Marz
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3446
posted
This is off-topic from the thread that's going on about getting off of klonopin/clonazapam, but it reminded me to ask why it works this way:
When I mentioned to my PCP (who didn't prescribe it) that it helped my headache pain, he said it must be a tension headache then.
(If that's true, then I have tension headaches when I'm relaxed and nothing is going on in my life to cause tension.)
But I didn't think to tell him that it also makes my knee and lower back stop aching too or at least lessens the pain.
I've always thought these were lyme symptoms so why would clonazapan help?
I only take it as needed for anxiety and it really helps. Not sure if anyone will do a refill and I only have 2 left.
Does it work like this for anyone else and why would it work if the pain is caused by lyme since it's not a pain med?
Posts: 1302 | From USA | Registered: Dec 2002
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feelfit
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 12770
posted
Hi Marz,
Don't know why it works that way, but I have had the same experience with it. It helps w/ my headache, neck pain.
I have not had any problem getting refills and use them only as needed so I have a stockpile going.
Feelfit
Posts: 3975 | From usa | Registered: Aug 2007
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lymeHerx001
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 6215
posted
helps my pain a little, sleep very much!
Posts: 2905 | From New England | Registered: Sep 2004
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Cass A
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 11134
posted
Please look carefully into the adverse effects from these drugs.
Best,
Cass A
Posts: 1245 | From Thousand Oaks, CA | Registered: Feb 2007
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klutzo
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5701
posted
Hi Marz, I may be wrong, but I can make an educated guess as to why you are getting pain relief from Klonopin.
Was your original diagnosis fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome?
Dr. Paul Cheney (CFS expert) explains that those of us with either of those two diagnoses live in a constant semi-seizure state. You can Goggle him to get a much better explanation than I can give.
He says to imagine a ruler. At zero you would be in a coma, at 12 inches you'd have a grand mal seizure, and at 6 inches you are normal. FMS/CFS patients are always between 7 and 9 inches.
This causes the central nervous system to be in a hyper-aroused state and that causes a 3-10 times greater sensitivity to pain, due to an increase in the neurotransmitter for pain signaling, substance P.
Just because you now know you have Lyme does not mean you do not still have FMS/CFS. It can be secondary to Lyme, as in my own case.
I ran an FMS support group for ten yrs. and by far the favorite drug among members was Klonopin.
Not only did it ease pain and help sleep, but the thing members liked best about it is that it helps with the overstimulation problem we have when in noisy, crowded or busy places, and helps prevent the brain freeze and/or panic attack that sometimes results.
Those allergic to quinine should be cautioned that it is a close relative and can cross-react. I found this out the hard way, and I can't take it as a result, so I take Xanax instead.
Another important thing to know is that except for Klonopin and Xanax, all other benzodiazepiene drugs interfere with stage IV delta deep sleep, which is absolutely needed for tissue repair, so they should be avoided.
Yes, Cass is correct that this class of drugs is very addictive. However, I have noticed over the years that a significant minority of people have no trouble going off of them, however, so I had a talk with my pharmacist about this.
She says the tendency to drug dependency is strongly genetic. She told me if any of your first degree relatives have any kind of addiction, you are much more likely to be easily hooked.
I could not even walk before I was put on Xanax, and had to have someone on each side of me holding me up to keep me from falling over.
The pain of these muscle spasms made me scream and cry. For me it was either an addictive drug or suicide. I became dependent very quickly, and I hate it, but I consider it the lesser of two evils in my case. I have not raised my dosage in 24 years of taking Xanax.
I think everyone should try natural substances first, and if they are not strong enough, then look at the risks of using the benzo class of drugs and make a decision based on their own unique individual health status.
klutzo
Posts: 1269 | From Clearwater, Florida, USA | Registered: May 2004
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posted
I have always wondered this as well. It will help me with so many different kinds of pain. It helps sooooo much with my burning pain, headaches (NOT tension, just out of the blue headaches), and the weird things are is that it helps me with my lower back pain and my ovarian pain.
It works better than any other medicine there is for me. The reply above mine about the ruler is one I have read in the past. It makes perfect sense. I have always felt that I respond to pain intensely and the Klonopin, Xanax, Ativan type drugs make my brain "soften" the signals of pain.
But doctors are jerks, then they say things like "Well all of that pain must be in your head"....it's NOT though.
Klonopin has been a life saver but the problem is the only dx it up to 2mg 3x daily, and sometimes that isn't enough. The other drugs for pain sometimes go up to 160mg, but this only goes to 2mg. I know that it's chemically made different, but still. Tolerance is tolerance, they should up the dose when needed and not put you in hell the rest of the month. But they hand out Oxycontin like crazy. It's dumb.
Posts: 63 | From Hell - Or at least it feels like it, Oh, I mean Tampa, FL. OOOps! :D | Registered: May 2009
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