Treatment of PTSD and Anxiety Disorders: Clonazepam Side Effects

Clonazepam, or "Klonipin" is a very useful and relatively safe member of the benzodiazepine family of drugs. Other benzodiazepines include Valium (diazepam), Xanax (alprazolam), Ativan (lorazepam), and Halcyon (triazolam). Clonazepam is used primarily in the control of anxiety related symptoms, and also as an anti-seizure drug. (www.drugs.com)

Clonazepam was originally prescribed to me for PTSD and anxiety-disorder related symptoms, and while I was taking it, I found it to be quite helpful. For me it seems to have less abuse potential, in that the euphoria I experience from it is negligible. The impulse to take larger doses is also small compared to other benzodiazepines, especially Xanax. However, it is not without its risks and drawbacks. In my experience, careful adjustment of dosage and extreme caution in mixing it with other drugs are the best strategies for dealing with annoying clonazepam side effects, which for me have included vertigo, drowsiness, potentiation of methadone and other narcotics, and loss of inhibitions along with poor judgment. For me, the ideal dose of clonazepam is 0.5 milligrams, one to three times per day. Larger doses have seemingly resulted in my being unable to walk a straight line, as if drunk, and various dangerous and occasionally unlawful activities on my part, such as wandering around in bad neighborhoods late at night and smoking and injecting cocaine.

For these reasons, I do not use clonazepam at this time, although I'd consider using it again if my symptoms became severe enough to impair my daily functioning. All clonazepam users with tendencies towards substance abuse and other high-risk behaviors would be well advised to approach this medication respectfully and carefully. In defense of this medication, I can truthfully say that I used it lawfully, at the proper dosages for over a year without mishap, and its effectiveness in preventing anxiety attacks, flashbacks, and "freeze-ups" was superior to any of the other medications I've tried for purposes of treating these symptoms.

One woman, aged 46 who uses this medication tells me that the only clonazepam side effect she notices is slightly impaired memory function. Otherwise, she believes that clonazepam is an invaluable tool in the management of her own anxiety-related symptoms.

The final thing I would like to mention about this drug is that it is potentially addictive, even at low doses; however, withdrawal can usually be managed with Tranxene (chlorazepate), a long-acting benzodiazepine also used for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal. In my case, three days of Tranxene was enough to manage the physical withdrawal symptoms that arose, although in my experience, the psychological dependency may take a good bit longer to overcome.

Reference:

http://www.drugs.com/clonazepam.html