Klonopin and Panic Attacks: What Users Say

• Tim...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 9, 2022

"My sister and brother were helped by Klonopin due to having depression and PTSD anxiety. After having suffered from severe leg pain due to my need for back surgery, I had a severe anxiety/panic attack that went on for 3 days, and I needed serious help or I couldn’t continue working through my constant pain. I was originally prescribed Xanax, which worked well, but still gave me too much of a high and then a low that followed, which I didn’t like. My wife found articles about Xanax that showed that it was super addictive, so I changed to Klonopin for those 2 reasons. After being prescribed Klonopin and it finally balanced my mood and life, even though my back and hip pain have been constant, even after 4 back surgeries and 20 years, my doctor recently changed my anxiety med while I went on a weekend vacation. But, after ruining my vacation with a drug that did nothing for me, I spent my weekend in extreme anxiety. My doctor immediately put me back on Klonopin. No issues since."

• Jud...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 31, 2021

For Panic Disorder "I thought I was going to be on this medication for life. For some reason, I went off of it at a rehab clinic. I'm not so lucky since I don't take methadone. What am I supposed to do for the panic attacks? I was told to take a deep breath from my diaphragm. Get off this stuff if you just started it."

• Bel...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• August 30, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I've been on Klonopin for probably 25 years. It's worked so much better than Xanax. I got down to taking 0.25 at night and 0.25 in the morning. But this year my mom died, and I had been her caregiver for a long time with zero support. I did great until she died, now I'm having panic attacks again. I have fought with myself about upping my dose since I do know what withdrawal is like, but today I took extra. My doctor told me I should. To be honest, I am ready to feel normal again. I'm tired of not being able to participate in life."

• Ann...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• June 11, 2016

For Anxiety "Yes, this medication works. It works very well for chronic anxiety disorder and sudden onsets of severe panic attacks. Knowing what I know now, I wish with all my being it had never ever been prescribed to me, and without the absurd nonchalance dozens of practitioners have portrayed. I'm 32 and have been prescribed clonazepam for 14 years. I've been in situations where my health insurance is in transition and I must go off the medication abruptly - this is when I realized how deep I was. Weeks upon weeks of non-stop physical, emotional, and psychological withdrawal effects that are like hell. Words cannot accurately describe just how awful it is. This, again, has been my experience during withdrawal as a long-term clonazepam patient. All skin, especially the face, becomes numb. Vision gets fuzzy and difficult to see clearly. Panic attacks become extremely exacerbated, frequent, and debilitating. Severe irritability. Worst of all: a terrifying disconnection between your mind and body; as if you're an onlooker watching and feeling this horrible thing happen to you, but not actually feeling connected to any of it - that one is tough to explain. All of this... It can last months, maybe more. That's right. Not just some one-week hump to overcome. After finding how awful the withdrawal is, I've been attempting to wean very, very slowly down from 3 2mg doses per day to eventually zero, hopefully. After six months of gradually decreasing in dose, I'm now at 2 - 1mg doses per day, and I'm not sure how or if I can go much less than that. No doctors I've had have been of any help. The wean down was my idea, and the rate of it was also my idea based on experience. It sure would be nice to meet a doctor that truly had knowledge of this withdrawal syndrome and took it a bit more seriously. I am confident that the medication is no longer treating my anxiety disorder, but simply preventing withdrawal from the meds themselves. And there don't seem to be any good alternatives. It's a long road ahead, please think it over and over with someone knowledgeable before being so quick to embrace this miracle drug. The truth is that most of us actually need very real psychotherapy, not chemicals that run our lives. Once again, all my point of view from my personal experience. It feels very good to share this."

• anx...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• October 17, 2012

For Panic Disorder "I have been taking Klonopin for many years. I started having weird feelings, like I was going to die. I kept ending up in the ER. The doctors kept telling me it was anxiety. I didn't understand why anxiety would make me feel this way. When the anxiety would kick in, I literally thought I was dying. My heart would race, my body would get tingles, and I would feel choked. It was scary and still is. I have tried many anxiety medicines-Paxil, Effexor, Xanax, Lamictal, Geodon, and many more. None have worked the way Klonopin works. With Klonopin, I feel safe and I do not get jittery feelings. I am so grateful to have a medication that actually works for me. If I miss a dose, I will get severe anxiety and a panic attack."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• August 19, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I was prescribed clonazepam, first at 1 mg a day. Little did I know, after two years of seeing my caring physician, we learned clonazepam has been a bit of a lifesaver for me! I suffer mainly from social anxiety with agoraphobia, afraid of new places, being seen out. A half a year into taking the medication, I titrated up to 2 mg a day as needed. My doctor 'experimented' with alprazolam PM on me for 14 days. 30 .5 mg pills. I had rebound anxiety along with a few days of panic attacks. I couldn't wait to take my dose that night of Klonopin! I was diagnosed as a bit bipolar soon after my prescriber was informed of my impulsivity and isolation. Mania was in overdrive along with severe OCD and even attention disorders stemming from a distress in the nervous system, high-strung, sensitive stomach, etc. Today, I take a total of 4 mg a day as needed, some days I take 2-3 or 3-4 mg. This medication comes in need to those like me. Other anxiolytic exercises help as well."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 31, 2023

For Panic Disorder "I have been on Klonopin for around 4 years now. I had panic attacks so debilitating I couldn't go out of my house. I didn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I would finally fall asleep and wake up 2 to 3 times a night with terrible panic attacks. Sweating, heart racing, dizzy. I swore I was losing my mind. I didn't drive for a better part of a year. I couldn't work. I was a mess, and the hardest part was feeling very distant from my children. I give Klonopin 10 ⭐ s as it gave me my life. It helped me to breathe again. I don't care what anyone says, I will take them for life if I have to, to help me not feel that way ever again. I never want to endure such a breakdown."

• Tir...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 16, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I've been on this for four years, and when I try to come off it, the panic attacks are absolutely insane. I'll probably never be able to go without it, but I'm okay with that since it helps."

• adm...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• July 31, 2016

For Panic Disorder "I had my ovaries removed (outpatient) 5 years ago at age 41. Next day (never fell asleep) I had paralyzing fear, but had no idea why. My husband took me to the ER where my heart rate was 173! I was in the hospital for a week, 3 days no sleep. I was given Klonopin, it was AMAZING! I had been admitted for my first ever panic attack! After leaving the hospital I continued having insomnia and panic attacks. My GP now prescribes 0.5 mg as needed. I have a bottle in my purse and by my bed. I only take HALF a pill, ONLY WHEN NEEDED, and RARELY do I take the other half 30 min later. Just knowing I have a med that works on hand reduced number of attacks. When used RESPONSIBLY, Klonopin is a LIFESAVER! Never take more of any med than you actually need!"

• Mr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 18, 2022

For Panic Disorder "I have been taking Klonopin for 2 years now. Up to 4 mg a day if needed. But I mostly took around 2 mg or 3 mg every other day or sometimes every day if life was chaotic, which usually is. THIS DRUG IS BAD! I had no idea getting off it would be about as hard as opioids. I keep weaning down to 0 mg, but then after 7 days, I have extreme nightmarish panic attacks (rebound). I have tried this twice. I cannot seem to get past the 7th day. This drug is awful. I wish I never got on it long term. Yes, it does work for panic attacks, but I should not have started taking it regularly even though my psychiatrist allowed me to. I read all the horror stories of how long recovery takes. It looks and feels hopeless. I have not felt myself in the last 2 years either. Never happy. Just a zombie going through the motions. But when panic attack is so bad, I feel like I am going to die, and I cannot do a single thing all day long. Stay away from this medication."

• Hot...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 27, 2015

For Panic Disorder "I started suffering from panic disorder for three years and was not using any treatment. It got to the point where I was agoraphobic and wouldn't leave my house. I was scared for my life and felt like I wasn't even a human being anymore. I suffered dramatically from what is called derealization. I ended up turning myself into a hospital that had a mental health outpatient program, which put me on Klonopin 0.5 mg twice a day, and it literally changed my life. I finally have a life again and can move around and do things. I can go to work. I still once in awhile start to have panic, but the Klonopin doesn't allow me to actually have a panic attack. My general anxiety is now down to nothing, and I can feel like I can live again. The first month had its ups and downs."

• dul...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 5, 2018

For Panic Disorder "I was recently switched from Ativan to Klonopin as I had developed a tolerance to my moderate dosage of Ativan. Three days of insomnia, severe panic attacks, and dissociation. I literally haven’t slept in three days and was having disturbing thoughts at 4 a.m. this morning. Was on the phone with mental health services for two hours this morning, and they said I needed to get off it now. Had to beg the doctor to switch me back to a higher dose of Ativan. Immediately felt better."

• Kay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2015

For Anxiety "I can take 0.5 mg twice a day as needed. Some days I don't take it. It helps so much, even with my depression. I take one of these if I'm planning on killing myself because I'm suicidal every day, and the urge will pass once this calms me down. I take it for anxiety, panic attacks, and twitches/seizures."

• Han...
• December 26, 2019

For Panic Disorder "My Klonopin dose is a half of a 0.5 mg pill in the morning. It makes the panic so much worse, I can barely leave the house or get through the day. By the mid-afternoon, I have to take the remaining half a pill. I used to take a whole pill twice a day, then my doctor started reducing it. I am a mess. I see her next week, and if she reduces it again, I'll be in the hospital, and I have no insurance and am divorced."

• Ton...
• June 28, 2019

For Panic Disorder "I have lived with severe panic disorder since I was 17 years old, and I am now 49. I could not drive, could not wait in line in a store, and I could not go to family functions. I was always going to the hospital. Klonopin saved my life. I travel, I enjoy my family, I drive, I take 1 mg a day. I still have panic attacks, but I deal with it. This medication gave me my life back."

• Mac...
• June 29, 2016

For Anxiety "I am a 16-year-old girl who has suffered with extreme anxiety and severe depression since I was 9. The reason why I was so depressed was mainly because I was mildly depressed, so they put me on Cymbalta, and I suffered from the 'black box warning' in which adolescents and teens can experience suicidal thoughts and actions. That really messed me up. I'd have panic attacks where I was convinced I wanted to, and I'd puke and shake and stuff. It still happens, but when it does, my parents give me 0.25 mg (I'm very, very lightweight, so they don't want a lot in my system), and it seems I work alright. I'd like to take it every day, but my parents are so hesitant to give it to me."

• Dee...
• September 12, 2015

For Panic Disorder "I started having panic attacks that rendered me unable to even get up. My first one landed me in the hospital. I was disoriented, rooms looked like they were sideways, objects that were not moving looked like they were. I couldn't get enough air in, I needed to close my eyes, driving was out of the question, and I was nauseated and terrified. After two weeks of being out of work, I was put on Klonopin along with antidepressants. It is the only thing that has allowed me to function like I could before the panic/anxiety attacks started. The only drawback is that I have to take it at the same time each day and cannot miss a dosage or the dizziness, panic, and feeling like I am going to pass out comes back. It has been a lifesaver."

• Anonymous
• April 18, 2012

For Anxiety "I took Klonopin for ten years. Worked great for a few years, but I developed a tolerance, and over time, I developed worse anxiety and panic while on a steady dose."

• Wor...
• December 9, 2011

For Anxiety "My mom was put on 0.25 mg nightly Klonopin after having likely withdrawal and memory issues from Ambien. She experienced anxiety, panic attacks, and random episodes of fright/panic and memory loss. The doctors, of course, raised the dose to 0.5 mg given the anxiety, and the symptoms got worse - more anxiety, random attacks, and withdrawal symptoms in the morning. So they raised it to 0.75 mg, and she got even worse. I had to take control of the situation and spread the medicine out to 3x 0.25. This helped significantly, but nervousness continued. The doctor, not understanding her sensitivity, decided to reduce the frequency, not the dose, and this resulted in terrible withdrawal symptoms. Now using dissolved 0.125 mg rapid dissolve tablets to titrate off."

• Anonymous
• February 15, 2010

For Panic Disorder "Only drugs I find to be helpful from years of panic attacks were Ativan and Klonopin. I have been on many medications. I think you should start with Ativan and then be weaned down to Klonopin. I haven't found one antidepressant to stop panic attacks. I have been on many of them. Some of the medications they have listed here for this are unbelievable to me. They cause more harm than good. Many of them cause panic attacks."

• Use...
• May 4, 2008

For Panic Disorder "I have been taking this medication for a long time now. Before I was put on Klonopin, I always took panic attacks and felt nervous all the time. I stayed depressed and also had thoughts of suicide. My doctor had put me on everything you could imagine. I was on Paxil CR, Lexapro, Vistaril, and Seroquel. They never helped me at all. So I decided to change from my foreign doctor and got a new doctor. I told him my problems, and he said he was going to start me on Klonopin. Since then, my life is great!"