Would someone please explain to me what it means about "half life" as Klonopin has halflife of 40 hours. I take Mirapex with .5mg of klonopin andI am always so tired throughout the day. I think I read an explanation somewhere but forgot exactly what was said. I know Dr. B doesn't recommend Klonopin, but does anyone know what he does recommend instead of Klonopin?????
Thanks. BETTY/WV
Re: Half life of 40 hrs for Klonopin????
Re: Half life of 40 hrs for Klonopin????
Thanks to rls.org, I have learned so much about my condition. I have received encouragement from my friends here. This is a site I can come to when I am up most of the night, and I vent, and know those who read my messages understand
A Half-life is a term of measurement, used to describe how much time has passed since half of the drug has been eliminated by your body.
So .5mg of Klonopin with a half-life of 40 hours, means that almost 2 days later you still have around 0.250mg of klonopin in your body.
This is why people don't like it, because it makes them extremely tired because it lasts so long.
So .5mg of Klonopin with a half-life of 40 hours, means that almost 2 days later you still have around 0.250mg of klonopin in your body.
This is why people don't like it, because it makes them extremely tired because it lasts so long.
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ViewsAskew
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Hi Betty,
Zach gave a good explanation of half-life - if you need more info we can explain it in more detail.
In the past, I believe Dr B has indicated that benzos are not the best choice for treating daily RLS directly, but can be a good choice for treating the insomnia some of us may have or for treating intermittent RLS.
As you said, he prefers to use other things than Klonopin when he does recommend this class of drugs. In the past, I think his website said that Restoril was one of those options.
I just reviewed the site and he says that the following are good options (based on shorter half life and not making you sleepy the next day)
Restoril
Xanax
Serax
But, these recommendations are because of the likelihood of the longer ones contributing to daytime sleepiness and the inability to feel awake and refreshed in the morning. If you already use Klonopin and it doesn't cause problems for you and it works, it sounds like you wouldn't need to switch.
Zach gave a good explanation of half-life - if you need more info we can explain it in more detail.
In the past, I believe Dr B has indicated that benzos are not the best choice for treating daily RLS directly, but can be a good choice for treating the insomnia some of us may have or for treating intermittent RLS.
As you said, he prefers to use other things than Klonopin when he does recommend this class of drugs. In the past, I think his website said that Restoril was one of those options.
I just reviewed the site and he says that the following are good options (based on shorter half life and not making you sleepy the next day)
Restoril
Xanax
Serax
But, these recommendations are because of the likelihood of the longer ones contributing to daytime sleepiness and the inability to feel awake and refreshed in the morning. If you already use Klonopin and it doesn't cause problems for you and it works, it sounds like you wouldn't need to switch.
Ann - Take what you need, leave the rest
Managing Your RLS
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.
Managing Your RLS
Opinions presented by Discussion Board Moderators are personal in nature and do not, in any way, represent the opinion of the RLS Foundation, and are not medical advice.