clonazepam dosing and depression

[[jo...]]

I was originally placed on the clonazepam for sleep due to insomnia " nothing else worked " now My sleep is starting to return slowly or at least it appears to be so i try to get some natural sleep before I take My once a day nightly dose .

 

The clonazepam makes My existing depression 100 times worse and prevents REM sleep so when I come too around 2:30am I feel like I just woke up from the dentist office after a proceedure. Then the depression symptoms kick in , in a big way followed by the rebound yes rebound symptoms. I am very sensitive to all these meds.

 

Even though My original problem was the insomnia the clonazepam is making Me feel like I was hit by a truck each morning and yes I must taper off even after only 3 weeks on . Went through this 2 years ago and the doc said Oh short term just stop taking it and I did . I ended up having a seizure and took a ride in the rescue and spent an evening in the local hospital. 

 

IMO this med not only causes depressive symptoms but can make an existing depression 100 times worse . If any other members have experienced this I would like to hear from You and how You handled it. Long term use or short term use depression is depression and the symptoms can be crushing.

[[su...]]

Clonazepam made me horrible anxious and then depressed.  I remain depressed even as I near the end of a 2 year taper.  If I was only on this for 3 weeks, I'd taper off, suck it up and never, ever touch this shit again.  Can't tell you what to do, but that's what I would do and I'd do it immediately.  I was on this shit for 10 years and it hurt far, far more than it helped - if it ever helped at all.

[[Tr...]]

I had a problem with Klonopin and depression after I initially tapered off of Zoloft. I'd start feeling depressed and anxious and used Klonopin to ease the symptoms. I was using as-needed, not every day, but I started on a roller coaster. It never helped my depression and I got more and more depressed, then heightened anxiety on the days I wasn't taking Klonopin.

 

I'm not sure if it was the Klonopin or not but I went into a really bad negative spiral that I couldn't come out of on my own. I reinstated Zoloft, then tapered off Klonopin, then tapered off Zoloft 6 months later. I've been medication-free for almost a year and while I still have minor depressive episodes, they don't last more than a couple days and are never as severe as that relapse.

 

You're best off tapering off the Klonopin when you can. Hopefully you'll be cured from the insomnia. Good luck!

[[jo...]]

Sunday that is exactly what Im trying to do but I have depressive insomnia and cant seem to find anything to help Me get some sleep while Im tapering. Melatonin works on an off , I used it two years ago for the same problem but this year the doc started Me on 0.5mg instead of 0.25 so the dose stopped providing sedation real quick and now I have twice as far to go.

 

I can deal with the physical symptoms even though they suck but who can do this without sleep. Doc wants to give Me an AD but too bad they dont make an SSRI that is sedating unlike the SNRIs that sedate but yet rev up by hitting the nore epi i the brain . On traz I would wake up with a pulse of 120 . Last night NO sleep I have no idea how Im going to get off this stuff this time.

[[su...]]

I'm sorry about this. Are there any other alternatives?  Can you use medical marijuana?  It will put you to sleep, and edibles keep people asleep.  Some people use gabapentin or trileptal or even LOW doses of remeron or seroquel.

 

I have sleep issues, which is how I ended up on an SSRI and then klonopin.  I have since gotten a firmer diagnosis from a sleep specialist.  I would urge you to find somebody like that, and also perhaps if you're comfortable, a naturopath and acupuncturist.  Not cures, but helpful.  If you don't work, can you fix your schedule to sleep when you can?  I know that not sleeping is hell on earth, I really, really do.  That said, the more K or any benzo or other drug you take to try and make it happen, yes, the farther you will have to go to get off of it.

 

I truly hope you find something that helps you.  If you're not sleeping anyway, get the hell off of the benzos ASAP.

[[jo...]]

Sunday My shrink is telling Me that an AD will raise the serotonin and that will bring back My normal sleep because I have depression. You mentioned that You are on an AD so did the AD help bring Your sleep back and if so what type an SSRI or SNRI. The SNRIs ramp Me up, tried the REm and Traz for sleep both ramp up My anxiety etc.

 

I dont like AD because of that problem the stimulate and the damn benzo is creating enough anxiety now along with the host of other symptoms. Like I You said I so want off this shit. But am also concerned about being able to sleep on My own again.

[[Mi...]]

Good topic:  I finished a Kpin taper in July 2016.  Hellacious, as everyone here knows.  In my six month off now, but I still struggle with sleep and depression.  I did before being prescribed Kpin. The benzo worked for awhile, then backfired.  I started an AD to help with the depression just in the last couple of weeks.  Not sure it is helping, but I am hoping it will lessen the more troublesome symptoms.  I hope others will post about their experience here, too.

[[bb...]]

This is my third time on Klonopin and it has not treated me well at all this time. From the minute I started it, I was hit with the worst depression. Never had it the other 2 times and never had depression before taking it. I am hoping the lower I go, the better it will get. So you are not the only one. I simply want to be the person I was before beginning Klonopin in August. 

[[su...]]

Sunday My shrink is telling Me that an AD will raise the serotonin and that will bring back My normal sleep because I have depression. You mentioned that You are on an AD so did the AD help bring Your sleep back and if so what type an SSRI or SNRI. The SNRIs ramp Me up, tried the REm and Traz for sleep both ramp up My anxiety etc.

 

I dont like AD because of that problem the stimulate and the damn benzo is creating enough anxiety now along with the host of other symptoms. Like I You said I so want off this shit. But am also concerned about being able to sleep on My own again.

Johnny,

I am tapering off of Lexapro. SSRI's did not improve my sleep because I have a sleep disorder and SSRI's are not good treatment for what I have.  I was totally misdiagnosed and never, ever had depression until 3 years ago.  SSRI's have only given me side-effects, messed up my sleep and metabolism, and altered my brain in a bad way.  Oh, like you, SNRI's made me feel anxious and crazy. During this nightmare, I tried two different ones and didn't get beyond one day before stopping.

My doctor and I agreed early on to not add any drugs.  Medical Cannabis has been the only thing I've added. I use it infrequently, but I'm glad I have it. Hasn't hurt at all, and has helped me fall asleep and calm me down.

[[Th...]]

It seems I hear Klonopin is the worst of them...lucky us! My depression is pretty intense and I don't want to do anything I once enjoyed, which would help. It takes all my energy away. If you can get a legal RX for MMJ it's a godsend for sleep! If not sometimes a half dose of benedryl helps me.

[[bb...]]

Third, this sounds just like me! I want so badly to once again be myself. This K has temporarily robbed me on my happiness and enjoyment in anything I used to do! This sucks! And the energy part drives me nuts! I always feel so drained. It sounds like we are in the same boat... We'll get there a day at a time. 

[[Th...]]

Third, this sounds just like me! I want so badly to once again be myself. This K has temporarily robbed me on my happiness and enjoyment in anything I used to do! This sucks! And the energy part drives me nuts! I always feel so drained. It sounds like we are in the same boat... We'll get there a day at a time. 

 

I'm glad I'm not alone in this but hate you are suffering too. My husband just got a lay off notice to add icing to the cake. Also my brother dumped on me and told me I should leave the country because I made a slight reference to certain person that was responsible for the layoffs. He told me something really nasty and mean as a decent human being while I cried on the phone to him over the fact we may loose everything including insurance which would make me have to taper all my drugs below in my signature in 8 months. I'm a super sensitive long holder because it's my 3rd time. It terrifies me.

[[bb...]]

Third,

My husband has been without a job since June! So I am the only one working right now. Talk about stress! This is also my third time on K so I know what sensitive is too. I hope you don't lose your insurance. Hang in there. We WILL get through this. (((HUGS)))

[[Th...]]

This is my third time on Klonopin and it has not treated me well at all this time. From the minute I started it, I was hit with the worst depression. Never had it the other 2 times and never had depression before taking it. I am hoping the lower I go, the better it will get. So you are not the only one. I simply want to be the person I was before beginning Klonopin in August. 

 

I now really understand what you said about us having so much in common! I didn't read this post before. Wow we are living the same story. Had I only known it would be so much different. I mean the first 2 times were hell to but I was able to remain a degree of functionality. This time is pure hell! Do you ever get the guilty feeling that you are responsible because you took it before? It's not our fault but I get down on myself like I should have know better to avoid them. Had I only know what a difference one taper can be over another. My first was 6mg klonopin 3mg Xanax and I did it in a year without a single updose or long hold. Uhhh, message me anytime

[[bb...]]

Yes! I get down on myself for taking it again and did not know that it would/could treat me so badly this time. If only I had known.... I did not know that it can get harder to taper the more times you take it. You can message me anytime as well.