Klonopin (clonazepam): To Swallow Or Dissolve?

[Pill popper 77]

I will ask my doctor at my next appointment, for sure, but my doctor doesn't take these pills -- few do. I was looking f...

Yeah I've been taking them for years too. If my anxiety is really bad I'll put them under my tounge because it works faster. But I actually find they last longer and actually work better when swallowed.
I think the problem now is my body and brain are actually addicted to them so I gotta pop these things forever.
If doctors were smart they'd prescribe you a gym membership along with your pills.

 

[WhyWhyNot]

I've been taking clonazepam 2x daily for 5 months. I find there to be no difference between holding it under my tongue or swallowing.
Before or after a meal. 20-30 minutes for beginning of effects, levels off around 1 hour after that. After 9 hours it starts to wear off.

 

[lymphomamama]

I've been taking clonazepam 2x daily for 5 months. I find there to be no difference between holding i...

I've been on 1mg 2x and it has lost effectiveness and I have begun taking 3x2 They are my go to for a panic attack but I don't think they are that beneficial any more. I smoke mmj while waiting for them to kick in. In a serious event it's very ineffective

 

[WhyWhyNot]

I've been on 1mg 2x and it has lost effectiveness and I have begun taking 3x2 They are my go to for...

Yes, they lost their effectiveness for sure. About 2 months after I started and I was upped to 7.5 then 1mg twice daily. My Dr. says he has patients on 1mg 2x and those patients have been for years and I shouldn't worry. But I still worry about tolerance having already experienced it. I use cannabis vaporized almost every hour. I feel more relief from it than clonazepam but cannabis still doesn't cure all.
I find eating well and exercising to be just as important. If you think that they aren't helping you, definitely talk to your doctor.

 

[AnxietySufferer12304]

I have been taking 1mg Klonopin 3 times a day for 3 years now. I still have the occasional panic attack in which my doctor has directed me to take an extra one by letting it dissolve under my tongue. He explained that it would kick in faster that way to help with the attack. He was correct. Ive noticed that swallowing a pill takes around 40-45 min to start working on me. Dissolving under my tongue takes effect in 10-15. As far as the length of time it lasts I dont see much of a difference between the two methods.

 

[SC Steph]

Hi. I have tried both sublingual(dissolving) and swallowing, and by dissolving you get more immediate results, say if you are walking into a panicky, anxiety producing situation, but it will not last as long as swallowing.
I do not think food has ever effected me but it would seem that it would enter your system more rapidly if your stomach was empty. I think the directions would say take on an empty stomach if it was not effective with food.
That's my take! Hope it helped!

 

[PTSDella]

I've been taking Klonopin for most of the last 10 years now since I started having Panic Attacks and extreme Anxiety. When I first started taking them I think the Doctor prescribed me 1mg 2x a day, which within the next 2 years worked it's way up to 2mgs 3x a day because they seemed to lose almost all effectiveness (especially compared to the beginning where I would take half of one and practically couldn't get out of my chair) leading me to almost completely give up on them.

I don't know "medically" if once you've gained that much of a tolerance to Klonopin it is still supposed to control your symptoms or not, but for me it doesn't. Klonopin is the longest lasting Benzodiazepine on the market and aside of my tolerance issues with it and the terrible memory problems I get as a side effect- it's a fantastic medication. When it worked, it worked very well... but now it just doesn't.

I've swallowed them whole, broke them in half, chewed them, put them under the tongue, taken them on an empty stomach, taken with food, taken with a glass of taken on an empty stomach and ate a few bites of or drank something hot to 'wake up my stomach'; aside of snorting, shooting, or putting it in my ass (yup- that's a thing!). I've ingested them probably every way possible. For me, I've found chewing it on an empty stomach and washing it down with a hot beverage or under the tongue on an empty stomach and washing it down seemed to be what was working for me best out of all the ways I've tried.

Odd as it may seem, considering I feel as if they don't work, I can tell when it wears off and lately it's been around the 5 hour mark. I get pretty irritable and frustrated and can feel that Anxiety creeping into a Panic Attack. Occasionally, when it gets unbearable, I'll mention to my Doctor that I feel like trying another type of Benzo instead of the Klonopin short term to see if it works better and to simply have a break in hopes the Klonopin will work better when I switch back.

The other Benzo's I've tried include: Xanax (definitely worked the best and kicks in immediately when taken under the tongue, but only lasts around an hour or two), Ativan (comparable to Klonopin in ways, however, shorter acting and doesn't work as well on Anxiety/ Panic) and Valium (don't waste your time).

I know I didn't stay completely on track with the thread subject but added some info in hopes of to seeing if anyone else has any similar opinions, experiences, or advice on Klonopin tolerance and what to do about it. Also, hope I could help. Ten years of taking the same medication is a long time so if anyone has any personal questions for me, please feel free to ask away.

 

[VioletButterfly]

I took Klonopin just to sleep for a few years. Worked better than anything else I'd tried that was on-label for sleeping. I don't remember why I stopped taking it. I took those whole and they kept me down for about 6-7 hrs. Not sure of the dosage, but they were flat and about the size of a dime.

I've been on Xanax PRN for quite a few years now, but have backed my dose way down to usually 1 mg. at bedtime unless I'm having a humdinger of a day. I swallow them whole, although have noticed if I chew on a half of one during the day, it kicks in faster. I'd like to get off this stuff as well. Way too long.

 

[Klonopin for Life]

Wow. Can't believe there's more responses than this. I've been taking clonazepam since I was fifteen years old, for anxiety and panic attacks from my PTSD. It's been a lifesaver. Tried all kinds of other things until one day, my doctor prescribed this, and thirty minutes after oral ingestion, I was able to see the sun come out, so to speak. Best thing that ever happened to my anxiety. I noticed early on, that klonopin had a somewhat chalky, sweet taste to it. Not at all bitter. Perfect for under the tongue when you feel a panic attack coming on. I wouldn't waste it taking it orally due to its better sublingual absorption rate. It's got a huge half life, so for me, it's always melted sublingual and provides long lasting relief this way. Kudos!

 

[DmcG]

My pharmacological knowledge of this drug is reasonably extensive, tell me precisely what it is you would like to know and I will do my best to help you.

As a side note Benzodiazepines have been around forever (in modern medicine) and are extremely well understood, researched, and tested. They have also managed to gather a level of stigmatization that in most countries ends up with their classification right next to heroin and cocaine. At first glance this may seem odd, however, when you think about how the system is set up and controlled by the corporate interests... well draw your own conclusions:

Well known to the point of being rarely mentioned in modern medical journals, extremely safe, extremely cheap (*read no profits*), and extremely effective at controlling:
panic attacks, anxiety attacks, uncontrollable seizure events, treatment of overdoses on CNS stimulants, OCD, restless leg syndrome, insomnia, GAD... and those are simply the ones I can list off the top of my head without much thought.

And in case I wasn't clear, the drug companies hate this class of drugs because there simply is no money to be made. Their modern solutions of interfering with levels of serotonin, epinephrine, and even dopamine have brought so much disaster; spend 5 minutes on the history of Abilify, and the lives destroyed... I am sorry but I have serious doubts as to modern commercial pharmaceuticals being any sorts of panacea vs a profit mechanism where the ethical responsibilities are in fact fiduciary responsibilities.

 

[DmcG]

While I've been taking klonopin (clonazepam) for many years, I'm still undecided as to the best method of ingestion for p...

As to this original question it can be answered relatively simply. Without getting into 'the weeds' to far, there are several ways in which drugs, once taken, go about achieving their desired function. In this case, we are talking about a simple drug that does not need to be processed by the liver or react with another enzyme to produce the 'pro-drug'. In other words, the faster you get this into your bloodstream the faster it will work (binding to the appropriate receptors) and producing noticeable effects. Dissolving the pill sublingual (under the tongue) will probably give you the fastest route to increased concentrations in your blood -> faster onset. Taking orally will effectively dilute the concentration of the drug (assuming your stomach is larger than below your tongue) and thus the absorption by the lining of the stomach will occur at a more gradual pace, leading to a slower onset and longer duration.

I hope that answers the question.

 

[Ems17]

For me, it kicks in faster under tongue. Also best way to do it if you need immediate effect but have just eaten, I was told. However, I'm not sure about length, but I think yes it may last less long this way. I have also noticed it makes me sleepier under the tongue. I don't know why!