Is It Safe To Take The Xanax Or Clonazapam For Troubled Sleep?

Posted on Thu, 3 May 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 3 May 2018 Answered on

Wed, 4 Oct 2023 Last reviewed on

Question : I am 62 year old female. had widow maker heart attack in 2013. got 2 stents and ICD. Also diagnosed with RA. taking biologics for about 3 years. I have trouble sleeping. I have 1 mg clonazapam or .5 xanax ER. my bp gets low and I am afraid to take either one. is 88/44 too low. I'm not dizzy just anxious. I have been paranoid since my last stents. is it safe to take the xanax or clonazapam?

Answered by Dr. Ilir Sharka (39 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
I would explain as follows:

Detailed Answer:

Hello,

I passed carefully through your question and would explain that it is safe to take clonazepam, although it is not the best drug for sleep disorders.

Regarding Xanax, I would not recommend taking it for a long time, but only occasionally, because it can lead to addiction and tolerance if taken regularly for a long time.

Instead, I would recommend trying melatonin 5mg, which is more natural for sleep.

If it does not help, you can try clonazepam, which can be used for a long time. But, I would recommend being careful to its adverse effects like dizziness and fatigue during the day. If you experience such adverse effects, I would recommend considering other drugs (like mirtazapine, pregabaline or trazodone).

Hope you will find this answer helpful!

Kind regards,

Dr. Iliri

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar