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Clonazepam for Bipolar Disorder User Reviews (Page 3)

Brand names: Klonopin

Clonazepam has an average rating of 8.7 out of 10 from a total of 96 reviews for the off-label treatment of Bipolar Disorder. 84% of reviewers reported a positive experience, while 7% reported a negative experience.

Reviews for Clonazepam

  • Melis...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • June 20, 2021

"I am 57 and have been on some dosage level of Clonazepam for about 20 years. I started it, with Prozac, when my first diagnosis was Major Anxiety/Major Depression. As my diagnosis changed to Bi-Polar I and I gradually developed a cocktail of drugs that worked together very well, Clonazepam has remained the one constant. At one point I was up to 4 mgs a day, but I'm now down to .5 mg as needed (usually about every other day). I've never taken more than prescribed and have never had any sleepiness from it. Ativan, by comparison, makes me a zombie. Most anxiety drugs have that effect on me. The thing that has been the best for me is the feeling that I'm not on a drug when I take Clonazepam. Just the feeling of being anxious or overwhelmed becomes a bit more manageable. I understand why this drug isn't the right choice for everyone, but unless there is a definite alternative, I plan to stay with it. If I can be just that much more myself, why shouldn't I?"

10 / 10
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9 Report
  • It...
  • September 25, 2015

"I had been taking clonazepam for two years, then slowly stopped taking it. A couple weeks after not taking it, I had a grand mal seizure. Then a few more smaller petite seizures after that. I started up clonopin again and bam. No more seizures. It is a great drug for my BPD but I will caution you to talk to the doc before stopping it."

8 / 10
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18 Report
  • kemik...
  • May 31, 2011

Klonopin (clonazepam) "I have been on Klonopin for over 6 yrs now. Has been working great. I take it for Bipolar Disorder and Panic Disorder without agoraphobia. I have had my times off of it, but also experiencing Epilepsy. I usually have seizures within 48 hrs of being off Klonopin. Needless to say I'm still taking it (0.5mg tabs 4 times daily). Works great, and it was the first benzodiazepine I've been prescribed and only one that works for me. I've tried Ativan, Xanax, Valium and Restoril. They all work great, but I'll always prefer Klonopin."

10 / 10
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23 Report

Frequently asked questions

  • Retro...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • December 15, 2022

"Clonazepam is by far the best medicine for my bipolar as well as my anxiety. There was a shortage here in Finland which caused some problems with having to take Valium which does not work as well. Clonazepam is a genuine life saver!"

10 / 10
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4 Report
  • PSano
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • January 5, 2020

"I was overcome 24/7 with severe anxiety and had panic attacks. Was on Lithium and Paxil. Added Serroquel for about 1 year. Bipolar 1; took about 6 years to recover, get off SSDI and get my life back. Was on up to 3mgs clonazepam a day, reduced over the 4 yrs I took it and was on 1mg at night for the last couple of years. Recently tapered off completely. I did not rush the tapering and had little difficulty. Mainly had some issues with insomnia."

9 / 10
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Are you taking this medicine?

  • espre...
  • Taken for 1 to 6 months
  • December 27, 2016

"Not quite strong enough for me by itself, but it helped me sleep easier during the roughest period of my life (losing my mother) when combined with xanax, ativan, Halcion, lamictal, and risperdal (though I did have problems with the risperdal - but I put that there)."

8 / 10
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11 Report
  • Corey
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 31, 2020

"clonazepam really helps with my TMJ since all the other medications tend to work for a short duration. I was originally prescribed Klonopin for anxiety but noticed it really relaxes my muscles so I was able to get off my baclofen and Flexeril. I could have kept all 3 but told doc the other two were unnecessary."

10 / 10
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6 Report
  • Yevge...
  • April 23, 2013

"I've been on this medicine for about a month. I am currently on 1 mg 3x daily. There is no kick to it, in that it's so smooth I'm not sure it's working. I have less outbursts so I think it helps with that."

8 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • March 17, 2022

"Works as designed, everytime. Saved me from a lot of what could be bad days. Only thing is they make me a little sad, but a lot happier when it kicked in and my anxiety faded into the mist as quick as it came. The tiredness and slugishess that you get sucks if you have to get things done. Keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone you take this bc they will judge and call you something stupid. They don't understand how it is to live with mental illness especially bipolar. Anxiety and panic attacks are a real things we deal with in this specific illness, and can be debilitating to say the least. Klonopin is a good med, a lot better than alprazolam in my opinion. Way better than ssri, or mood stabilizer garbage."

9 / 10
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  • koller
  • September 11, 2009

Klonopin (clonazepam) "When my dosage was increased from 100 mg to 200 mg what a remarkable change. I felt relaxed, less anxiety, with the combination of Seroquel, Cymbalta it was a lot easier dealing with the minor things in life."

9 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • September 12, 2009

"3 years after being diagnosed with Bipolar 1, I was put on 2 mg of Rivotril to be taken at night following a car accident. When it was prescribed, I was in a poor state of mental health and was suffering from extreme agitation and horrible nightmares. After taking clonazepam for a while, I noticed that not only did it calm agitation, but it helped stabilize my mood. It has made my mood more consistent and improved it dramatically. I consistently feel calm, positive, and mentally stable. I've been prescribed other benzodiazepines in the past, but clonazepam has by far been the most effective. Overall, an excellent medication also considering that it isn't subject to metabolite accumulation."

10 / 10
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  • JStep...
  • July 8, 2009

"I'm Bipolar and suffer from panic attacks. I'm really impressed with how well clonazepam works. I take 0.5mg x 4 times daily. I do feel a sense of calm and evenness with this medication which is important with my Bipolar disorder. Highly recommended."

10 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 28, 2022

"I live with seasonal Bipolar 2 and my manic phases have been getting progressively worse; when they start in the spring it's like I'm going 800 miles an hour and my movements and gait are all off, I go from being a rather well-coordinated person to crashing into things and practically ripping doors off because I can no longer calibrate my movements, I can no longer figure out how to make coffee or use the TV remote, it's beyond awful and I become completely dysfunctional and have to take 2 weeks off work. Then it starts to slow down and I gradually get to "normal manic", where I function better but am still a little speedy and overreact to things and can't sleep more than a couple of hours, which makes me exhausted. It was at this point that a psychiatrist suggested .025 mg clonazepam and it was like a miracle -- I could fall asleep, woke up happy and almost calm, and it has stayed that way. I can work normally. I feel the mania is still there, but under far better control. Life-saver."

8 / 10
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  • Bugdust
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • February 4, 2016

"This Clonopin does not work at all. It makes me nauseous and irritable. It also gives me acne. They were out of the yellow tablets so they gave me the pink ones instead. I will not take these pain pills anymore."

2 / 10
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7 Report
  • AFC
  • Taken for 2 to 5 years
  • August 28, 2022

"I have bipolar disorder, in theory type 1 but I have only had one mania and most of the time depression. I am currently on lamotrigine and asenapine, although I could take the lowest dose of olanzapine, which does not harm me or make me fat. I have a very stressful job where I occasionally do night shifts. Those nights I take clonazepam instead of an antipsychotic and it works for me, I do not fall asleep. I have also used it hundreds of times for anxiety in depressions before they went away with lamotrigine. It is an ideal drug for me. I don't get interdose withdrawal symptoms like other benzodiazepines if I don't take it for several hours, or even days. In clonazepam it has been the only drug that has really helped me in my treatment without extreme side effects until I found lamotrigine. A negative point is that if I take it for a long time I get used to its effects and I need more and more, so I take it occasionally and it works wonderfully for me."

9 / 10
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  • BP-1 ...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 28, 2022

"After 2 years of starting, stopping & switching between & in-combination of antipsychotics (atypical &/or second-generation {SGA} &/ or mood stabilizers or antimanics): Lithium, Seroquel, Abilify, Geodon; antidepressants (a.k.a. serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors {SNRIs}): Cymbalta, Effexor &/or (a.k.a. selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors {SSRIs}): Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft; Anticonvulsants: Depakote, Lamictal, Topamax; Tricyclics & Tetracyclics: Elavil, Norpramin; Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulants: Adderall ER/IR & Insomniac remedies every 2-6 weeks, adding Klonopin 0.5 mg 2x p/day PRN to the combination of Geodon 500mg p/day, Abilify 20mg 2x p/day, Adderall ER 30mg 2x p/day & IR 10mg 2x p/day & Seroquel 25mg & Doxepin 6mg at night, was like adding the missing Marchiano cherries to a Shirley Temple for me. Klonopin rectified the the negative side-effects of my pharmaceutical combinations & is fast-acting. Lifestyle-changer; I can finally breath."

9 / 10
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  • Anonymous
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • May 13, 2023

"I suffer from ADHD, GAD, and either Treatment-Resistant Unipolar or Bipolar Depression. Which one is not really relevant as, in order for me to benefit from medication, it needs to be tolerable and not produce side effects worse than the disease itself. Clonazepam or Alprazolam are two of only a handful of medications that help my symptoms and don't cause severe adverse reactions. Alprazolam can be more difficult to discontinue if that becomes necessary. I have heard some people talking about dependency, and that is something to consider, depending on your tendencies toward addiction. Also, a red flag would be noticing that it takes more and more of one of these meds to provide the same symptom relief. If that happens, you should know pretty quickly, at which point it is your responsibility to inform your doctor. Otherwise, in my experience, these can be safe and effective medications."

10 / 10
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  • MrGet...
  • Taken for 6 months to 1 year
  • May 11, 2014

Klonopin (clonazepam) "Like night and day. My wife loves my change in moods. I have also been able to stay on tasks 100% better."

10 / 10
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56 Report
  • bigbie
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • September 29, 2014

Klonopin (clonazepam) "Helped with the manic episode"

8 / 10
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42 Report
  • ultra...
  • November 13, 2008

Klonopin (clonazepam) "Klonopin has been great for both the anxiety and agitation associated with my bipolar symptoms, even on the lowest 0.5 mg dose."

9 / 10
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60 Report
  • James
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • February 25, 2024

"3 a day helps me sleep, keeps me from feeling sad and depressed, helps me look at the positive not so much the negative, easy to use with a sip of water."

10 / 10
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  • krist...
  • Taken for 5 to 10 years
  • January 19, 2013

Klonopin (clonazepam) "Love them. They take anxiety and the bipolar away, and I can finally sleep."

10 / 10
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42 Report
  • stable...
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • July 14, 2014

Klonopin (clonazepam) "It seemed to work well for the first year or so but I have been on it and am at the maximum dosage and now I have been on it for 10 years and it does not seem to help now."

7 / 10
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37 Report
  • Froze...
  • Taken for 1 to 2 years
  • April 20, 2015

Klonopin (clonazepam) "I have bipolar 2 disorder and of course clonazepam remedies my anxious manic states with speed and grace."

10 / 10
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35 Report
  • BPoppe
  • Taken for 10 years or more
  • October 13, 2013

Klonopin (clonazepam) "I've used it on and off for 15 years. It works fast for my anxiety. While I only use it infrequently, it has always been safe and effective."

10 / 10
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39 Report

Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or to remove inappropriate language and content. Reviews that appear to be created by parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any particular medication. While these reviews may be helpful, they are not a substitute for the expertise, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare professionals.

Learn more about Bipolar Disorder

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