If your taking more simply cause your husband has a higher dose I would be concerned and talk to your Dr.

The Wolf

Addiction is physical and psychological dependence on psychoactive substances. from Addiction Journal

I don't know that klonopin and ambien fit the criteria for psychoative substances. And it's not unusual to increase the dose of a medication to continue receiving benefit from it. I think the best thing to do is talk to your doc and get a new prescription to match your use. And of course stop using any medication by tapering off very carefully. I can think of several meds where you start at a low dose and increase it over time to achieve the maximum benefit. It doesn't follow that you are an addict or weak. Doc time!

Increasing them more and more and drinking with the meds sounds to me like you're headed for trouble sweetie.. I agree with wiccan talk to your doc...x

Are you taking more just to take it? I'm assuming your husband needs his klonopin, right? If you take his then he'll run out.

Why did you start taking a higher dose? Did you really need to jump from .5mg to 4mg? Couldn't you have just maybe taken 1.0mg?

I think you are tetering on the edge of being addicted. The more you take, the more you'll need. I I know it sucks but you have to taper back. Start slow by maybe .5-1.0mg at a time. If your doctor can help talk to him/her but understand it may keep them from providing refills when you need them. Just FYI

Good luck and let me know how it goes. Laura

Its just scary because I use to binge drink before I was on meds and do painkillers long after surgery (had ectopic tubal pregnancy in 2006). They said last hospital admit that I had alcohol abuse in remission... they didn't have me go to meetings...I had no desire to drink at that time or overmedicate

The best definition of addiction I've ever heard is;

When you make choices, that are not in your own best interest.

Whatever the addiction, healthy people do the "best" for themselves, the addicted person, makes choices - not benefiting, obsessive and compulsion.. hope that helps : )

Being aware and questioning - awesome! I do agree, Talk with pdoc for sure...

Lilchat...to verify....I started taking 1 mg when I ran out of my script and then went up to 2 and so on I guess because of tolerance. My husband no longer needs that amount. I know its not ethical for me to take his meds but I lost my insurance beginning of the year. And I just got dejavoo...

I will say once an addict/alcoholic you are always one, like BP or any MI, it is incurable. Treatable yes, curable No.

The Wolf

Thanks Gina...

I agree wolf...its hard to understand when its medication that helps u out though. Thanks for your replies.

By the Grace of God I do not have an addictive personality - but do abuse things, when "empty" right now I would LOVE

A big fat joint
Great sex
Large pizza : )

Thanks for letting me vent!

Gina lol...I guess dominos or pizza hut doesn't come with that combo? They've got those hot wings instead...how boring lol

Phoenix--

Thanks for clarifying for me. Maybe I posted in haste. My understanding of addiction is if you make choices based on want and not necessarily what's right or good for you/anyone then you may be addicted.

I agree with you Wolf, once and addict always an addict. Used to go to AlaTeen years ago and that's what they taught me. I have an addictive personality so it's always a challenge to maintain my prescribed dosages especially with my pain meds.

Good luck Phoenix. I hope you figure it out and it works out well for you.

Klonepin is a benzodiazepine - which is an addictive substance. You develop a tolerance and must keep taking more and more to get the desired effect. The user gets a physical and psychological dependence.

My husband is prescribed 1.0 mg per day. It has become less effective as he has developed a tolerance, but he can't take a higher dose each day because he has no way to get extra. He supplements the klonepin with Tylenol PM. It concerns me because he takes 18 Tylenol PM pills per day. Six at bedtime and two dosages of 6 during the course of the day. I am concerned about his kidney.

I have to keep his klonepin in a safe and control how much he takes. He agrees to it. Otherwise, he used to pick his pills up from the pharmacy and took one month's worth in two days. He liked the high. Also, he has a severe problem with insomnia and enjoyed getting deep, deep sleep for a couple days.

My husband does have an addictive personality. He has had severe addictions to Vicodin/Percoset/Oxycodone. For about a year he had a crack addiction. He had a drinking problem for quite some time. Therefore, I am relieved he is only abusing Tylenol.

I recently talked to him about telling his pdoc that his current med regime is not working - since he has developed a tolerance and is abusing Tylenol to supplement the Klonepin. I suggested he might use a sedative or tranquilizer. I don't believe they are addictive, and I believe they may be stronger than klonepin. However, I don't think they help with anxiety, which my husband also suffers from.

I hope your discussion w/ you pdoc is fruitful !!! Just like I hope my husband's is too.

you can have an addiction to anything not just psychoactive drugs. Gambling IS an addiction and it is not psychoactive drugs.

The definition of addiction is the inability to quit even after you really want to. That's what we were told in rehab.

So you may very well have a physical and psychological addiction.

If you want to quit it's time to talk to your doctor. I don't think you should try to quit cold turkey.