Clonazapan

[KSPD]

I take Clonazepam for dystonia (muscle spasms in my calf, toe curling, altered gait) as prescribed by my MDS. I take half a tablet one hour before I exercise, and another during the day if I am having trouble walking around the house or for errands. No ill side effects.

i do not recommend Clonazepam for sleep. I used it for awhile, but on top of the melatonin I was taking, I was really knocked out and would not hear alarms. It made me afraid I’d miss smoke alarms or other danger.

[Laurie]

I had sleep problems for years before getting PD. I started using Clonazepam over a year ago, 1/2 mg. Then I found myself waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep, so my doctor was OK with me taking another 1/2 mg then. But I was then so fatigued during the day, I’d take long naps in the day time. Then I fell and broke my hip. I wasn’t able to take pain meds after the surgery because they made me nauseous, so I toughed it out with ice, rest, and clonazepam for three months. Now I’m over the pain of that and with the help of physical therapy, able to walk and move better. What I didn’t realize was that the clonazepam was building up in my body to the point where I was like a zombie. One day I was unresponsive to my husband and he thought I might have had a stroke. He took me to the hospital. My eyes were glazed over and I couldn’t speak. But a CT scan, and other tests showed nothing so we figured I over medicated myself, may have taken more drug than I intended in the middle of the night. Now I’m weaning off slowly on 1/4 mg nightly and use CBD oil in the middle of the night if needed. My doctor will monitor the amounts I’m going to take to wean off completely. He said it is one of the hardest drugs to get off of, easy to build tolerance. It was really scary. Friends and family were worried about me because I was so out of it and I didn’t realize it. I’m sleeping better and glad I’m going off of it!

[Mary Beth Skylis]

I don’t have PD, but I’ve taken it before. I find that a small dosage does knock me out when I need it. But I really don’t like the idea of using a benzodiazepine, personally. I’ve read that they’re highly addictive, and long-term use can lead to a cognitive decline. Too spooky for me!

[Bert]

I started Clonazepam at 0.25 mg in a.m. and bedtime to address insomnia and daytime anxiety.. I found that the dose , while very effective in resolving my insomnia, led to feeling lightheaded and drowsy upon waking. I now take the lowest dose (0.125) sublingually without having the drowsy effects. My anxiety is less . I also take Zoloft for depression. The more I research the role PD plays in causing emotional dysregulation, I am intent on using other means to fight low mood and restlessness. Exercise, diet, sleep hygiene, socializing, engaging in hobbies such as artwork etc.

[MYPD]

I’ve been taking .25 mg of Clonazapam for a year or two because I fell out of bed one night after one of those violent dreams, REM sleep disorder. It took care of the acting out of dreams, but hasn’t been doing much for sleeping for a while (maybe 6+ months?). I’ve been doing other cognitive approaches to manage the anxiety brought on by PD.