klonopin question
Question:
My father who is 78 has a sleep disorder ( not apnea) and was put on klonopin. I don’t know the dosage. He has terrible nightmares and acts them out in his sleep. He falls out of bed and fights. Needless to say my mom doesn’t sleep in the same bed with him for fear of being hurt. Is this an addictive drug like Xanax? My sister said no but I have read some of the post here that sounds like it is. His doctors don’t explain things to him very well and if they do he forgets so I wanted to ask the question here. Maybe I can help him if he does have some side effects by telling him some of the experiences from here. I know that this isn’t a question about the disorder we suffer but just wanted some feedback. Thank you Unj
Sounds like he has a problem with benzos as a whole. Usually benzos tend to inhibbit REM sleep but it sounds like its really agravating his. He probably on a small dose so probably he might have one night of being restless. If its a sleep disorder than he should be using an hypnotic such as halcion. YMMV. Tim;) — When you here hoof beats, think of horse’s, not zebra’s
Response:
(Unjasboy) writes: My father who is 78 has a sleep disorder (not apnea) and was put on klonopin. I don’t know the dosage. He has terrible nightmares and acts them out in his sleep. He falls out of bed and fights. Needless to say my mom doesn’t sleep in the same bed with him for fear of being hurt. Is this an addictive drug like Xanax? My sister said no but I have read some of the post here that sounds like it is. His doctors don’t explain things to him very well and if they do he forgets so I wanted to ask the question here. Maybe I can help him if he does have some side effects by telling him some of the experiences from here. I know that this isn’t a question about the disorder we suffer but just wanted some feedback. Thank you Unj
This sounds like REM sleep behaviour disorder; it’s different from sleep walking in that sleep walking doesn’t occur during dreaming, whereas RBD episodes are associated with dream content and occur during the dreaming phase of sleep. Klonopin, taken at bedtime and started at about .5mg each night about 30-60 minutes before bedtime (possibly .25mg because of your father’s age – older people often need to take less of these types of drugs), usually works well. Sometimes REM-suppressing antidepressants (e.g., phenelzine) are used instead if Klonopin doesn’t work. I really hate the word "addictive" – it doesn’t mean much! But in answer to the question: the main risk of Klonopin and Xanax and similar drugs is that you may have to come off them slowly in order to avoid rebound anxiety, insomnia, or parasomnias (of which REM behaviour disorder is an example). This can be prevented or minimized by not stopping the drug suddenly, but tapering off it slowly. Klonopin seems to be less likely to cause withdrawal problems than Xanax. Some side effects Klonopin has for some people: drowsiness (doesn’t matter too much if your dad takes it before sleep); dizziness; loss of coordination. Although Klonopin has a pretty long half-life compared to Xanax (i.e., it stays in your body longer), it generally doesn’t cause side effects in the daytime if you only take it at night. BTW, REM sleep behaviour disorder is anxiety-related for many people; I think it’s relevant here (certainly more "relevant" than some things that come up on this newsgroup! 
. Hope this helps. Best of luck to your father. -elizabeth
Response:
My father who is 78 has a sleep disorder ( not apnea) and was put on klonopin. I don’t know the dosage. He has terrible nightmares and acts them out in his sleep. He falls out of bed and fights. Needless to say my mom doesn’t sleep in the same bed with him for fear of being hurt. Is this an addictive drug like Xanax?
Hi there, Let’s start from the beginning here. Benzodiazapenes (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc.)are not "addictive", any more than blood pressure medication is addictive. As long as a person needs the medication for a disorder and is not abusing the medication, i.e. taking more of it to "get high", or stealling to get a supply, etc. there is no "addiction" Now, these drugs DO cause a physical dependency. Much like blood pressure meds, anti-seizure drugs and insulin. In other words, your body grows accustomed to the med and you will have withdrawal symptoms if you go off of the med too quickly. IME, benzos are quite easy to withdraw from if done correctly over time. My P-doc feels that a year is not an unreasonable amount of time to withdraw from a med if necessary. Most people can do it across a number of weeks though. So, basically I wouldn’t worry about this med unless you see behavior where he keeps increasing his dose without his doctor’s approval. How much Klonopin is he taking? My sister said no but I have read some of the post here that sounds like it is. His doctors don’t explain things to him very well and if they do he forgets so I wanted to ask the question here. Maybe I can help him if he does have some side effects by telling him some of the experiences from here. I know that this isn’t a question about the disorder we suffer but just wanted some feedback. Thank you Unj
He should not have any side effects to speak of after the first 3-4 weeks. During that "break-in" time, he may have some pretty bad grogginess; especially in the morning. It does go away however. Other than that, Klonopin is a pretty easy drug to live with. I have been on it for over a year now. The one thing he probably should have his doctor do is a liver enzyme panel every year. Just to make sure that his liver is toleratingthe meds well. But this is pretty standard when on any long-term medication. Hope that helps, Jen
Response:
My father who is 78 has a sleep disorder ( not apnea) and was put on klonopin. I don’t know the dosage. He has terrible nightmares and acts them out in his sleep. He falls out of bed and fights. Needless to say my mom doesn’t sleep in the same bed with him for fear of being hurt. Is this an addictive drug like Xanax? My sister said no but I have read some of the post here that sounds like it is. His doctors don’t explain things to him very well and if they do he forgets so I wanted to ask the question here. Maybe I can help him if he does have some side effects by telling him some of the experiences from here. I know that this isn’t a question about the disorder we suffer but just wanted some feedback. Thank you Unj
Response:
My father who is 78 has a sleep disorder ( not apnea) and was put on klonopin. I don’t know the dosage. He has terrible nightmares and acts them out in his sleep. He falls out of bed and fights. Needless to say my mom doesn’t sleep in the same bed with him for fear of being hurt. Is this an addictive drug like Xanax? My sister said no but I have read some of the post here that sounds like it is. His doctors don’t explain things to him very well and if they do he forgets so I wanted to ask the question here. Maybe I can help him if he does have some side effects by telling him some of the experiences from here. I know that this isn’t a question about the disorder we suffer but just wanted some feedback. Thank you Unj
Unj, As to whether Klonopin is "addictive" is sort of a vexed question. But, yes, it is habit-forming as is any benzodiazpine (Ativan, Xanax, Valium, etc.). It may be less habit-forming than Xanax and Ativan due to its longer half-life. Is your father on any other meds (like antidepressants)? They can cause some pretty odd dreams, for sure. Good luck Matt
