benzos...important question!

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I have a pt who gets 1 mg Klonopin QID (10am ,2pm, 6pm, 10 pm). Have been on this regimen for quite awhile. They are getting ischarged tommorrow and will be driving hemselves home, takes 4 hours for them to get home. They will be leaving at 10:30 am. Is it ok for them to get their morning Klonopin? (I can give it as early as 9am). It is a benzo, but if they don't get it, could they go through withdrawl while driving and those efects be worse?(they tolerate the benzo pretty good right now, they are pretty manic most of the time, so need something to calm them a little bit).

Thoughts? I'm going to ask the Dr. tommorrow of course, just wanted any thoughts :)

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Specializes in ICU.

I would ask the patient if they have anyone that can pick them up. One dose not given won't cause them to go into WD, and they could take the next dose when they were at home. I assume they are on this medication all the time? And if they drive all the time and know not to if they feel drowsy, then let them have it. What have you noticed when you give it to them? Does it knock them out? Do they function normally? Remember there's no law against driving under Klonipin like there is for alcohol. There is a law against driving while impaired, and if they are alert and oriented enough to drive normally, then they are alert and oriented enough to know whether or not they are impaired.

If they say, "screw you! give me my meds!" and you notice them stumbling down he hall toward the front door, call security and advise them. If they get in and drive that way, security can call the police.

What do you think?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

If this is a dose the person is used to taking and it does not impair them, I would give the 10am dose. Is this what the patient is getting to treat his/her mania?

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Specializes in cardiac, ortho, med surg, oncology.

If the patient has been on this dose for a while then he should be ok getting the 10 am dose and driving himself home. Withdrawal symptoms of benzos generally don't show up until about 72 hours after the last dose when abruptly stopped.

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If this is a dose the person is used to taking and it does not impair them, I would give the 10am dose. Is this what the patient is getting to treat his/her mania?

i tend to agree w/mickey...

that if they're used to taking it and doesn't impair them, then i'd give it.

afterall, meds can restore 'normal' function w/o snowing them.:)

leslie

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I can drive on 0.5 mg of Xanax. Seriously, it's not an issue.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

Ask to doc if it's ok to give it and chart accordingly.

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I take 1 mg Klonopin TID, For GAD w/ panic attacks. It doesn't bother me, make me drowsy, etc.. but then again i've been on it for over a year. I grew tolerant to the sedation, but the anxiolytic effects are still with me(panic attack free since treatment!). If I were you, I'd give it, monitor, and chart accordingly.

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Specializes in Telemetry.

10 , 14 , 18 , and 22.....hello does anyone else feel those are odd times? wew those times patient requested?

4x day i'd do 6, 12, 18, 24.....or at least 8, 12, 18, 22

i wouldnt worry about withdrawl they were going all night 12 hours prior,,,,but as far as a pt with anxiety being discharged i would give them their morning dose prior to discharge

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