Hello all, this is actually a two part question/rant, so bear with me

Has anyone had any experiences taking adderall and Klonopic concurrently. I was prescribed it for panic attacks, and general extreme social anxiety. I have heard from some doctors that it is perfectly safe to mix the two; whereas others would tell you that it is a bad idea to mix the two. From my experience, Klonopin has only a slight subtle effect on me when I take it with Adderall. It definately does a little for the physical side effects e.g. racing heart, and sweating, but for the most part I believe the adderall cancels out the beneficial effects of the Klonopin. I still feel very nervous and edgy when taking it with terrible barr generic ir. Barr is worthless, I feel focused and calm for an hour or maybe two, and then start to feel edgy and overcome with anxiety. Anyone else had the same experience? I have read the scientific literature which assures the public that generics are equivalent, but I know from personal experience, as well as the reports of many others that barr is garbage. How could they continue to manufacture this foul stuff, and get away with it. Unfortunately my insurance doesn't cover Adderall XR, and I pay $10 a month for the despised barr. I am thinking about switching to some kind of methlyphenidate, even if it is generic, because anything would be better than barr.

I have been taking it at the same dose 20mg 2X a day for quite some time, and the side effects have yet to disappear, especially the anxiety, and the complete and utter lack of appetite. I still take it now because I am studying at the uni, and it does give me at least 1-2 sometimes three hours of concentration and focus, but it is usually just around the two hr. range Anyway, those two or three hrs are better than getting nothing done on no medications. Still I am wondering if it is worth it if after those 2-3 hrs of studying where I am still edgy by the way, to have to endure unbearable rebound depression for a minimum of 3 more hours after I have lost any and all focus. There has got to be a better way!

Maybe non-stimulant therapy would help more?

As for the generic Adderall, I don't think it works as well for me either. It also scares me that it's generic. It just doesn't rub me well.

Methlyphenidate makes some people more edgy and moody than Adderall. I found that to be my experience also.

How about working on mood and depression before dealing with your ADHD? Maybe this would help you more.

Hope this helps you out! Good luck.

I have taken Klonopin and Adderall together. I usually took my Klonopin at night though to help me get to sleep (I usually took a little more then prescribed...shhh). I found it to work ok. Before I got on Klonopin I was on Xanax 0.5 mg 3 times a day as needed, and am currently on the same rx. These work much better, well they did for me while on Adderall. I am on a high dose of Adderall, 80mg a day (I have been taking it since 1999). Ask your doctor about a medication for GAD, I take Celexa. There is also Lexapro.


As for Barr generic Adderall, I agree that it is definatly not the same as the real thing. Back when I first got in it, I was getting brand name because the pantent was still good. For some reason, Barr has a stronghold on the generic Adderall market, I have received other brands a couple times (when I went to small ma and pop drug stores). Since I don't have insurance, I have to go to Costco to get my prescriptions. Walgreens charges $180.00 for my Barr generic rx, Costco charges $43.00!!!!!

I take 60-90mg of Addy IR M-F. I take a 1mg klonopin when I leave the office to help the edge from coming down off adderall and it really makes me nicer and a lot easier to deal with during my crash. I take another 1mg before bed and I have finally been sleeping perfectly.


FYI klonopin is what they give you if you had an OD on amphteamines/meth/adderall and need to counter its effects so its great at ending the adderall effects

welcome to ADDF hyperjosh, for some people a benzo/stimulant combo helps.

Benzos affect memory storage. I guess you may know that ADDers have memory problems.

Don't try to be a waitress or student on benzos.

Also, they can be a problem if you have a history of alcohol or sedative addiction.

People DO run into problems with Klonopin.

I almost lost my life to it in a car accident. (It stays in the system over 24 hrs, eh?) I hate the stuff, but I am biased.

Benzos in my opinion are a bad idea, if taken in the long term. I was on Ativan for only 2 weeks when starting Zoloft therapy, and when I stopped the Ativan, as per my docs instructions, I had very bad tics. Still have tics to this day, and any stimulant or stress I have makes it worse.

A safer alternative may be to try SSRI medications. There are many that can help with Social Anxiety and Panic attacks. I believe if I remember correctly:

Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil and Pexeva are FDA approved for panic attacks, but in general SSRIs work very well for panic attacks. I've taken Zoloft and Pexeva for panic attacks. Pexeva works better for me so I've stuck with that. Only side effect I've gotten from Pexeva is dry mouth. Zoloft, I've had dry mouth, increased sweating, and agitation (does mention this side effect on the labels).

Best of luck and I hope you find the answers you need.

Benzodiazepine addiction is the worst addiction to have, you feel like you are going to die without them

Personally, I've had little problems using benzos as needed over the years but SSRIs screwed me up six ways to Sunday. The side effects were horrendous.

I'm also taking the Barr generic Adderall and finding it to be really rough after the first 2hrs or so. I'm wondering if I should try to order a different manufacturer or maybe ask about switching to Dexadrine. I don't like the "less get-up-and-go" or tiredness things I hear about dex though because I often get fairly yawny on Adderall as it is. But maybe that would be better with a different brad as well?

I take xanax as needed with dexedrine/focalin. It pretty much aborts all usefulness of the stimulant to me. The problem with klonopin is its half-life is 12+ hours so if you take one you're kind of screwed as far as your stims go for the day. Xanax only works about 4 (and is more potent because of the triazlo ring). I've taken all the commercial benzos on the american market from halcion to valium to ativan, etc because of panic disorder/agoraphobia. So if you have any particular questions let me know.

Then again i wouldnt encourage anyone to take benzos unless they absolutely have to. Because the day will come when you dont want to be on them and its withdrawal isnt pretty.

I have taken Klonopin for four years at various dosages and am currently taking 1mg per day (although I have taken significantly higher doses in the past and have found it easy to raise and lower dosages as needed). I take .25 mg with each of the two adderall doses I take and .5mg at night to aid sleep. For me at least there is no way this dosage of klonopin can even begin to negate the effects of adderall. In fact I have taken up to 1 mg of klonopin at a time with adderall and for me the adderall effectiveness is not impacted. I take benzos because for me SSRI medications are seriously bad news. As everyone says, we are all different, but I know from past experience that I could be off Klonopin within 3 weeks without any major side-effects. In fact if it weren't for the negative press, I would not even know klonopin was particularly addictive (and yes I believe the press, it is just that my body is apparently different). On the other hand I became suicidal when I was weaned off Paxil (at the very careful rate directed by my doctor). This was the first and last time I have ever been suicidal. So my advice is to do right by your own body, if you are doing great on SSRIs by all means take them, if you are doing great on benzos don't give into the popular fear. Remember there are millions of people around the world that are horrified that we are taking amphetamines. Just as a clarification, it is not Klonopin, but Clonidine that is use to negate the effects of amphetamines.

PLEASE DON"T DRIVE ON KLONOPIN (Clonazepam).

Well... as to purposely negate the effects of amphetamine, it is often anti-psychotics, barbiturates, benzodiazepines (like diazepam), or other medications (such as clonidine) that are used to do that. Many medications can reduce the effectiveness of stimulants, including all of these, plus anti-histamines (but some of the drugs in the previous categories are also antihistamines). It's about the quantities, as you have discovered.

I would absolutely agree with that, unless you are taking a lower dose with an amphetamine. In that case you may not feel the klonopin at all. I can't. My physician is fine with me driving with adderall and klonopin as long as I don't drink. I can and do drive safely. But we are all different and it is very important that we should all talk to our doctors about the safety of driving when taking klonopin and adderall. On the other hand, when I was taking klonopin without amphetamines driving was not wise, and driving after drinking any amount of alcohol was dangerous. I am really sorry to hear of your terrible experience with klonopin. Paxil almost killed me, so I know how it feels to have some really bad feelings about a medication and wanting to help people avoid a dangerous situation.

Thank you HighFunctioning for the clarification, I made a mistake, what I was thinking of (but not writing) was the antipsychotic Chlorpromazine. And yes, Klonopin is a valid option and apologies to Hyperjosh who made a good point.

I take xanax as needed with dexedrine/focalin. It pretty much aborts all usefulness of the stimulant to me. The problem with klonopin is its half-life is 12+ hours so if you take one you're kind of screwed as far as your stims go for the day. Xanax only works about 4 (and is more potent because of the triazlo ring). I've taken all the commercial benzos on the american market from halcion to valium to ativan, etc because of panic disorder/agoraphobia. So if you have any particular questions let me know.

Then again i wouldnt encourage anyone to take benzos unless they absolutely have to. Because the day will come when you dont want to be on them and its withdrawal isnt pretty.
Hey D.B., you seem to be up to date with the sort of knoledge I'm currently trying to sort out. I know your post was ages ago, hopefully you will see this post. I'm having difficulty figuring the right mix, amount, timing, or something- in order to achieve the desired result from my 2 kind of meds. I suffer from GAD, social phobia, depression, and pretty bad ADD. Ive ran the gambit with every ssri's, atypicials, some snri's and nothing worked untill I found xanax, wich put a complete end to the anxiety. However that was just at the begining, I now have been through hell and back with Benzos, I've had just about them all, I quite the xanax and now am scripted K-pins. I too realize that benzos should be a last resort, I wish I new a better way. Enough babbling; I also take adderal for the add/depression. I'm hoping you might have some advice as how to take them. I'm scripted alot of both, only I dont wish to feel high or in a mixed state. I don't think I would be able to wait untill night time 4 the klonopin, I feel I need them both, just maybe one of them at a lesser amount than the other. Or possibly something different than the k-pin would be better(the xanax worked great, but I went through hell getting of it and won't put myself through that again.) Sorry 4 the length of all this confusion, any thoughts or criticism would be extremely appreciated..

I have taken Klonopin for four years at various dosages and am currently taking 1mg per day (although I have taken significantly higher doses in the past and have found it easy to raise and lower dosages as needed). I take .25 mg with each of the two adderall doses I take and .5mg at night to aid sleep. For me at least there is no way this dosage of klonopin can even begin to negate the effects of adderall. In fact I have taken up to 1 mg of klonopin at a time with adderall and for me the adderall effectiveness is not impacted. I take benzos because for me SSRI medications are seriously bad news. As everyone says, we are all different, but I know from past experience that I could be off Klonopin within 3 weeks without any major side-effects. In fact if it weren't for the negative press, I would not even know klonopin was particularly addictive (and yes I believe the press, it is just that my body is apparently different). On the other hand I became suicidal when I was weaned off Paxil (at the very careful rate directed by my doctor). This was the first and last time I have ever been suicidal. So my advice is to do right by your own body, if you are doing great on SSRIs by all means take them, if you are doing great on benzos don't give into the popular fear. Remember there are millions of people around the world that are horrified that we are taking amphetamines. Just as a clarification, it is not Klonopin, but Clonidine that is use to negate the effects of amphetamines.
I'm seemingly taking the same two meds as you. You seem to have it working for you. K-pins are new to me but I'm no stranger to benzos by far. So far though, I fill stupid from the k-pins and phsically week and lazy. I can't figure out if I should be taking more of one or less of the other. Are you able to workout/excercise on that combo if you so chose to. I hope I'm not prying, I'm just so anxious to feel right so I can get back in the gym. Any advice would be mad appreciated

Klonopin has a substantial half life: up to 52 hours. Try taking the Klonopin an hour or so before the ADD med. I have found that this, for the most part, eliminates the possible side effects of anxiety, jitteriness, and for some, panic. You have to find the right balance however. If you take too much clonazepam, it may negate any desired effects of the stimulant. Start small and take it day by day. Benzos have a very strong intial effect of sedation but this usually passes after a week or so and generally only retain anxiolytic effects. There will be good days & bad until you find the dose of both that work well together...if they will. Take it slow and be patient.

Benzos are powerful drugs and are not the kind to just stop/start on a whim. You can dig yourself into a hole you can't get out of rather quickly if you throw your dose high to start with. Be very careful and only use a quantity that provides the desired therapeutic purpose. Be disciplined & informed. When you start abusing them, it will be horrific to even get back down to the dose that was providing the initial benefit. If you feel another class of medication could help your anxiety, try that first. Use caution and work as a team w/ your doctor.

I'm seemingly taking the same two meds as you. You seem to have it working for you. K-pins are new to me but I'm no stranger to benzos by far. So far though, I fill stupid from the k-pins and phsically week and lazy. I can't figure out if I should be taking more of one or less of the other. Are you able to workout/excercise on that combo if you so chose to. I hope I'm not prying, I'm just so anxious to feel right so I can get back in the gym. Any advice would be mad appreciated

I tried switching to Klonopin from Xanax because I believed Xanax was causing a complete evaporation of my libido. When the switch was complete, clonazepam had me dragging, unable to think clearly, stuttering, and feeling like I was in quicksand @ 1mg. It stopped me from working out as well. It blasted my Dexedrine to ineffective fragments. I gave it a week hoping for improvement. It simply did not work together with my Dexdrine like Xanax does. Maybe it was the manufacturer, who knows. My body/brain didn't agree with that particular benzo.

please don"t drive on klonopin (clonazepam).

Please read crucial information about a drug before you take it.

The answer you are looking for is to get on an ssri/snri that is great for anxiety:

SSRIs in my order of anxiolytic strength
#1 zoloft -can be activating with SLIGHT Dopamine reuptake
#2 paxil -slight Norepinephire reuptake which can acutally increase dopamine in freontal cortex but also sedating because of anticholinergic effect, so its like a very weak SNRI
#3 luvox -if zoloft doesnt work and u dont want slight sedation from paxil, id try this
#4 prozac -it can also slightly release Dopamine and norepinpehrine, but if your taking adderall, its negligble probably
(lexapro and celexa arent for anxiety, just depression)

SNRI = Pristiq. after all my research (including reading Stahl's Essential Pscyhopharmacology) and my own trials with a few of the ssri's, i think this is the best antidepressant/anti anxiety (anxiolytic) available. i would try this first before anything else seriously. one dose, 50mg, no titration. it worked for me within 3 days, i was amazed as SSRI's didnt too much for me after a whole month.

now, you can also ASK to add klonopin on as an adjunct as needed when anxiety can become overwhelming. drs usually start at .5mg, but i say start with .25mg instead, or even .1mg (a quarter of a .5mg tab). a dosage as low as .5mg (even .25mg) can lower anxiety all day long. klonopin is the single best anti anxiety drug there is. (xanax might be more powerful in onset as far as stopping a sudden panic attack, but aside from that, stay away)

finally, you might want to ask about tenex, and definitely ask if he doesnt approve of klonopin, as some psychs dont like the mix. it can lower norepinephrine and side effects of adderall. i dont know how it compares to klonopin, but im guessin klonopin would be stronger. still try...

Also, get on generic barr 5mg dextroamphetamine, itll take away half your adderrall related anxiety simply by itself.

SUMMARY: I would try to ask for Pristiq (50mg/day) and Klonopin (.25-0.5mg/day as needed). If Klonopin is denied ask for tenex (.5 mg/1-3x daily). Most importantly, drop adderall and switch to dextroamphetamine (but do not take barr 10mg, get the 5mg pills) and that might solve your anxiety stuff period without adding anything else. if you dont want instant release, get dextroamphetamine/dexedrine spansules which are XR. i was in the same boat as you and this is what finally worked perfect. good luck