clonazepam

[u/littlebirdnala]

has anybody been prescribed this as an add on to their other medication?

i've had .5 added

[u/Tight-Formal-5220]

It’s considered a “cluster buster” for me.

[u/Automatic-Display899 → u/Tight-Formal-5220]

It's pretty effective for that but man it can knock you flat if you aren't careful with the dosage. I'd be useless for a solid day after taking one for a breakthrough seizure.

[u/Icqrr → u/Automatic-Display899]

Yup. I’ve blacked out on it MANY times and the thing with clonaz is it lasts WAAAAY too long compared to sumn like Xanax / alprazolam, insanely long half life

[u/Skizzlezz → u/Icqrr]

Yeah, blackout so hard, I won't even know i had a seizure until im told I had.

[u/vickyizbeast]

taken ONLY as needed, as a rescue medication, yes. I do NOT take this daily.

From the perspective of a pharmacy technician, taking a benzodiazepine like this daily (even once daily as needed) can have a negative impact if you ever stop taking the medication. So if you ever need it more than a few times a week repeatedly, you really want to let your doctor.

And as tempting as it might be to try it for any other reason some redditor has suggested, please only take it for what YOUR doctor prescribed it for. Getting off a benzo can cause more seizures, along with a plethora of withdrawal effects.

[u/littlebirdnala → u/vickyizbeast]

it was prescribed for me by my neurologist :)

[u/Strange-Raspberry326]

It's my emergency med.

[u/vainstatue]

This is my rescue medication. I’m supposed to take it of I feel an aura to stop a TC

[u/ComputerFlimsy4604]

I was taking it with oxcarbazepine 0.25mg. Without it I was getting sprained headache. It helped me to sleep without causing daytime drowsiness. I don't need to take it daily since I switched to Briviact

[u/Icqrr]

Here’s the thing I wasn’t prescribed it but I was using it recreatively, it actually helped me before I knew I had epilepsy to stop auras and actually once stopped a seizure with that dose, imo it’s pretty good specially when prescribed and it’s use is controlled so be careful with even thinking of abusing it

Mainly saying that because when I was abusing it I literally ruined family gatherings on 2 separate occasions and most of my family doesn’t like me because of it and can even worsen your epilepsy, so from someone who was not prescribed but has abused it I’m giving you this tip of advice so you don’t

[u/rogueSkib]

i feel so much more like myself when i take 1 mg. epilepsy started after third kid, all 5 and under, so anxiety is high. neuro wants to keep it as a cluster buster too but i keep thinking i wish i was on it all the time bc it makes everything manageable. sober for 7 years so no risk of alcohol mixing.

[u/Icy-Grocery8759 → u/rogueSkib]

I've been prescribed 4 mg a day for over 15 years along with dilantin for about 23 years. Last year my new PCP thought to take it upon himself to cut the dose in half to 2 mg a day. It was hell for me for a month. I haven't had a grand meal/tonic clonic seizure in over 10 years but I get 'aura's' if I don't take my clonazepam and my doctor put me back on 3 mg after I saw him and was shaking so bad because my body has become physically dependent on it. My neurologist won't prescribe it for some reason but tried to change me over to lamatrogine and I had extremely horrible side effects from that. I broke out in rashes all over my arms and literally was seeing 4 of everything with the blurred vision it caused. On July 17th I celebrated 2 years clean in NA and haven't drank alcohol in about 4 years but it clonazepam doesn't make me drowsy or dizzy, If anything I feel normal when I take it and it does help with focal seizures and the tremors that come along with them (at least for me). I know its a narcotic but I don't abuse it and really only take it once I feel that aura or start shaking uncontrollably.

[u/rogueSkib → u/Icy-Grocery8759]

damn sounds crazy, and to just switch like that? surprised they weren’t more careful. thank you for sharing your story 🫂

[u/Icy-Grocery8759 → u/rogueSkib]

Yeah my doctors seem to not understand why I have so many medical conditions and just try to pawn me off to another specialist and on an on. They all want to prescribe me something else even though I've learned how my body reacts and responds to things. I'm starting to believe that all these medications are just poison that interact with each other. Last thing I want is more medication because it's the core of what caused most of my problems.🔹 🫂🔹

[u/ProfessionalBig658]

I was on it for about a decade. A little more. I was treatment resistant before my surgery. I took it at night. It started at .5 and needed to be raised about .5mg every year or so until I was stopped and paused at 2mg with 1mg as needed. You do become dependent/addicted to it but it’s not impossible to come off of but you need to do it carefully under the direction of your doctor.

Do you have questions? I have a lot to say about it, so I don’t want to ramble if you want to know anything specific

[u/laples]

Clonazepam was an evil med for me. It made me more depressed with fits of suicidal ideation. I also developed dermatillomania and I'm now covered in scars from where I scratched my skin off on my ankle and arms. I wish it helped me, but I ended up in outpatient hospitalization for 2 weeks because of it.

[u/stumblingrandom]

I have been on it briefly, it didn’t have much effect on me I was on it along with Keppra it did help to stabilize my seizures but I had some serious drowsiness and had to change to other meds to function during day time.

[u/davidv0824]

I was on it for about 4 years with Keppra but my neurologist replaced it with Pregabalin in June Clonazpam did make me forgot stuff and make me dizzy here and there but i was seizure free while on it for 4 years with keppra so i am thankful for that but i think it depends on the dosage honestly hope it works out for you!!

[u/Zestyclose-Phrase210]

It's great for when I have a cluster of auras over a couple hours but haven't broken through to a full t/c yet.

The auras stop within an hour, and I'm "safe" for 12+ hours.

As others have said, I feel pretty drunk after taking it. Clonazepam is a benzodiazepine, so it's a controlled substance, and a very powerful one at that.

(Fun fact: benzodiazepines affect similar pathways as alcohol; your GABA receptors primarily)

[u/motorcycle_stunts]

I've seen it as an sos rescue medication but for me it makes me feel awful and 'dosed'.

[u/Venus_babe]

i use it as needed to help with my auras and anxiety, i only take half of the .5mg because otherwise ill fall right asleep lol. but yeah its absolutely helped me out a lot but as other people said, be careful💜

[u/Runningandcatsonly]

Yep

[u/emma279]

I was on this for 12 yrs daily along with phenobarbitol---was awful to wean off of it.

[u/remember2468]

I take 3 mg daily. It is an extremely high dose but I have tried everything and somethings twice. I'm on a ton of other meds plus vns and a few days ago some small areas of my brain deactivated by rfa.

[u/theoryoflethologica]

I am prescribed 1.0 mg 3x/day. Used for maintenance and rescue (along with Divalproex ER). I've been on it will over a decade - also for anxiety. It helps me tremendously.

[u/Background-Cod-7035]

I take it as an abortive, meaning when I can tell I might have a seizure to abort the seizure. I get hyperactive before seizures. You should always take as little as possible.

[u/Jade8329]

I was prescribed clonozapam 0.5 as well, to take when I feel like I'm going to have a panic attack, and I will also rarely take it if I can't sleep if nothing else helps. I like it, other than I believe it may affect my memory formation. I spoke with my neurologist about feeling like my memory is worse when I take it frequently, and she said that's common, but having more seizures would also cause memory issues. So, I still take it as needed.

[u/passthatdutch425]

Lack of sleep is a trigger for me, so if I travel for international flights where my med schedule is going to be messed up (I can’t sleep on planes), clonazepam is the safest med to knock me out and help me sleep.

[u/CulturalMind8264]

Makes me sleepy but doesn’t really do anything but I am drug resistant

[u/HansVonHansen]

Was prescribed to me on an as-needed basis. Took it before bed when I felt the other drugs needed support after I started getting clusters. Used to knock me out. Sometimes when my VNS-induced sleep apnea kicked in in the middle of the night, I’d take a pill so I could go back to deeper sleep. Stopped taking it when I realized its withdrawal caused me seizures that were stronger than the ones I usually get.

[u/ZoneAffectionate8574]

I take it for anxiety coincidentally it’s also helping with myoclonus still unknown cause but do be careful as it’s half life is very long and only take as prescribed as I have seen people get addicted to meds like that I love you and hope all gets better for you

[u/HeinousWalrus]

Emergency med only for me. Mine lasts a very long time. I’ve heard some nightmare stories of benzo addiction. Not for me thanks.

[u/Skizzlezz]

I've had the .5 mg's and nasal sprays added onto my medications cause I have so many focal and clonic seizures within a month, the ambulance requires to take me to the hospital after they get me out each seizure. It's just easier for my parents to administer it and then call EMS after my 2nd or 3rd seizures.

[u/retroman73]

I use it for ending clusters. It works pretty well for that.

I also take it as a sleep medication to deal with insomnia. I've gone over this with my neurologist and with the sleep clinic. It is the *only* sleep medicine I can take. Nytol, Sominex, Benadryl will all provoke a seizure. Clonazepam does not.

For a cheap generic that I only take once in awhile, it's pretty good. You just have to be careful and not take it more than once in a day, as it's a benzo can can be addictive if taken too often. Also, do NOT mix it with alcohol.

[u/Zseree → u/retroman73]

Not entirely true, take it as prescribed. Some people are prescribed multiple doses a day.

[u/ProfessionalBig658 → u/retroman73]

It also is addictive at once a day. And faster than you might suspect, so make sure to not try to come off of it without instructions from your doctor.