I am 61 and just started clonazapam for GAD. I cannot take SSRIs, can't tolerate side effects. I managed to not need a benzo for 21 years by taking Buspar, but it is not strong enough for my recent problems. I have to be on something lifelong now to keep from relapsing. I am hoping to find members who are my age and need to be on clonazapam for life, as I feel alone in my age group. I do not have panic attacks, just GAD. I hope to live into my 90s and wonder if I can take this at that age? Hope so, I am very healthy otherwise and my mom is 91 and grandma died at 97. I really like the clonazapam and how it makes me feel, if I could just stop worrying about it. I would like only positive feedback as I don't want to add to my anxiety. Thank you for listening.
How many years have you been on Klonopin? Who is the oldest person you know taking Klonopin?
Question posted by iamalady on 22 July 2013
Last updated on 3 April 2025
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
208 Answers Page 11
You have no idea how happy I am to have found this site!
Some people drink a couple of martinis every night. I take .5mg of K/C. What's better/worse? Our fear and guilt about taking K/C can be disabling. People who post here that you have to get down to your 'root' issues to conquer anxiety (and other conditions) without medication don't live in the same world I do. I was trained in psychotherapy and spent years in my own therapy. It was quite helpful. But it doesn't cure psychiatric illness. JMNSHO.
I am currently going through my third depression which has been going on for two years with little relief . No SSRI has worked so far . Also have been on antipsychotics as well along with Ativan . Was put on Klonopin early on in this journey but taken off because I think it made me more depressed . I am thinking of going back on . I have a ton of anxiety and ruminating with my depression . Just don’t know what else to do .
I'm 77, take .5mg clonazepam daily for GAD. I've been on it for 8-10 years. I've tried to titrate off it but the anxiety became too fierce when I got down to .125. So, I resigned myself to stay on the drug which my new pdoc is ok with. Some days, very infrequently, I'll add a second .5mg. My concern, if you can call it that, is that it can affect balance in the elderly. My last pdoc told me there is a study to support that, and he wanted me to wean off of it (then he retired). I do have some balance issues which is probably not entirely unusual for someone my age, but it is real and I need to be aware of it. I also take Lamictal which affects balance. But neither are enough of a problem to convince me I should go off K. I continue to play racquetball and manage to stay on my feet so I tell myself it isn't that bad. It took me a few years to convince myself I didn't need to feel bad about staying on it.
In a perfect world, I wouldn't need it, and could get off it easily. GAD robs you of any measure of serenity. It can be crushing. There's no doubt in my mind what I would do if I were you, but it's your body and your brain. I would support you though in staying on K if the quality of your life is materially enhanced.
I have been on klonopin for 21 yrs. For anxiety, panic, fibromyalgia. It helps. I have thought of Tapering down but it enables me a functioning life. I'm 57 yrs old. I'm on different meds for chronic pain and depression. I'm going through spinal stimulator process. I'm keeping it the way it is. I have read horror stories about taking klono this long , but at times I read air is bad for you lol. HAPPY with the big K. My primary of over 30 yrs feels if I'm able to function and be productive the positive over rides the negative I m glad I found this site.
Thank you for your comment. I have Fibromyalgia as well. What I do not understand is having a doc tell me that fibro is in my head. No it’s not. I live in Texas and long for summer. I am pain free. Cold triggers it but I move on. I do not take clonazepam for fibro. I take it only for anxiety. I have 30 left every month for most months. I don’t require a second one until bed. It has pretty much stopped working except my body and brain say no it hasn’t so take it. Climbing the walls and peeling off the paint is what withdrawal would be like. I’d much rather be labeled than go insane. I’m on Accord manufactured clonazepam. Mylan gave me nightmares. I was then given meds for those. Who made them? Mylan did! I take hydroxyzine to sleep and try to stay calm daily. We can do this!!! So what if we’re on clonazepam. Walk a step in my shoes and tell me you would feel any different. I don’t know anyone who is not on something.
Nobody’s picture by the word Normal in the dictionary. I’ve said this before.
No one here has anything to feel embarrassed.
Hi. Thanks for sharing. I thought I was the only one. I see it has been a while since this post, but I hope this helps. I am 49 and have been on clonazepam for 19 years. I see that genetics play a big role in anxiety. I have panic attacks, hate crowds, and generally hate to leave home. I “deal” with everything and multi-task like crazy. I feel that my doc should have put me on these short term, but she said, no. Lifetime it would be. I know by 9 am if I have not taken my pill. I have physical dependence and know that coming off would be cruel and wicked. I must stay on mine! I empathize with you and hope you are well. We have too much Seratonin in our brains and not enough Dopamine. I don’t sleep well and I avoid life because of GAD. Doctors push SSRI’s but, like you, I cannot take them. I hate them and I stay awake for days on one pill.
We (I am inserting this here and hope it’s ok) are NOT depressed! If docs could figure this out, life would be great. I wish I did not have GAD but do the best I can. Good luck to you! I was anxious as a child but did not know to tell my parents. I thought everyone was like me. I do not overtake my meds and have the choice to take one mid-afternoon if I need to take it. I usually do not. Today, I know two things: I am not depressed, and nobody knows how GAD feels unless they post like we have. I rely on my faith daily and breathe easier when I see stories about similar, almost carbon copy revelations. I am glad I am not bi-polar as that is horrible to treat. I pray all of us with mental disorders can get the word out. No matter your issues, I wish you the best of luck. I’m in that boat and want you to know that I do understand!!! Take care. We are such giving, submissive, caring individuals. People just don’t understand what they don’t understand. I used to say, I’m sorry quite a bit. I no longer do that. Inspiration like this keeps me going. Just wait until someone has their first panic attack. It’s a horrid feeling. Then and only then will the weird alternate universe in which I live, reveal a whole new set of rules. Just remember... There’s nobody’s picture beside the word “NORMAL” in the dictionary. Everybody has something or they are lying. Thank you!
Very well said...
Hello and Merry Christmas
Iamalade, Please don't worry about taking Clonazepam, generic for Klonopin, because you are worrying for no reason. I am 70 years old and very active and I will be on Clonazepam for the rest of my life so I can function like anyone else. I am an registered nurse and worked for 50 years. Retired last year! I have been taking Clonazepam since 1975. Tried to get off it once because doctor told me that there are better drugs. I was messed up for many months until I went back on the Clonazepam. Why fix something that is not broken. No seizures as long as I am taking the Clonazepam. If it works then I would say you are good. Happy Holidays.
Thank you pidge! Iamalady and ladyiam are both me. Thanks for the kind words. I'm so happy for you and your reply means so much to my peace of mind and to others struggling with guilt because they are on clonazepam for the long haul of life. Happy Holidays to you also. I will be 67 soon. You are an inspiration to me. Bless you...
I cant seem to get my reply to you to work
Thank you pidge, you are an inspiration to me and others. Wishing you a very long happy life on clonazepam and glad it works. Thank you for replying and giving some of your history. Happy holidays to you too.
Ladyiam, I hope you got my messages. Let us all have a great New Year!
I wish you many more years to come also. I hope to travel a bit now that I am no longer working, and before I get too old! ❤️
Got your messages. Happy new year and many travels to you.
Do you not fear that some doctor might not want to prescribe it to you for life?
Yes I do, but my doctor assured me benzos are here to stay. My heart doctor also will prescribe it, he told me because it helps with my tachycardia along with my diltiazem. Can you imagine everyone cut off their benzodiazepines, or antidepressants, the world would be in a mess. Many doctors and professionals are on benzodiazepines, not just your average Joe.
My biggest worry is there will be a shortage like there was with buspirone lately. That was scary. If that happened with klonopin the rich, famous, influential people would get the drug first, the rest of us would suffer , but the same thing could happen with any of the antidepressants. I've been reading the stories on several antidepressants people are trying to quit without luck. They cant get off and are miserable with withdrawal symptoms because they quit working for them and they don't know what to do. So why are they really any better, I don't know... Seeing a psychiatrist would be your best bet if you are worried about not getting your klonopin. Hope this helps you relax a bit, or helps you decide which way to go in your decision. Nobody likes being on medication, but sometimes you have to be.
P.S. somewhere along the way, you mentioned that GAD is a lifelong "illness" and that is not correct. There is absolutely a way to make it go away, but you need to do the inner work. I've been in this field for 15 years. I've done much research and have much personal experience. GAD is typically rooted in early trauma. you would have to either do the inner work to integrate or leave it as a nervous system "glitch" as the body stores trauma. Medication, like benzos, without accompanying therapy or "processing" will, of course, leave it as a lifelong "illness" but please don't identify yourself as having an illness you can't get control of or heal - it's bad for the psyche to see it that way and it means you are already ignoring the parts of yourself that are already compartmentalized off and manifesting as "anxiety"
And it's much easier to not do the work and just keep medicating to avoid the inevitable withdrawals...
My doctor found out through lab work that I had hypothyroidism several years ago. Recently I went for a year without my thyroid medication because it was on back order, and thought it would be a good time to find out how I would function without it. I found out all right - started having frequent daily anxiety attacks interspersed with some panic attacks. I was also low in Vitamin D3 which also causes anxiety. OK, so I addressed those issues and still had problems with anxiety. That was treated with buspar 3 times a day, along with Trintellix, one of the newer antidepressants. I wasn't able to take any other antidepressants successfully, and I know this because I had tried most of them. Wellbutrin worked for a long time, but it eventually quit working. Buspar alone was working well for me, also when taking it along with my Vitamin D3 and Nature-Throid. But my new doctor (who I am so blessed to have found recently) added Trintellix to my Buspar regimen.
I can say that I am anxiety and panic free because of this. I am not taking clonazepam, but felt the need to address the above comment made by Susan about anxiety not being a lifelong "illness". Yes, you can do the work, eat right, exercise more, yoga, meditation, take more natural supplements (I spent thousands of dollars taking them to feel better) and all the other "work" to treat anxiety. But for many of us, it takes more. It is also a fact that for many people who leave anxiety untreated, it can lead to depression. And an anxiety/depression combination is much much harder to treat! So I continue to take my Buspar and Trintellix faithfully every day, and thank heavens that I can look forward to waking up each day without worrying and ruminating about every little thing until I feel like I might drive myself crazy! I presently do not do this, and I attribute it to addressing my thyroid issues and other issues along with my anxiety and depression issues with the proper medications. To tell an anxious person not to take medication for it - well, would you tell a diabetic not to take insulin? Or would you tell a heart patient not to take heart medications? Be thankful that so many people have been helped through the years by medications such as klonopin to keep anxiety at bay, as well as off-label reasons for taking it. I commend you people who have stuck to a medication that can be so helpful to you, in spite of the bad rap it has been given in the last few years. We have to not listen to others and try to work out individually ways to have better quality of life, in spite of negative feedback. Listen to your body. If it is working for you, continue on... Find a doctor who will work with you.
I referred to "anxiety" ~~~ I should have included anxiety, anxiety and stress, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, atypical depression, and dysthymia, among others... (just to name a few).
GMC and mioshamo, your message is very knowledgeable and respectful of others. I've done yoga, meditation too, still do, no smoking or drinking since mid 20s. Just finished therapy again, thought I'd give it another go. It just doesn't work for me. I try to keep my meds at as low a dose as possible, but I would probably feel better if I was not afraid to increase when needed. Thank you for joining in here with your thoughts and information.
Someone mentioned you have to do "inner work" to resolve childhood trauma that causes GAD. Ummm. I was in therapy for 10 years -- not much childhood trauma, but whatever -- I am bipolar (runs in the family among female relatives), all the therapy in the world, as well as alternative medicine, yoga, meditation (which I still do), exercising so I'm exhausted when I go to bed, lots of non-benzo meds to try to remedy extreme anxiety that comes on in the middle of the night and wakes me up. I average 3 hours of sleep per night. I've been benzo-free for 3 full years. I'm long past any "withdrawal" symptoms. I have no w/d symptoms. When I got off, I did it entirely on my own and did it slowly. 3 years of suffering is enough. Only benozs help me. So, please don't judge others on their use of benzos. You have zero idea of each individual's experience. One med is not the same for all.
Some get help from SSRI's/SNRI's, others, like myself do not. I'd gladly take anything, try anything, deal with "childhood trauma" if that helped... I've done all of that and given it years and years of the old college try. Guess what? The answer for one is not the answer for all. Glad therapy and "dealing with childhood trauma" have worked for you or others... doesn't work for all, including me. I can't stand judgment of others when you haven't walked in their psychiatric shoes.
I have been on this drug for almost 30 years. I will probably need to be on it for life because my body is addicted. That is the price I will pay for having received the benefits of this drug when I really needed it
May I ask your age now? You don't need to answer, it's your right to have privacy.
I am 51 and was put on it at around 24 or 25.
I started on Ativan back then but when the doctor saw I had full-time (generalized anxiety d/o), he switched it to Klonopin because of the long half-life.
they don't prescribe this anymore for this, i don't think. And if they do, it's supposed to be very infrequently.
it did save my life... for many years.
But, because of the physical dependency, if i miss even one dose or am late with it, i start suffering
Any side effects?
I have been on clonazepam for about 15 years. I am 64. Doc says I will have to take it the rest of my life
Like you at first I loved it
Now I dont even know if it's doing anything
Tried other meds too , body rejected. Thought about weaning off of it
And using it when I need relief the most.i take it for cervical dystonia. I'm in so much pain all the time now I had to quit my job and retire early. I would at least like to work part time.been a maintenance tech. For 30 years. It sucks
I have found a Clonazepam blood level that consistent works the best. I prefer not worrying about have a seizure. I would think having a constant level would help pain too! You know yourself the best. Do what is good for you. God Bless
Hi. I'm 70. I have been on Clonazepam since 1975. It controls my juvenile myoclonic seizures. Had a normal life with restrictions. I too hope I will live another 10 years at least. But if I can't get my Clonazepam I may be lost. Having trouble finding a generic that works. Do worry as long as you feel good. Life is too short to worry.
Agree about not worrying. That's what got us on K/C in the first place -- a congenital disposition toward general anxiety which some humans unfortunately are cursed with. For many years, vodka martinis (plural) were quite helpful for me. But they started to do more harm than good. My system couldn't tolerate them. K/C is a much more subtle and reliable method of anxiety control, and more consistent through the day. If there are severe detrimental side effects, I'm not aware of them. Or any side effects for that matter, other than feeling more normal and sleeping better. After five years of angst while trying to titrate off, I have resigned myself to taking it 'for the duration.' It's a relief to have made this decision.
After 2.5 years of trying to get off I have decided to forget about tapering for now. I am trying to stay at a dosage of .5 mg instead of the 1 mg I was on for years. I am not feeling great but I am doing better. I had titrated down to about .36 mg and was a mess.
I switched to the brand name in order to control as many variables as possible. I'm extremely sensitive and can feel it if i am even late with my tiny dosage. My brain needs it to function normally now although i doubt i need it for anxiety anymore.
I'm starting clonazepam .25/ noon .25/night today ... it's a desperate attempt to survive. please wish me luck! I'm horribly scared of this drug because of reports on the net. so I'll be back on this forum again (first time on a forum ever) just to ease my worries. thank you all
I was also scared of it when I started, read so much negitive stuff I was petrified. I use for nerve pain in my mouth, been on for 5 yrs. Not going off. I was so happy to find this forum. Don't be afraid of it.
I'm glad you found this forum. I take the same dose 5-1/2 years. I worry too because of the bad stigma associated with benzodiazepines. It's not fair. Clonazepam works and it's a great medication for many things besides anxiety. Come back and let us know how you do...
You shouldn't go on this medication unless it's only for a very short time... a few days, or, if you need a lifetime adjustment. Long term use means life long. Withdrawals are simply to severe... worse than any other drug prescribed or illegal. But it is a miracle drug for me and I have come to accept that this is a life long medication. So be aware.
This is pretty much a forum for those who need lifelong treatment. I weaned off 1/8mg at a time over several weeks and was successful for 4 months off and had mild withdrawal, felt fine, was having no more withdrawal, but my anxiety induced tachycardia came back which is why I went on the first time, so went back on. I still stubbornly play around with my dose and withdrawal is not that bad when done very slowly, but I get to almost quit and I freak out about my tachycardia coming back, which rears anxiety's ugly head, so I just stay on. I do have a cousin, a daughter, and my therapist who have successfully weaned off and been off for years. Try other things first, but if all else fails, some of us really need a benzodiazepine.
I posted a few weeks ago. Have been trying to figure out if I should continue tapering klonopin. I have been tapering for 2+ years from 1 mg to .35 mg. I am so sick I have no idea of what to do. I know many of you have positive experiences being on the drugs but so many say get off no matter what then are sick forever. I just don't know what to do. Go back on full dose, keep tapering even though I am really sick. This is terrible.
Was there a lower place in your taper where you did feel good? Perhaps go back to that dose and not the full dose. If the klonopin worked, why suffer so, but you should also let your physician know whats going on so they can advise you. And no, i don't believe in going off no matter what. Why suffer. If klonopin stopped working, your doctor might try something else in the Benzo family, or you might be a person who does well on an antidepressant along with klonopin, you should definitely check in with your doctor for support also. Don't make yourself suffer... hugs
Thanks so much. My doctor, both primary care doc and psychiatrist, told me to go back up. I just took an extra .5 mg and wow, the nausea is gone and I have stopped sobbing, which I had been doing for hours. This is such a powerful drugs and tiny dosage adjustments I guess really do make a difference. I know I cannot keep torturing myself and need to updose to something, just not sure where to go, have not been stable that much below 1 mg. My son has recently fallen ill, he is 16 and is losing all this weight and now weighs 107 at 16 years old and 5 foot 10. I am totally losing it. I don't know how to be there for him when I am depressed nearly suicidal and can barely eat or sleep. I don't think I can get off and still be functional. The years I was on Klonopin were good years; just so much pressure to get off now. I do have doctors who will prescribe so maybe I just stop tapering and updose. This is pure torture.
I went back and found your older post. Your doctor is aware of your problem then and you took klonopin and remeron for helping sleep. Nothing is working for you at this time. I hope your doctor can get you back on course. Best wishes for your return to more good years, I'm sorry you feel so sick.
I am 52 years old and was prescribed Klonopin 25 odd years ago for severe panic and Anxiety disorder. It is a lifetime drug for me
I get no pleasure high from this drug. It stabilizes me to where I feel normal. 2mg daily for several years. It has prevented many years of misery and suffering.
I am 55 and have been on Klonopin since I was 25 with no problems at all.
Thank you Danny!
Yes as others have said, do not research medications and side effects online. It can only worsen your anxiety and lead to panic attacks. I have a story to tell about my benzo issues but it is late. So I will tomorrow. This is the first positive Klonopin thread I have found and I am thankful.
Green tea, I'm anxiously awaiting the rest of your Benzo story.
I have had underlying anxiety my whole life which seems to have culminated into a panic disorder during a very stressful period of my life back in November of 2017. At the time, I didn’t know what was wrong with me so I checked myself into a hospital because I just felt so “off” and was desperate for them to find something physical. Well, after an MRI and blood tests I was told I was experiencing anxiety and given a 10 day rx for Xanax (which did nothing to calm me). I immediately tried to book an appointment with a psychiatrist but was put on a waitlist and really suffered until I finally broke down and called my primary care physician. At that point i was on the verge of a meltdown and hadn’t slept for an entire week (which I didn’t think was possible). I felt like I was going crazy and was so terrified. My Dr prescribed me Prozac, which i had a terrible reaction to (my skin burned and itched and I felt like I couldnt breathe).
It felt like I was being poisoned. Needless to say, she then took me off of that immediately and prescribed me .5 clonazepam at night. I was so shocked but I was finally able to sleep that night. I no longer had the shakes in the morning and felt somewhat normal. I have now been on this drug for 9 months and tried to taper to .125 but had terrible rebound anxiety and insomnia. In retrospect, I guess searching klonopin reviews are a bad idea for people with anxiety because I became scared of being on it and “what if I became immune to it and needed more and more”. The thought made me want to taper down... and I was ok at .25 but when I tapered again at the .125 it was like being on nothing and I immediately felt overwhelmingly panicked. I went back to .25 for 2 days but at that point I had so much anxiety I needed to take my original dose of .5 before bed. Feeling normal again and am so happy I found this page. This is the only medication I am on and at this point need it to live a normal life and care for my family. I am only 32 and am scared to be on this forever but realize that for now this is the best option for me. I need to let go of the guilt and stop reading the horror stories because they’ve done me no good. Keep the positivity going!
Please let go of the guilt. If it helps you and it sounds like it does, don't worry about it, you are not abusing it. I take .5 every night and it took me a long time to stop reading the horror stories.
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buspar, klonopin, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, clonazepam, side effect
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