fenster67

i have 2 years sobriety and i was prescribed Klonopin by a doctor. I have OCD and he was concerned about my anxiety.
I take it as needed. I usually take 1/2 a pill. I took a full pill last week and it really felt the effects. Now i am concerned that i lost my sobriety.

I did feel pretty loopy, so i am now concerned that i unintentionally lost my sobriety.

ETA

I vote no you didn't lose your sobriety.

nandm

There are many different opinions regarding this but remember they are just opinions and what I say is no different. Ultimately what you feel is what matters.

I too take klonopin. I have been sober for over 10 years now and do not consider my self any less sober because I take a mental health drug that treats my mental health conditions. I take it for a legitimate medical condition. I take it as prescribed. I check my motives each time I take it to help ensure I am taking it for that medical condition rather than taking it for anything other than it was prescribed. If you are prescribed 1/2 a pill and you took a whole on then you are not taking it as prescribed. To me that is a problem. Does that mean you have thrown away your sobriety? Only you can truly answer that question by what you feel in your heart.

I have seen people who had been sober from alcohol for multiple years who started abusing pain medications. When someone told them that they had to restart their sobriety date because of it they figured why if I am going to have to restart my sobriety date should I not go ahead and at least have a drink of alcohol? So they did and were out there drinking and drugging because of it for several years before they came back and a couple of them have not yet found sobriety again. I guess the moral of the story is that just because one has abused a pain medicine does not mean that they should necessarily change their alcohol sobriety date. It just means they need to find sobriety for their drug habit.

I know that there will be people who say a drug is a drug is a drug but my personal opinion and experience is for me that is not true. I do not have cravings for drugs but do experience an obsession for alcohol when I have one drink. I have taken pain medications and other narcotics over the years of my sobriety and have had no desire or obsession to take them any other way than as prescribed and usually have come off them earlier than my physician would have liked. I just do not experience an obsession with drugs. Of course I realize that it could possibly happen and that is why I check my motives before taking any drug to ensure that I have not crossed that line into drug abuse.

That is just my opinion and experience others will share theirs. You will need to find what fits with your personal beliefs and experiences and trust that. Take care and I do wish you the best.

PaperDolls

My opinion is that if you're taking your medication as prescribed, your sobriety is fine. Ultimately it's up to what you feel is the right thing to do.

Fenris

fenster, opinions on this run from one end of the spectrum to the other, but the only person's opinion who really matters is your own. It's your sobriety, no one else's. On the other hand, we alcoholics have a knack for lying to ourselves; we are masters of self-deception, so be on-guard against that. Like nan said, check your motives before you take any medication.

--Fenris.

1undone

I don't think you relapsed.

winky21

I am not going to give medical advice because I am not a doctor. I can give you my experience with klonopin.

I was prescribed by a phsychiatrist and new nothing about the medication, it changed my mood and i beleive my personality. It happened over time, a year later i found this stuff was bad for me, i wanted to stop but couldn't the withdrawls are the worst. thank gawd i was in rehab and they made me quit them but it took 35 days before i felt normal again, it was a miserable month, i felt so bad, crying,shaking, i learned it takes 42 days for it to leave your system.

im not giving advice, just an experience, i wish you all happy days ahead :-)

Dee74

Hi Fenster

I merged your two threads into one

I agree with those who say if you're taking a prescribed medication as directed for a genuine medical condition, thats between you and your Dr.

That's not a relapse in my book.

If it's making you feel loopy or uncomfortable tho, please do go and speak with your Dr about your concerns.

D

MemphisBlues

I think anyone in recovery should take responsibility for what we put into our bodies. Then again, I suck down coffee and cigarettes! But, when it comes to benzodiazepines, it's my experience that many doctors prescribe it to realize the quick fix, not the long-term solution.

Klonopin is the strongest benzo out there. A quarter milligram of Klonopin is equal to 5 milligrams of Valium. My strong suggestion is that Klonopin only be used as a short-term solution. In fact, if you read the manufacturer literature, you will find that Klonopin, and all benzos for that matter, are recommended for only one to two months of usage.

That flies in the face of the 10-year stint my psychiatrist opted for, and I gleefully jammed the pills down my throat. And I suspect you will find that the body develops a quick tolerance to benzos which makes it necessary to increase the dosage. That is how I ended up being prescribed 20 milligrams of Klonopin a day.

It almost killed me. The manufacturer of Xanax recently changed their packaging literature to incorporate a warning regarding addiction, withdrawal, and that the drug should never be taken for longer than two months.

I wouldn't reset my sobriety date if I was you. You're doing as a doctor suggested. I would recommend that you share with your doctor that you are in recovery, ask him about the addictive nature of Klonopin, how long he or she thinks you should take it, the importance of tapering the drug if getting off of it is best for you, and explore other solutions to reduce your anxiety.

I'm on disability for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. I now live with out any tranquilizers.

I'm an alcoholic and a drug addict. I've only been sober for nine months. Klonopin works. For me, however, it created the one emotion that I could handle -- apathy. For me, it became an impossible way to live.

Please tread carefully. I do know others in recovery who live on two milligrams of Klonopin a day and have taken it as prescribed for a decade. One individual has been in the rooms for years. He's now looking forward to his nine-month coin...again.

Terminally Unique

I'm not going to comment on your sobriety, but I will echo what some others have said. Benzodiazepines are cross-tolerant with alcohol, meaning that either can relieve the withdrawal symptoms of the other.

Clonazepam is particularly potent, so you may want to let your PDOC know about your past alcohol use if you have not done so already. There are instances where former alcohol-dependent individuals need to take benzos for legitimate reasons, but they can have a hook that is more like a harpoon, particularly for those with an affinity for sedative-hypnotics such as alcohol.

Your PDOC needs to take this into account, but he can't do that if you do not tell him.

Mark75

Taking a medication as prescribed for the intended purpose is not a relapse.

Some of these medications can provide a launching pad for relapse for some people. It probably would for me, so if it ever comes up where a physician is considering one of these medications, I'll need to keep this in mind, and more importantly, discuss this issue with the physician.

Thankfully, there are many alternatives to benzodiazepenes for things like OCD, Generalized Anxiety, etc...

Does your doctor know your full history?

stanleyhouse

I took theraflu in the early months of sobriety and felt similiar effects. I felt the same way. Your sobriety date is your business. your strenth in sobriety lies in your soul and how you feel about yourself.
I suffer from major depression and anxiety, if pain is effecting my life. I went to rehab for alcohol and benzos, so they aren't an option. My doctor added zoloft to my other meds when anxiety rose it's ugly head. The facts are grim when it comes to withdrawal, you have to be tapered off all of these drugs. The difference is that we are taking these as prescribed to promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle. There is nothing shameful in taking care of your mental health.
SH

JJK

i felt the same way after 2 years.. and was given very small dosage of a perscription drug thats frowned upon in the rooms.. i dont think its a relapse at all.. some us need to it.. id just keep my mouth shut about it (lots of judgemental ***** in the rooms).. maybe just tell your sponsor, if even that.. its nobody business.. its between you, god, and your doctor..

JJK

i.e., i went through cancer is sobriety.. and was on every pain med imaginable while in the hospital.. i quickly became immune to them all.. i would have never been like, "look, im an alcoholic/addict".. please dont give me anything, just let me suffer, please.."

JJK

you also dont want to be one of those guys who walks into the rooms looking like a zombie, draggin his feet.. its been my experience most people trying to recover want nothing to do with people like that.. unless the recognize that theyre still staying high as **** and are open to the help.. we got one guy here who we call "senetor klonopin"..

im not trying to be judgemental.. im going through the same thing with xannies, which ive been trying to kick/ween off of right now..

cairns87

Hi fenster thats for you to decide on. I have been on anti anxiety medicine for a few months now and have been sober for 9 weeks. Things are going great for me at the moment and I probably wouldnt have been able to function as I have without them. I do worry about being on a medicine for my anxiety and the effects it has with my brain but its easier when you realise you are sick and need help. I am also hoping that my anxieties are as a result of drinking so am hoping to be able to wheen myself off them once I am more settled.

Take care
Cairns

UTGrad

Been sober for 2 years and work the 12 Steps and Traditions. I have severe anxiety attacks that land me in the hospital. I have a physician that understands I'm in recovery and has prescribed me .5 mg Klonopin as needed during an anxiety attack. I don't take it to get a "buzz", I take it to keep me from winding up in the ER with a $2000 medical bill. I rarely take the medicine but sometimes I have to take a dose when my body is giving me heart attack symptoms and I can't breathe.

Our 10th Tradition states "Alcoholics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues, hence the AA name ought never be drawn into public controversy".

Mental illness and the treatment of mental illness by a medical professional is an outside issue from AA IMO.

I've worked the Steps and works 10,11,12 every day but when I'm literally dying from a massive panic attack I'm not really able to help another alcoholic. Just saying.

Soberwolf

This

Gottalife

It's bit scary that this is an old post and there have been no further posts from Fenster since running into trouble with benzos. I have recently worked with an alcoholic struggling with benzos. It's an awful situtuation and I doubt she will survive much longer. So much more difficult than plain old alcoholism. Another good reason to think long and hard before adding dangerous medication to the mix.

hopepraylove

Is there a way to bring this thread back? I'm curious to hear more answers.