Klonopin Helps- At Last Something + Lexapro

[diamondcut]

Hi all

Just interested on your thoughts here, i have tried a very low dose of Clonazapam, and all though i was refused it by 2 cardio's earlier in the year, i can say its the first drug in 4 years that i feel some sort of benefit for with my POTs.

I no Benzo's are addictive and Dr's do not like you being on them but if 0.5mg in the morning and 0.5mg at night just calms my heart rate ever so slightly and just makes me feel far less hyper then should i care about long term issues?

Can any clever ones on here tell me what the Clonazapam does to help me feel better, is it to do with NE and Andrenalin?

I am still really struggling with chronic daily migraines too and i was wondering if a higher dose of this could possible help them too? Any one noticed that?

Also i am about to try Lexapro and read a lot about it on here, general idea is that if you do not have an allergic reaction you should give it 4 weeks? Would people agree thats a sensible time frame in their experience?

[StephL]

I can't give you any info but I take 1 mg nightly and then upon occasion if I'm having a bad panic attack but that almost never happens anymore.

My doc wanted me on Lexapro but my insurance doesn't cover it and I can't afford it monthly so I stuck wit the Zoloft.

Those two things have improved things. Note, I'm not healed, just feeling better than before I was on those.

[abbyw]

Lexapro definitely helped me. I would give it 6 full weeks. At 4, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but those first few weeks were very rough, and I needed a half of a Benzo here and there to get me thru it. Once the 6 week mark hit, I didn't need the benzo again. I hope it works for you!

[Kellysavedbygrace]

I'm not sure why but have been told by my autonomic specialist that the low dose of Clonazepam will help to gradually relax the nervous system and because it is one of the few long acting benzos it will help control the variations in heart rate throughout the whole next day. He has prescribed just one dose .5 once a day right before bed. He says it's too low to get addicted to but will really help w relaxing the system.

[FarmerAmy]

I have a history with Klonopin...I'll try to make it as short as I can, but bear with me!

I have had POTS symptoms most of my life, but I have been going steadily downhill for 5+ years. (I only found out in the last year that I have POTS.) About 3 years ago I had an episode of severe anxiety and depression. My psychiatrist prescribed Klonopin for me--it was a life-saver for getting me through the anxiety. I also have a vivid memory from that time...I was driving one afternoon and I thought to myself that it was strange that I didn't feel like I needed to lie down. I ALWAYS feel like I need to lie down. But I thought it was just that I was feeling better from not being so depressed and anxious.

I stopped taking the Klonopin after a few months. It was really hard to stop taking it. I had really bad headaches and insomnia. I would go a few days, then break down and take just a little crumble of a Klonopin pill to get me through the withdrawal symptoms. Finally I got a really bad head cold and was in bed for a few days and decided to go for it! I was feeling super crummy anyway, so I decided it was a good time to get through the Klonopin withdrawal.

Fast forward a few years....my POTS symptoms really flared up last November. I also figured out around that same time that I have POTS. I have been severely debilitated since then. My cardiologist had me try midodrine, metoprolol, and florinef. None of those helped me. I was having severe tachycardia and chest pains. The chest pains were so bad that I could not think of anything but how bad my chest pains were.

I stopped taking all the meds the cardiologist prescribed. But I was still feeling terrible. I got really desperate one night and took a leftover Klonopin pill that I had. I felt so much better!!! It stopped my chest pains and my tachycardia is not nearly as bad.

I told my cardiologist about my improvement and she said she was ok with me taking Klonopin as long as my phychiatrist prescribed it, which he did. The psychiatrist said he is not worried about me becoming addicted because I am taking such a low dose (0.5 mg - 2x per day).

I've been taking Klonopin for about 6 months now. I think I've probably built up a little tolerance to it, but it still helps tremendously with the chest pains and tachycardia. It doesn't seem to help at all with my dizziness or fatigue, but at least I don't feel terrible while I am lying down.

I know that it might be rough if I decide to stop taking Klonopin some day, but I decided that it was worth it. It is the only thing I have found so far that seems to help my symptoms.

I hope that helps. I'd love to hear about your progress--especially because I suspect we have a similar form of POTS since we both respond to Klonopin.

[futurehope]

Klonopin was the only medicine that made a noticeable difference in my POTS symptoms. They vanished. The problem is, after taking Klonopin for two weeks, I needed more of it or insomnia would set in.

To get off of them I experienced insomnia for days. So I'm not taking any now because I refuse to get myself in a situation where I would need more and more or else get more and more nervous with increasing insomnia.

If you can take this continuously with benefits, you're blessed. Enjoy! Wish I could keep taking them. I can't. I've told every doctor I've ever seen that Klonopin was the only thing that noticeably helped me.

[brethor9]

I don't take klonopin (makes me really dizzy) but I have had the same luck with ativan/lorazepam...I take a small dose .05mg 2x day for about 3 years (I have never upped my dose). It has been the only medication to help even a little.......and I tried every SSRI/SNRI out there with horrible paradoxical effects and I suspect they actually made my dysautonomia worse. One thing I did find out about benzo's through Dr. Afrin a mast cell dr is that they bind mast cell receptors so that may explain why they give some relief in my situation. To me there is a big difference between addiction and dependance.....technically people who have to take insulin are dependant so why should I feel bad for taking a medication that physically (not recreationally or for the high) makes me better? I don't stress about it anymore...I do whatever it takes to feel better

[Guest Alex]

My personal experience:

was prescribed klonopin .5 mg 2x day - am and pm. Was ok on it (more relaxed and had better sleep quality) but still experienced episodes of racing heart, chest pain, left side numbness.

At one point I dropped the am dose as it was making me extremely drowsy - despite my fears, I had no withdrawal issues whatsoever after being on it for 6 months at that time.

Now I only take .5 mg at bedtime but it doesn't help anymore. In the beginning it used to knock me out in 30 min, now it doesn't make a difference anymore. I tried to lower the dose and I got a pretty nasty adrenaline rush, so I'm back to .5 mg. My dr suggested upping the amount, but I'm not willing to go that way.

I've also been on citalopram for a short while - bad reaction to it from day 1 - as my neuro explained,

SSRIs decrease serotonin uptake therefore making it more available. In my case that meant an elevated sympathetic tone - in other words it sent my sympathetic nervous system in overdrive hence my constantly fluctuating bp and heart rate while taking it.

I hope this helps.

Good luck,

Alex

[diamondcut]

Thank you all for your input.

I am of the same opinion that if it is helping when so many have failed then what have i to lose. Its reassuring that lots on here take a small does and not to get to concerned about it.

It by all means is no miracle drug as so many of us say on here, but even the smallest improvement we are are grateful for.

Thats really interesting how Klonopin helps MCAD thank you for letting me know that. Again another clue why this one did not effect my heart in a bad way like so many do.

Amy- Sure i will keep you posted, if you are interested you can PM me and we can see what other meds we have both been on and what might help us both as a result.

[futurehope]

Dr. Afrin told me the same thing, that benzos bind mast cell receptors. Bind them from doing what? I have no idea how that explains why it makes me feel better? If I feel like it, I'll ask him next time.