnitus only from starting and stopping Benzos is the further proof that tinnitus is created from hyperactivity in key regions of the brain. Trauma to the ear is the most common way to create hyperactivity in the auditory processing centers of the brain, but you can bypass the ear and just create the hyperactivity directly by suddenly stopping a high dose of benzos.
@Emmi I used Klonopin about 3x week when my T initially started; now I use occasionally. I use between .5 and 1mg. I don't have any side effects except my eye went blood shot when I tried 2mg once. I''ve never taken it for more than 3 days in a row, and never had any addiction issues or withdrawal problems. It honestly has a much worse rep than it deserves.
Usage may vary, but honestly it's never done a huge amount for my T; it can help to relax you and stop you jumping off a veranda which we all consider when our tinnitus is bad
I'm currently trailing 75mg of Lycria and .5mg of Klonopin to see what effect that has on my T. I had my first dosage an hour ago
Thank you for writing such a great post @Pleasure_Paulie . I find clonazepam helps me cope with my tinnitus better but only take it when it is very severe and usually just for one day.
Michael
that's my concern as well... that I will make it worse in the long run.. in another thread it was mentioned to try the enzyme which makes GABA in the brain (pyridoxal-5-phosphate dependent, activated B6) What would you think of this approach?
ruben ruiz
Member
What other meds? I dont see how a person with chronic tinnitus can take no meds!
In light of downregulating gaba receptors, which is why ive avoided benzos, how about herbs such as ashwagandha etc? Same effect?
Pleasure_Paulie
Member
If a patient is trying to taper off long use of Benzos drugs such as Tegretol and other anticonvulsant are used to assist with the side effects, and lower potency Benzos like Valium are combined to assist achieve a slower taper. But if this was to ever happen to you, always discuss a plan with your doctor.
An issue with many herbs is that they don't cross the blood brain barrier so their efficacy is low.
Sorry, I know very little about those herbs. What I do know is that GABA is not a neurotransmitter that can be easily increased or decreased to a new steady state. The brain always adjusts to counteract or counter steer against the perturbation that you impose with drug (i.e., tolerance), especially when it comes to GABA.
It is the belief of some, that just in the same way the gut can become leaky, so can the bbb.
So, therefore, the notion that gaba cannot cross the bbb is dependent on the leakiness of the brain.
maybe a test run with gaba could help support this theory.
my integrative dr wants me to do neurotransmitter testing. i have done this pre t days and found i had very low gaba and serotonin, and borderline dopamine. however, i question its accuracy.
So, therefore, the notion that gaba cannot cross the bbb is dependent on the leakiness of the brain.
maybe a test run with gaba could help support this theory.
my integrative dr wants me to do neurotransmitter testing. i have done this pre t days and found i had very low gaba and serotonin, and borderline dopamine. however, i question its accuracy.
- May 7, 2015
- 1,045
- Tinnitus Since
- 29.09/2014
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Acoustic trauma using headphones
True. It counteracts with glutumate in the brain. Not good! Its an excitory neurotransmitter.
2mg x 4. It was prescribed for an anxiety order. But, yes, looking back I can see how dangerous it was and how I'm really thankful to those doctors working with me now. I still take 0.5mg, but certainly not as much.
Jack Mccarthy
Member
Been taking Clonazepam since 2008 (almost 8 years) @4mg/day for 7 years. Stepped back to 2mg/day almost a year ago to get it down as much as possible and still have the tinnitus tolerable. Downside is loss of libido and constant dry eye. Loss of libido started less than a year into it and the dry eye started two years back.
Inge
Member
Be careful with klonopin!!!
I took it for years for anxiety and I became very addicted. I was on a high dose and I went cold turkey in rehab. That is when my tinnitus started. I later read about benzodiazepine retracted withdrawal syndrome and tinnitus is one of the symptoms due to altering of GABA receptors in the brain. It took over a year for my tinnitus to go down to a minimal level. Klonopin is a catch 22 as taking it reduces tinnitus but withdrawal can cause tinnitus. A low dose should be ok; when I was on a low dose I did not develop symptoms. The problem with benzo's is tolerance develops quickly and it is therefore addictive. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and last month or years. Never go cold turkey but instead slowly reduce your dose over the course of weeks or even months if you want to quit. In my case I still dont feel like my old self, two years after detox. The most unpleasant withdrawal symptom is anxiety. So use with caution.
I took it for years for anxiety and I became very addicted. I was on a high dose and I went cold turkey in rehab. That is when my tinnitus started. I later read about benzodiazepine retracted withdrawal syndrome and tinnitus is one of the symptoms due to altering of GABA receptors in the brain. It took over a year for my tinnitus to go down to a minimal level. Klonopin is a catch 22 as taking it reduces tinnitus but withdrawal can cause tinnitus. A low dose should be ok; when I was on a low dose I did not develop symptoms. The problem with benzo's is tolerance develops quickly and it is therefore addictive. Withdrawal symptoms can be severe and last month or years. Never go cold turkey but instead slowly reduce your dose over the course of weeks or even months if you want to quit. In my case I still dont feel like my old self, two years after detox. The most unpleasant withdrawal symptom is anxiety. So use with caution.
