does body weight affect benzodiazepine dose? (for adults)

Hey all,

 

Im male, 25, 6'1, 240  but looking back i imagine, say, 1.0mg clonazepam must affect me differently than say a 5'0 90lb female who's 50years old?

 

i know for kids, they base dosage on weight

 

Is there any correlation between body mass and dosage for adults?

 

Yes, or so I think. However, keep in mind that ALL people will develop a tolerance to benzos, meaning over time their dose has to increase to keep the same effects. And that is how we become physically addicted.

No matter what your age or weight, benzos can deeply harm you. When I started taking them I was 32. I was chubby then, and years went by and my weight crept up til I was downright obese. My benzo doses did go up, but whether from tolerance or weight, who knows? I had a gastric bypass in 2003, because by then I was aloast 300 lbs of woman. NOT a nice thing to be. I lost all the weight, but my benzo doses did NOT go down. Why? Becauser of tolerance/addiction.

 

Nice question!

east

I read in one of the articles that overweight people are actually supposed to use LOWER doses of benzos because obese people don't metabolize them properly, and they build up, plus they store in fat cells.  I am obese, so I wondered if this factored into how severe my withdrawal was, considering I was only on 1mg klonopin a day.  (I was also on other medicines that can apparently cause you to metabolize benzos slower, which probably also didn't help).

I don't know. When I went OFF benzos I weighed 85 lbs. I used to be obese, and had a gastric bypass in 2003. That cured the obesity but it sure did not cure my need to take benzos!!! LOL!

Now, I have trouble maintaining a normal (NOT underweight) weight. If you knew what I eat know to maintain or gain weight you would be horrified. HIGH fat, high sugar! But it sure tastes good to eat cake all day. Luckily my labs are all normal.

 

east