Clonazepam.

Steel Maiden · 15-10-2014, 07:54 PM

I know about the psychopharmacology behind Clonazepam but what I want to know are personal experiences.

How frequently do you take it? Do you notice any side-effects?

I know that benzos can cause dependence and tolerance so I stick to low doses (250-500 micrograms per dose) and no more than 2-3 times a week. For example, in the last seven days I have taken 250 micrograms once and 500 micrograms once.

Clonazepam really helps me when I'm severely stressed, and helps me wind down after severe meltdowns.

I took 500 micrograms yesterday because I had an aggressive meltdown in a shop when some stranger put their arm around my shoulders to say sorry for bumping into me. The bumping in was bad enough but then putting arm on my shoulders made me start screaming and freaking out. My support worker was there with me thankfully (I can't easily go shopping alone and it was in a clothes store) and she got the security guard to leave me alone.

I find that Clonazepam works better than Lorazepam and Diazepam (well Diazepam didn't "work", it gave me a paradoxical reaction), and I read that Clonazepam is less dependence-forming as it has a longer half life and thus reaches steady state slower than the others if taken often.

What are your experiences with Clonazepam? My psychiatrist agreed to make it a long-term thing for my autism if I use it very carefully and not frequently.

Ballerina123 · 16-10-2014, 08:59 AM

I take clonazapam and i use about 2mg a week for stress and anxiety.
I find it very good. It calms me and the calming lasts about 5 hours.

I think it's the best benzo I've been on because it works well at low doses and the effects last longer than say lorazapam.

Only side effect i get is a slowing down of cognitive function so sometimes have can do much uni work when I've taken it.

I'm prescribed it 2mg a day (in 2-4 doses). But i don't take that much I only take it when I really need it, ie twice a week ish.

I'm not sure if that helps.

Steel Maiden · 16-10-2014, 09:02 AM

That makes sense, thanks.

sherlock holmes · 16-10-2014, 10:03 AM

Just to say that 0.25mg clonazepam is equivalent to 5mg diazepam, so 2mg clonazepam is equivalent to 10mg diazepam which isn't really a low dose.

Steel Maiden · 16-10-2014, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherlock holmes

Just to say that 0.25mg clonazepam is equivalent to 5mg diazepam, so 2mg clonazepam is equivalent to 10mg diazepam which isn't really a low dose.

That's true. Except I think your calculation is wrong. 0.25 x 8 = 2. So Ballerina123 is taking 8 times my dose.

Although tbh 0.5mg is more often required for my challenging behaviour. 0.25mg is what I use for non-meltdown anxiety.