KLONOPIN ( clonazepam )
Stories, Experiences, and Advice

Public Entries Appear Below - Submit an Entry

I've been on Klonopin for over 20 years now, for PTSD, panic attacks and svere4 panic disorder. A few months ago I was switched to a different generic, when Osco was bought out by CVS. My panic attacks became ubearable, other meds were added to no avail. Had a toxicoligy screen and found NO evidence of benzos in my urine over a 3 week period. At the time I was taking 2mgs twice a day.

I tried to get brand name, Dr. wrote brand name meedically necessary but insurance refused.

I then found a different phrmacy with another generic brand. Symptoms still did not abate so my dose was increased to 2mgs 3 times a day. Just tested again and tox screens still negative for the presence of any benzos..not even a trace.

Has anyone had any sucess with a particular brand of gneric. I have tried teva and caraco brands thus far .

Has anyone had the same thing happen to them in so far as the toxicoligy screens.

The pharmacists tell me it is impossible to have negative screens that I must not be taking my meds. Fortunately my Psychiatrist knows better than that..but I am concerned. the clonazepam is no longer working, my dose has gone up, I am now on Clonidine and Abilify to try to help manage the PTSD symptoms and anxiety/panic as well as the addition of Effexor to my regime.

Previously I was on one anti-depressant and 1-2 mg of Klonopin a day for over 20 years ( with an occasional temporary dose adjustmnent) and functioning fine. Often times I only needed to take 1 mg a day) I am now a wreck and don't know what step to take next.

Plenty of us have heard that certain generics don't work as well..but for there to be NO trace of them in a toxoicology screen?? Sugar pills?

Bizzare.

There are 3 major chain pharmacies here, CVS ( carry Teva), Wallgreens ( carries the Caraco), I will chek Wallmart and the 2 smaller pharmacies here in town to see what brnads of generic they cover.

I want to return these generics to the pharamcy and pay for brand name to see if my toxicology tests then trun positive, but more imp[ortantly if my symptoms abate. I don't need a tox screen to tell me the meds are not working. ( but it is nice to have proof) the pharmacy cannot take them back.

Will ask for brand name next visit, phrmacy said I cannot pay out of pocket for brand I have to go with generic because I have insurance.. so I will take the next RX to a new pharmacy and say I have no insurance topget the brand if I have too,

I apologize for the length and hope you cpould follow this,

I guess the long and short is generics are not always effective and in my case I have the toxicoligy screens to prove it.

Any suggestions would be welcome and most appreciated.

On another note, I have had my liver tested and it is working just fine so there is no medical explanation that covers the fact that there are no metabolites in my urine. Do you think I should pursue a blood test? My doctor keeps telling me to just keep trying different generics until I find find that works. I know that's not very professional but it is what it is., I should also mention that I have paid out of pocket for and had these tox screens done at 2 different labs here in town.

Is there somewhere I can go report the lack of klonopin in my tox screens? Should I start with the manufactures? There must be a government agency that oversees this kind of stuff.

Frustrated and panicky, thanks for taking the time to read all of this.

I can be contacted at jverderami @ new .rr.com  (remove spaces from email address when writing) if anyone has any input/advice. Thanks.

--------------

My insurance carrier recently insisted that I take generic form of klonopin manufactured by TEVA. However, the clonazepam did not work as well. I am wondering if there is a better generic manufacturer....or has anyone even reserched that. The klonopin is quit expensive and if I could find a better substitute, I would. My insurance carrier has said that if I submit a request for another generic manufacturer they will try to get it but I have no idea what is the best or even if there is a better substitue.

clonazepam makes me feel psychotic and I am so afraid. I've been taking it for past 6 years and I don't know if I am psychotic or its from the Clonazepam. I started taking them after my Dad died and I was 40. I never have felt this way in my life before taking these. I also have a horrid fear of mental illness that runs in my family. I just don't know. I can BARELY FUNCTION! I have no will at all. I am totally opposite of my old self and I never talk anymore.

I read your story about taking the generic for klonopin. It definetly struck a chord with me. I got so disgusted with my pharmacy (delays and stocking) that I switched to a smaller pharmacy. I get the distinct feeling that I have made a very grave error. My panic and anxiety all my PTSD symptoms are back with one addition, raving anger. I manage to hold it inside, but it frightens me that it may break loose. I don't have any tox screens, I can't afford them. I am on Medicaid, and Medicare and don't know if they will cover that sort of thing. The clonazepam 2mg that I got from the same pharmacy for 6 years worked just fine Now I get something that, aside from being thinner, has the same letter on it as my 10mg lisinopril: (they both have an M on one side, the other has a score, and a letter, c then the score, 15 below the score) One is lisinopril 10mg and the other is labeled clonazepam 2mg and the clonazepam 2mg does not work at all. thanks for listening

I was using Target as my pharmacy, and a have used clonzapam for about 8 years. I suddenly began to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, have the shakes, unable to sleep, and wanting to putll my hair out because my nerves were out of control A tox screen showed NO benzos in my systme. I got a new prescription from my psychiatrist and a new pharmacy and a new brand an was just starting to feel better enough to function a few days later. The new pharmacist looked it up, and the medication has a 30 hour half life. No way could even a misses 2mg tablet be out of my system. The new generic worked well. Today, I woke with the shakes and realized how much i had been smoking. I had chalked it off to stress at first, but now my nerves are screaming in my body and i want to crawl out from the inside, like before. I looked at my bottle, and sure enough, my new pharmacy has switched to TEVA brand clonazapam. Here I am, back to trying to get a new prescription because my week old one is making me sick. I was told how the FDA checks on these things and that it wasn't true that generics are sometimes not correct medicine. I was told that stories I was hearing about false medications were odd, since no one else had heard of them. Now, it is 5am and I am up and just waiting until I can get to the doctor in as few hours as possible to get my levels checked. There can't possibly be enough FDA workers to keep a check on everything. And I have been on this drug for years with no problems. 'sadly, tolerance may suddenly develope' doesn't fly, because a different brand left me fine and as before for months until this company was chosen by my new pharmacy. Now, I will probably have to search out a new pharmacy or try to pay for brand name. Does anyone care how hard it is to be diabled and raise a child alone on social security with no child support and take their meds regularly, as prescribed, and have this happen? This company has had trouble with this med before, and should be banned from producing it. I am trying to find out how to get the drug itself tested.

The Klonopin is what IS making you crazy...brain chemistry changes...eventually the drug turns on you...get off slow then start changing your thinking, that is truly the problem...not trying to be a smart alec...was on it for years and finally got off the merry go round....long time to feel better, will never, EVER go back on. Gotta learn to manage stress/panic without chemicals...it can happen..you have to want it to.

If anybodies pharm. doesn't allow you to purchase brand with cash, they are braking the law...period. Pharmacy policy does not trump black letter federal law. If you are not going to claim the purchase on your ins., which you have every right to do, then they cannot refuse to sell brand at full price to the customer. Chain pharms. will have to be taken to task if they refuse.. Just explain you understand federal law and they will have to comply.. If they don't report the activity to the FDA website. And tell them you will do so if they don't comply..you'll get your brand.

If any pharmacy does not allow you to buy brand if you are willing to not claim ins. and are willing to pay the brand price..that is illegal. You have every right to purchase brand and pay out of your pocket.. If the pharmacy turns you away or makes you purchase generic, remember that pharmacy policy DOES NOT trump black letter fed. law. And report them to the FDA.

I have been taking Clonazepam for a week. I was previously on Xanax, but it had gotten to where it was not working and rather than up the dose my pdoc wanted to try this. I must say that the Clonazepam is quite different than the Xanax. The Xanax I could actually feel working and not the case with the Clonazepam. I am on a low dose of .5 mg so I am wondering if I should maybe talk to my doctor about going up to 1 mg twice a day from the .5 mg twice a day or maybe the .5 mg three times a day ... any suggestions

I have the same exact problem!! I have not found relief from certain generics. I have had three tox screens and all of them have been negative for benzos. I currently take 1mg TID and feel that I do not get adequate relief. I was recently at the mayo clinic and had a genetic test done to check a metabolic pathway called CYP450 it turns out I am a rapid metabolizer of 3A4. This pathway metabolizes things like klonopin, alcohol, morphine.....ect. I was at one time accused of abusing the medication because I seemed to have such a strong tolerance to these medicines. People who are actively metab. drugs in this pathway can develop a hypertolerance because they have accelerated the breakdown of the drugs. It may also be possible that some mutations have taken place causing the drug to be metabolized differently into a metabolite that is not being tested during tox screens. Hope this helps. Feel free to E-mail me

Kmkrull@indiana.edu

Hi I was put on clonopin 20 years ago when I went through a horrible episode of major depression and severe anxiety. I could'nt eat or sleep untile it got into my syatem. This had happened once before when I had post=partum depression but it only lasted 6 months that time. The time when I was put on klonopin I had severe depression for 1 1/2 yrs, I finally got ok but 9 years later it happened again and I had been off the klonopin for a little while. That episode lasted another 1 1/2 years. I always feel like I'm dying when I go into depression, and think it will never go away. Well guess what, it came back again about 6 months ago and again I was put on paxil,seroquel and klonopin. I'm still depressed but I am able to function with the klonopin. My new doctor said I've been on it too long to try to get off. After what I went through going back into depression, I don't want to ever get off klonopin again. At this point I can't live without it. Thanks for listening. Good luck to whoever really needs this stuff.

I am a 17 year old high school senior, and have been dragged on a long road of medications for severe anxiety and social phobia disorder. I first started these meds when I was thirteen, with zoloft(which quickly proved itself useless) and Ativan 1mg to take up to four times daily as needed. The Ativan really helped for a while but after about 2 months one 1mg pill wouldn't do anything anymore, and I started double dosing and sometimes tripling my dose before going to school. My parents caught on to this and I am glad that they did. The psychiatrist at the time decided to take me off Ativan and zoloft and switch me to Cymbalta 60mg every morning and generic Valium, which is diazepam. Cymbalta seemed to work very stable with minimal side effects. I actually thought it was going to work for a while. The diazepam 10mg tablets to take up to 3x daily were somewhat of a lifesaver but I could tell that if I got too dependant on them, it would be even worse than Ativan. The Ativan withdrawals didnt affect me too much because I had just been prescribed Diazepam to replace Ativan. Diazepam never lost it's effectiveness but the psych wanted me to try clonazepam instead because he believes that it is safer. I have been on Klonopin for 3 years now and it still works wonders when I need to take it. I get CVS's generic Teva brand and they are exactly like brand name Roche Klonopin. My only worry is that clonazepam is very addictive and I started on a dose of .5mg twice a day, then 1mg 3x a day and now I am on the 2mg tablets up to four times a day as needed but I NEVER need it that much.

I had a horrible adverse reaction from Cymbalta around christmas of 07 which included a seizure, and that is why my dose was initially raised. I know take a very conservative 20mg dose of citalopram (Celexa), every morning and it has not really done much but I go along with the psychiatrist. I still take 2mg tablets of clonazepam made by Teva 3x a day as needed but I feel I am way past addicted to this medication, but the fact the it still works gives me reason to stay on it. I just can't imagine getting off of it for good, because all of the reports of withdrawals sound horrible(convulsions, vomitting, diahhrea, hallucinations).

The best generic is by FAR the Teva brand, followed by Walgreens's Caraco. I have had brand name Klonopin by Roche and it is exactly the same as the Teva brand in terms of onset and strength. I don't see how it still works for you after 20 years. You must not take it every day I would assume?

With reference to the concern over which generic company. The Hannaford Pharmacy gets theirs from a company called Mylan and I have had not trouble whatsoever with them.

I have been on the generic of Klonpin for 7 yrs. 1-1.5mg at night. Prescribed for fibromyalgia symptoms. All over Pain and insomnia. I'm sure it helped with my daytime anxiety since it stays in your symstem so long. After reading ALL the horror stores of long term effects, and withdrawl, of Klonopin I finally started weaning myslef off, with docs, OK VERY slowly. Down to .5 at night. NO sleep for a month and anxiety is worse. Many experts in the fibro field believe klonopin helps fibro patients because it slows down the neurotrmsmitters that fire to rapidly in our brain causing overexcitabilty. Any longterm users with NO side effects or complaints??? Im very conflicted and confused about the need to sleep vs gettig off the drug. Im thinking I just may need some Klonopin to get some sleep. We cant function without it!

I recently viewed a Psychiatrist on PBS that recommedns natural alternatives for Anxiety & Klonopin (Didn't get his name). I think he mentioned St. John's Wort and Kava Kava. Has anyone read the book, or tried these alternatives? Do you supplement the alternative while you reduce the Klonopin dosage? Anyone who has been on Klonopin for years and has managed to withdraw...can you tell us how you did it? Please, someone respond.

I have been taking Klonopin for Anxiety for over a year, at 1/2 mg twice daily and 1 mg at night. All of my UA's have come back fine showing the drug as it was supposed to, until my last screening March 13, 2009. I had a repeat screening four days later and still no Benzo's were found in my test. This has me in hot water with my Doc, and worried as to why there is no Klonopin showing in my system.

I am supplying her with letters from friends and family and any documentation I can find showing that negative UA's do happen. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I was also taking Tagamet, (Cimetidine,) for stomach problems, for the two months between my UA's and several websites have stated either a moderate or mild reaction with Benzo's. It has wondering if ths is just a bad batch of Generic Klonopin, or if the Tagamet is interfering with it or if something else is causing these false negative results?

Had a toxicoligy screen and found NO evidence of benzos in my urine over a 3 week period. At the time I was taking 2mgs twice a day.

This is most likely due to the fact the tox screen was calibrated to Oxazepam and not the generic. Clonazepam does not metabolize to oxazepam.

I've been in the pharma industry for many many years, and I can tell you this...

Sometimes Docs will RX a Placebo that looks exactly like the psych med THINK you are being prescribed.

Hello...all of you who are taking Klonopin.....IT IS A POTENTIAL KILLER..READ ON PLEASE!!!....I was on it for restless legs (uncontrollable periodic limb movements) along with mirapex. Restless legs cause you to not get the needed rest during sleep, if you can sleep at all. I was sleeping without medication, but woke up with my legs aching and I was so tired, until my husband told me my legs moved all night. I was unaware of this. So after sleep studies were done, I was prescribed different medications and was on L-Dopa which is used as an anticonvulsant and for Parkinsons. I have neither, but all are a type of central nervous system disorders, including restless legs. The medications helped for quite a while until I started to experience nausea symptoms. I went to my family doctor and he said it might be the L-Dopa, and advised I see my neurologist..who had prescibed my treatment for restless legs. My doctor changed my medication to Klonopin starting at a low dose and advancing following a strict schedule until I reached the dose he had prescribed. To wean off, you need to follow a strict schedule as well!!!!very important either way!!!I would fall asleep at The wheel driving, and if no one had been with me often I would have been in a terrible accident and injured others. I had no inkling I had even fallen asleep. It just happens. Klonopin stays in your body for 30-40 hours and I was unaware of this and I was taking it every night with mirapex. The regime worked well, but it wasn't until someone in my household took my bottle of Klonopin that I had to wean off of it. Luckily I had a pill container in my purse with some Klonopin in it so I called my Neurologist and he gave me the schedule to wean off. I got shaky (withdraw) because I did not have enough medication to do the whole routine. Klonopin is very expensive and generics did not work at all for me!!!!!!!!!!Costco chain stores do have it the least expensive..like half price..check it out its a bulk membership store..BUT IF AT ALL POSSIBLE FIND ANOTHER MEDICATION. BELIEVE ME..I SHOULD BY RIGHTS BE DEAD BECAUSE IN THE AFTERNOON I WOULD BE OVERCOME WITH FATIGUE AND SLEEPINESS AND NOTHING HELPED..NOT PUTTING THE WINDOWS DOWN TO LET COLD AIR IN..COFFEE..RADIO PLAYING LOUDLY ETC. I WOULD WAKE UP WHILE AT A RED LIGHT WITH CARS PASSING ME. SCAREY AS HECK. The medications relieved my restless legs but I wasn't ready to die earlier than expected. I don't know how many times the passenger would grab the wheel when I veared to the left or right, and my son often would have to continue driving because afterwards I would still be so sleepy I couldn't function and I was driving 27 miles each way to work. Sorry for the book, but I wanted those of you on Klonopin for any reason to realize its danger and it is also a very addictive drug!!!!!hence the need to wean off slowly. Doesn't that speak for its addictiveness and its potency???? Please talk to your doctors about alternative treatment.. I'm a retired RN, but you don't know about these dangers until you or someone else experiences the side effects. Thank you for reading this..It could save your sanity and your life. Even if you read the side effects in the brochure, you don't really know about how long the drug stays in your system; 30-40 hours is way to long and then you take another at bedtime etc..please do something and talk to your doctors folks..good luck to all who are on this dangerous drug!! for any reason. If any questions, please e-mail at katiemaries@gmail.com

I am from Chile and have used Ravotril (Roche Laboratories version of Klonopin) in occasions to sleep. Just half a pill (0.25) was MORE than enough for me to sleep like a baby. The cost of it in my country is $5.

I moved to the US 3 years ago, and apart from being absolutely outraged at the medical system in this country, on a personal level and on a general level, and about absolutely every aspect of it, now I must add the pharmacies and laboratories.

I just got Clonazepam from Wallgreens for the first time in this country, prescribed by my doctor. And IT JUST DOESN'T WORK. I have taken 0.5 and I can't fall asleep for 3 hours. I think a glass of milk would be more effective.

How can they sell you a placebo and have you pay $15 for it (!) with absolute impunity!!!

Americans NEED to understand that their health system has terminal cancer and that the reason for it is THE TOTAL LACK OF REGULATIONS AND THE TOTAL LACK OF PROTECTION FOR ITS CLIENTS.

I come from a third world country, and please, believe me, my mother's maid down there has health care that cost and quality wise is much much grater than America's.

I have payed for antibiotics and other medicines here 10 or 20 times more than in my country. My very birth control system is $60 here and $20 in my country.

And now this?? Selling placebos??? Who is doing anything about it?!!!

ML

Kevin51585 has the answer. Taking a drug for may years will alter more than one bodily system. The CYP450 enzymes which metabolize most drugs, including clonazepam, can become, in essence, more active in clearing the drug. More than one form of these enzymes may be at work. It is as if the body starts to better detect a toxin. It responds by working harder to eliminate the toxin by increasing the enzymes that metabolize it.

This process may be responsible for what people see as tolerance to the drug. Then increased doses are needed to maintain the same effect, but even that dose will soon need increasing.

When this phenomenon begins, It is time to search for another drug to treat the original condition. Increasing doses without end will eventually cause additional symptoms of illness. It is unlikely that the cause will be named by the physician. The symptoms mimic those of many other diseases. As work-ups for these fail to reveal the suspected illness, the problem is wrongly labeled as a psychiatric condition. The problem really was the longterm adjustment to the clonazepam. This happens with any benzodiazepine.

Of course it is essential to taper the drug. The taper schedules so commonly used can cause extreme distress and sometimes seizures.

Clonazepam is generally given in low doses. Typical urine drug screens are imunnoassays calibrated to oxazepam or nordiazepam (at cut off of 200 or 300 ng/ml urine.) Clonazepam is has a low actual drug elimination in urine. Even more, tests I mentioned are unlikely to test positive as the 7-aminoclonazepam metabolites are not detected by these calibrators. It takes expensive GC/MS testing and higher doses of Clonazepam to be detected. One to four 1mg Clonazepam do not generally cause a positive drug screen.

To the generics, I have taken them all after 10 years of Brand name. I noticed no difference in effects.

I don't know If this might be helpful to any unsatisfied pill purchasers, but here's what I got... I pursonally have alot of experience with purchasing a variety of meds (mostly all generic, as I have no insurance and little money), including klonopin (currently from Eon Labs). I like many of you seemed to have, went on a mission to descipher the differences from the name brand to generics, and then once I settled on the fact that I just FLAT OUT wouldn't be able to afford name brand, wen't on a mission to seek out the differences between just the available generics. In my experience so far, theres seems to quite a variation within the generics(quality wise, not price). For example: There are a few generics for Xanax, and after asking around and a little research, I found out that there is generic from Greenstone pharmaceuticals which is a subsidiary of Pfizer, the company who makes name brand xanax and many other meds. I would advise researching to see if that might be the case for your meds or at the least keep trying the different generics untill you find a doable fit. Two last things I'll add. 1. when filling a new generic you can ask for only a small portion to be filled, that way if you arent satisfied, you can then either opt to go name brand, or possibly transfer your script to another pharmacy, wich carries a different generic, all without waisting an entire script on BULLs**t Pills. 2. In different blogs I've only heard mention of CVS, RiteAid, wallgreens as most peoples choices for a pharmacy. I thought I should throw Costco in there, as it is the only pharmacy I use. My experience has been that I pay about a fifth the price as riteaid or wallgreens for my scripts. I priced my paxil script and the two lesser and it was $97 and $102, compared to 19 and change at costco, and all were for the same amount. Also, Costco carries a variety of different generics on hand at any given time, so I will always ask them when I refill to see what my generic options are. Maybe most people don't have a Costco in there city, sorry that blows, but if you do, I would check it out if you haven't already. --Sorry my post was so long. If anybody thinks highly of a particular generic, please add to this list. THE MORE YA KNOW ('')

For me Clonazepam has been the one drug that has saved me from what would have otherwise been horrible anxiety and panic reactions. Nothing else has been so effective as this. It does work better when you take it as needed - it works wonderfully this way.

HI. I have been on the med for 3 yrs.I have been through a number of pdocs. I also take seroquel and lexapro. My question is...Lately my anxiety seems to be getting worse. I was only taking 0.5 once a day, but now taking it twice a day.I take the generic teva brand.I noticed people on here saying that teva is ineffective? Has anyone proven it? I am seeing another new pdoc in 3 weeks and would like to get off this klonopin, but in the past when i tried to wean off it i felt like death, i had to go to ER i was having withdrawl. Can being on this med actually cause more panic?I hate this waiting for a new pdoc...Also i read somewhere that i am supposed to get liver tests and blood work while on the med...I have never had that done!!! Now i am worried.

I have been on .5 generic Klonopin twice a day for a year due to anxiety and now three times a day. Can anyone give advice as to what is the BEST generic from their experience? I have tried the three main ones - Caraco, Mylan, and Teva. Since my dose is relatively low, I sometimes can't even tell if I have taken a dose. I'm sure some of that is due to tolerance but recently the Mylan ones that my local Walgreens carries seemed markedly worse so I switch to CVS and their Teva generic but did not notice any improvement. I can not afford a tox screen and would like to know from people's personal experiences if one of these generics is better than the others. I appreciate William H.'s comment that Teva seems to work best for him and would like to hear what others think. Thank you.

I take clonazepam for epilepsy and there is a big difference in various generics where I am concerned. I take .5mg 5x/day. I will say that everyone is different and therefore processes medications differently and what works well for one may be a flop for another. Personally, Caraco worked the best for me...Walgreens quit carrying it recently and I am having to do a search to find someone who does..which has proven to be a major challenge. When Walgreens switched to Mylan, within 2 weeks the levels got so low I had a grand-mal, along with the withdrawal symptoms. I had used Teva in the past,with frequent milder breakthroughs which I thought was just due to my condition, but now after 20 years I am beginning to see that maybe it was the brand because the Caraco worked so much better, so after Walgreens quit carrying it, I switched to CVS for the Teva (again) started having breakthroughs 2 weeks later which is where I am right now but I had a little stash of the Caraco put aside just in case this occurred...grand mals are really no fun at all, so I took some of that and I could feel the difference when it hit my system the withdrawal symptoms and breakthroughs stopped. This was just tonight...a matter of hours ago. Now I have to work the levels back up in my system. Thank goodness I have enough to carry me through the weekend until I get up with the neurologist So, if I can't find anyone who carries Caraco brand then I am going to ask the dr. to write it for brand name neccessary and see how that works. Dealing with insurance is the biggest crock of BS I have ever had to deal with. It's exhausting to say the least and the loop holes you have to go through. I don't know that they WILL cover it..(Medco)..but I'd be willing to pull legal strings if that proves to be an avenue. On an ending note...with most psychotropic drugs of any kind the generic is usually found to be inferior due to the inert fillers which must affect it's absorption in some way. I did find an article written about this and I am going to try to get brand names for some of the other meds I take that fall into this catagory of drugs...the funny thing is all these years I could have had much better control and a higher quality of life if I had known the difference in the way that I would respond. From now on...I'm going brand name as much as I can when it comes to these kinds of drugs. I take more than one anticonvulsant and I want that switched along with the drugs from the psychiatrist. I guess the best advice is to find the brand that works the best for you and hope like heck that it continues to be available. I'm actually going to call my cousin who is a pharmacist tomorrow to see if he can help me find someone who carries Caraco. Hopefully he can give me so input and advice. Good-luck.

I am taking 0.5 mg of kolonipen 2 times a day. Every morning I wake up and get pains in my stomach and usally vomit. The brand is TEVA.Anyone have this expierence or any suggestions?.Thank you.Peg

I was tapered down to 1.25 brand wafers when they were pulled from the market. Walgreens gave me Par Pharmaceutical generic and said it was the same - I took at the exact same time (9pm) and was in withdrawal by noon the next day.

I have not tried the name brand but i can tell you which generics have worked for me regarding clonazepam. I have been on 1mg 3x a day for one year and still to this date do wonders for my anxiety troubles... here are two out of four brands that worked best for me:

Actavis Teva

I have also tried eon labs clonazepam which resulted in complete garbage.... and also watson.. which worked for a while and stopped working....

I'm a 30 year old male, and started taking Klonopin in 1998 (initially 0.5mg then increased to 1mg twice daily) for severe social phobia, anxiety and PTSD. I have taken it both as needed and on a regular basis (twice daily). In 5 years, I have not needed to increase this dosage, and it remains effective.

Prior to this I was Rx'd Ativan, Valium, and Xanax (not all at once!) Ativan was worthless and placebo-ish. Valium worked wonderfully but was highly sedating and required a 3 per day dosage regimen. It was also rather addictive. Xanax caused me temporary amnesia and wore off in a few hours, requiring me to take it so often that the dosage was going too high. Xanax is a lousy medication for someone who has chronic anxiety.

After taking 1mg of generic TEVA clonazepam, I can feel it begin to work within approximately 45 minutes, and the effects last easily for 8-12 hours. Every other generic version I have tried was absolutely useless. THE single most useless brand for me was Mylan. Avoid it like the plague. Teva is identical to the Roche brand name in both onset and duration of action, and begins to work as rapidly as Valium for me.

I recommend CVS Pharmacy (even though I dislike how large they have become). They have stocked the TEVA brand (both 0.5, 1 and 2mg) consistently for years. They have lots of customers, and this insures they are always receiving fresh shipments of the medication. Some of the smaller mom and pop pharmacies don't go through as much of the stuff and tend to switch brands often because of price differences, i.e. which one is cheapest for them and will maximize their profits.

In summary, probably the best medication available for chronic anxiety, certain forms of depression, social phobia, PTSD etc (either alone or as an augment to SSRI's and other AD's). If you are more prone to sudden and unpredictible panic attacks, Xanax is probably a better option, as it packs a more potent initial punch and will take the edge off quite rapidly. Just remember to avoid Mylan pharmaceuticals... in my experiences, most of their generics are crap. They do contain the proper amount of active ingredient, but their binders/fillers I believe prevent the tablets from properly disintegrating and being absorbed into your blood stream.

Good luck to all who suffer from this horrible illness!

Mylan's suck! Just got home and realized that my pharmacy switched from Teva to Mylan. These things are like placebo. I hope my doc isn't playing games and writing for a placebo instead of the real deal. Just my .2 cents on this brand of clonazepam.

Let me say this for 100% sure. I have been on Klonopin since 1991 and have used only the name brand and Teva generics. On a few occasions I had to get it at Walgreens, the tablets were flaky, they looked cheaply made and did not have any effect on me. Walmart up until January 2010 carried only the name brand and Teva generic. They suddenly changed to Mylan generic and it is pathetic. Mylan Clonazepam not only fails to work for me, but it has caused severe gastric upset for me, including severe esophageal burning and belching, as well as pain in my stomach.

I am done with Walmart, Walgreens and any other pharmacies that push these inferior generic medications. Taking Mylan Clonazepam is like not taking anything at all. I will find a pharmacy that still carries the Teva generic and if I cannot find the Teva anymore, I will fork out the cost of the name brand. To pay for name brand is a good indication of just how terrible these sloppy generics are.

This is criminal that these generic companies are watering down very important medications with binders, fillers etc. One thing I noticed about the Mylan brand versus the Teva and name brands, the tablets were bigger and fatter. Bottom line, Mylan and Carraco did not work, the only generic that worked was Teva-----End of story!

I want to know why the - Z - drugs are allowed in the United States of America. My doctor started me on the Z-durgs in the mid 1980's. This is now 2010 and I am, and have been, trying to get off of that final drug Clonazepam (Klonopin) for 2 1/2 years. I have gone from 3mg. to 1mg. at bedtime. As I type today I am experiencing withdrawal symtoms because last Friday night I reduced that pill to 3/4, and also for the next two nights. Today is Monday and I look and feel terrible. I started having problems Saturday but didn't associate them with the decrease.

I have looked at the schedule for Klonopin (Clonazepam) withdrawal, and it is very discouraging. Again I ask, Why? Why are the Pharmacutical Companies allowed to make and sell this drug in this country. What recourse do I have? This information is not available to the general public. Why isn't it being publicized? The Psychiatrists began stacking drugs called a Cocktail! I reached the point that I was being treated for the side effects, and because I didn't get better, the Psychiatrists then said I needed ECT as a last resort. Now I have massive amounts of time missing. Precious Memories of past events, killed - destroyed by the Drugs and ECT. What is my recourse? I am alive today by Divine Intervention! BUT, I am having a very difficult time getting off that last pill. What about all of the other people who have reported in? Good people, Christians, ADDICTED to PRESCRIBED DRUGS, what a travesty! Where do I go from here?

Anna Q

to qualify I have been on and off Klonopin 17 to 36 and a 12 step man too great sight for people who suffer and have chronic and offal horrible anxiety I have learned a few things here didnt know docs sometimes use placebo ill have 2 check into that.Oh I have seen some 12 stepers who truely beleive that is the cure for everything watch out warning warning another warning not true watch out for the ashton manual fanatics that sight will truly drive u mad i think it is benzouk dot org stay away and that lady really knows how to sell books And start a cult of people who suffer same 4 certain 12 step meetings that will convince u that u r an addict and have no control and r crazy that does not help a thing just an allusion of hope Oh its true Mylan sucks ass ok people stay positive this is the best med on the market for true suffers dont abuse the med if u have ween down and get back on your stable dose dont beat yourself up bout it or suffer without it if u cant take a normal does and pray something better comes along cheers my friends and good night

My mother who is 87, has been on Klonopin the brand, not the generic, for about two years. Recently, for about four months in succession, the urine drug test reported Negative for Benzos. She was and is still taking 3mg. per day. The doctor believes she is not taking the Klonopin, but that it may be diverted. This of course is ridiculous. She has been taking the full amount of Klonopin, but yet has consistently tested Negative. Can anyone tell me why? Her doctor also believes I may be the one selling the pills and not giving them to her. The doctor has created a witch hunt and has made my life a living hell for no reason. Why doesn't the manufacture get honest and inform the public Klonopin does not show up in the urine. There has been far too many people complaining Klonopin does not show up in the urine. Lets start a class action suit against the Roche drug manufacturer for covering up the truth!!!!!

In July 09 I was prescribed Clonazepam at 1 mg 2x a day along with 60 mg of cymbalta. These meds were given to me after I (1) had be laid off for a year; (2) discovered my husband had and was continuing an onlife affair and (3) was enduring bitter, mocking, if not plain ignorant treatment from my husband of 3 yrs. Lifetime drama aside, I was always cautious in using the Clonazepam b/c prior to that precription I found myself using Xanax more and more. Now, several mos. later of horrific, volatile, emotionally traumatizing treatment by my dearly beloved later, I am seeking dissolution (good) but found myself self-medicating Clonazepem by determining my own doseage. That last 2 days have been at 4 mg and I all want is taking just one more. Am i addicted? Am I on the wrong medical therapy? I know I am depressed, who wouldn't be when you devote your life to your husband, let him move 200 miles always to fulfill his dream of being a pharmacist (ironic, huh?), just to find out he has been carrying on with another student.

I'm reading the posts and sounds like folks like me that were on brand are having challenges finding a generic that is even close - I'm trying PAR now - anyone have any experience or found the magic bullet. I want off this crap and the generic makes me take more just to stabilize. Help?

I was just now put on klonopin, .5 mg, but i just took half, I was taking xanax before anything it seemed to help, but now my attacks are coming even quicker and all the time, i hate feeling funny so i dont usually take meds, but its been so bad i felt like i couldnt live, im hoping these new meds will help, the doctor also prescribed me zoloft but idk if i want to take that! Does anyone have any advice or insight, i hope i dont feel so sick!

If I could say anything in my life that would save hundreds of good people from living through the hell that is protracted clonazepam withdrawal, it would be do your homework BEFORE you allow a Doc. to prescribe this drug, even for supposed short term I was given it for anxiety and was told to keep taking it, due to my increased symptoms when I went off it. Those symptoms are withdrawal from the drug, Don't be fooled!! I went cold turkey over a year ago and would not wish the last 13 months on my worst enemy. Check out the forums for people who are going through this and listen to their stories...trust me! they are not making it up. I have been left with a serious balance problem which might never get better, also the drug covered up a serious heart problem, which could have been corrected, had I not been on this drug. Good Luck! J

10 Years of clonazepam as a sleeping pill, between 1-2 mg. Suddenly, it stopped working. I tried to taper, but then my withdrawal effects really began -- abdominal cramps, chest pains, anxiety attacks -- all at once. I am now stuck at 1 mg. I take it at the first sign of the withdrawal symptoms. So far, substituting Valium for the decrease in clonazepam withdrawal has not worked.

One thing I noticed about the withdrawal schedules is the high dosage of Valium required -- my body just doesn't like that much Valium.

Anybody else in the same boat? Stuck at a certain dose?

The physical and psychological effects of this drug are not worth what little benefits that one may get out of it. I lost my best friend and love of my life to suicide because of this drug's side effects and withdrawal symptoms.

I was given Klonopin 7 years ago in place of Xanax. When my son was 6 months old I started having severe anxiety and panic attacks. This stuff runs in my family so I figured it was unavoidable. I was originally given .5 mg twice a day. Within the first year I had tapered down to .5 mg at bedtime.. For the past few months I have gone down to .25 mg at bed for 2 nights then the 3rd night I will take the .5mg. I so want to stop taking this drug completely. I find when I try to taper anymore than this I begin to shake and get extremely agitated. I do not want to be on anything else. I just want to be finished with all the psych drugs. If anyone has advise on the taper..please post.

Now to generics. I have always been on TEVA generics and have never had a problem. In January Walmart switched to MYLAN. I instantly felt the difference. I went into withdrawl and had insomnia. I was going to continue to take them and just go through the process, but I was too scared to do it. MYLAN is useless in my opinion. Even the MYLAN generic for prevacid doesn't work. The OTC works better.

Have a nervous system disorder/neuropathy and still ruling out potential MS. This is the only drug that has helped me. My neurologist prescribed it for me. I take .5 in the morning and .5 at night for one year now. If I am not on it, I feel like my whole internal body is vibrating and pulsating. I would rather take this and feel like a functioning human being than feel like all of the nerves in my body are firing at one time. I suppose it depends on your diagnosis how one rationalizes being on this med. long term, but you can also get yourself worked up by reading about horrible withdrawl symptoms and then convince yourself you need to get off of it because of that. You should only take it as prescribed, and if you need to get off of it for whatever reason you are getting off of it, then you should have a competent Dr. to help you taper SLOWLY off of it. Nikki