Clonazepam

[jaykay]

Hi everyone, I have been on Clonazepam 1mg and Fluoxetine 10mg daily for about a week now. I have never sounded more fluent. I would classify myself previously as severe blocker, but now I am 80% more fluent and when a mild block hits, i seem to be able to get out of it in a second or so without anyone noticing or my forcing or grimacing.

Just a thought for any people that have tried everything to control their blocking, this has worked better for me than countless speach therapy sessions.

(Btw. the Fluoxetine is useless by itself and doesn't improve speech at all)

[ricardo]

Thanks for the info, so if fluoxetine is useless by itself why are you taking it? Shouldn't Clonazepam do the trick?

[Miklo]

How do you go about getting prescribed for these medications. When I have gone to doctors, the always want to send me to speech therapists.

[Stevelaz]

Jaykay,

Who suggested this drug to you?....it seems to make sense as it works on GABA as does pagoclone....

Why do you need the other drug (prozac) if it does not affect the speech?

Have you noted any side effects, i.e. tiredness, fatigue etc and do you know if you will tolerate the drug and you will need to increase the dosage over time?

Most "good" doctors will prescribe drugs "off label" as long as you know and understand the risks and side effects.

Good luck as I am a blocker too and keep us up to date with your progress.

[jaykay]

Thanks for the info, so if fluoxetine is useless by itself why are you taking it? Shouldn't Clonazepam do the trick?

Fluoxetine is an antidepressant and helps with my depression / anxiety. I take that for the depression that accompanies my stutter, it also seems to complement the effects of the Clonazepam.

[jaykay]

How do you go about getting prescribed for these medications. When I have gone to doctors, the always want to send me to speech therapists.

Your best bet would be to go to an understanding Psychiatrist. My psych understands that my stutter brings on depression, social anxiety, isolation etc... so he will give me a prescription for any meds that might help me with my fluency.

[jaykay]

Jaykay,

Who suggested this drug to you?....it seems to make sense as it works on GABA as does pagoclone....

Why do you need the other drug (prozac) if it does not affect the speech?

Have you noted any side effects, i.e. tiredness, fatigue etc and do you know if you will tolerate the drug and you will need to increase the dosage over time?

Most "good" doctors will prescribe drugs "off label" as long as you know and understand the risks and side effects.

Good luck as I am a blocker too and keep us up to date with your progress.

Hi steve. From countless hours of research I found out that some stutterers are helped by a combination of Xanax (alprolazam) and Celexa (Citalopram)...here is the link...http://www.stutteringhelp.org/Default.aspx?tabid=170

I have been taking Prozac (fluoxetine) for a few months for depression so my psychiatrist didn't see the point in changing me to Celexa, as they are quite similar drugs and I have been tolerating prozac very well.

He recommeneded Rivotril (clonazepam) instead of Xanax because clonazepam also relaxes the muscles in the body...including the vocal chords which I think is what makes it so much easier to get out of blocks.

I have been on it for about a week now...I find 0.5 mg works best and will increase my fluency by about 60% + whilst 0.25 mg will only have a very slight improvement in fluency. Effects seem to last for about 4 hours.

Tolerance will start to develop after a few months but I will take my chances...this increased fluency has been a blessing.

Side effects: more tired than usual, otherwise nothing! works great for anxiety.

If it becomes a problem at some point my doc recommends I try the "safer" dopamine agonists, such as Abilify or Geodon.

[henricus]

i had opened a thread about the xanax celexa combination few weeks ago

http://www.stutteringforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=36760

do you think xanax or rivotril alone can make my speech a 30\40 per cent more fluent?
i'm having an oral exam in a few days and planning to use xanax 1 mg

[Stevelaz]

JayKay,

Thanks for the reply.

On the basis that I dont have anxiety/depression etc...I assume that I would not need the prozac and just the Clonazepam would sort out the blocks?

I tried zyprexa a while back and that stopped the blocks, however the side effects were not worth it (weight gain, lethargy, feeling weak etc)....are there no such side effects with the Clonazepam?......

Keep us up to date with your progress

[jaykay]

i had opened a thread about the xanax celexa combination few weeks ago

http://www.stutteringforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=36760

do you think xanax or rivotril alone can make my speech a 30\40 per cent more fluent?
i'm having an oral exam in a few days and planning to use xanax 1 mg

Hi henricus

I definitely think you will have an improvement, it varies from person to person but you can expect a 35-70% increase. I've never tried Xanax before but have heard it is a bit "harder" than Clonazepam and will make you more sleepy. I recommend 0.5 mg of Clonazepam.

[jaykay]

JayKay,

Thanks for the reply.

On the basis that I dont have anxiety/depression etc...I assume that I would not need the prozac and just the Clonazepam would sort out the blocks?

I tried zyprexa a while back and that stopped the blocks, however the side effects were not worth it (weight gain, lethargy, feeling weak etc)....are there no such side effects with the Clonazepam?......

Keep us up to date with your progress

Hi Steve

You probably wouldn't need an SSRI (Prozac, Celexa), as that helps more with the "social anxiety" that I suffer from because of the stuttering. I'm sure the Clonazepam will help you just the same taken by itself.

As far as my experiment has gone so far I am a little disappointed by relieved to have found an "aid" of some sort in the process. Clonazepam 0.5 mg worked wonders for me from the first time I took it, that evening I was almost 100% fluent and it felt like my stutter has been completely eliminated.

I continued taking a total of 1mg a day and have been benefiting from it, but it does not seem like the type of drug that can be used consistently.

I feel like it is losing effect each time I take it, it is still an improvement compared to how I normally speak though, blocks are fewer and easier to get out of.

My verdict: Clonazepam is great for planned social occasions (dinner party, night out with friends etc...) but it not a CURE for stuttering in the sense that you can't take it all day long and expect it to have the same effect and be perfectly fluent.

Sorry for the long post but I have some questions I would like to ask you regarding Dopamine Agonists.

Please tell me the dose of Zyprexa you took in mg and how much improvement you think it gave you, also, did you build up a tolerance towards it.

I am quite keen to try one of the newer Antipsychotics (Abilify, Geodon, or Zyprexa) as I have heard that the side effects aren't to bad and some people can tolerate them fine.

[Stevelaz]

JayKay,

I did the Zyprexa (Olanzapine) treatment for about 8 months - From day 1, noticed improvements, no facial ticks, reduced tension, blocking all but went within a week and it was great.....dose was 2.5mg (I think) of the zyprexa zydis (melt on the tongue tablets)....speech was great, wore off a little after a month or two, upped the dose to 5mg when I needed it, but mainly stayed at 2.5mg.

Affects on speech was great, side effects not so great...weight gain, tired, fatigued, no energy...I was lucky with the weight gain, put on 20lbs...some people (on higher doses) have put on 100+ lbs. some now are diabetic, others worse....see the various zyprexa forums and the law suit againts Eli Lilly.

I am hopeful for pagoclone, but will watch the results when they come out and see how it is tolerated, looks like little/no side effects to date and people have been on the drug for 3 yrs.

Let us know how you progress

[kobe4three]

Hi Steve

You probably wouldn't need an SSRI (Prozac, Celexa), as that helps more with the "social anxiety" that I suffer from because of the stuttering. I'm sure the Clonazepam will help you just the same taken by itself.

As far as my experiment has gone so far I am a little disappointed by relieved to have found an "aid" of some sort in the process. Clonazepam 0.5 mg worked wonders for me from the first time I took it, that evening I was almost 100% fluent and it felt like my stutter has been completely eliminated.

I continued taking a total of 1mg a day and have been benefiting from it, but it does not seem like the type of drug that can be used consistently.

I feel like it is losing effect each time I take it, it is still an improvement compared to how I normally speak though, blocks are fewer and easier to get out of.

My verdict: Clonazepam is great for planned social occasions (dinner party, night out with friends etc...) but it not a CURE for stuttering in the sense that you can't take it all day long and expect it to have the same effect and be perfectly fluent.

Sorry for the long post but I have some questions I would like to ask you regarding Dopamine Agonists.

Please tell me the dose of Zyprexa you took in mg and how much improvement you think it gave you, also, did you build up a tolerance towards it.

I am quite keen to try one of the newer Antipsychotics (Abilify, Geodon, or Zyprexa) as I have heard that the side effects aren't to bad and some people can tolerate them fine.at what point did clonazepam start to lose its effectiveness?..was is a few hours?...i heard someone on here who has been using xanax for 5 days straight and then takes two days off ... and by using that method.. xanax is still currently working for him..and hes been on it for 3 years...the same should apply for Clonazepam

[jaykay]

JayKay,

I did the Zyprexa (Olanzapine) treatment for about 8 months - From day 1, noticed improvements, no facial ticks, reduced tension, blocking all but went within a week and it was great.....dose was 2.5mg (I think) of the zyprexa zydis (melt on the tongue tablets)....speech was great, wore off a little after a month or two, upped the dose to 5mg when I needed it, but mainly stayed at 2.5mg.

Affects on speech was great, side effects not so great...weight gain, tired, fatigued, no energy...I was lucky with the weight gain, put on 20lbs...some people (on higher doses) have put on 100+ lbs. some now are diabetic, others worse....see the various zyprexa forums and the law suit againts Eli Lilly.

I am hopeful for pagoclone, but will watch the results when they come out and see how it is tolerated, looks like little/no side effects to date and people have been on the drug for 3 yrs.

Let us know how you progress

Hi Steve

Thanks for that info.

As someone who has tried the anti-psychotic route...do you recommend I give it a shot? or just write it off completely due to the side effects?

[jaykay]

at what point did clonazepam start to lose its effectiveness?..was is a few hours?...i heard someone on here who has been using xanax for 5 days straight and then takes two days off ... and by using that method.. xanax is still currently working for him..and hes been on it for 3 years...the same should apply for Clonazepam

The Clonazepam is still working. I just can't use it all the time , or it seems to lose effectiveness. I am trying the 5 days on - 2 days off approach now. Only bad side is on the days off the stutter sure comes back with a vengence.

Overall, I think it worked the best the first time I used it, afterwards it led to improvements but not that close to 100% fluency of the first time.

[kobe4three]

The Clonazepam is still working. I just can't use it all the time , or it seems to lose effectiveness. I am trying the 5 days on - 2 days off approach now. Only bad side is on the days off the stutter sure comes back with a vengence.

Overall, I think it worked the best the first time I used it, afterwards it led to improvements but not that close to 100% fluency of the first time.i meant how long does the pill last in a day..how many hours of fluency before it wears off????..i just hope pagoclone doesnt have addictive risk

[henricus]

Hi henricus

I definitely think you will have an improvement, it varies from person to person but you can expect a 35-70% increase. I've never tried Xanax before but have heard it is a bit "harder" than Clonazepam and will make you more sleepy. I recommend 0.5 mg of Clonazepam.

The oral exam went pretty good, my speech was impoved by 70/80 per cent and i only had few mild blocks i soon overcome, i don't know whether i have to thank xanax or something else
i'm looking forward to try new "therapies" for example the alprazolam citaprolam combo
i will let you know

[Stevelaz]

Hi Steve

Thanks for that info.

As someone who has tried the anti-psychotic route...do you recommend I give it a shot? or just write it off completely due to the side effects?


Hi Jaykay,

Being a non doctor I wouldn't 'recommend' anything as such, but from my own personal experience, the side effects were too much to handle. I know that Dr Maguire did the zyprexa treatment for many years and it worked great for him, so each person reacts differently I suppose.

At the end of the day, if the benefits of the reduced stutter outweigh the side effects, go for it. But it sounds like your existing treatment sounds good and pagoclone is around the corner (hopefully).

How is the treatment going?.....what dosage are you on now and are there any side effects?

[jaykay]

Hi Jaykay,

Being a non doctor I wouldn't 'recommend' anything as such, but from my own personal experience, the side effects were too much to handle. I know that Dr Maguire did the zyprexa treatment for many years and it worked great for him, so each person reacts differently I suppose.

At the end of the day, if the benefits of the reduced stutter outweigh the side effects, go for it. But it sounds like your existing treatment sounds good and pagoclone is around the corner (hopefully).

How is the treatment going?.....what dosage are you on now and are there any side effects?

Hi steve

Currently on 1mg Clonazepam a day (split into 2 0.5mg doses) as well as 10mg Fluoxetine. Whilst on the Clonazepam there is a definite improvement, usually only block on the first word of a sentence and then the rest is completely fluent. Overall about a 30-50% improvement. I am seeing my Psych on the 17th of this month and am going to try swop over to the combination of Anafranil and Xanax to see if that is more effective.

Current combination (clonazepam,fluoxetine) virtually no side effects. At low doses clonazepam is not addictive (at least for me) I can take it for 5 days and stop for 2 days without noticing and type of withdrawl. The stuttter seems to come back with a vengence without it tho...

My current plan is stick out with an antidepressant / benzodiazepam combination for one more month to see if I can get more positive effects, or otherwise try out a low dose of Abilify or Geodon. Apparently side effects are much less than Zyprexa...have you ever tried those?

[Stevelaz]

Jaykay,

No other meds apart from Zyprexa, I've read that the side effects from abilify are less than with zyprexa, however I've not gone back down the med route yet.

Hows the clonaepam going?.....has the dosage changed?....benefits reduced?....I am keen to explore this option while pagoclone is going through its trials.

Keep us updated.

[wjhuskey0102]

Wow this is so ironic. I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and he put me on Clonaepam and Celexa...sounds like I might start seeing some benefits soon.

[urbanmermaid]

If it becomes a problem at some point my doc recommends I try the "safer" dopamine agonists, such as Abilify or Geodon.

Just out of curiosity, why is Abilify "safer". Safer than what? Rivotril and Xanax?

I asked my neurologist about Abilify and she said its a really really strong drug that here you can get on half price only if you're like, mentally ill lol.

[nowayout]

You guys really think medicines can help reducing stuttering? I guess until they have chemicals which stimulate ur brian there is no possibility tht medicines can help ..

But than one can get high rather than using these medicines .. Both r same .. isn't it?

[eefiasstutter]

Guys,

I have an issue. I have been on Clonazepam for quite a while for social anxiety treatment - for more than a year I believe. I was taking 0.25 mg / day and sometimes 0.5 mg/day. I have never exceeded 0.5 mg / day.

I then abruptly stopped taking them. Its been 6 months now. Yes I am aware of the dangers of stopping abruptly.

Recently, I noticed that I have started blocking (in my speech). Although I was never a fluent speaker, and occasionally I would stammer/block, it has never been this bad. My wife and friends are also surprised by these sudden blocks in my speech. I suspect it has to do with the extended dose of Clonazepam.

Has any one else felt this issue?

[jamesm]

I've posted something similar about xanax. I was taking xanax for quite a while, then I stopped, in general my anxiety and speech was at the worst point ever (at least in my adult life). This was maybe 8 to 9 years ago or so. Today, I'm more fluent than I have ever been in my life, drug free too :)

[Fredrick]

clonazepm is useful, it stop seizures in the brain.

maybe stuttering can be seem as a seizure in the mouth.

we will have to wait until the self assigned neurological experts check in , we all know who they are