Clonazepam Withdrawal and Tolerance Question

[noradman]

Hey I've been taking clonazpam (klonopin) occasionally and I want to know if I have a chance of going through withdrawal or building tolerance.

I take clonazepam 1 or 2 times a week (1 mg each time). I take it no more than 6 times per month. I wait three full days in between taking another dose.
I had 1 mg last night so I will wait until at least Saturday to have another 1mg.

Will this cause tolerance or even worse withdrawal? Because I am deathly afraid it will.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[heckuvatime]

Unfortunately you are in error.  Clonazepam becomes completely active in 1-4 hrs and has a half-life of 30-40 hrs.  I take it infrequently for agitation on top of a couple meds for bipolar II, and it works well.  You can find out further information at any respected drug website under the pharmacokinetics section.  

[salt93]

I feel your pain write me and I will explain why I understand.

[Blairsie]

I also take it once or twice a week, same exact thing as you actually. I also take 1 mg and wait 3 days between pills.

Posts above mention that you're not on the "therapeutic" dose. You might as well call the therapeutic dose the "dependent" dose. I used to take these every day as prescribed. Eventually I didn't want to be dependent on benzos anymore so I tried to slowly wean off which was a miserable experience. Finally went into a hospital and did a medical detox. Single worst experience of my life. I am happy it's over and won't go back to taking it as prescribed. My bottle says to take 1 mg twice a day but I just take them when I want a truly anxiety free day. It's also much more effective when you take it every few days rather than every day. By saying that I mean it works better because your body isn't as used to it. That's not to say that certain people need to take it every day. I used to, and yes the drug was still mostly effective for my panic, however every year or so they would have to raise the dosage because it becomes a matter of needing to keep a consistent level of the drug in your system or the anxiety comes back. The "therapeutic" level. Again, the problem with that is eventually it stops working unless you take more, and more, and more... Of course each individual is different, and I'm no doctor. Just someone who has a lot of experience with klonopin, anxiety, dependence & withdrawl.

  So the way I look at it, you can use klonopin on a more occasional dosage schedule and get some relief from anxiety when you really need it. I always take one before flying, or situations I know might cause me to panic.

I have really severe anxiety so on the days I don't take a klonopin, I supplement with l-theanine capsules (an amino acid which is very helpful for anxiety and has no side-effects) as well as chamomile capsules. b vitamins, calcium, magnesium as well as omega 3 fish oil (i prefer flaxseed oil because of the taste) are also helpful.

there are other herbs like valerian root, passionflower, lemon balm & kava that can help. everyone reacts differently to medications as well as herbs, the l-theanine & chamomile work best for me. kava tea is relaxing, but an acquired taste. Futurebiotics makes something called "Chill Pill" which has a bunch of the stuff I mention in it. There's all kinds of homeopathic stuff out there, unfortunately there is no way to find out what really works for you until you spend the money to try all the different stuff out there.

So, to sum it up, klonopin is fine to take occasionally. Yeah it changes your GABA levels and it's possible you may experience very small amounts of withdrawl or dependence when you continually take it, (even once or twice a week occasionally) and then completely stop taking it. But it won't be anything near as horrible as coming off several milligrams daily. In my opinion, those few days a month I feel complete relief from my panic attacks is worth the risk.

Hope that helps.

[clyons11]

Are you taking it for anxiety? The schedule you're on doesn't make any sense. And taking so little, there's no way you could become dependent on it. I take 1 mg 3X/day every day. I'd suggest a change in your med situation-- give your doctor a call. As suggested, if he/she thinks this is an appropriate course of treatment, then he/she shouldn't be a doctor, in my opinion.

[pete78x]

klonopin (clonazepam), when taken regularly, can lead to habituation, dependence, and benzodizapine withdrawal syndrome. this is why it is best if taken for a period no longer than a couple of weeks at each interval (ask your doctor). ONE SHOULD NEVER WITHDRAW SUDDENLY from a medicine like klonopin- the side effects can be severe, even life threatening (it can induce life-threatening seizures, among many other serious reactions). one .5 mg pill will have a calming effect generally within 30 minutes or so. it has a long half-life, meaning it stays in the blood for a long period, typically a couple of days before half the active agent is expelled.

[mammo]

I have been on Clonazepam for about 2 years and I take one in the am and one in the pm.

[RubyWitch]

Klonopin must be dosed 3X per day to acheive therapeutic effects. It is not used on a prn (as needed) basis and whoever told you that needs to go back for a refresher course in pharmacology.
Taking it the way you are will do virtually nothing for you as it must build up in your system to reach the aforementioned therapeutic effects.
Tolerance to Klonopin, even taken daily, will often take years to reach and may not ever happen, which is why it is an excellent long term med.
I would definitely suggest you discuss your dosing schedule with your doctor and if he/she thinks it's just fine, find yourself a new doctor.
There is nothing wrong with having a healty apprehension about these meds, but if your fear is going to keep you from taking this medication as you should so that it can help you, then perhaps getting into some therapy will be more beneficial to you at this point.
If you have any doubts about what I've told you regarding the dosing of this med, call any pharmacist and ask them.  
Just out of curiosity, what does your prescription bottle say about dosing?
Peace
Greenlydia