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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SoS on May 26, 2002, at 2:28:20
I just went and read through old posts about klonopin and now I'm scared to take it. I gained 45 lbs on paxil, and couldn't lose it (after being taken off of it), so I thought maybe the depakote (er) I was on was making me hold on to the weight. My pdoc prescribed trileptal and klonopin instead of the depakote (even though I asked for topomax; he doesn't believe in it). I really need to lose this weight because I have a wedding to go to in a month. I'm scared the klonopin will interfere with me losing weight. Does anyone know if it usually causes weight gain? Also, should I be taking it for very long? He says because it stays in your system longer it's not addictive. Any input would be helpful. Thanks.
MM
Posted by JonW on May 26, 2002, at 21:20:12
In reply to Just been Px klonopin, have questions, posted by SoS on May 26, 2002, at 2:28:20
Hi SoS,
Klonopin shouldn't cause weight gain. It's side-effect profile is very benign -- sedation being the most common. It's longer half-life may make it less adictive than Xanax, but that in no way means physical dependence cannot occur and most certainly will if you take it for an extended period of time. These drugs are serious drugs, and should be administered under the care of a qualified doctor. If your doc says that Klonopin isn't addictive, you might want to be working with a different doctor. If you take it for very long, the drug needs to be tappered when you go off of it so you don't experience withdrawal. There are plenty of Klonopin horror stories here, but many people have also used it very successfully and stopped it without a problem. If Klonopin worked for me I'd still be taking it and take it for the rest of my life -- to me, it's worth any risk there may be. Every drug you try is a personal decision, and should be made under the care of a qualified doctor.
Good Luck,
Jon
Posted by katekite on May 26, 2002, at 21:27:57
In reply to Just been Px klonopin, have questions, posted by SoS on May 26, 2002, at 2:28:20
Klonopin did not cause weight gain for me.
I did become addicted, in the sense that when I try to go off I get insomnia. I'm not addicted in the sense that I don't crave it, etc. It will depend on how often you take it and your own individual system whether you become physically dependent on it.It was good for anxiety.
Is there a chance you could start the trileptal first and see whether that is enough after a week or so and then just add in the klonopin if needed? If you start both at the same time how will you know which is helping, or which ends up having side effects?
Please don't try to lose the 45 pounds in just one month. A realistic and healthy goal is about 2 pounds a week, maybe 10 pounds over the month total. Trying to do more while changing meds around will only backfire, making you feel weak and sick, you risk making yourself sick enough to not get to the wedding at all.
You can start to get in pretty good physical shape in a month though, by exercising in some form 6 days a week.... walking probably half those days, doing something more vigorous the other days.
Take care,
kate
Posted by SoS on May 27, 2002, at 1:54:30
In reply to Re: Just been Px klonopin, have questions » SoS, posted by JonW on May 26, 2002, at 21:20:12
Is it weird that he wouldn't prescribe topomax? That alone makes me think I might want to switch pdocs. I'm not going to try to lose all the weight before the wedding; 10-15 lbs would be great. We have an eliptical machine (it's sort of like a treadmill) and I run on that for at least 15-20 minutes a day. I've been eating right etc. as well. I've been doing this for a week and a half and I've only lost a pound :(. Thanks for the responses though. I might talk to my pdoc because I've noticed that just the trileptal makes me sedated (I take the klonopin just before bed).
Posted by paxvox on May 27, 2002, at 20:14:39
In reply to Just been Px klonopin, have questions, posted by SoS on May 26, 2002, at 2:28:20
I took Klonopin (clonazepam) for about 2 years, and actually lost a bit of weight. However, I was taking it in combination with Wellbutrin (a well-known weight-loss SX med). So, that might have made a difference. However, I have been on other benzos for several years, and still have lost weight.
PAX
Posted by katekite on May 28, 2002, at 7:13:40
In reply to Re: Just been Px klonopin, have questions, posted by SoS on May 27, 2002, at 1:54:30
Well there are a couple reasons why he might not have wanted to try topomax first. The more common explanation would be he just doesn't have much experience with it. The second reason is that a study showed that topomax caused cognitive slowing in patients who took it: the longer they were on it the more 'stupid' they became. If they stopped it they went back to normal. The drug is affectionately known as "Stupimax". While depakote is often called "Depabloat". So he at least didn't choose that. Now of course for some people topomax does not cause cognitive problems, just as some people who take depakote do not gain weight. Trileptal is a new version of tegretol and that is not as known for cognitive problems. Trileptal is supposed to have few side effects compared to tegretol and work just as well -- probably one of the more reliable mood stabilizers. Sedation may pass as you get used to it.
Now if you really can not lose the weight, but you can get stable on trileptal, at some point you might go on topomax temporarily just to try to take the weight off, with the idea that you would trade 6 months of being stupid for the 45 pounds, then go back on trileptal again for maintenance.
If you find the trileptal really sedating then you might see if you can take a dose before bed and not have to be on klonopin.
For weight loss and for getting in shape, they say 30 minutes or more is ideal... consider slowing the pace a little or taking a few minutes break in the middle so that your heart rate (and thus your metabolic rate) can be up for longer. I find that even if I stop and just walk slowly for 5 minutes in the middle my heart rate stays up high and then I can go a lot longer than if I try to do it in one stretch.
kate
ps I'm glad you are logical about the weight loss.
pps.... consider too that losing one pound is way better than neutral, but fantastically better than gaining a pound (which is the direction you were going before). Good for you! Don't try to overdo it, stay healthy.
Posted by SoS on May 28, 2002, at 13:23:35
In reply to Re: Just been Px klonopin, have questions, posted by katekite on May 28, 2002, at 7:13:40
Thanks. See I was willing to trade being stupid for losing the weight, but he just wouldn't hear of it. He called topomax "useless" as a mood stabilizer. O well. I found this website that said that taking omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin e will help take the weight off from SSRI's, so I'm going to try that too (what could it hurt). This sucks. It's so weird though because the first time I was on paxil, I didn't gain weight. It must have been the combination of depakote and paxil. Thanks again for all the responses.
Posted by Alan on May 30, 2002, at 0:43:01
In reply to Re: Just been Px klonopin, have questions » SoS, posted by JonW on May 26, 2002, at 21:20:12
> Hi SoS,
>
> Klonopin shouldn't cause weight gain. It's side-effect profile is very benign -- sedation being the most common. It's longer half-life may make it less adictive than Xanax, but that in no way means physical dependence cannot occur and most certainly will if you take it for an extended period of time. These drugs are serious drugs, and should be administered under the care of a qualified doctor. If your doc says that Klonopin isn't addictive, you might want to be working with a different doctor. If you take it for very long, the drug needs to be tappered when you go off of it so you don't experience withdrawal. There are plenty of Klonopin horror stories here, but many people have also used it very successfully and stopped it without a problem. If Klonopin worked for me I'd still be taking it and take it for the rest of my life -- to me, it's worth any risk there may be. Every drug you try is a personal decision, and should be made under the care of a qualified doctor.
>
> Good Luck,
> Jon
=========================================Please read:
http://panicdisorder.about.com/library/weekly/aa031997.htm
"addictive" is not the appropriate term.
Also shorter half life BZD's like xanax and ativan do not have an inherent chemical make-up that makes them any more dependence inducing than the longer half life BZD's such as klonopin or Valium or Tranxene. It only means that one doses more frequently for the shorter half life BZD's. This is a common misunderstanding about differences in BZD's.
Alan.
Posted by JonW on May 30, 2002, at 13:12:20
In reply to Re: Just been Px klonopin, have questions » JonW, posted by Alan on May 30, 2002, at 0:43:01
Hi Alan,
Thanks for the great info! I think the difference between "addiction" and "physical dependence" can be subtle. Of course, if using the term "addictive" ultimately makes it harder for anxiety disorder patients to be treated justly, then I think the difference is anything but subtle. I couldn't find anything on the internet that said klonopin was more or less addictive (or caused more or less physical dependence) than xanax so in my post I said klonopin "may" be less adictive.
The problem I have with all of this is that one could easily say that paxil or effexor, for example, cause "physical dependence". But there is definitely a difference between these drugs and the benzos. I've been hospitalized a few times this past year and I didn't meet one person in detox for paxil or effexor but I met plenty of people in detox for Xanax and Klonopin. I don't mean to imply that these are bad drugs (especially if you don't have a problem with addiction and do have a problem with anxiety) -- I've been on both and still take them from time to time. I just think the fact that people *can* (not that they will) dig themselves into a deep hole with these drugs should be taken seriously. But these drugs do have an unfair rap -- not unlike the MAOIs.
Jon
Posted by Alan on May 30, 2002, at 23:51:18
In reply to Re: Just been Px klonopin, have questions » Alan, posted by JonW on May 30, 2002, at 13:12:20
> Hi Alan,
>
> The problem I have with all of this is that >one could easily say that paxil or effexor, for >example, cause "physical dependence". But there >is definitely a difference between these drugs >and the benzos.Not from what I read about withdrawl from ssri's on this board, from my own experience, and from everywhere I look - including more and more detox centers. People have trouble withdrawing from the new ssri's at rates no lower than with any other drug that needs to be tapered slowly. The problem is that the drug companies witheld information from the start that there was such a phenomenon and docs would give their suffering patients blank stares as they were trying to explain the symptoms. This seems to be the biggest topic of discussion. And many more take BZD's than ssri's. It's just that tolerance for ssri's is called "poop-out" and withdrawl "discontinuation syndrome" now.
>I've been hospitalized a few times this past >year and I didn't meet one person in detox for >paxil or effexor but I met plenty of people in >detox for Xanax and Klonopin.
Do you know what their history was? Was it the only drug they were abusing? "Addicts" in detox are usually poly drug abusers, have a predisposition for abuse, or have been misdiagnosed or not managed properly by their doc in the first place.
>I just think the fact that people *can* (not that >they will) dig themselves into a deep hole with >these drugs should be taken seriously. > Jon
And they are controlled substances for that reason. Because of a slight risk of abuse. But some folks take that fact and run with it...especially the anti-benzo cult groups with their scaremongering websites splattered about the internet. Even some docs mistakenly put their patients in detox to cover their ass just because of the slight RISK of liability since they mismanaged or misdiagnosed their patients in the first place. Or they are still in the benzophobic stage of their careers.
Alan
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