Klonopin user/Celexa

[blaze22]

I would like to know what is or are the experiences other's have had with Klonopin/Clonazepam, how long can one be prescribed this medication and has anyone suffered side effects such as blurred vision, confusion, anger/frustration/ muscle soreness and weakness and losing alot of weight? This is the second time that I have been on this medication in my life however have been on psycho active drugs for 20 plus years......It is almost a given that I take something else to offset the panic/anxiety medications, meaning side effects....Also is this drug popular with treating side effects of recovering alcoholics?

[ARTIST658]

I would like to know what is or are the experiences other's have had with Klonopin/Clonazepam, how long can one be prescribed this medication and has anyone suffered side effects such as blurred vision, confusion, anger/frustration/ muscle soreness and weakness and losing alot of weight? This is the second time that I have been on this medication in my life however have been on psycho active drugs for 20 plus years......It is almost a given that I take something else to offset the panic/anxiety medications, meaning side effects....Also is this drug popular with treating side effects of recovering alcoholics?

I have had quite a bit of experience with klonopin, and little good to say about it. I was given it personally, as a means of lessening stress/anxiety that was triggering chronic migraines - and never abused the drug. Nevertheless, when I decided to stop, my body was fully-dependent upon it, and I went through 21 days of constant, nearly unbearable panic attacks. Since then, I've done more research on the drug - and seriously question if the risks outweigh the benefits of it for most people.

I work in the field of substance abuse, so I also witness first-hand how klonopin has affected many others. It is a drug that quickly lends itself toward dependency (causing withdrawal symptoms upon stopping) - and also seems to also be more addictive than most.

There is serious alarm by some in the medical community that have come to see that, down the road, the use of certain benzos (like klonopin) can often increase anxiety, rather than resolve it. In other words, it backfires.

The best place I've found for reading more about this drug is the www.benzo.org.uk site, especially the FAQ's here: http://www.benzo.org.uk/index.htm

It is a highly addictive drug, and I would never suggest it for use with recovering alcoholics. In my opinion, it's alcohol in pill form - and only a means of substituting addictions. For most the past 20 years, I've overcome addictions to alcohol, narcotics and benzos - and, by far, the toughest of the bunch was klonopin.

God bless,
Ruth

[blaze22]

Thank you Ruth for this information, it is helpful, however the ongoing fight that I have is the never ending pain, nausea, unable to sleep, eat or even function when i am cold turkey. Period...nothing at all, and all over the counter medications including the natural herb therapy are all just not worth it. I have been dealing with addiction now since I was 15 years of age and have been in the hospital more times than I can count on my hands and toes. Many a surgery, pain killers, psych meds, meds for nausea, muscle relaxers, med for migraines and so on,.....it is endless...so far the celexa seems to have been working the problem that continues is that I seem edgier, and edgier and edgier, what does it take to just feel calm? Worry, stress, and daily confrontations bring me down to a physically debilitating state and has all my life....what other drugs are there besides Klonopin?

[shadowwally]

Hey Blaze,
I have no idea what the underlying cause is for your medications. I take clonazapam/klonopin, for my MS only when I have muscle spasms, not like charlie horses, but more, like involuntary jerking of my body at times. I'm awfully careful with it, as Ruth says, it is addictive, very. I will tell you, corny as this sounds, that I do a lot of Yoga for my MS and have noticed it has a quite surprising effect on anxiety and the ability to stay calm. I know that will sound silly to you, but does work for me and even keeps the amount of spasm attacks at bay.
Best of luck, whatever you do.