what it is and what it does.  Hope someone can give me some answers.   Thanks, Mary Kay Mary Kay, It was fairly sedating for me (though this goes away usually after a couple weeks) and it targeted my anxiety very well (as opposed to Tranxene which made me very calm, but didn't take away the anxiety).  I'm about to go back on it, as a matter of fact.  It's used for anxiety, seizure control, and panic attacks.  It is pretty potent on the benzo scale and has a longer half-life than many other benzos (e.g. longer than Ativan and Xanax).  Its combo of potency and length of action makes it a very effective drug for many. If the Librium/BuSpar isn't working for you, I'd certainly take a look at Klonopin. Best, Matt

Am curious about the drug Klonopin.  Seems as though there are a lot of people in the NG that take it.  What exactly is the effect of Klonopin?  Is it similar to Valium for its calming effect? Does it make you lethargic? What are the possible side effects?  I don't mean to sound stupid, but I really have no idea what it is and what it does.  Hope someone can give me some answers.   Thanks, Mary Kay

Am curious about the drug Klonopin.  Seems as though there are a lot of people in the NG that take it.  What exactly is the effect of Klonopin?  Is it similar to Valium for its calming effect? Does it make you lethargic? What are the possible side effects?  I don't mean to sound stupid, but I really have no idea what it is and what it does.  Hope someone can give me some answers. Thanks, Mary Kay <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Hi Mary; Klonopin is a benzodiazepine which has been around for quite awhile (longer than Xanax - both of which have generics in the US now), which seems to be gaining in popularity.  Originally approved for seizures it is now becoming well known for it's effectivenss in anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and social phobia. I have social phobia and have been taking 4-4.75mg Klonopin for 8 months.  It took about 2-3 months for we to work up to that dose, at which point I found that increasing tolerance stopped.  Actually I have recently reduced the dose to usually 4.25mg/day (was at 4.5-4.75 for several months). Side effects for me are minimal.  I have some Klonopin induced tiredness, but it is minor enough that 100mg caffiene in morning, noon, and about 6PM seems to eliminate all of the drug induced tiredness - so for me it's basically a non-issue.  (100mg caffiene is about like a cup of coffee or 2 12 ounce Cokes).  The caffiene intake does not seem to increase anxiety for me in any way.  I have read in 1 study that social phobics don't tend to have 'increased symptoms' from caffiene, but that panic disorder patients often do.  I haven't heard much comments on this issue so I don't know more than that other than my own experience . The other noticeable side effect for me is disinhibition.  Although for me, this is actually not really a side effect but a therapuetic one! Because social phobic's can be very very inhibited!  With the right dose - I have found Klonopin to be VERY effective for most all of the symptoms of social phobia, as well other phobia or anxiety issues I may have (for example my fear of flying is diminished a lot - and I also had this fear of the sight of blood 'blood phobia' they call it - that seemed to essentially disappear too.) For panic or social phobia - from what I've researched and heard - I recommend Klonopin highly.   Xanax of course is another popular one!  A nice thing about Klonopin is that if you take it regularly, the rather long half life (some references say about 20-80 hours - for me I'd say it's probably closer to 20), means that dosing 2 or 3 times a day is often sufficient. JR

Now available in transdermal 24hr patch.                                                    Tim seriously???????  gawd that would be the best thing!  i am the worst when it comes to schedules for meds!  will have to ask my psych about this one.   Laura, Facilitator of Online Support Group for Panic/Anxiety

Could someone tell me if there is a risk of seizures when coming off of klonopin?  That is the only reason I have not tried it.  I do take Ativan and prozac which has finially helped some with my panic attacks but I still can't drive over bridges on a regular basis which makes it quite hard to find another job. I have one doctor that says stick with Ativan and another that says try Klonopin because of the longer half-life. Thanks, Lr