Buying Claritin-D in a snowstorm

New Mexico is under a winter storm warning, beginning at noon today. While there was some blue in the sky this morning, it’s given way to one huge white cloud, blanketing everything, including my mountain. (I feel like I’m in a real-life version of The Truman Show, under a dome of fake clouds.)

Thankfully, it was time to purchase my next box of Claritin-D today, because I would’ve hated to travel during tomorrow’s bad weather.

While I was at the Walgreens pharmacy counter, I overheard the pharmacist talking to a customer on the phone about a prescription for clonazepam (Klonopin). She was telling the customer that it was too early to fill the prescription, which wasn’t due until January 11th. Then the pharmacist said that clonazepam doesn’t help with pain…  I looked at the cashier and I’m like, yeah, it does, but that’s just my opinion.

Anxiety can cause physical pain, like headaches, and everyone knows how anxiety-filled the holidays can be. And anti-anxiety medications also work as a mild muscle relaxer. So, if a pharmacist tries to tell you that anti-anxiety meds don’t help with pain, then that pharmacist obviously has very limited knowledge about the treatment of pain.

When I googled clonazepam, I got this:

Clonazepam

Sedative
It can treat seizures, panic disorder, and anxiety.

Controlled substance
Can cause paranoid or suicidal ideation and impair memory, judgment, and coordination. Combining with other substances, particularly alcohol, can slow breathing and possibly lead to death.

Most commonly used for:

Trigeminal neuralgia
A chronic pain condition affecting the trigeminal nerve in the face.

Dystonia
Involuntary muscle contractions that cause repetitive or twisting movements.