Can I take extra clonazepam for two consecutive days and be able to go back

[[sh...]]

I have to travel overseas in a month. It is a 24hr journey, and I will not be able to make it without extra benzo.

I think I read the body takes 3 days to adjust to new increased dose, i.e., taking extra for three days could cause w/d if one wanted to go back to the original dose on the 4th day.

So is it OK if I double the clonazepam for 2 days? 1 day?

Thanks so much!

[[Ch...]]

I have to travel overseas in a month. It is a 24hr journey, and I will not be able to make it without extra benzo.

I think I read the body takes 3 days to adjust to new increased dose, i.e., taking extra for three days could cause w/d if one wanted to go back to the original dose on the 4th day.

So is it OK if I double the clonazepam for 2 days? 1 day?

Thanks so much!

 

I noticed your signature says 2012.  Can you update and let us know what dose of Clonazepam you're on?

Thanks.

[Guest [ba...]]

I wouldn't do it.  I went to China three months ago, and while the travel and jet lag sucked, I survived.  Actually, I had a great time, and I was completely med-free for the first time in many years.

 

Do you want to take extra to help you sleep or do you have a lot of anxiety when flying?  or something else?

[[be...]]

I wouldn't do it.  I went to China three months ago, and while the travel and jet lag sucked, I survived.  Actually, I had a great time, and I was completely med-free for the first time in many years.

 

Do you want to take extra to help you sleep or do you have a lot of anxiety when flying?  or something else?

 

Bads, you're always filled with words of wisdom.  :smitten:

[[be...]]

Actually, 24-hours is a perfect time. If it were say, 8, or 13 or 18 hours, then you  have to go thru the mental math. I don't know how often you dose daily, but say you are dosing 3X a day. Then you just take your doses at your regular time period. So if a dose has to be taken while you are flying, just take that dose on the plane. Once you land, then consider yourself to be 24 hours earlier, or 24 hours later. That doesn't matter, since there are 24 hours in a day. I would just continue to keep your dose schedule and the only problem you will have is that you might be day older.

[[sh...]]

Challis99,

I updated my profile with current benzos. Yes, I have not been able to make progress, and I often wonder what I am doing wrong. Would appreciate your advice on taking extra clonazepam for my journey. Thanks!!

badsocref,

You inspire me! Unfortunately I am on the other end of the spectrum as you: Anticipatory anxiety - full-blown panic, high blood pressure, coupled with extreme fatigue with any physical effort .... and the protracted W/D sx list goes on. So I do not anticipate to go through all the airline check-ins, security, turbulence in air, and the rest without extra benzo.

benzogirl,

Thanks so much for your advice. I will have to take the pm dose twice to sync with the local time at destination. What i am concered about is doubling all of my doses to make it through the journey. So I intend to do 2X .13 + 0.19 + 0.13 for Clonazepam. For Diazepam, I will do 2X0.875mg.

[[Ch...]]

Challis99,

I updated my profile with current benzos. Yes, I have not been able to make progress, and I often wonder what I am doing wrong. Would appreciate your advice on taking extra clonazepam for my journey. Thanks!!

badsocref,

You inspire me! Unfortunately I am on the other end of the spectrum as you: Anticipatory anxiety - full-blown panic, high blood pressure, coupled with extreme fatigue with any physical effort .... and the protracted W/D sx list goes on. So I do not anticipate to go through all the airline check-ins, security, turbulence in air, and the rest without extra benzo.

benzogirl,

Thanks so much for your advice. I will have to take the pm dose twice to sync with the local time at destination. What i am concered about is doubling all of my doses to make it through the journey. So I intend to do 2X .13 + 0.19 + 0.13 for Clonazepam. For Diazepam, I will do 2X0.875mg.

 

Reading over your updated signature, I would suspect that a two year hold with no increase in dose would have me in tolerance withdrawal, and that may be why the extra Valium and Clonazepam are needed.

 

Just my thought on this.  It is not judgmental, you're doing well to hold to your dose over that period of time.  It's the nature of benzodiazepines to cause tolerance withdrawal after a relatively short period of time for most people and that's the thought I had after reading your signature.

 

As far as advice on taking extra, I think badsocref and Betsy covered the options very well.

 

[Guest [ba...]]

badsocref,

You inspire me! Unfortunately I am on the other end of the spectrum as you: Anticipatory anxiety - full-blown panic, high blood pressure, coupled with extreme fatigue with any physical effort .... and the protracted W/D sx list goes on. So I do not anticipate to go through all the airline check-ins, security, turbulence in air, and the rest without extra benzo.

 

I'm sorry about the underlying 'stuff' that has caused you to take these meds so long.  It's easy for me to overlook the difficulties that many people face when trying to get off of these stupid drugs.  I only had minor anxiety issues that only surfaced when I tried to sleep, yet I had plenty of anxiety and even a few full-blown panic attacks when I withdrew.  I can only barely imagine how tough it is for individuals who have significant underlying anxiety.

 

fwiw - the China trip should have caused me a LOT of anxiety.  I don't do well with unknowns, and there were a lot of them.  But almost from the beginning, I found some sort of safe and trusting place in my mind, and I was mostly able to stay in that place throughout the trip.  It really helped when I'd notice that we were driving on the wrong side of the road (which happened pretty often).  I think that I realized that I had no control of the events that were transpiring, and any attempt to do so would look really bad for the two gweilos.  So the control freak in me simply shut up for two weeks, and I had a great time. 

 

I (occasionally) see situations like that in my life, and believe that others can rise to the occasion as I was able to do.  However, I'm a research (plant) biochemist - not a psychologist, and sometimes my cheerleading efforts are a bit naive.  I don't even know how I managed in China.  I just did.

 

Do what you must to do your trip.  I'd encourage you to do as little extra drug as humanly possible, and try to trust in yourself and others as you make your journey.  Be well, and enjoy your trip.

[[sh...]]

badsocref,

You certainly have more of the psychological mentoring quality than you take credit for. I think the experience you shared, and advice will help me greatly, God-willing. Thanks again!

 

Challis99,

Thanks so much for being encouraging at my efforts, no matter how small. I do not have that many people around me to encourage, or support me along further taper. Infact I've been told to reinstate and updose so I could be of use.  I have been suspecting the tolerance w/d for sometime also.

 

betsy,

Thank again for your advice. My pdoc gave the same instructions the last time I made this trip 4 years ago. So its great to have reassurance and sound advice from people who have "been there - done that"

 

I love you all for all your wonderful work and wish you well.