Posted by Janelle on August 11, 2001, at 23:03:37
In reply to Effexor ramping up effect or Klonopin side effect?, posted by AnneL on August 11, 2001, at 21:36:02
Well, I have had such trouble with EffexorXR, that my pdoc had me decrease from 150 mg to 75 mg because it was so activating and increased my already existing anxiety and agitation. I still feel lightheaded and a bit jittery at times, and will taper off it soon, but for now the doc is focusing on gradual increase in mood stablizer and doesn't want to make two changes at once or we won't know what is causing what.
I also take Klonopin 1mg at bedtime for sleep (along with Zyprexa a few hours before because for me it takes hours for it to kick in), and I have had GOOD experience with it - it relaxes me and while I seem to go from awake to kind of passed out from one minute to the next, I dream and have what feels like "normal" and restful sleep!
Also, taking the Klonpin at night seems to ward off the panic and anxiety I used to wake up with each day. That was awful - waking up with a lump in my gut, afraid to get out of bed for fear of how lousy I would feel, etc.
I agree that you should NOT go off the Klonopin cold turkey; perhaps not at all yet. The feling of being drugged yet anxious and passing out may go away in a bit more time. I just cannot imagine Klonopin causing anxiety, since it is so well known as an ANTI-anxiety med, and has helped me a lot in this respect.
Based on my lousy and anxiety-inducing experience with EffexorXR, I would think that the anxiety you are reporting is from THAT and NOT the Klonopin.
Talk it over with your pdoc, who would be best qualified to figure out what the cause of your sudden anxiety is. I can only GUESS that it could be the increased EffexorXR. I have read on here that at the low dose (like 75 mg that is all I can handle), EffexorXR works mainly on Serotonin, but at higher doses it works on that and Norepinephrine, and I think the latter is stimulating and activating.
It is indeed possible that this could just be a "ramping up" effect of increasing your dose of Effexor. Again, I've NEVER heard or read anywhere that Klonopin can cause anxiety - only the opposite - that it HELPS calm away anxiety.
The only suggestion I would have is to call your pdoc and possibly reduce the EffexorXR while keeping the Klonopin where it is (1 mg/night is not much).
Good luck, keep us posted.
-Janelle
poster:Janelle
thread:74698
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010809/msgs/74716.html