Re: Klonopin connection: addiction and withdrawal

[Guest guest]

Hi , I wonder what the mechanism is to get kidney infection when

weaning off klonipin, which is a gaba receptor drug. That is bizarre

and interesting--how would it lead to infection? The only thing I

can think is that the pain came first (nerve pain, from being weaned

off, as all the gaba drugs quiet the nerves) and that led to

inflammation and that signalled some dormant bacteria to start

multiplying.

I use temezapem...which is in the benzo family. About 2 months ago I

got a really bad case of cystitis for the first time in my life...was

horrible, came on suddenly, I went to the ER etc. and was put on

cipro, which I took for 5 days. But during that time, I just used the

temezapem to fall asleep (usually I only take it to fall back asleep

int he early hours of the morning--and have been doing so for a

couple of years) so I would have no stress at all...so I ended up

increasing my dosage etc...and had to wean back to my former dosage

once I'd recovered. It wasn't all that hard though...I've been using

melatonin etc...I'd say for a few weeks I slept more poorly, but I

seem to be back on track now.

But I don't know, I've heard klonipin is stronger.

I don't see the point, if her body has become addicted to it, of

weaning off it and suffering that much unless she is having bad side

effects from it? Kidney infections don't sound worth it.

One thought is to substitute a different benzo that is less powerful?

Maybe go down to half a milligram of klonipin and add in something

else, and then slowly wean off that one?

[Guest guest]

I couldn't tell you an answer to either one of your questions. She would go

to hospital or doc with kidney problems and they'd give her abx, including

Cipro, and she'd improve but then go right back after getting off abx. Your

inflammation theory sounds plausible but where the connection b/t kidney and

withdrawal, beats me. I asked a non-CFS friend of mine about his usage of

lorazepam/Ativan and he said he took it regularly for 2 years and had no

problems coming off it. Just like with anything else, probably only a small

minority of folks have this problem, just like tendon rupture with quinolones,

but

once it happens to that person, they will have quite a sermon to preach about

the evil of it! I try to avoid any problems down the line by limiting how

long I am on any drug as you never know when the next Vioxx or Phen Fen or

Bakal (sp on those last two) will hit. As for your plan to lower, I hope she

gets proper help in getting off it. It is said to take 6-12 months.

In a message dated 10/7/2004 7:53:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

writes:

Hi , I wonder what the mechanism is to get kidney infection when

weaning off klonipin, which is a gaba receptor drug. That is bizarre

and interesting--how would it lead to infection? The only thing I

can think is that the pain came first (nerve pain, from being weaned

off, as all the gaba drugs quiet the nerves) and that led to

inflammation and that signalled some dormant bacteria to start

multiplying.

I use temezapem...which is in the benzo family. About 2 months ago I

got a really bad case of cystitis for the first time in my life...was

horrible, came on suddenly, I went to the ER etc. and was put on

cipro, which I took for 5 days. But during that time, I just used the

temezapem to fall asleep (usually I only take it to fall back asleep

int he early hours of the morning--and have been doing so for a

couple of years) so I would have no stress at all...so I ended up

increasing my dosage etc...and had to wean back to my former dosage

once I'd recovered. It wasn't all that hard though...I've been using

melatonin etc...I'd say for a few weeks I slept more poorly, but I

seem to be back on track now.

But I don't know, I've heard klonipin is stronger.

I don't see the point, if her body has become addicted to it, of

weaning off it and suffering that much unless she is having bad side

effects from it? Kidney infections don't sound worth it.

One thought is to substitute a different benzo that is less powerful?

Maybe go down to half a milligram of klonipin and add in something

else, and then slowly wean off that one?

[Guest guest]

Hi -

I have to agree w/ Jill on this one. K is addictive, but kidney

pain is a new one to me. I think *in this particular case* we are

dealing w/ some psychosomatic issues. As a long time K user, I can

tell you that even though it is in the benzo class, it is much

different than valium. It lasts much longer, but as I discovered

over a few months, I have to take it at least an hour before I

want to go to sleep. If your friend got relief in 10 minutes after

taking .5 mg., she has issues other than K addiction IMO, although

if she has taken .5 mg or more every day she simply needs to see

a good neurologist to help ween her off of it. I differ w/ Cheney

re K, I think it needs to be used 3-4 times per week in low dosage.

Mike C.

In , jseaton357@a... wrote:

> I mentioned this a few weeks ago but was sorry I had no website to

give. I

> talked to my local CFS friend who will have to undergo treatment

soon to try

> to get off of what she considers a drug from hell that at one time

was

> presented to her as a safe med with no dangers at a small .5mg

dose. She told me

> the UK does not recommend using it longer than 4 weeks now. I

have not

> perused through this site but now you can do it yourself:

_http://benzo.org.uk/_

> (http://benzo.org.uk/)

> Bottom line with her is she has horrific kidney pain (which has led

to

> infection) as her body thinks that .5mg is 0 and requires her to go

up in dosage

> in order for her not to go into withdrawal. So there is no such

thing as

> weening off of it for her as her body requires her to actually

increase the dose

> or blackmails her with sever kidney trouble. Even Shoemaker did

not know

> what to think of her problem and it was not until her kids found

out about the

> Klonopin connection that she saw the light. She says that when she

had kidney

> pain and just learned of the Klonopin connection that she took one

Klonopin

> and w/i 10 mins the pain went away and she could then sleep.

>

[Guest guest]

I differ w/ Cheney re K, I think it needs to be used 3-4 times per

week in low dosage.

Hi Mike

That's interesting. Are u able to say how you've come to that

conclusion?

Sal