Global Patient Feedback for Clonazepam ( Post a comment )

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Question/Comment:

I am a 35 year old male, have taken clonazepam for over a year and am having what I canonly describe as brain zaps. An involuntary electrical typ shock which rund through my brain and sometime the rest of my body. Other folks I have spoke with have had similar symptoms, but I ma having difficulty with my doctors on what it is caused by or how to prevent and if ti si dangerous.

37 year old Male

Answer/Reply:

I am a 45 year old female and have never, never heard of klonopin causing any thing like that before. Have you been tested to see if there is something else going on or if perhaps it's because of the mixture of other meds you might be taking?

47 year old Female

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

I just increased my dose of klonopin last night and am plagued with brain zaps this morning. It's awful. Did you find out if it is the medication?

Answer/Reply:

You mention experiencing "brain zaps" after having started Clonazepam about a year ago. I have been on this drug for about 9 years (0.5 mgs, three times a day) for panic attack with agoraphobia disorder. It has given me by life back, and am able to work . Before that life was absolute hell (hiding in my room with impending doom feelings). Very infrequent panic attacks now, and generally relaxed around most people. The brain electrical zaps you talk about I experienced also from the first year on Clonazepam. They usually happen when I forget to take my next dose, or am abit late on it. I admit that they are abit bothersome, but I started to get used to them. If I take my dose on time I don't notice them happening. I don't know if they (the zaps) are dangerous ... I don't think so as its been many years now that they would pop up, and I'm still here (with a sound mind, I think). The best way I can explain them, is that, when the brain starts getting used to this drug, it goes into a slower mode of operating, and then experiences mini or full seizures when it is without it. There has been a price to pay for me on this medication: significant short-term memory difficulties and reduced sharpness of mind; weight gain due to the lower metabolistic rate, and reduced ability for sustained erections. But, what is the lesser evil? As I mentioned, I can now get out of the house, do my job with enthusiasm, and talk with people. So pick your poison.

51 year old Male

Question/Comment:

I have anxiety attacks due to years of abuse as well as restless leg syndrome. My doctor has had be use clonazepam for years to help with the anxiety, but he also has me take it at night for the restless leg syndrome situation. Is there any problem with that?

62 year old Female

Answer/Reply:

I am a 45 year old female and was given klonopin for anxiety/panic attacks, but it also has worked wonders with my restless leg syndrome. I say, if it works and your doctor agrees, keep taking it just so you can actually get some rest!

47 year old Female

Question/Comment:

I recently stopped taking Clonazepam after having taken it for a year. It helped tremendously to reduce the frequency and severity of episodic anger outbursts, but it also had side effects that bothered me, like drowsiness and clouded thought process. I would appreciate any suggestions of other medications that might help me control my outbursts without side effects like the ones I mentioned. By the way, I had no withdrawal symptoms when I stopped taking this medicine. As a child, I had absence seizures, most likely as part of a Childhood Absence Epilepsy syndrome. I seem to have outgrown my past epilepsy, as I have read most children with that type of epilepsy do, and I have not had any seizures since about the age of 5. I am 24 now, and one doctor told me when I was 20 that my past seizures were not really a cause for concern when considering the potential risks of medications. However, my pediatrician recommended that I forgo Pertussis vaccines for the rest of my life because of my past seizures. Although I do not plan to take Clonazepam again, I am considering some other medicines that I have heard seizure disorders can increase the risks of, including Lexapro and estrogen replacement therapy (according to this site, epilepsy is a risk factor associated with Premarin but not Estradiol, and I will most likely use the latter); however, I have read other places that Estradiol can also worsen seizure disorders and I would like to get as many opinions as I can on this subject.

25 year old Female

Question/Comment:

I am a 40 year old female who has been on Clonazepam for over a year due to anxiety attacks brought on by stress. They are simular to a seizure disorder. My Doctor said that this is my body's way of protecting itself when I'm under a great deal of stress. SO FAR SO GOOD, now I rarely have one of my episodes.

42 year old Female

Question/Comment:

I am successfully weening myself off of these, I was taking 3 1mg green pills a day...And I have gotten myself down to 1 pill a day. The key to it is to decrease your dosage slowly. Cut half a pill a week, until you get to the desired amount.

40 year old Female

Question/Comment:

I've found, over the years, that it's extremely beneficial to experiment with the dosage of klonopin, and to find the lowest possible dose that will relieve anxiety symptoms, as to avoid drowsiness, mental confusion, and physical dependency.

49 year old Female

Question/Comment:

i AM LOOKING FOR A DRUG CALLED TRANZINE

54 year old Female

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

I think you may be referring to TRANXENE (pronounce 'Tranzine'), a benzodiazepine also known as Clorazepate dipotassium. You should be able to look this up in the iGuard database.

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

did you find it? I am looking too Comming off alchol. chris.sutton@hotmail.com

Question/Comment:

What are the higher than average risk of serious side effects that are associated with Klonopin? Is is just the dependency thing, or are there others (I know about drowsiness).

56 year old Female

iGuard.org Answer/Reply:

Clonazepam has an orange risk rating for the broad population largely due to its risk of dependence and need for close dose control.

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