Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Will Klonopin help with Vicodin withdrawals?

I have been taking Klonopin and Vicodin (well, the 10mg version) for nearly 3 years now. It got to the point of 3 pills a day of the Vicodin not working anymore until I go up to 6 pills. My doctor still has no problem giving me a steady supply, but I don't have an appointment for another month and I'm almost out of pills, but I have an excess of 2mg Klonopin tablets. I'm supposed to take 2 of those a day, and sometimes I don't take any or just take one, so I have too many. If I perhaps took more Klonopin than prescribed, does anyone thing that this would help with my Vicodin withdrawals until I can get back to my doctor?

No, I am not abusing it and I intend to discuss it not helping anymore with my doctor next time. It is for Endometriosis and Ovarian Cysts, which are both VERY painful for a still-menstruating young woman. My doctor is NOT an OBGYN (I only go to her every 6 months) but with her request, he still prescribes pain medication for me. I just need help getting through the next month of Vicodin withdrawals until I can get a new script.

1 Answer

Relevance
  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    It might help manage the anxiety associated with the withdrawal, but I doubt it would do anything for the physical symptoms of withdrawal from opiates. For that you need opiates. They're supposed to be weaned slowly, not cold turkey--that can be very risky. Klonopin is also a medication that can cause serious problems when the dose is increased, so this should only be done with the approval of your physician, who is not likely to agree to it; doing this on your own is also risky. Here's what can go wrong:

    http://www.drugs.com/sfx/klonopin-side-effects.htm...

    I'm male and have not had the misfortune of having this level of pain from these two conditions, but I do understand that these conditions can be off-the-charts painful. I take it you're seeing a pain management doctor (or clinic) for the Vicodin, in which case, fine. Not many Ob-gyne's would do this for you. Vicodin is becoming harder to get for chronic pain management.

    The problem is, and you can talk with your pain doctor about this, is that Vicodin (or any other narcotic pain medication) is not a good long-term solution for severe, chronic pain. What happens--and this doesn't take three years--is that opiate narcotics change the way all the pain receptors in your body function. The more you use them and the longer you use them, the worse this effect is: the opiates make you *more* sensitive to pain, and not just in the pelvic region, though you'll feel it there most. That's what tolerance and habituation are all about. So you do want to be working with the Ob-gyne or getting a second opinion to explore other options besides medication if at all possible--maybe you have, and maybe they're not possible for you. But continued reduction in effectiveness in pain medication is to be expected when any opiates are used this way.

    I'm sorry for all your pain. Wishing you better luck and better health.

Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.