Posted by Julia on October 21, 2002, at 13:38:32
In reply to Re: HELP please DESPAIR dreadful,benzo withdrawal??, posted by hiba on October 21, 2002, at 11:43:55
> Dear Julia,
>
> Your letter is obviously written in an overanxious bout. Don't worry, it is pretty normal. Valium(diazepam) is notorious for aggravating pre-existing depression and first of all what you will have to do is to get it off completely. Your physician can help, The safe method is the same one that you follow now, but adding klonopin and stopping valium abruptly is another option. An equivalent klonopin dose may be 1 mg at night. Klonopin doesn't usually aggravate depression, but there is evidence for its mood stabilizing properties.
> Trimipramine is a highly sedating antidepressant and its sedative effect is usually apparent after a single dose. As a rule antidepressant effect will follow after a couple of weeks. But if you are so weired, and need an instant change very badly, only benzos (other than valium and librium ) can help. Xanax and klonopin can bring instant relief in most patients and talk about this option to your physician. Xanax in fairly high doses can have a dramatic antidepressant effect. It is proven. Don't give up, all those horrible symptoms you experience now is only of a transient nature. It is only a matter of time.
> HIBADear Hiba, thanks for your encouragement.The one thing I am sure of is that I want to get off any benzo.I've been on the trimipramine 5 weeks now with no antidepressant effect,although it helps the agitation a bit.I've tried adding SAM-e 400mg for a couple of weeks but can't even decide if it makes me better or more anxious:I don't want anything to aggravate the agitation, but even trying to make the decision about whether to take it or stop it or try a higher dose for a bitlonger fills me with ridiculous anxiety.I've read that obsessive ruminations can be a feature of benzo withdrawal. My doc has suggested adding in nortriptyline to boost the a/d effect of trimipramine.I just can't wait to get through withdawal and out the other side, and hang onto the fact that it must then get better-I know i get a lot of rebound anxiety at present.Thanks Julia
poster:Julia
thread:124497
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/124529.html