Clonazepam and Drowsiness: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Ano...
• May 5, 2017

For Anxiety "So, I used to have pretty debilitating anxiety. When I finally went to my doctor, he diagnosed me with a panic disorder and gave me clonazepam. Like any other drug of this sort, how responsible you are with medicine should determine if you take this or not. He gave it to me and told me to take it once at night when I went to bed, and then as needed if I was having a panic attack. This made me a little bit drowsy in the morning, so I stopped taking it at night and switched to just as needed, which he said was fine. I have 1 mg tablets and take 1/2 at a time. I truly take this as needed and have never needed to increase my dose. At sight of a panic attack (maybe 3 times a month now, used to be every day) I take one, and it goes away."

• Tac...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 26, 2018

For Seizure Prevention "I have been on Klonopin 0.5 mg for 30 years of my life to control my grand mal seizures, epileptic seizures. I had had them consistently before Klonopin and they were a very scary part of my life. I've had them since I was four. I felt like I was falling into a deep hole that never ended, and sometimes I would look like a fish out of water. Other meds I was on had me drowsy and sleeping all the time. ... I didn't like that. I still may have some anxiety when I'm under pressure with work, but I get through it. I have a very serious question though. I have been on this medication for 30 years, per doctor's order, and it works fine. My boyfriend, now ex-boyfriend, told me the other day that I am addicted to this medication. How is that possible? This med saves me from having epileptic seizures! Is he right? Is being on this pill making me an addict or is he being ignorant and reading the Internet too much?"

• Anonymous
• January 28, 2013

Clonazepam 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

Clonazepam 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

Clonazepam 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."

• Jca...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 11, 2020

For Panic Disorder "Been on this medication, clonazepam, for 4 months. I take 0.5 as needed for panic attacks. It's been a lifesaver. Veteran Affairs refused to prescribe this to combat soldiers like myself who struggle with PTSD. They just load you up on a cocktail of ineffective drugs that make you a zombie. So I went through community care for an outside doctor. Best decision I ever made. I had been living with depression and panic attacks for 12 years, and the VA never helped once. Not anymore. I have only experienced mild drowsiness and might misplace my keys every now and then. I'll take that trade-off any day. It works great for me. Start off with a low dose until you know what works for you."

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

Clonazepam 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

Clonazepam 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."

• Coc...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 14, 2022

For Anxiety "I have typical high anxiety, which results in a spastic colon. Over the years, the only, only effective medication for my spastic colon (doctors had made me try many other meds), Clonazepam is the ONLY medication that helps with my spastic colon! And I do not have any bad side effects, like sleepiness, dizziness, etc. Typically, Clonazepam isn't prescribed for spastic colon. But I am relieved of so much extreme pain, discomfort, bloating, etc., with just two Clonazepam per day!"

• Vin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 26, 2025

For Anxiety "It is a wonderful medication for people who struggle with anxiety. It works fast; it just calms my mind. I also take antidepressants (Pristiq 200 mg/day + Trazodone 50 mg/night), but I still take clonazepam sometimes when I am very stressed. I am going through a hard time, and sometimes I want to scream, and kick chairs in my house, and shout and explode. That's when clonazepam does its job, calms my mind, and just makes me relaxed. The only side effect is drowsiness and a little impaired cognition. I usually take 1 mg as needed. Some days I don't use it; other days I use it like 2 or 3 times a day (1 - 3 mg per day)."

• sle...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2017

For Insomnia "I take fluvoxamine for overall general OCD 150 mg/day at dinner. Mild insomniac my entire life. Recently, it was really bad, so in the last month or so, I tried trazodone (by a doctor), which had horrible effects on me. For some reason, although this has a high success rate for many people, it didn't work for me. After this, my doctor prescribed me 2 mg of clonazepam 90 minutes before bedtime. It works very well. I have a little drowsiness the next day, but overall, I love the medication. It does take me about 2 hours to kick in instead of 90 minutes."

• Ano...
• August 2, 2017

For Insomnia "I had been using the TEVA brand for over 20 years. It worked effectively. Then, in the last 6 months, I have received two batches that did not work at all for insomnia or tardive dyskinesia. I was sleepless for over two weeks. Then, I had to visit the doctor. He had to prescribe a different generic clonazepam made by 'Accord Healthcare.' This brand is VERY inferior to the normal TEVA brand. I fall asleep fast but wake up about 4 hours later. So, the Accord brand is weaker and less effective. Many generics are inferior, even though they are supposed to be regulated. In Europe, I could buy clonazepam, the REAL medicine by Roche, for 2.50 per month. Europe is far superior in regard to health care."

• Nic...
• October 8, 2016

For Panic Disorder "I don't give this medicine a 10 because it's too good, and you really forget that you can do things on your own. What I'm trying to say, it's a lifesaver when you're having a crisis, but the thing is so good you want to take it to deal with normal levels of anxiety. Anyway, impulses aside, I experienced no significant side effects. You do get a little drowsy, but you won't just fall asleep if you don't want to either. I have always been anxious, had a panic attack that had me hospitalized as early as 12 years old, and from then on it was on-and-off, being told not to think about it and enjoy things, it's all in my head, and it made me awkward, shy, and think I was a nervous wreck. This medicine let me know myself and experience a life!"

• Anonymous
• April 21, 2012

Clonazepam 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."

• haz...
• November 6, 2010

For Restless Legs Syndrome "I take these only as needed, as they can make you like a zombie the next morning. Even with a 0.5 dose, I do get a brilliant night's sleep and feel so relaxed the next day but groggy and slightly confused. So if I know it is going to be one of those nights where my legs are moving and jerking all night long, I take one. Try not to take regularly, and definitely do not drink. Just knowing they are there for me helps me relax."

• Kur...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• September 19, 2015

For Panic Disorder "I am fairly certain that clonazepam saved my life. I suffer from a phobia of vomiting, with frequent panic attacks (which of course make me nauseous, leading to even more panic). I was put on clonazepam when I was sixteen, and I'm still on it at twenty-eight. I've had to increase the dosage only once, very recently. Side effects are mild and usually limited to a slight feeling of sedation. Clonazepam utterly annihilates anxiety. The only reason I don't rate it as a ten is because of its addictive nature. Clonazepam should never be suddenly stopped, as the withdrawal is highly unpleasant. That being said, I'll take a functional physical addiction over a life lived in panic any day of the week."

• Ama...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• June 5, 2023

For Panic Disorder "Three years ago, on my birthday night, while sleeping, I experienced a severe panic attack. It felt as if I was having a heart attack, with chest pain, difficulty breathing, and a bloated stomach. The doctor prescribed me 0.25 mg of medication, which I didn't notice initially and unknowingly took. It was like a miracle. All the problems that were not alleviated by PPIs, Ibuprofen, and many other drugs seemed to vanish from my body. By the third day, I felt free from the captivity of these symptoms, which were a result of panic, anxiety, or some stomach disorder. Initially, I felt a little drowsy, but it went away after a few days. Despite attempting to stop the medication after four weeks, I couldn't manage without it. The same issues started bothering me again, so I resumed taking it. It has been more than three years now, and clonazepam has become a lifeline for me. I currently take a maximum of 0.5 mg once a day, and I have no intention to discontinue it. I am aware of its negative reputation, but it is worth it for people in need like myself."

• Rig...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• November 17, 2015

For Anxiety "Clonazepam probably saved my life. I've been on it for twelve years. It was originally prescribed to me because my antidepressant was not doing the job of suppressing panic attacks. Clonazepam worked incredibly well for me - for 12 years, 0.5 milligrams is all I need to stop the worst of panic attacks. I've never noticed any side effects, save for some drowsiness at times. The only downside that I've experienced is a mild physical dependence. If I go more than two days without clonazepam, I start to feel kind of jittery, restless, and tense. These periods of physical dependence have been easily remedied, though, by simply easing up on the dose over the course of a couple of weeks."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 17, 2022

For Insomnia "It has been great. I take one 2 mg like 3 hours before bed, and it is wonderful. Makes me feel sleepy, and then I have a good night's sleep. The thing about it making me feel sleepy is good and important, since it helps to reincorporate a normal sleeping schedule, even psychologically. One of the side effects I have with it is that it is a bit difficult to wake up, and for the rest of the morning, I feel a little drowsy and relaxed. It's a side effect that can be bad or good depending on your situation, for me, it's okay since I work from home and tend to have lots of anxiety."

• Dar...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 18, 2022

For Anxiety "I am an executive, and during high-stress meetings, I would start sweating profusely. Seemed to be no reason (well prepared for meetings). Suddenly out of nowhere, I could feel my heart rate pick up and mentally could not stop it from occurring. It was embarrassing and hurting my career due to extreme perspiration. Counseling and meditation did not work. I would strap ice bags to my chest! I told my PCP that I needed help, and my career depended on it. Clonazepam saved my professional career. Truly. I only take it when needed (maybe once a month or every other month). A whole tablet was too much. I break them into quarter pieces, and I take a quarter 30 minutes before. This lessens the drowsy feeling a few hours later. That evening, I do feel sleepy. But I’m actually more alert and engaged in the meetings due to my focus not being on a sudden anxiety attack. Never feel the need to take it any other time. Medical professionals, please don’t hesitate like mine did at first. My risk of heart attack is much lower now."

• Anonymous
• May 3, 2012

Clonazepam 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."

• Kap...
• January 14, 2013

For Anxiety "I've taken a variety of benzos in the past - Valium, Librium, Ativan, Xanax, Tranxene - all of these medicines produced pretty strong sedation side effects. I have been on Klonopin (clonazepam) for about 3 years now for severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. I am prescribed 1 mg three times a day. Unlike other benzos I've taken in the past, I feel no urge to increase the dose at all. The Klonopin 'covers' me all day long without feeling high or disoriented or mentally clouded. I believe Klonopin is unique among benzodiazepines - because it takes a while to 'kick in,' there is no calming rush after taking it. The effects come on gradually, which, in my opinion, lessens the potential for abuse. I have little to no sedation from taking Klonopin."

• Mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2019

For Anxiety "Been taking clonazepam 0.5 mg twice a day as needed for anxiety, some days I only take one. I’m also taking paroxetine 20 mg once daily. I love the medication for my social anxiety, and I sleep so much better. But I wish I didn’t sleep so much. The other day I slept for 22 hours. Hopefully, my body will get used to the medication soon, and I won’t feel so tired. But other than sleeping a lot, I love the medication. It calms me down, and I’m less stressed."

• nan...
• May 12, 2009

For Insomnia "I have taken several of the prescription sleep aids, and none have helped as this one has. I have taken it for an extended period, and the effects have not faded as they did with other sleep aids and have not left me groggy or given me strange dreams or nightmares."

• don...
• April 1, 2016

For Anxiety "I started this drug in 2004 because of bad panic attacks and high anxiety anytime I was outside my house. In elevators, in crowds, in cars if there was a lot of traffic, and a million other situations. I did no research on this drug, just assumed my doctor knew best. It definitely works, probably the best anti-anxiety drug on the market, and longer lasting than Xanax, however, it does come at costs. Depending on how much you take, or how much anxiety relief you need, it can really be debilitating. If you need higher doses, it can make you drowsy, cannot drive. I highly recommend this drug for emergency usage only because it's addictive, and I didn't know this but stopped abruptly and had withdrawals like a heroin addict when I stopped."