How much is too much klonopin???

[meatkilla]

I've been reading up quite a bit on benzos on the internet and on here. I was just recently scripted some klonopin (0.5 mg) for extreme anxiety. On the prescription bottle, the doctor wrote, take one every four to six hours as needed for anxiety. I have been taking the scripted amount, around 4 to 6 a day.

My question is this: Is this too much for an inexperienced benzo user? I've read all the horror stories about benzo withdrawal and addiction. I'm not too worried about the addiction part, because these have been the only pills that have helped with my extreme anxiety and have helped a little with my depression. Am I taking too much? I mean this is what my doctor prescribed. I'm just a tad worried about addiction and withdrawal if I am cut off by my doctor or scripted a lower dosage. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. I really want to stay on this amount because it has really helped me.

Thanks for any help guys!!

[pharmboy]

Everybodys different, too much for you might not be for the next guy.

0.5 is as low as they go, so your OK there. I wouldn't think 3-4mg over

a 24 hour period is too awful but two or three years from now it

wont be 3-4mg a day. And then there could be trouble if you stop

abruptly. If any doctor ever trys to take you off benzos cold turkey

be shur to tell them that you are dependent on them and it would

be a really bad career move for them to do that. I think your OK

for now but keep an eye on yourself, Good Luck.

[meatkilla]

Thanks for your help. I have another question for you. Due to scoliosis and an old back injury caused by a car wreck, I was never scripted any meds for back pain. Well the older I get, the worse it gets. I also get horrible legs pains due to walking on concrete floors for 8+ hours a day for the past 10 years. I am currently scripted tramadols for the pain. My question is this: the tramadols work for most of the day, but do you think a muscle relaxant (I have bad spasms in my back and legs during the day and mostly at night) or a stronger opiate along with the trams would help my condition. I have finally found a compassionate doctor.

[RxQueen]

why don't you bring these questions to your doctor on your next visit? what you're asking really depends on a lot of stuff we have no way of knowing, and none of us here right now is qualified to give you real medical advice. but your doctor can!

[Papa Verine]

Yeah meat-man, you should certainly be discussing this with your doctor. Especially since you say you have a good one. As for the Klonopin, since you're taking it as prescribed, make sure to tell your doctor how much it's helping you. If you continue to take it as prescribed you might find that over time it won't help as much because you'll develop a tolerance. At that time you tell your doctor they aren't working as well as they did before and he should increase the dose to compensate for your tolerance.

Just keep this in mind... With these addictive medications, where does it end? I mean, you can just keep incresing the dose over time but you'll eventually get to a point where you're dependant on a huge dose, and if you decide to get off them then, you have some Hell to deal with getting off. Klonopin is not "curing" your anxiety, it's only controlling the symptoms, and the underlying issue is still there. If you ever decide to discontinue treating your anxiety with medication you're going to have to deal with what you've been covering up for so long.

Just something to think about... hope this is helpful.

[Nate]

Too much is when you can't remeber shit and you wake up naked in an unknown location.

[meatkilla]

Oh I know, you're right RXQueen, just thought I would ask you all first. I will ask my doctor first from now on.

[bronyraur]

Too much is when you can't remeber shit and you wake up naked in an unknown location.

True true.

Too much can also mean not waking up. Not good.

[jonny-5]

nah, you arent taking too much. the fact that you are concerned in the first place leads me to think that it shouldnt become a problem, i have no tolerance to benzos, and when i take k-pin its usually in the 1.5-2mg range at a time. like was said earlier, if you really wanna help the anxiety it would be a good idea to work on the cause of it so that when its time to get off of em, you shouldnt be in too bad of a spot.

um i think the answer to the question tho, how much is too much, really just depends on the person. i think when you get to the point that you are running out early every month or you find yourself taking them to catch a buzz, that will be the point where its reaching "too much."

[Suboxstitute]

I have been scripted K-pin, 3mg per day, 1mg tabs, 1.5 at night and 1.5 as needed for daytime since late 2003. So like 4 years+ at this point.


Up until JUST this past month, I have never even taken the full amount, and for some odd reason, up until now - I have NOT developed a tolerance - they still seem to work, or maybe it's placebo, who knows. But who cares; they work well for my anxiety and tendancy to "freak out" in certain situations. Not good for a business consultant....

But recently, with trying to do a bupe taper and with some added pressures at home, I find myslf needing at least 2mg, if not 3mg, to get relief.

I actually am going to start a thread about this, since I did some stupid stuff (like upped my dose way up on my own) with my subs and benzos (I wrote about it in another thread)

I fear I have REALLY f'd up my tolerance. Sorry don't want to hijack your thread, I'm starting a new one when the k-pins kick in.

But taken as scripted, I was fine for all those years on the same exact dose - 3mg per day.

[syn2600]

most i've ever done is 20mg of kpin at once, i was fine. I am not at all normal when it comes to benzo tolerance.

[JonnyMohawk]

from a harm reduction point of view klonopin is relatively safe... It is extremely hard to od on when not mixed with other drugs. The ld50 in rats is 4,000mg/kg so using that for humans it would take 290,000mg to kill a 160 pound person.

Benzos are one of the safest drugs around, however long term use and or combining them with other drugs can be no good.

[Guinea Pig]

I found clonazepam to have a very high therapeutic index. Personally, with no benzo experience I had to take 3mg to even feel relaxed. 2mg felt almost like a placebo effect.

I was prescribed up to 8mg/day (2mg x 4/d) for several months. My trip has been kind of odd actually. After three months the doc and I managed to taper to 2mg/d but not for long. I had a seizure since they were complementing my benzo taper with Wellbutrin, which increases the risk of seizures. My dose was increased to 4mg/d for a month. At the end of the day I said fuck it, I down want to continue tapering. I went c/t with a phenytoin prescription to somewhat protect against seizures.

This was three months ago and I experience a lot of the standard symptoms. Extreme lack of social interaction, feeling like I have no control and that I'm out of control of my life. I admit it has gotten much better since late December.

On another note, 0.25mgs do exist. In fact I was actually prescribed 1.75mg once, heh!

Keep in mind two things about my experience:

1) The 8mg/daily actually did not cause any mental impairment. I could still focus on my work and did not experience the common physical symptoms (slurred speech (a la 8mg xanax), trouble walking, etc.)

2) Still, my tolerance to benzodiazepines is very high and not due to years of high doses. Once, after six months of not taking ANY benzodiazepines I decided to take 15mg of Roche midazolam (oral of course). I had two blister packs of 20 tablets each.

The next day I woke up and had a foggy recollection of what happened (which, you'll find out, is remarkable in itself). I realized I actually consumed 300mg of midazolam in about 16 hours. Sad thing is, I decided to finish it the next day. 600mg of midazolam in under 48 hours and I still remember most of it. Odd, odd, odd.

[Suboxstitute]

most i've ever done is 20mg of kpin at once, i was fine. I am not at all normal when it comes to benzo tolerance.


Really? ? ? ? - you did 20mg of K-pins all at once and you were perfectly NORMAL???

Not slurring words, able to type, not stumbling when you walk (just a bit more than my normal dose of 3mgs (4-5mgs) does all those things to me, and that is after being on 3mg daily for almost 4 years.)

You took 20? Sorry to repeat myself but I find that hard to believe - - - not caling bullshit, just truly find it hard to believe.

Are you immune or something? How DID you feel? I hope at least you felt a little relaxed!

[syn2600]

Really? ? ? ? - you did 20mg of K-pins all at once and you were perfectly NORMAL???

Not slurring words, able to type, not stumbling when you walk (just a bit more than my normal dose of 3mgs (4-5mgs) does all those things to me, and that is after being on 3mg daily for almost 4 years.)

You took 20? Sorry to repeat myself but I find that hard to believe - - - not caling bullshit, just truly find it hard to believe.

Are you immune or something? How DID you feel? I hope at least you felt a little relaxed!

no no, i should have been more clear. I was slurring my speech and stuff, but really nothing you would expect from taking that much kpin. Benzos have never really had a huge effect on me

[red26]

I've been reading up quite a bit on benzos on the internet and on here. I was just recently scripted some klonopin (0.5 mg) for extreme anxiety. On the prescription bottle, the doctor wrote, take one every four to six hours as needed for anxiety. I have been taking the scripted amount, around 4 to 6 a day.

My question is this: Is this too much for an inexperienced benzo user? I've read all the horror stories about benzo withdrawal and addiction. I'm not too worried about the addiction part, because these have been the only pills that have helped with my extreme anxiety and have helped a little with my depression. Am I taking too much? I mean this is what my doctor prescribed. I'm just a tad worried about addiction and withdrawal if I am cut off by my doctor or scripted a lower dosage. I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. I really want to stay on this amount because it has really helped me.

Thanks for any help guys!!
In an unrealistic world we would'nt need to take this kinda shit. I was on 5mgs. a day of k-pin for a few years there and those years a the fuzziest of my life. Amnesia is a common problem with benzos' so just be fore-warned of what potential this drug has on your life. Its really good that you've been reading about the drugs effect instead of just learning as you go along, there would be alot less horror stories if we all followed your example.

Thats great that it's helping you out so much. One of the funniest things I ever heard wasabout benzos and was coming from an old member of the O-phile named Paisan. He said "I took about 15mgs. of xzanax and woke up three days later in the backyard naked next to some fat chick covered in whip-cream sayin' what's that smell?"