Hi everyone! Somewhat new to the site but have tried the other communities too. I have diagnosed anxiety with panic attacks. The anxiety has been well maintained with therapy and medicine its very, very rare for me to have a panic attack but if I do I take my PRN Klonopin which thankfully I am 100 percent not addicted too. However, I have been on Klonopin for so long that its lost its effect and my docs want to taper me off it which I am totally fine with but I always ask them well what can I use as a prn for those rare but intense panic attacks and they seem baffled and say they will have to think it over and just keep me on klonopin and never change anything. I have been on it for 11 years
Anxiety and Stress - what can I use for intense panic attacks, Klonopin has lost its effect?
- Posted:
- 22 May 2011 by JennyLynn4eva
- Topics:
- anxiety, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety and stress, medicine
Details:
Responses (5)
pledge22 May 2011
Hello jennyLynn4eva. And welcome to our site. Its a truly a place to be. Lots f good peolpe with lots of insight. By communties do you mean to get away from benzodiazepines altogether? Some other long acting bezos like klonopin are valuim, librium centrex and some short acting are xanax, ativan, serax. I also have anxiety, and for some years, major panic attacks. Lately the past few years, have been good to me in regards to panic attacks. Bit like yourself. What also helped me was mellaril.(thioridazine) It's mostly prescribed for manic depression, schizophrenia, along with depression. It was however prescribed to me to calm my anxiety and along with several other drugs did work. Another one that I was on was stelazine(trifluoperazine) also for my anxiety and panic attacks, which in those days were crippling me. There are several other drugs out, from different families. Lets see what some other members of our site come up with, best of wishes JennyLynn, have a great Sunday.
LaurieShay22 May 2011
Hey JennyLynn,
Now I'm beginning to see the whole picture. I really recommend you try one of the antidepressants that treat depression and anxiety such as Zoloft or Lexapro. There are many antidepressants which also help with anxiety so you might have to try a couple different ones before you find the one that works for you. Unfortunately it is a trial and error sort of process but well worth the effort once you find the one that works for you.
The antidepressant would solve both the problem with the stimulant you take for depression and the tolerance you have built to the Klonopin. They are non addictive and do not cause any kind of high. I have been on one for many many years with great success.
ace_rick
22 May 2011
Hey Laurie, are you the kind who is forgetful !? long time no hear !ace_rick
drugs.com fan of LaurieShay.
LaurieShay
22 May 2011
Hey ace_rick,
Yea, I can be forgetful. What did I forget? lol I'm a little confused.
Laurie
ace_rick22 May 2011
Dear Jenny,
you can't be sure 100% that you are not addicted to your medicines..I concluded that from what you said about the lost effect of Klonopin and tapering off it.When you take it only for you rare intense panic attack,the effect of the med should not be lost whatsoever,unless it is no longer a success to control your attack because of some alteration has become to your anxiety.In this case,a new evaluation and some exams of your condition are a must.You may need a visit to different doctors to get your diagnosis checked again,and not just a rough estimate.Ask Pledge,a member,his answer is above,he has been gone through out all sort of anxieties for along long time.P.S he is a friend of mine in this community,and I admire the way writes.
JennyLynn4eva
22 May 2011
Ace thank you for your suggestions I appreciate it. I have had OCD and Anxiety w/panic attacks for 14 years consistently and have had several and I mean several psychiatrists, counselors, and tests all conclude that the above was indeed correct. And I am actual apart of a longitundal study for OCD have been for 5 years at Butler Hospital in Providence, RI. But your right in suggesting I have it rechecked because I am 80 percent better than 14 yrs. ago but I can't possibly tease out the reason for this it could be the meds, my coping skills, etc. I am not at all sure. So I will def. speak to my docs. about being reavulated for this. Thank you again.
22 May 2011
Dear Jenny,
you can't be sure 100% that you are not addicted to your medicines..I concluded that from what you said about the lost effect of Klonopin and tapering off it.When you take it only for you rare intense panic attack,the effect of the med should not be lost whatsoever,unless it is no longer a success to control your attack because of some alteration has become to your anxiety.In this case,a new evaluation and some exams of your condition are a must.You may need a visit to different doctors to get your diagnosis checked again,and not just a rough estimate.Ask Pledge,a member,his answer is above,he has been gone through out all sort of anxieties for along long time.P.S he is a friend of mine in this community,and I admire the way writes.
ace_rick
22 May 2011
Jenny , I forgot to ask you: Have you ever tried any meds other than clonazepam for panic attacks ?
JennyLynn4eva
22 May 2011
In the beginning they were expermenting with me or it felt that way lol so they tried me on xanax, ativan, valium, and finally klonopin and of all klonopin was the only one that had a noticeable effect on me. I am so so so very lucky that I am not drawn to benzo's I have heard so so many people struggle with xanax in particular. I have my own issues with stimulants which is enough. And luckily very luckily opiates just by luck that is for someone with addiction issues opiates literally make me violently ill I have taken viocidin/percocet once or twice for pain in the past before I knew how sick these make me and it was so bad I actual threw up on myself because I couldn't make it to the bathroom in time and the other time I needed a shot to stop the vomitting.
pledge
smileyhappy23 May 2011
Hi Jenny Lynn,
Welcome to this site. You will find alot of helpful people here. I used to use Lorazepam for my anxiety but it also made me feel worse being on it. I didn't feel myself and I could tell it was addictive. I hope you find the right thing for your anxiety. Take care
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And once again I apologize for the typos. No award will ever be won by me in the typing dept. ;-0)
pledge,my friend, how are you donig now ? any improvements recently?I mentioned your name down here in my answer if you don't mind..BTWN us your typo is awesom,and did you read my comment on one of yours Friday??
WOW!! You all know so much!!! I know about alot of psych. meds through my own experience and research and I have my BA in psychology and worked in the field and I don't know nearly as much as you all. Thank goodness I have met you all I am def. going to research these meds and talk to my docs. who never even brought these meds to my attention because I really don't want to be on it anymore just because I have built up a tolerance to it and they prescribed this because its long acting like you said. In the beginning they tried me on everything from xanax to ativan to valium and they really had little to no effect on me only clonopin worked. I really really want what you suggested a long acting panic attack type of med. Another big kudos to you all
Jenny welcome, yes thes guys are great and very supportive. I have the same problems you do I could not take klonipen, so Im on xanax and lexapro. I just wanted to say welcome,
Hello vonnie. Lots of traffic on this page, nice to see, lots of opinions, ideas, feedback. You really fail to give yourself credit. As a caregiver in your home, plus being a mother, wife, I tip my hat to you. Thats a lot for anyones plate. and add that along with the day to day fight that goes on inside yourself. oh and please pass the grits I know... no grits for von-1 ha! tell you what, between your husband and me, we'll make up a new bunch of receipes, win a few awards, go on the food network, and give some serious competition to a few of these chefs. I make a mean chili. :-0)
Von thank you very much for the warm wishes. I know I am home here.
Oh Pledge you are too kind! lol, A few mos ago I couldn't even give my own bath, I was helpless. I listen to my body and when it says rest, I rest. You are sooo sweet. You and Jay need to get together and cook. Im not a susie homemaker. Cleaning yes cooking NO! LOL, so yall can have grits together. My doctor and his fife eat grits and shrimp. (sick) I like shrimp. Well I better go before I give you the big head LOL Luv ya. Vonnie
Chuckling away here. I'm getting hungry. Shrimp love it. Vonnie, when it comes to seafood I'm in hog heaven. Between, meat and seafood, always seafood. When I was a boy, we really ate alot of fish. Fish and more fish. Enjoy shellfish. prefer clams to oysters, enjoy them both though. I was born in Holland, and we lived on the coast, by the North Sea. A fishing town, just outside of The Hague. in dutch Den Haag. The town is called Scheveningen, I know a mouthfull, world famous, by "world" its well known in Europe, ha! Gets about anywhere between 8 and 10 million visitors a year. So, not small tators, meaning numbers .See, you give a compliment and begins his life story. help!!! throw me a line, a life line! Enough already... time to get up and get some serious things accomplished. Prepare the dogs there dinners.
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Well its still sunday afternoon, hot and sticky, humidy is like a sauna today, I thought that when we moved up from Florida, we'd loose some of the humidy, but yeah, right. Mid-nineties here, in South Carolina. See you Vonnie, keep on smiling, and keep those grits hot, I love em with butter, plain, any which way.