I used to take 2 mg of Ativan 2 times a day, but it just didn't work for me. Now I've recently been on 1 mg of klonopin 2 times a day. This dose isnt too much. I don't feel overly sedated, just down. I don't remember Xanax making me feel like this. Maybe I should switch?
Does klonopin make you feel depressed? It relaxes me, but I feel down while on it?
Question posted by Blessedmama on 15 June 2016
Last updated on 17 December 2018
3 Answers
Wildfire123
27 May 2017
I have been on klonopin now for about 3 months. I noticed that my depression has worsened. I take 0.25mgs in the morning and 0.25mgs in the evening. I'm also on Remeron 15mg in the evening. I notice when I take the klonopin the anxiety is still there but not as much and I get very depressed after taking it. I want to come off both of these meds because I feel they are not working for me anymore. And I really don't know how to come off them safely. I'm tired of not having an appetite. I have lost 14 lbs. My psychiatrist put me on Buspar but I am terrified to take it because of seratonin syndrome. I want to come off the klonopin and Remeron before I start taking the Buspar. I'm tired of living my life this way. I also have agoraphobia. And my anxiety has gotten worse. I am at the end of my rope. Been in and out of rehab centers. I just want my life back.
Pinklemon
12 Feb 2017
Hi blessedmama,
Just came across this topic and I relate to it. You said that you started klonopin so I assume that you stopped taking Xanax? When you stop Xanax you would STILL feel depressed even if you are on another benzodiazepine! They act on different receptors in the brain thus modulate your behavior differently (I am a neuroscience graduate.. trust me on this!). Do not stop taking Xanax if you switch to clonazepam. Always reduce and reduce... while taking a SMALL dose of clonazepam (not the full dose). Your withdrawal would be a lot more pleasant!
My experience:
I have been on klonopin before on a small dose (0.5mg per day) to treat GAD. I switched to Xanax (0.5mg per day) and it was a lot more effective! However I take cipralex for anxiety/panic attacks. It's been 2 years and it didn't help as much- although Xanax has been great, you need to time it effectively as it has a short half life (i feel when I'm off it after 6 hours). I asked my psychiatrist to get me on klonopin again instead as it acts longer (to prevent panic attacks). It made me feel depressed again, so don't worry you are not alone. And honestly it is a mix between Xanax withdrawal and klonopin intake. I also drink during the weekend; which is bad because alcohol is a depressant! So both combined = depressive symptoms. You should maybe try another benzodiazepine if you use klonopin for anxiety, or go back to Xanax. I found klonopin to make me depressed and numb. Everyone's brain is different- you just have to find the right drug and dosage!
People also often do not take dosage into that much consideration. It always depends on your weight and metabolism! I think that is what psychiatrist always forget when they prescribe drugs.
I would advise to take a lower dose (if possible) or to take Xanax, split 2-3 times a day.
May I ask if you are any other medications? It could interact with klonopin.
Klonopin and Xanax both affect GABA but differently- be sure that you time your intake! There is always bromazepam which is popular in Europe and is better in my opinion (I use it for flight anxiety). Any benzodiazepine effect should be felt the day of- and not 1 or 2 week later. So if you don't like it- switch to another one!
MeggieGirl
16 June 2016
Hi Blessedmama,
Unfortunately, depression falls under the common side effect category. It is something you take regularly every day instead of like a rescue medicine you would take when you're in the middle of an anxiety attack. It is more like an anxiety 'preventative.'
Here is the list. It might be a good idea to chat with your Doc, cause that sounds sucky! Best of luck to you. :-) Meggie
Common side effects of Klonopin include drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, unsteadiness, depression, loss of orientation, headache, sleep disturbances, problems with thinking or memory, slurred speech, dry mouth, sore gums, runny nose, loss of appetite, diarrhea, constipation, and blurred vision.
Blessedmama
16 June 2016
Hi! I appreciate your support so much!! We are on the same page. I'm thinking of taking them only as needed instead of daily. What have been your experiences with benzos? Any info that you could give me would be greatly appreciated!
MeggieGirl
16 June 2016
Of course, I am happy to try to help you with this! Will you tell me a little bit more about why you might have stopped taking the Ativan, and why you say the Xanax just didn't work for you? Also, people take benzos for SO many reasons... would you mind sharing yours?
As you might know, there are multiple benzodiazepines, and they each have their own "speed of onset" (that means how fast they kick in), as well as a range of "half-life" which means how long it takes for the dose to basically reach fifty percent in your blood stream (it's a little more complicated than that, but that's how I'll put it).
The very fastest one with the shortest half-life is versed... that's the one they give you in the hospital during outpatient procedures to make you "forget" that anything has happened. HA! It's like the alien abduction drug!
Anyway, if you can share a little more about your experiences, maybe I can help you out with an answer that's more customized for you. :)
Blessedmama
16 June 2016
Do you mind me asking if you are in the medical field? You are very knowledgeable regarding this subject, which is great! I have been off and on benzos for years. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, Ptsd and at times anxiety attacks. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness a couple of years ago which made my anxiety a lot worse. This time around, I started with 10 mg of Valium, but it made me really sleepy. Then I was on Ativan for quite a while. Out of all of the benzos, it has seemed the least effective as far as helping my anxiety. It really doesn't do much for me at all. So as I mentioned, we recently switched to Klonopin. I have tried Xanax in the past and I liked it. It definetely helped with my anxiety. I just feel that it doesn't last long, as in I would need to take it up to 3 times a day. I have thought about asking my doctor if I could try it again though.
Once I get my disease under control (I have a surgery coming up soon), I want to just take something as needed. But while I'm in so much pain and my anxiety is heightened, I may need to take something daily for now. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask me anything else, as you have been great and I appreciate your help!
Blessedmama
16 June 2016
Do you mind me asking if you are in the medical field? You are very knowledgeable regarding this subject, which is great! I have been off and on benzos for years. I suffer from generalized anxiety disorder, Ptsd and at times anxiety attacks. I was diagnosed with a chronic illness a couple of years ago which made my anxiety a lot worse. This time around, I started with 10 mg of Valium, but it made me really sleepy. Then I was on Ativan for quite a while. Out of all of the benzos, it has seemed the least effective as far as helping my anxiety. It really doesn't do much for me at all. So as I mentioned, we recently switched to Klonopin. I have tried Xanax in the past and I liked it. It definetely helped with my anxiety. I just feel that it doesn't last long, as in I would need to take it up to 3 times a day. I have thought about asking my doctor if I could try it again though.
Once I get my disease under control (I have a surgery coming up soon), I want to just take something as needed. But while I'm in so much pain and my anxiety is heightened, I may need to take something daily for now. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask me anything else, as you have been great and I appreciate your help!
MeggieGirl
17 June 2016
Hey there!
I am happy to help in any way I can. :-) No I'm not in the "medical profession" per se, but I do have a degree in psychology.
So, I think the reason Valium made you sleepy is because it hits hard really fast but then it takes twenty to eighty hours to reach its half-life which is a really long time to get out of your system.
There are no other drugs that hit fast like Valium except for the one I mentioned that you get in surgery, and I don't think they give those out in prescriptions (but I could be wrong).
The next category of benzo's are those that are intermediate. Instead of hitting you fast they hit you medium-fast and then the last category is slow. Slow would be the worst for you because when you're having an anxiety attack you need help, and you need help fast!
The Ativan is in the intermediate category and it gets out of your system pretty quickly. It reaches half-life in only ten to twenty hours. I'm not sure why it wasn't effective for you, but your biology is unique and what doesn't work for you will work for someone else and what doesn't work for them might work for you.
The Klonopin did not work for you because it is a slow release medication. You needed fast or intermediate release, and a slow release is not one will be effective at treating you quickly when you're having an attack.
Also Klonopin has an incredibly long half-life, at between ten and FIFTY hours! The reason people take Klonopin is not on an as-needed basis, but as a preventative measure, on a schedule, like "take 2 before bed, EVERY night." If they are an anxiety-prone person, they would take the medication to PREVENT anxiety from coming, but if anxiety has broken through, it's not gonna do you any favors.
Now, Xanax is back into that intermediate category, which is where you needed to be (Yay!) and it has a very short half-life of 12 to 15 hours, and that's why you were feeling frustrated that you were having to take it so frequently! That simply tells me that your body was working the way it should be! Your liver was processing it and your kidneys were functioning properly and your body was getting rid of the toxins and everything was working as it should. Three per day is absolutely normal - and if you only need one, then fantastic!
You are the judge of when that feeling wells up inside you, when you start to feel your heart beat faster and you start to feel that nervousness happen. You have that rescue there for you and while you take that medication and it's dissolving, your can start thinking positive thoughts, knowing that you're going to get through it.
There are a few others, but they are slow acting, so I think you have already tried and have experienced those that might be appropriate for you, and your body reacted exactly the way one would expect it to! AND, your body has given you the very answer, which is that you probably need to go to a more fast-acting benzo that you need to take several times per day. The only one that fits that bill is Xanax, because while Valium is fast-acting it stays in your body for a really long time and is meant to make the person extremely relaxed (that's why they give a Valium to someone before they going to surgery or have a dental procedure - it's basically knock them out so they don't have surgical anxiety.)
I'm a chronic pain suffer as well, and have been for over 10 years, so I'm sure we could relate to one another in a lot of ways! I also suffer from severe anxiety and PTSD with a little dash of OCD thrown in to keep things interesting. Add major depression, and chronic pain, it's a fun factory! You probably know how I feel. I'd love to add you to my friends list so we can keep in touch or have private conversations anytime. :)
Inactive
17 June 2016
My dentist gives me ativan to take the night before and the morning of a procedure - a crown or a root canal, to keep away the panic attack on top of the anxiety attack I get just thinking about going to the dentist. He wanted to give me valium, took it once for a crown, and didn't work for me. For anxiety now, I take wellbutrin along with buspar, although buspar doesn't work for everyone. Buspar isn't a "as needed" med. I take it at the same time every day and no problems with it.
MeggieGirl
17 June 2016
Huh. I've heard of Buspar before - I think a doctor gave it to me years ago, but I can't remember why. I looked it up, and it says it's not a benzo, barbiturate or sedative, so how do you think it works to control anxiety? Do you think it has an antidepressant quality to it? I'd love to stop taking klonopin.
Inactive
27 June 2016
Sorry for the late response, Meggie. I just came across this site again. As far as buspar is concerned, I've had to defend its efficacy several times in these support groups from people who say it is just a "placebo". But that just isn't true. I have taken many meds in the past for anxiety, including antidepressants and benzos. I had a new doctor who won't prescribe benzos, so she suggested buspar. I said, "What the heck, I have nothing to lose. So I tried it. And guess what? It worked the best of anything I've used for anxiety. One reason is because it is not an "as needed" med that wears off in a few hours. You have to keep it at a constant level in your bloodstream, same as you would an antidepressant. It can be taken 2 or 3x a day, at different doses, depending on what your doctor deems is the right dosage for your situation. It's better to start low and go up to what is needed. It also helps to alleviate depression for me.
I read that it also hits certain dopamine and serotonin receptors to a certain point. I'm not sure about how all that works, I just know it calms me and makes me able to function more "normally", and I don't get a drugged feeling from it. I sleep better at night also. Some people say that it isn't effective for people who have taken benzos in the past. Not true for me. I used to take xanax and klonopin, and was taking ativan before my doctor changed me over to the buspar. Best thing that ever happened to me for treating my anxiety issues. "G"
Inactive
27 June 2016
One more thing to add to this, Meggie. I have been made fun of by a couple of smart a***s (and you know who you are!) on these sites about taking "small doses" of medications. The upside to taking small amounts is, it gives the relief you need, while being able to deal with little or no side effects. An example, at one dose when it was increased, I started to experience dizziness. A reduction back down to lesser dose = relief from anxiety with no more dizziness. That's what I meant when I said that sometimes, less is more. Boy, did I get kicked in the butt for that one! Lol. But it works for me! "G"
D050
18 Dec 2018
I take klonopin and have the same side effect. As for Xanax l use to be on Xanax extended release which lasted much longer than regular Xanax and removed the highs and lows. I had to switch after 10 years usage.
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