Klonopin and Drowsiness: What Users Say

• Gli...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 1, 2016

For Anxiety "I have tried every medication under the sun for anxiety! I was born anxious, I have always said. My doctor put me on Klonopin as more of a long-term anxiety medication in her mind. It was such a miracle for me. I was prescribed 1mg x 2 at night, if needed for anxiety and insomnia, at the time of my divorce. I found I was able to wake up the next day without feeling groggy if I had taken it the night before. When the panic and anxiety set in, it allowed me to calm down and get through the hardest moments. I only take it once in a while these days, but it truly helped me."

• Ran...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 16, 2020

For Panic Disorder "Klonopin was a great medication. I was crazy anxious and couldn't sleep at night at all. I would stay up and just read or cry with my dogs. I was also terribly anxious and depressed. Whenever my doc recommended Klonopin, I was eager to try it. I was on it only for a month though, just so I could get back on my sleeping patterns. It helped my sleep and anxiety so much! I was so thankful for Klonopin. The only reason I stopped taking it was because my sleep was once again regulated and the med caused severe drowsiness. But other than the drowsiness, it worked just fine!"

• Pil...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 30, 2012

For Insomnia "I have severe and chronic insomnia that has caused me little (if any) sleep per night, leading to confusion and irritability in the morning, leading to delirium, if prolonged exposure to sleep deprivation was to happen to me. My doctor first prescribed me Seroquel (quetiapine) for my insomnia, which worked a little bit TOO well, as it was too heavily sedating, and left me with too many 'morning-after' effects. At my doctor's reluctance (due to substance abuse history in not me, but my family) I was given a prescription to a starting dose of 1 mg a night of Klonopin. This was amazing. As opposed to being forced to sleep by Seroquel, Klonopin lulled me to sleep. It's a wonderful medicine."

• Ash...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2025

For Panic Disorder "I have suffered with anxiety, OCD, and panic for most of my adult life. Klonopin definitely helps bring my anxiety and panic way down so I can think clearly, it helps my thoughts not race without making me super drowsy, but it will help me sleep if I take it at night. I recommend this for anyone with panic or extreme anxiety who needs to bring it down. It also helps very quickly :)"

• Chr...
• June 2, 2013

For Anxiety "This has single-handedly eradicated my free-floating anxiety/stress issues. I have experienced occasional fatigue/sleepiness as the sole side effect. I'm able to function without worry and anxiety about anything. I was wary about trying it but it has been a godsend. I have not taken it for any other purposes other than to rid unwanted anxiety and would recommend to anyone suffering with anxiety issues."

• Joh...
• March 21, 2014

For Anxiety "Klonopin has been a wonderful medication for me. I'm a young male who gets social anxiety and overall anxious feelings about situational matters that I just couldn't stop. Well, I take 0.5 mg of Klonopin once daily and haven't had a hint of social nor general anxiety since. I can now focus on school, interact with others with confidence, sleep well at night, and enjoy my life again. The medication gives you a steady sense of calm and tranquility without making you feel sedated (at least it does for me), and its effects last between 6-8 hours! Xanax worked as well, but it made me too sedated to adequately perform my daily schedules, plus didn't last as long."

• CPe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 6, 2013

For Anxiety "Klonopin has been instrumental in getting my anxiety disorder under control. I take 0.25 milligrams three times a day. Taking 0.5mg at once is too much and causes me to be a space cadet. It doesn't work as well on my rare panic attacks, but I have found other ways to cope with breathing exercises and such. Without it, I was nearly non-functioning and about to slip into a deep depression. It has leveled my mood swings and just made life much more bearable (even joyful!). I would much rather have dependency on this medicine and be happy than feel that I am constantly in crisis (and occasionally suicidal)."

• bul...
• July 10, 2016

For Anxiety "I am a middle-aged man who has had anxiety my whole life. In addition, I have a very stressful job. About three years ago, my wife convinced me to see a doctor. I had never taken any sort of anti-anxiety medication previously. The doctor prescribed Klonopin but was very adamant about taking it only as needed. The prescription says 1 mg, twice a day. But I only take, on average, two pills a week when I'm really stressed. As many people here have said, it started out great, then faded with time. Although it definitely helps, it's not pleasant. It's almost as if it makes me so sleepy I'm too tired to be stressed. Two years ago, I would have given it a 9. I still recommend it. Other than sleepiness, I have no other adverse effects."

• swe...
• September 29, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "I started taking Klonopin recently, and I'm mixing it with Viibryd and Lamictal. It helps so much. At night, it takes the edge off. I take 0.5mg, sometimes 1mg, to help me out more. I haven't had as bad of racing thoughts while I'm trying to fall asleep, and I end up sleeping like a baby. The after-effects are a little bit of grogginess but it's worth it. The only thing that bothers me is that I feel like smoking cigarettes after I take it. Overall, it's great and stops the mania as well as depression."

• Ano...
• November 26, 2013

For Anxiety "I take 2mg Klonopin 4-5 times daily along with Adderall XR 20mg 2 each morning. The combination of the two works great. I suffer from Bipolar disorder, Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and ADHD. I would get so bad I would lock myself in my room at home and cry, afraid to speak to people, just full-blown terrible anxiety. Klonopin is very effective if taken properly. It's a miracle medicine. I used to just be on Xanax 1mg 5 times daily, and it started making me angry and aggressive. Some people react differently to medications. Klonopin controls my mood, stops the worst anxiety you ever experienced in its tracks. Wonderful medication with just drowsiness as a side effect."

• Anonymous
• August 7, 2008

For Anxiety "I have had moderate anxiety with agoraphobia for about 5 years. The peak of it came about just before my first day at work. My doctor placed me on 0.5 mg/day when required. I took the pill 2 days prior to work and, thankfully, I was able to focus and speak my mind. The downside is the drowsiness side effect."

• Hop...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 6, 2018

For Panic Disorder "I started taking this medication due to having all sorts of problems with anxiety. I had agoraphobia, panic attacks, and the whole bit. I began taking this medication, and it was a lifesaver for me. I use this medication responsibly, but even though I use it exactly as prescribed, there’s always this doctor who comes along who wants to take me off of it and have me take 3,600 mg of Gabapentin instead and put me to sleep. For some reason, Klonopin doesn’t put me to sleep, but it does calm all the anxiety, making life livable... Always trust your doctor, but you are always the best decider on what works for you."

• Jac...
• November 8, 2015

For Bipolar Disorder "I was diagnosed at the age of 15 with bipolar. I really never understood why that was my diagnosis. Maybe because of my horrible depressions at a very young age and, well, having to go through a lot very early in life might have been the cause of that. I suffered a lot from anxiety or panic attacks, and I must say that Klonopin has been the best drug I have ever had, even better than Xanax. It relaxes me instead of that sedation feeling Xanax used to give me and also lasts longer. I can now sleep better as well. So, in conclusion, Klonopin is amazing and way better than Xanax, and of course, this is to my opinion."

• Ano...
• March 26, 2015

For Anxiety "This medicine helped with my anxiety a lot. I tend to get very anxious during the night, and it can keep me up at times. I'm on 0.5 mg, and it works great! I finally get to sleep and not constantly worry about things. Although one downside is when I wake up. I still feel sedated and tired for about 3 hours, but overall a very good medicine."

• Pre...
• August 13, 2008

For Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "I started on this medication for PLMD about 1 month ago. I am now able to sleep almost through the night, which for me is highly unusual. In that respect, it is great. I am, however, having some trouble feeling groggy during the day, with unclear thinking and some unsteady gait. I typically wear heels daily for my work, but have had to go to flats. The adjustment to the medication has been difficult; I feel sort of 'hung over' during the day, even though I take only one dose in the early evening to calm my legs and allow me to progress into a deep, restorative sleep. I am going to continue because even though it isn't perfect, I could not go on without being able to have any Stage 3 or Stage 4 sleep due to PLMD."

• Anonymous
• January 28, 2013

For Periodic Limb Movement Disorder "I take this for Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. It works, but I have a hard time waking up in the morning. I tried to take it earlier in the evening, and it still was hard to wake up. I don't feel like I got a good night's sleep because I am groggy most of the day. I will talk to my doctor about different options. If it wasn't for this side effect, it works great for PLMD."

• Tes...
• April 30, 2017

For Panic Disorder "Have been taking Klonopin for nearly 20 years. At one point, my doctor was prescribing 3 mg per day. The past couple of years, I've been taking 0.25 mg (1/4 mg) per day. It has been very helpful in preventing panic attacks and reducing my anxiety in general. My only side effect has been mild drowsiness. My doctor has tried to help me go off this medication completely on two occasions. The first time, I developed muscle spasms throughout my body, including rapid heartbeat. The second time, I became unable to sleep, and anxiety attacks resumed. Both times, my dosage was decreased gradually over a period of 2 to 3 months after I'd been taking 1 mg per day. Since then, when my doctor suggested trying to wean me off it again, I reminded him of the prior problems."

• fra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 24, 2015

For Anxiety "I'm taking this in combination with Zoloft. I take 0.25 mg of Klonopin (half a pill) twice a day. It's a very low dose, but in combination with the Zoloft has been effective at managing my anxiety. I was originally taking 0.5 twice a day, but that was making me too drowsy to concentrate on work. Overall, this is a great med for anxiety, especially when waiting for an SSRI to start working."

• ana...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 19, 2013

For Bipolar Disorder "Helps balance antidepressants with sleeplessness and twitching and stuff. Helps me calm down, take the edge off the other medicines. This is not to be used by itself for bipolar disorder. It's used in combination, so don't take Klonopin and think it's going to help you that much. It works best with other medications."

• SES...
• August 23, 2017

For Panic Disorder "Although this drug can help with panic attacks/anxiety, it is extremely dangerous and is for SHORT TIME USE ONLY. I have recently stopped taking it (I took it for 5 years) and have gone through the worst withdrawal, both mentally and physically. Using it long-term can lead to dependence and even addiction. It also prevents you from truly living your life because you just go through the motions in a daze and do not learn valuable anxiety/depression coping skills. The moment you are without it, your world comes crashing down. I had severe physical pain (vomiting, muscle aches, fever, sleeplessness, headache) and suicidal thoughts. Use it ONLY when necessary and for a short time. Please be careful and learn about your medications before you start them."

• Anonymous
• April 21, 2012

For Anxiety "Klonopin (Clonazepam) was unique compared to Valium, Xanax, and Ativan in its ability to remove rather than mask the symptoms and do so at a relatively small dose that remained effective (2 mg once a day in the morning) without any need to increase the dosage and without causing sedation or mental impairment. In fact, though I wasn't depressed per se, I subjectively experienced the lessening of my anxiety as positive, and consequently, my mood improved. This is an important medicine; its benefits are increased by open and honest communication between doctor and patient, thus avoiding the imposition of arbitrary time limits on the length of treatment."

• Anonymous
• May 3, 2012

For Anxiety "I feel like Klonopin has turned my life around. I suffer from social anxiety. It has given me confidence in my job and in my everyday life. I feel in control and relaxed when I am on this medicine. It's similar to Xanax, but it takes about 40 minutes to an hour to kick in, and it lasts a lot longer. Being in crowds doesn't bother me as much. It sort of slows things down and doesn't make things so hectic and crazy. Although things may be going on around you, you seem to not notice it as much. It's unbelievable how different I feel. My dosage is 1mg total a day (super low). I found 0.5mg to be too much, so I take 0.25mg four times a day. I feel like myself again. I've had zero side effects, with the exception of 0.5mg making me very drowsy."

• Hap...
• April 10, 2012

For Anxiety "I have GAD, social phobia, and panic disorder. I'm prescribed 1 mg, 3x a day of Klonopin. Even after 2 years, it still works very well for me. It lasts much longer than Xanax or Ativan, so I don't get that dreaded wearing-off feeling. It's quite calming, but you can still function normally. The drowsiness side effect wears off after a few weeks. Just be very careful to take it as prescribed, as it definitely has a potential for abuse. Also, if you decide to stop taking it, wean yourself off slowly to avoid feeling horrible."

• D-m...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• September 26, 2012

For Anxiety "I was initially prescribed Klonopin (Clonazepam) for generalized anxiety disorder. It works very well, not quite as quick as Xanax, however, it is well worth the wait. I also have panic disorder. It prevents them from happening in the first place. I developed a tolerance to the sedative effect after a month or two. Two years strong. I take 1-8 mgs a day. Use it sparingly. It has a long half-life and stays in your body longer than alprazolam. I feel like Xanax lasts a few hours, then rebounds."

• Tif...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• February 1, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I am a 26-year-old woman who has been struggling with panic disorder and social anxiety. I have been on Klonopin (1 mg 3x a day) for about a year. This medication really does help me calm down my nerves. Unlike other benzos I have tried in the past, it does not make me as tired. Lately, it has been making me a bit more drowsy than usual, and I think the only reason I’m feeling that as a side effect is because I’ve been losing weight and I am on other antidepressants. I plan to talk to my doctor about lowering my dose a bit, but otherwise this is a great medication to manage my anxiety!"