Klonapin

[DawnForth]

Who takes Klonapin and what does it do? I've heard it calms you down at night and makes you sleep?

I'm on an anti-depressant but it's not really working. I was considering another anti-depressant and something to calm me down at night when I'm going to sleep.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!!

[armslee]

Hi Dawn-
Klonopin is really considered an Anxiety/muscle relaxer. I take it as needed for pelvic floor pain and pain attacks. This drug isn't an antidepressant. You should definetly take something else for that department.

So my experience with Klonopin is this.....it will knock you on your butt in a large dose. My doctor prescribed it to me rather heftily and I was so drunk on it I couldn't function. You can make your dose smaller and it will do the trick without making you feel like Otis Campbell.

Good luck!

[L. Thomas]

I think it is an anti-psychotic I took it for anxiety (short term..3 days). I had some personal issuers and I couldn’t sleep. 3 days later I was sleeping :loco: “ normally”

[Sarojini]

Klonopin (clonazepam) is an anti-anxiety medication that is in the same family as Valium (diazepam), Xanax, and Ativan. I take it now and then for anxiety, and it does seem to help me out. However, it is NOT an antidepressant in the slightest; I would discuss with your doctor what your next step should be.

[jen48446]

I took it for about a month or 2, didn't do much for me but make me constantly tired & keep my mind from going all night long.

[DawnForth]

Just as a clarification - I knew that Klonapin wasn't an anti-depressant, but knew that it helps with sleep/winding down. I didn't know that it was in the same family as Valium and Xanax. I've heard that Effexor is an anti-anxiety drug and doesn't have the same side affects as Valium/Xanax/Klonapin type drugs. But would it help with sleep/winding down?

Can anyone reccomend a good anti-depressant? I'm taking Paxil, but it's not really helping anymore. Plus I'm concerned about some of the side affects of coming off of it or trying to. I'm thinking about going back to Lexapro because I always had good responses to this drug. I got off of it because the co-pay was very expensive at the time. Of course this is something I will discuss with my Doctor, but has anything come out since Lexapro that's in the same family? (I.E., Lexapro is like Celexa except Lexapro is a bit more updated, better than Celexa and was introduced after Celexa).

Thanks!!

[Briza]

Effexor is an anti-depressant that may help with anxiety. I haven't tried it.

I take Prozac for depression, but it isn't doing much for MY anxiety, that's why I also have xanax, but it doesn't help me sleep, just calms me down and keeps me from having anxiety attacks. I am also looking for an antidepressant that will help with both so I can cut down and hopefully eventually get off the xanax. I'm considering Cymbalta.

But I'm in the same boat as you...Prozac and Xanax I get for free w/ my insurance because there are generics...Cymbalta will have a copay...

Best wishses...

[Babs RN]

Unfortunately, I cannot take Lexapro anymore because I had 2 seizures while taking it. Have you discussed Cymbalta with your doc? It is supposed to help with pain and depression. Hope you can find something that helps! There are so many options with new products coming out all the time.

Hugs,
Barb:hi:

[DawnForth]

Thanks to everyone that posted about this.....

Briza - I'd be surprised to hear about the dosage and usage of your xanax. As I've described, my doctor is so hesitant about prescribing it on a daily basis because of the high rate of abuse. What is your doctor's take on it? I've been having heart palpatations and severe panic attacks (doc is also testing me for hyperthyroid as I have some of these symptoms). I've seen some commercials for the cymbalta, but would like to see the "kinks" worked out first before I consider taking it.

For now, my doctor put me on Effexor. For example, (as my doctor described it), a lot of antipsychotics work differently depending on the one you choose (obviously). For example, Lexapro is kind of medium of the road when it comes to an equal balance of treating both depression and anxiety. Effexor on the the other hand, is more on the anxiety side and then it also treats mild depression as well. I'm on my third day, and although I feel like I'm going through a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" moment while the medication gets in my system, I'm trying to give it time to work. I have noticed some major irritability and I've also been told that coming off of Paxil can have some very adverse side effects (mood swings, etc....)

I just hope it works. Anyone else taken Effexor and what was the outcome? I have a girlfriend at work that started taking it about 6 months ago and has lost 25 pounds. My doctor told me that it also can suppress the appetite.

[jen48446]

I took Effexor XR, I had to get myself off of it after about 5 weeks, I started having wierd dreams then I woke up one morning from a dream that I woke up & looked over @ my husband & he was dead (no kidding), I called the doctors office as soon as it opened & got in that day. They weaned me off of it. I had a horrible pounding headache for nearly a week weaning myself off of it. That & the fact I was sweating excessively I knew it wasn't for me. We're all different though!

[Briza]

Thanks to everyone that posted about this.....

Briza - I'd be surprised to hear about the dosage and usage of your xanax. As I've described, my doctor is so hesitant about prescribing it on a daily basis because of the high rate of abuse. What is your doctor's take on it? I've been having heart palpatations and severe panic attacks (doc is also testing me for hyperthyroid as I have some of these symptoms). I've seen some commercials for the cymbalta, but would like to see the "kinks" worked out first before I consider taking it.

For now, my doctor put me on Effexor. For example, (as my doctor described it), a lot of antipsychotics work differently depending on the one you choose (obviously). For example, Lexapro is kind of medium of the road when it comes to an equal balance of treating both depression and anxiety. Effexor on the the other hand, is more on the anxiety side and then it also treats mild depression as well. I'm on my third day, and although I feel like I'm going through a "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" moment while the medication gets in my system, I'm trying to give it time to work. I have noticed some major irritability and I've also been told that coming off of Paxil can have some very adverse side effects (mood swings, etc....)

I just hope it works. Anyone else taken Effexor and what was the outcome? I have a girlfriend at work that started taking it about 6 months ago and has lost 25 pounds. My doctor told me that it also can suppress the appetite.

My drs, too, would rather have me on a different anti anxiety med than xanax, however, I have a history of post traumatic stress disorder which was re-awakened by some extreme stressors in my personal life some months ago, so I had a talk with my drs and psychologist, and just said look, I'm not concerned about becoming depedent on any medicine at this point, what I NEED is something to help me keep my job, my house, my finances, and my relationships with friends and family in order while I am in this recovery process. I just recently downgraded to Ativan, which is what they really wanted me on, but in the beginning it just wasn't strong enough to take care of the anxiety and panic attacks. It's working ok for now.

But I did try changing from Prozac to Cymbalta for 5 days this past week and it did a number on me...I was sleep walking practically any time I wasn't asleep, which was all of the time except at work,and I was even napping there during lunch. Called dr yesterday, I'm off Cymbalta, back on Prozac and feeling more or less ok like I was before the change. I know others who are having great luck with Cymbalta, just turned out it was not the med for me. I've also heard the first couple weeks of Effexor can be rough, but after that many have good results with it.

Where's that ONE magic pill????????????????

[Berkshire Road]

I took effexor quite a few years ago, but I had great good luck with it for a time. I felt really good (zapped the depression) and I lost 25 pounds. Unfortunately, after about a year or a little more, it started making me wired and giving me heart palpatations.

I'm taking Cymbalta now; it's not doing as much for my depression but maybe I have more to be depressed about ... A whole lot of insurance plans won't cover Cymbalta AT ALL because it is so expensive, so that's something to check into. The cash price is something like $400 per month. My dr. gives me samples. Seems like the company is pretty generous with samples.

I've found that with depression and anxiety, I always need two drugs.