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I have Nocturnal Seizures and was seizure free 7 years. A month ago I had my first day time seizure. With all the anxiety and lack of sleep I was to the point I was having anxiety attacks that felt almost like a seizure. My Doctor increased my Lamital from 300 to 600 Mg and put me on .5 mil of Clonazepam. I sleep great and felt great for 3 days. We started to reduce the dose and I didnt sleep for 3 days. He increased it to 1.0 mil and I slept like a baby for the last 3 nights with no seizures. Its been almost a month and we are going to start to reduce the dose again. Everything I read about Clonazepam says I will have horrible withdrawals and an increase in very severe seizures for quite sometime. Has anyone gone through something like this and did you experience increased seizures that were more severe. My anxiety is returning thinking about the unknowns of this. If I could have some feedback it would be more than helpful!

Comments

I've taken clonazepam for

Submitted by birdman on Fri, 2020-03-13 - 20:15

I've taken clonazepam for many years and I have seizures which are not perfectly controlled. A few years ago a doctor suggested I get off of the clonazepam because she said, "you are dependent." I was off for several weeks and did not notice any increase in the number of seizures I had. I did not sleep as well. Mild daytime anxiety and irritability are the reasons I am back on clonazepam. I found it does help me sleep better, reduces my tinnitus (ringing in the ears), and it seems to improve my mood a little.Mike

I used to take Clonazepam for

Submitted by Patriotrehab on Sat, 2020-03-14 - 00:21

I used to take Clonazepam for .5 mg twice daily for several years for anxiety and I went off of it completely on my own (without reducing the dosage) never knowing that it could also help my seizures. I never experienced withdrawal symptoms or had an increase in my seizures. My epilepsy specialist wants to put me on Clonazepam now (not sure what dosage), but he said that it’s completely safe and effective for long term use for the treatment of epilepsy. I was afraid to do it at first because he said it was in the class of benzodiazepines and those have a bad reputation for creating building up tolerance and requiring more so many people have problems with “dependency” or “addiction”. But, after I got home, I looked back at my personal journal where I keep track of my medical history and realized that I used to take a low dose of it and I never abused it so over a period of a couple of years and so I now feel comfortable following his recommendation. Therefore, my advice to you is to talk with your doctor about how the medication is helping you and if they believe that it can be part of your treatment plan as a low dose for anxiety or should it be part of your treatment to control seizures. If not, then discuss your concerns about going off the medication so that they can titrate the dosage slowly to minimize the risk of seizures and withdrawal symptoms.

Hi, Thank you for posting, it

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2020-03-16 - 09:20

Hi, Thank you for posting, it sounds like you've been through a lot. It’s important to remember that you're not alone, and we are here to help support you.We know that living with epilepsy is more than seizures, it also means learning how to handle the way epilepsy affects your life including your physical well-being, social and emotional health. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/healthy-living/emotional-health . One of the most important things to help you live with epilepsy is to find a support network. The Epilepsy Foundation has many resources available that can help you find your support network. Contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance, and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, or contactus@efa.org. Or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates , to find support groups, events and programs in your community. You may want to consider participating in treatment, seizure and lifestyle management programs, that can help people with epilepsy learn skills to better manage their epilepsy and its effects on daily life: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/managing-your-epilepsy/what-managing-epilepsy-well-network . Treatment and how the body may react to certain medications varies for each individual. To learn more the medications you’re taking and things to look for, visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effects . Practicing good sleeping habits is important for both physical and mental health. Not enough, or poor quality of sleep is a common trigger for some individuals living with epilepsy Watch our new video on “Sleep and Epilepsy” , for tips on setting a healthy bedtime routine, sleeping better and more, here:.https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2020/3/wellness-institute-whiteboard-video-sleep-and-epilepsy . If you continue to have issues falling or staying asleep, or your anxiety is preventing you from getting good quality sleep, it’s important that you address these challenges with your healthcare team https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/Sleep%20factsheet.pdfBe open and honest about how you’re feeling, and how this is affecting your health and daily life. Your healthcare team can work with you to determine what individual treatment plan is best for you. You can learn more about seizure safety while sleeping, here: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/staying-safe/safety-while-sleepingTracking seizures, moods, and behaviors overtime may help you & your doctors to recognize patterns, allowing you to modify behaviors or lifestyles appropriately. My Seizure Diary can be used to organize your health issues, manage medications, record side effects, develop seizure response plans, and more which can be shared with members of your healthcare team. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary .

Hi, Thank you for posting, it sounds like you've been through a lot. It’s important to remember that you're not alone, and we are here to help support you.We know that living with epilepsy is more than seizures, it also means learning how to handle the way epilepsy affects your life including your physical well-being, social and emotional health. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/healthy-living/emotional-health . One of the most important things to help you live with epilepsy is to find a support network. The Epilepsy Foundation has many resources available that can help you find your support network. Contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance, and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, or contactus@efa.org. Or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates , to find support groups, events and programs in your community. You may want to consider participating in treatment, seizure and lifestyle management programs, that can help people with epilepsy learn skills to better manage their epilepsy and its effects on daily life: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/managing-your-epilepsy/what-managing-epilepsy-well-network . Treatment and how the body may react to certain medications varies for each individual. To learn more the medications you’re taking and things to look for, visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effects . Practicing good sleeping habits is important for both physical and mental health. Not enough, or poor quality of sleep is a common trigger for some individuals living with epilepsy Watch our new video on “Sleep and Epilepsy” , for tips on setting a healthy bedtime routine,  sleeping better and more, here:.https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2020/3/wellness-institute-whiteboard-video-sleep-and-epilepsy . If you continue to have issues falling or staying asleep, or your anxiety is preventing you from getting good quality sleep, it’s important that you address these challenges with your healthcare team   https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/Sleep%20factsheet.pdfBe open and honest about how you’re feeling, and how this is affecting your health and daily life. Your healthcare team can work with you to determine what individual treatment plan is best for you. You can learn more about seizure safety while sleeping, here: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/staying-safe/safety-while-sleepingTracking seizures, moods, and behaviors overtime may help you & your doctors to recognize patterns, allowing you to modify behaviors or lifestyles appropriately. My Seizure Diary can be used to organize your health issues, manage medications, record side effects, develop seizure response plans, and more which can be shared with members of your healthcare team. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary . 

Hi, Thank you for posting, it sounds like you've been through a lot. It’s important to remember that you're not alone, and we are here to help support you.We know that living with epilepsy is more than seizures, it also means learning how to handle the way epilepsy affects your life including your physical well-being, social and emotional health. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/healthy-living/emotional-health . One of the most important things to help you live with epilepsy is to find a support network. The Epilepsy Foundation has many resources available that can help you find your support network. Contact our 24/7 Helpline, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance, and access to national and local resources. 1-800-332-1000, or contactus@efa.org. Or contact your local Epilepsy Foundation: https://www.epilepsy.com/affiliates , to find support groups, events and programs in your community. You may want to consider participating in treatment, seizure and lifestyle management programs, that can help people with epilepsy learn skills to better manage their epilepsy and its effects on daily life: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/managing-your-epilepsy/what-managing-epilepsy-well-network . Treatment and how the body may react to certain medications varies for each individual. To learn more the medications you’re taking and things to look for, visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/seizure-and-epilepsy-medicines/side-effects . Practicing good sleeping habits is important for both physical and mental health. Not enough, or poor quality of sleep is a common trigger for some individuals living with epilepsy Watch our new video on “Sleep and Epilepsy” , for tips on setting a healthy bedtime routine, sleeping better and more, here:.https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2020/3/wellness-institute-whiteboard-video-sleep-and-epilepsy . If you continue to have issues falling or staying asleep, or your anxiety is preventing you from getting good quality sleep, it’s important that you address these challenges with your healthcare team https://www.epilepsy.com/sites/core/files/atoms/files/Sleep%20factsheet.pdfBe open and honest about how you’re feeling, and how this is affecting your health and daily life. Your healthcare team can work with you to determine what individual treatment plan is best for you. You can learn more about seizure safety while sleeping, here: https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/seizure-first-aid-and-safety/staying-safe/safety-while-sleepingTracking seizures, moods, and behaviors overtime may help you & your doctors to recognize patterns, allowing you to modify behaviors or lifestyles appropriately. My Seizure Diary can be used to organize your health issues, manage medications, record side effects, develop seizure response plans, and more which can be shared with members of your healthcare team. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/epilepsy-foundation-my-seizure-diary .