Klonopin (clonazepam): To Swallow Or Dissolve?

[TCL]

I've had the same experience as you regarding benzos taken sublingually having a shorter but more intense...

I also agree with this post. I sometimes do the same. But mostly I chew it up a bit before swallowing. Seems to work better.

 

[Changing4Best]

I've tucked it under my tongue for a half minute or so, then swallowed the remains, thus getting both benefits: Instant and long term too. I usually just take it at bedtime, and when I do that, I just take it with a cup (8 oz.) of buttermilk and a half a banana. That last is for potassium and magnesium, and I soak it in boiled water for 5 mins first, with the peal ON, then drink the water and eat the banana after I have pealed it. This was recommended by my Dr. as a method of increasing tenfold the amount of minerals I would get from the banana. You cut the end off of it, or the tip, if you are using the top half of it. This may be an old timey remedy, but it does seem to help me sleep!

 

[Mic]

There's two completely different subjects being discussed here: taking it sublingually vs. swallowing, and dissolving it in a glass of warm water (then swallowing) vs. swallowing it whole.

Sublingually, it will kick in the fastest, reach higher concentrations and wear off fastest. Not only should you feel the effects more quickly, but stronger as well. But if you are taking it regularly, rather than as-needed, this is not a good method because it will exacerbate the peaks/lows in your cycle instead of maintaining a more constant dosage.

Swallowing it whole by contrast will cause it to absorb more slowly (about 40 minutes before you feel anything, 2 hours to peak) and the effects will be somewhat less strong but of longer duration. If you break your dose into three doses daily every 8 hours, and swallow it whole, you will basically be at relatively high concentrations constantly, but not superhigh - a good steady dose.

When it hits your stomach, it will quickly dissolve in any event, so the main difference is that pre-dissolving it will cause some of it to be absorbed by your tongue/mouth and throat before most of it hits your stomach and is absorbed as per #2 above. This in my experience gives an effect sort of like a combination of Option 1 and Option 2 - a quicker onset but no massive peak, and still a long duration.

 

[eric r]

I find what works for me , but I have very extreme PTSD... I chew one, I swallow one, and I let one dissolve... (The 1mg blues) So yes, that's 3mg... But it def. works for me. I wouldn't suggest taking that much unless you have a tolerance though.

Sometimes I take 4 if my anxiety is real bad (Like days like today and my PTSD is so bad I don't want to leave the house.) .. But in those cases I just swallow 2, chew one and let one dissolve...... I'm sure I'll get a lot of flak back from ppl saying that I'm taking too much, and I'm an "Addict" or whatever. But try living in my shoes... I have chronic PTSD, I was molested as a child, lost 3/4 of my family in one summer, then shortly after my fiancé had a miscarriage and that ended our relationship. I get night trauma and sometimes I don't even wanna leave the house.

 

[EveHarrington]

I find what works for me , but I have very extreme PTSD... I chew one, I swallow one, and I let one dissolve... (The 1...

Not flack, just concern as taking it regularly can lead to dependency issues. Detoxing off benzos is hella hard. For some the withdrawal symptoms can last the better part of a year. Are you in therapy? Using coping skills? Taking other meds?

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I understand that the directions on the bottle state to swallow, but dissolving seems to kick in faster for me (absorption into the veins beneath the tongue is my understanding). If I swallow on an empty stomach, it takes about 40 minutes, almost to the second, to kick in, versus the nearly instant results of dissolving. I've noticed, however, differences in length of effect depending on the method of ingestion.

Those directions are there for a reason. As an opioid pain patient, I know that desolving a pill before taking it makes it a hella stronger. Which is a hella dangerous when dealing with addicting medications. Snorting it would give you the exact same results and you might as well be doing that as its basiclly the same thing. It hits faster, instantly, and it's stronger. It just looks less addict-like but it is the exact same thing. Please take medications as they are prescibed. Or else you will likely quickly find yourself addicted if you aren't already. If you need faster acting medications or different medications or even a higher dose, talk with the prescribing doctor. I would also be honest with them. They will likely pull you straight off the benzo as you are now abusing them but honesty is the best policy in my opinion.

 

[joeylittle]

Ok, just to clear up some misinformation:

Clonazepam (klonopin) in tablet form is meant to be swallowed. But you won’t do any damage taking it sublingually. What you will likely do is end up not getting all of it into your system.

This drug also comes in an orally dissolving form, and it’s generally used for stopping seizures. It doesn’t need to go under the tongue, just into the mouth. Dissolves pretty quickly.

The dissolving form does hit more quickly. But getting the tablet to behave like the wafer...that doesn’t really work. The active drug is the same in either form - but the tablet has fillers to buffer in the stomach, whereas the wafer is much smaller and meant to go “poof” when it hits saliva.

Either way, bioavailability is around 90%.

As an opioid pain patient, I know that desolving a pill before taking it makes it a hella stronger. Which is a hella dangerous when dealing with addicting medications.

Good thing we are talking about benzos, not opiates. Different mechanisms of action. Can’t really be compared.

Snorting it would give you the exact same results and you might as well be doing that as its basiclly the same thing

This is really not true. At all. Not even close. Please don’t misinform.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Good thing we are talking about benzos, not opiates. Different mechanisms of action. Can’t really be compared.

Nope, but I also take a benzo. Xanax. That can be compared.

This is really not true. At all. Not even close. Please don’t misinform.

That's actually what I was told. By a doctor. About Xanax. I'm not a doctor and am only relaying information I was told by a doctor. Either way, it is not made to be desolved and it is abusing medication in my opinion as you are not taking it as it's prescribed.

ETA: And I'd like to add that even if that doctor was bullshitting or had no idea what he was talking about, if you get to the point of wanting to desolve medication [that's not made to be desolved], I feel it's time to talk to your doctor. Especially medication that is addicting.

ETA2: I see that I mistyped. I was typing fast and that's never a good thing.

As an opioid pain patient

I meant to put "and someone prescribed Xanax" after that. I never meant to compare opioids to benzos as, being on both, I know they are worlds apart. But, they are both just as addicting and so that's why I added in the opioid part.

Also, the same Dr prescribed them both to me back in KS. Today, I have seperate Drs. As that's how FL works. A pain dr gives you pain meds and a psychiatrist gives you Xanax. Your GP never becomes part of that picture. In KS it works very differently. Pain drs there only give you the shots in the back and so forth. They never prescribe you pain meds and refer you back to your GP for that. My GP was whom was prescibing both the opioids and the benzos and that same Dr is whom told me what I posted above.

Sorry for the confusion. It took me forever to see that typo.

 

[missclairol]

I am prescribed 2 pills, .5 clonazepam(Canadian klonpin). I dissolve one and swallow the other. I seem to get a fast reaction from the one I dissolve and a longer one from the one I swallow. So having been prescribed 2 weak strength to take at once works well for me this way

 

[Break Benzo]

As a Long Time PTSD sufferer I find
that minty taste terrible and Xanax are better

I've had the same experience as you regarding benzos taken sublingually having a shorter but more intense effect. When I take one, I tend to hold it under my tongue until it starts to take the edge off and then swallow the rest. Best of both worlds.

Yea I agree....

 

[villageidiot]

I'm new and kinda frightened? But here goes, I have PTSD from a bad car accident I was trapped and experienced the death of my very very close Mother-in-Law. When I was an adolescent I was sexually assaulted by my employer. I am on meds. for depression, anxiety, and PTSD. However I have been prescribed 1mg Dissolving Tablet Clonazepam for an undiagnosed problem with my tongue in the wreck I severely bit my tongue and it required 2 surgeries on the sides {length wise} I have had several surgeries over the years and about 7 months ago ALL I am a man and I mean ALL places that have ever required stitches or being sewn up from accidents or surgeries and there are many, they have become EXTREMELY VERY sensitive to touch and the biggest is my clothes just casually rubbing or touching these places !!!!!! Has anyone ever heard anything like this ? The D.T. Clonazepam is VERY effective for some relief for my tongue? What are the D.T. actually doing ? are they working on my brain/nerves or my tongue and if so please try and tell me HOW ?? I didn't make this up, I am being totally honest!!!! Thanks For Any Help.

 

[Zofie]

Thanks for the reply. What you say makes sense, but I'm still getting mixed results with swallowing.

I'm surprised more people didn't chime in. I'm a little disappointed.

I chew because thats what gives me the calm need to do the task at hand---- if i swallow it i kinda maybe fell an effect- and thats not good enough if i need to get over panic asap.
But I also take like, half chewed and half swallowed sometime. That seems to work well.
Peace & Love