Along with my psychosis I suffer terrible anxiety. Have been to 4 separate talking therapy regimes to tackle this but with poor results. Tried antidepressants and of course antipsychotics (which I use for my schiz). No response to these.
I did have a brief response to gabapentin in that it really helped with social stuff. However only clonazepam can touch the deep seated anxiety (no response to diazepam or lorazepam).
I would like to go on klonopin long term but my psychiatrist is very anti benzos. This is in contrast to my last pdoc who had no problem prescribing benzos.
I mean if need be I would sign an exclaimer fully taking the blame away fr the pdoc.
As someone with panic disorder, who’s been on benzodiazepines for 8 years, I can tell you that there are risks.
The first is tolerance, where your body becomes accustomed to the med and stops responding as well as it used to. The result is having to increase the dosage, which is only possible up to a certain dose (for clonazepam this is 4 mg per day). The other option in treating tolerance is to switch to a different benzo, but in your case, you say you’re not responsive to the similar benzos.
Another risk is physical dependence. This is where your body NEEDS the med to function properly. This is a problem because, without the medication, your body goes through terrible withdrawal, with severe symptoms of anxiety, depression, and even psychosis and seizures.
So there are issues with committing to a benzo long term. These need to be heavily weighed with the benefits of using the med by you and your doctor. This is why so many docs are anti-benzo: because the risks outweigh the benefits in their patient.
However, benzos such as clonazepam CAN do a lot of good in treating anxiety and panic disorders. But ultimately, should be used with caution.
I thought the gabapentin was working out for you? I have been taking Klonopin on an everyday basis for anxiety and panic.
Klonopin is a very good anxiolytic and a pretty good mood stabilizer. It is however addicting and one does grow a tolerance to it. If your doctor suspects that you have an addictive type personality or you drink alcohol on a regular basis, he or she may not want to prescribe a benzo for you. My psychiatrist is not thrilled about prescribing me a benzo, but I do not have an addictive type personality nor do I indulge in drinking alcohol, so she is ok with prescribing me Klonopin at lower doses
Have you tried Buspar? It’s not a benzo, not addictive, and don’t build tolerance. Can use it long term. My son with PSZ uses it daily (range between 30 and 60 mg) He describes it as “taking the edge off his anxiety.” If his normal baseline for anxiety was a 7 or 8, now it’s a 4. Still may need other drugs at times of stress, but definitely helps
It’s hard. I know what it is like to need Klonopin for relief and encounter such resistance. Panic attacks are horrible and for me I don’t want to leave the house for fear of having one. Benzos are the only thing that help me, specifically Klonopin. Anthony mentioned some reasons why pdocs are so hesitant to prescribe them. My therapist told me that long term they actually cause anxiety. I don’t know what to tell you because right now I’m in a battle with my pdoc’s office to be prescribed a small amount each month. Then they think you’re drug seeking so you have to play games with how you ask. It’s not fair. People who abuse them have ruined it for us who need them. I also take Lexapro which has helped and just started Neurontin. My PCP prescribes me Percocet so that should say to them I don’t abuse pills and never have. I feel for you I know what it’s like. Good luck.
Can’t help think what is going to kill me first. A grossly overweight antipsychotic patient with diabete or a man who gains a great deal of relief by taking anxiolytics pills.
Tried buspar in high doses but no difference. Despite an initial response to gabapentin but this does not help in bad circumstances. Tries ssri’s which help a little bit for obsessional thoughts but not much. On a cocktail of antipsychotics to help control the bizarre thoughts.
But the only drug that evaporates my illness induced anxiety is clonazepam. My old pdoc retired: he had no problem prescribing long term benzos even if they lead to tolerance his opinion was when all other options are exhausted you must resort to benzos. My new pdoc is very anti-benzos. Don’t think he realises just how desperate I feel now.
Where I come from it is pretty easy to get put on klonopin. I got yanked off it, though, when I told my pdoc I had given a couple of my klonopin to this girl who was withdrawing from heroin. That was stupid.
Diazepam
Lorazepam
Ssri’s
Buspar high dose
5 rounds of talking thereapy
Propranolol
And countless antipsychotics
The antipsychotics I currently on help with the thoughts but this anxiety is terrible. Haven’t left the house in weeks. The doctors tell me to speak to relatives or friends. Well I have no friends and my family all have serious health problems which are exacerbated by my problem. I’m fact my mum says she is going to change her number so I don’t talk to her multiple times a day.
The most annoying thig is that my previous pdoc had no problem prescribing benzos (once everything else had been exhausted). Talking to cpn’s the new pdoc is extremely anti-benzo. If it would keep him I would sign a disclaimer excepting him for responsibility if I get dependent on the pills
Thing is life had been hell for the last two weeks: planning elaborate suicides from which there would be no comeback. I don’t want to die but I just want relief.
I mean simply what is going to kill me first the antipsychotics that reck your body and cause me metabolic syndrome or a simple benzo which may need to be increased over time as dependence occurs. Big deal. Benzo are one of the safest psychoactive drugs on the market.
