Benzos and seniors

I agree with you which is why I follow people that suffer from hearing loss of which I am one.
People get very animated regarding Klonopin and other benzodiazepines. I have taken Klonopin for 35 years at the same dose I started at and some may insult me and say I am an addict. I see my primary care physician on a yearly basis and we have discussed this drug at my last physical.
Because I have never abused it and I am in excellent shape at 73 she sees no reason for me to stop taking it as part of my regimen of drugs I was prescribed to keep my depression in check.
Yesterday I walked 8 miles on ice covered streets and had no balance issues.
Each of us is different and I refuse to be judgemental of other people and the decisions they make regarding their health.
Every drug has side effects and everyone should weigh those side effects before deciding if the good outweighs the bad.
Hopefully I am not the only one who feels this way. I have been judgemental in some of my past posts and I regret that.
I just hope that all those people suffering from depression and anxiety get relief. How they get that relief is a decision that they along with their Doctors can make together.

@daveshaw Very well stated and thank you. There are so many variables involved in providing each and every patient with individualized, comprehensive health care That a Lay person who has not been exposed to the nuances can even begin to understand! Medication management is a very difficult involved science that at times requires trial and error at times. But at the the end of the day if it's the patient that has benefited, that's the real goal!

Is it ever worth trying an anti depressant like lexaprol to wean off ativan. I am73 years old and taverna off is making me worse

Sorry meant tapering

@daveshaw please can you say what dose you take. Imam trying to come off but finding it impossible. I am thinking of just staying on but read so many horror srories of lomg term use. Imam on Ativan

@worthy5154 I have been taking 1mg in the morning and 1mg at night for about 30 years. I am 76 and my Primary Care Physician has told me repeatedly to stop listening to the horror stories and just stay on Clonazepam/ Klonopin. Her practice is all seniors and she says if you don’t increase your dosage and you don’t combine it with alcohol she doesn’t have a problem with it.
Unfortunately because of the Opioid epidemic which is killing thousands of people some doctors have forced many of their patients to stop taking all benzodiazepine. I have not heard of thousands of people dying from overdosing.
Just be responsible and don’t drink or increase your dosage and you will be fine. The horror stories I read on this site are people trying to stop using it and sometimes taking up to a year to taper off it. At 76 I choose to be responsible and do what my PCP tells me to do.
Good luck to you.

Hello. Benzodiazepines like alprazolam (Xanax), clonazepam (klonopin) which are the more commonly prescribed by doctors for anxiety and insomnia. I find that for anxiety is better to take alprazolam during the day and for insomnia clonazepam works better at night for insomnia. Now I am not suggesting you should take both , I would advice that you consult with your doctor first. It all depends what works for you. It’s better to start with the lower dosage as prescribed by your doctor. All benzodiazepines have more or less the same side effects, mostly somnolence, which is forbidden if you operate any kind of machinery, especially driving a car or motorcycle. The side effect most dangerous for us seniors is the risk of FALLS. Another side effect listed is it may be addictive, however, if one does not abuse them and take the dosage that works for you,personally I don’t see this as a major problem. Of note I’d advice not to change positions suddenly, for example, if you are sitting down get up slowly and if you experience dizziness, stop and sit down if the dizziness persists; this is true whether you take benzos or not, as a precaution against falls; I believe the reason is a sudden drop of blood pressure which in turn may cause the dizziness, and I believe the reason for the sudden drop in BP may be the dosage of the medication and/or because you’re too relaxed 😎

@daveshaw
Dave, would mind letting me know how strong your daily dose is? I am an insomniac for the last 60 years (I am 87), I take 1 mg a night of Klonopin. Sometimes I cut it to 1/12
just to be safe, But I need to use it to sleep which I feel is pretty important at my age. Thanks for your post.

@thejayman I take 1 mg in the morning and one at night a bedtime. It has worked for me combined with Zoloft, Buspar and Wellbutrin.
I have actually cut my Zoloft for 100mg to 50 mg.
Good luck to you.