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Question about taking Clonazapem PRN


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What if a person took a benzo PRN at the lowest dose of Clonazapem .05mg and took mostly 1 per day.  Sometimes took 2 dosages per day and didn't take any for several days in a row at times. Also didn't have wd's during these times.  Only took because of anxiety about a medical issue.  I tapered off for 1 week but when thinking about this, it was really as if I was just cutting my dosages back like lots of you do trying not to take as much as stated you could.

So when I read that you shouldn't reinstate after 2 weeks, does this pertain to a person taking the drug PRN?  If I wanted to take one for extreme anxiety because I have to travel and haven't taken one for 43 days, it's as if I was just continuing with the PRN, right?  It's not that I want to take the drug, but I can't seem to hardly leave my home and this started happening befor the drug. I also know there's so many that take this drug PRN only and very infrequently. When they decide not to take anymore, they can just stop with no wd's at all...at least that's what a few have said.  I think that's why I didn't have wd's on the days when I didn't take any and also when I quit.  A few minor symptoms I had could have been from nervousness knowing I was stopping the drug and finding out about the drug itself.  Like I said 43 days without this drug and other than feeling so anxious and don't want to leave the house I'm getting alone pretty good.

 

I addressed this question before and I really would like to hear from those that KNOW the answers.

 

I did talk with approx 5 pharmacists and was told that  many of their clients take this drug

PRN and stop for a good while like weeks to mos and start again with absolutely no problems but they are told to take this drug only PRN if posible....

Break away from taking the drug off and on is the best thing to do if you need to take a benzo, 2 of them said.

 

 

 

Thanks,

Shirley

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What if a person took a benzo PRN at the lowest dose of Clonazapem .05mg and took mostly 1 per day.  Sometimes took 2 dosages per day and didn't take any for several days in a row at times. Also didn't have wd's during these times.  Only took because of anxiety about a medical issue.  I tapered off for 1 week but when thinking about this, it was really as if I was just cutting my dosages back like lots of you do trying not to take as much as stated you could.

So when I read that you shouldn't reinstate after 2 weeks, does this pertain to a person taking the drug PRN?  If I wanted to take one for extreme anxiety because I have to travel and haven't taken one for 43 days, it's as if I was just continuing with the PRN, right?  It's not that I want to take the drug, but I can't seem to hardly leave my home and this started happening befor the drug. I also know there's so many that take this drug PRN only and very infrequently. When they decide not to take anymore, they can just stop with no wd's at all...at least that's what a few have said.  I think that's why I didn't have wd's on the days when I didn't take any and also when I quit.  A few minor symptoms I had could have been from nervousness knowing I was stopping the drug and finding out about the drug itself.  Like I said 43 days without this drug and other than feeling so anxious and don't want to leave the house I'm getting alone pretty good.

 

I addressed this question before and I really would like to hear from those that KNOW the answers.

 

I did talk with approx 5 pharmacists and was told that  many of their clients take this drug

PRN and stop for a good while like weeks to mos and start again with absolutely no problems but they are told to take this drug only PRN if posible....

Break away from taking the drug off and on is the best thing to do if you need to take a benzo, 2 of them said.

 

 

 

Thanks,

Shirley

 

I'm not sure what this means, Shirley.  My doc told me not to take mine prn if I wanted to stop taking them; said that was the worst thing I could do.  Of course, I was on them every day for years so not the same as your situation.  I don't know that I would consider taking a benzo when you had been off them for a while a "reinstatement" when taken as you did: only infrequently with no increase in dose needed over time (.5mg).  Are you trying to figure out if it's okay to take a benzo once in a while from here on out?  We are a benzo withdrawal support forum so I for one would not advocate playing with fire that way.  Learn to live without them and kick them to the curb is my view.  It's just one person's opinion, of course, so take from it what you will.  ;)

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I concur. I was able to take Xanax off and on (usually about 2 a month for about 10 years) then I took more regularly and withdrawal became a regular phenomenon every time I stopped. Xanax, Ambien and other benzos just got more and more toxic for me. Today, 1 pill would put me into severe rebound anxiety within 2 hours and last at least 48 hours, if not much longer. I'm talking about 1 pill here -- I've tried and it doesn't work for me. I'm not saying it would be this way for everybody, but I used to tolerate these medications and those days are LONG GONE. I do not want to ever touch these poisons again.
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Comments please.

What if a person took a benzo PRN at the lowest dose of Clonazapem .05mg and took mostly 1 per day.  Sometimes took 2 dosages per day and didn't take any for several days in a row at times. Also didn't have wd's during these times.  Only took because of anxiety about a medical issue.  I tapered off for 1 week but when thinking about this, it was really as if I was just cutting my dosages back like lots of you do trying not to take as much as stated you could.

So when I read that you shouldn't reinstate after 2 weeks, does this pertain to a person taking the drug PRN?  If I wanted to take one for extreme anxiety because I have to travel and haven't taken one for 43 days, it's as if I was just continuing with the PRN, right?  It's not that I want to take the drug, but I can't seem to hardly leave my home and this started happening befor the drug. I also know there's so many that take this drug PRN only and very infrequently. When they decide not to take anymore, they can just stop with no wd's at all...at least that's what a few have said.  I think that's why I didn't have wd's on the days when I didn't take any and also when I quit.  A few minor symptoms I had could have been from nervousness knowing I was stopping the drug and finding out about the drug itself.  Like I said 43 days without this drug and other than feeling so anxious and don't want to leave the house I'm getting alone pretty good.

 

I addressed this question before and I really would like to hear from those that KNOW the answers.

 

I did talk with approx 5 pharmacists and was told that  many of their clients take this drug

PRN and stop for a good while like weeks to mos and start again with absolutely no problems but they are told to take this drug only PRN if posible....

Break away from taking the drug off and on is the best thing to do if you need to take a benzo, 2 of them said.

 

 

 

Thanks,

Shirley

 

I'm not sure what this means, Shirley.  My doc told me not to take mine prn if I wanted to stop taking them; said that was the worst thing I could do.  Of course, I was on them every day for years so not the same as your situation.  I don't know that I would consider taking a benzo when you had been off them for a while a "reinstatement" when taken as you did: only infrequently with no increase in dose needed over time (.5mg).  Are you trying to figure out if it's okay to take a benzo once in a while from here on out?  We are a benzo withdrawal support forum so I for one would not advocate playing with fire that way.  Learn to live without them and kick them to the curb is my view.  It's just one person's opinion, of course, so take from it what you will.  ;)

 

 

Beeper,

Don't understand what your doctor meant not taking them prn if you wanted to stop them.  I was only asking about taking them in a rare case.  My doctor says she tells almost all her patients to take them prn a well as every pharmacist I spoke with. They said it was best to always take them this way PRN to keep from getting addicted and usually you won't have wd's.  I never took them everyday and skipped many days during the 3 mos and my dose was usually .05mg and sometimes maybe 2 doses. I only mentioned this because I keep hearing never  reinstate if you have stopped 2 wks or more but always wondered about a person taking them like I did.  I want to travel and can hardly leave the house like I said and was wondering if my anxiety got so bad and was short of breath, could I take one.  I probably would not and I got off the drug because after reading about it, it scared me so bad.

 

I am dealing with all this anxiety which started this past Jan due to heart arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation which is under control without drugs.

 

I know everyday is getter better and better and being a Christian, this is the way I have to believe.

 

Thanks for responding

Shirley

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I'd stay away from benzos permanently.

 

I think you're asking if it's "okay" to take one now and then since you didn't have any W/Ds before.  No one will be able to accurately answer this since everyone's body acts differently and no one on a Benzo support board is going to tell you it's okay to take them -- even occasionally. For one, your body chemistry may have changed.  I was able to take NyQuil before.  I took some a few weeks ago and boy did I ever regret it.  NyQuil!  An OTC med!  But I'm sure if I'd asked a pharmacist or doctor they would tell me to go ahead and take it since I'm not currently on any other meds.  It's "only" NyQuil, after all.  

 

You have a situation most of us would trade you for in a heartbeat.  You only took benzos occasionally and stopped without any serious side effects.  I say thank God for small miracles and never even look at a benzo again.  

 

If you're still having anxiety and considering taking benzos again after all you've seen and read on here, it sounds like you still need "something."  So the question isn't "is it okay to take benzos prn" it's "what else can I take or do instead of taking benzos ever again."

 

Human being to human being:  Please don't take any more of this stuff - even PRN.

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Kendra,

I don't want to take a benzo again either, I was only wondering about taking one if in fact I thought I absolutely had to. Just when I travel which is hard to do right now. I wanted some feed back about the PRN issue and I knew no would tell me it would be alright to take one..  When I found out about this drug, I got off so fast and didn't know about a slow taper either.

I have had some inner trembling but have had something like that before taking this so I guess then it was my nerves  doing it.  I do have tinnitus and it's loud but again I had some before the drug.  Sometimes I don't knowif symptoms are wd's or mynerves from worrying so much. After finding out about this drug, I then had to deal with this issue as well as trying to calm down my anxiety from the heart arrhythmias which is when all this started...One night while on the drug, my heart started beating so erratic that I took 1 dose .05mg and it calmed me down and the arrhythmias as well. Tomorrow will be 44 days off Clonazapem. I take a small dose of Buspar which I don't think does a thing.  I just kept taking it incase it would calm me down some after stopping the Clonazapem. I tapered and stopped for about 3 days then decided to take one am and pm until I can get this anxiety under control.

 

Hope you're doing good.

 

Solstice

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You've been off of benzos for 44 days - definitely a big deal.    :thumbsup:

 

That PRN thing, still is a tough decision.

 

Honest question:  What's worse -- the anxiety you feel when you think you need to take it, or the anxiety over what might happen if you take it?

 

I'm not lecturing you. I just wish I'd found this site before I ever took a benzo.  

 

Anxiety is treatable with plenty of other options and meds.  Benzo withdrawal isn't.  

 

 

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Anxiety is treatable with plenty of other options and meds.  Benzo withdrawal isn't. 

 

 

 

This is one of the best lines I've ever read here, good stuff Kendra!  :thumbsup:

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You've been off of benzos for 44 days - definitely a big deal.    :thumbsup:

 

That PRN thing, still is a tough decision.

 

Honest question:  What's worse -- the anxiety you feel when you think you need to take it, or the anxiety over what might happen if you take it?

 

I'm not lecturing you. I just wish I'd found this site before I ever took a benzo.  

 

Anxiety is treatable with plenty of other options and meds.  Benzo withdrawal isn't.  

 

What are other meds for treating anxiety?

 

 

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Comments please.

What if a person took a benzo PRN at the lowest dose of Clonazapem .05mg and took mostly 1 per day.  Sometimes took 2 dosages per day and didn't take any for several days in a row at times. Also didn't have wd's during these times.  Only took because of anxiety about a medical issue.  I tapered off for 1 week but when thinking about this, it was really as if I was just cutting my dosages back like lots of you do trying not to take as much as stated you could.

So when I read that you shouldn't reinstate after 2 weeks, does this pertain to a person taking the drug PRN?  If I wanted to take one for extreme anxiety because I have to travel and haven't taken one for 43 days, it's as if I was just continuing with the PRN, right?  It's not that I want to take the drug, but I can't seem to hardly leave my home and this started happening befor the drug. I also know there's so many that take this drug PRN only and very infrequently. When they decide not to take anymore, they can just stop with no wd's at all...at least that's what a few have said.  I think that's why I didn't have wd's on the days when I didn't take any and also when I quit.  A few minor symptoms I had could have been from nervousness knowing I was stopping the drug and finding out about the drug itself.  Like I said 43 days without this drug and other than feeling so anxious and don't want to leave the house I'm getting alone pretty good.

 

I addressed this question before and I really would like to hear from those that KNOW the answers.

 

I did talk with approx 5 pharmacists and was told that  many of their clients take this drug

PRN and stop for a good while like weeks to mos and start again with absolutely no problems but they are told to take this drug only PRN if posible....

Break away from taking the drug off and on is the best thing to do if you need to take a benzo, 2 of them said.

 

 

 

Thanks,

Shirley

 

I'm not sure what this means, Shirley.  My doc told me not to take mine prn if I wanted to stop taking them; said that was the worst thing I could do.  Of course, I was on them every day for years so not the same as your situation.  I don't know that I would consider taking a benzo when you had been off them for a while a "reinstatement" when taken as you did: only infrequently with no increase in dose needed over time (.5mg).  Are you trying to figure out if it's okay to take a benzo once in a while from here on out?  We are a benzo withdrawal support forum so I for one would not advocate playing with fire that way.  Learn to live without them and kick them to the curb is my view.  It's just one person's opinion, of course, so take from it what you will.  ;)

 

 

Beeper,

Don't understand what your doctor meant not taking them prn if you wanted to stop them.  I was only asking about taking them in a rare case.  My doctor says she tells almost all her patients to take them prn a well as every pharmacist I spoke with. They said it was best to always take them this way PRN to keep from getting addicted and usually you won't have wd's.  I never took them everyday and skipped many days during the 3 mos and my dose was usually .05mg and sometimes maybe 2 doses. I only mentioned this because I keep hearing never  reinstate if you have stopped 2 wks or more but always wondered about a person taking them like I did.  I want to travel and can hardly leave the house like I said and was wondering if my anxiety got so bad and was short of breath, could I take one.  I probably would not and I got off the drug because after reading about it, it scared me so bad.

 

I am dealing with all this anxiety which started this past Jan due to heart arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation which is under control without drugs.

 

I know everyday is getter better and better and being a Christian, this is the way I have to believe.

 

Thanks for responding

Shirley

 

Oh, yes, my script was always "as needed" (prn) and started at .5mg/day.  The trouble is, I came to need it more often and then more of it more often.  That's what addicting drugs do. 

 

After I stopped my nearly 20 year use, I did used to keep a couple of cut up .5mg tablets with me "just in case" and just knowing they were there as an option probably gave me the psychological support I needed.  That and the techniques I use daily to lessen my anxiety such as slow deep (controlled) breathing.  I told myself that if I did the breathing exercise for 10 minutes and it didn't help, I could take the pill but I never needed to because the slow deep breathing always lowered my anxiety to an acceptable level for me.  ;)

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Thanks Beeper. I didn't know this until now, but a friend of mine just stopped Ativan prn  and had so much trouble with anxiety and with his  breathing that he could hardly function at all.  I believe he said he took it for almost 5.5  mos at a low dose and when he stopped he had no wd's  at all and if he did he didn't recognize them anyway.  Well after about 2 mos off he said his doctor told him if he thought he needed to he could start taking them again prn which he did and didn't have any problems and still doesn't. I guess sometimes we have to do what we have to do.  He looks good but really tired. He was taking for anxiety from lots of family issues.

 

Seems like prn is better than taking everyday. Had several pharmacists tell me the samething when I started investigating Clonazapem.....

 

You just can't get addicted that's all. I know a psyshologist that take Clonazapem for a frozen neck very, very prn and said he would never be without his drug. 

 

Clear something for me, does wd's come from being addicted?  Sometimes confused when reading posts.

 

Thanks for your comments or anyone else.

 

Solstice

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Clear something for me, does wd's come from being addicted?  Sometimes confused when reading posts.

Solstice

 

A Few Notes Concerning Tolerance

We regularly come across misinformation concerning tolerance. You should understand the following:

 

'Tolerance' occurs when your GABA (benzo) receptors have down-regulated in response to the regular use of benzodiazepines. Put simply, your benzos will no longer deliver the therapeutic effects they did before you become tolerant. Only by increasing your dose might the effects of tolerance be counteracted. However, you are highly likely to become tolerant of the new dose - so begins a vicious circle of escalating benzo use. Since this is completely counter to our stated mission, in our opinion, the only sensible solution is to taper off at a sensible rate, and allow enough time for your GABA system to recover and regulate itself properly.

 

The longer you take benzodiazepines, the greater the chance that you will develop tolerance. Most people develop tolerance, and it is a gradual process. For some, this may occur and develop very rapidly, within a few weeks of their first dose. It is probably easier and wiser to taper off benzos before developing tolerance, and particularly before developing 'Tolerance Withdrawal' symptoms - we prefer the term Relative Withdrawal.

 

Relative Withdrawal refers to withdrawal effects that some people experience once they have become tolerant to their benzodiazepines. Although they are not reducing their dose, they nevertheless experience withdrawal-type symptoms. As with 'tolerance', increasing their dose might alleviate the symptoms, but they are likely to again become tolerant of the increased dose. The only good solution is to taper off at a sensible rate and allow enough time for the GABA system to recover. We should point out that only a small number of people develop Relative Withdrawal symptoms.

 

A popular myth is that Relative Withdrawal is dose-specific. In fact, only an increase in dose might alleviate symptoms; a decrease in dose cannot! The longer you stay on benzodiazepines (whether or not you have started your taper), the more likely you are to develop Relative Withdrawal symptoms. For this reason, it is better to taper off sooner rather than later. It is sometimes said of Relative Withdrawal that by staying at a particular dose for too long, you will develop 'Relative Withdrawal' effects to this specific dose, whereas if you were instead tapering, this would not occur - this not how Relative Withdrawal occurs! Whilst it is true that by stretching out your taper longer than necessary you might increase your chances of developing Relative Withdrawal symptoms, it is not the result of you sticking at a particular dose for too long. Rather, it is the result of protracted use of benzos, whether or not you are withdrawing at the time, which can lead to Relative Withdrawal symptoms.

 

Often, when people hit a rough patch in their withdrawal taper, they are mistakenly advised that they have developed tolerance, and must cut, to resolve the problem. As already discussed, a cut in dosage cannot alleviate Relative Withdrawal effects. People hit rough patches in their withdrawal for a variety of reasons. Usually, this is the result of unpredictable withdrawal patterns that are best tackled by a short stabilisation of dose before continuing with the taper. Sometimes, it is the result of tapering too quickly, and similarly, a short period of stabilisation of dose is all that is required. In these situations, a reduction in dosage would only increase withdrawal symptoms. Of course, this should be avoided!

 

If you are unfortunate enough to develop Relative Withdrawal symptoms, you will not gain relief through stabilising your dose. If you experience withdrawal symptoms before starting your taper - that is to say, Relative Withdrawal symptoms - all you can do is withdraw at a sensible taper rate. If once you have started your taper you then develop withdrawal symptoms, it can be difficult to determine if you are suffering withdrawal symptoms because your withdrawal is too rapid, or if it is the result of developing Relative Withdrawal. If you experience no relief after stabilising your dose for some time, you have probably developed Relative Withdrawal symptoms. In this unfortunate situation, all you can do is continue to taper off at a reasonable and tolerable rate.

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