Posted by hiba on October 22, 2002, at 1:23:23
In reply to Re: HELP please DESPAIR dreadful,benzo withdrawal?? » hiba, posted by Julia on October 21, 2002, at 13:38:32
Dear Julia,
In A state of anxiety, you will not be able to take a correct decision because anxiety can have a devastating effect on our concentrating abilities. So what you will have to do now is to overcome the anxiety which is dominating all of your thoughts. It is not easy without the help of a medication at this time. Something has to be done to calm your agitated nerves and only an effective benzo can do it. Don't think that you are going back to benzos again. It is only a matter of time. Once your mental state is stabilized, you can chose the best antidepressant to treat your depression as well as obsessive worries and taper the benzo slowly. The reason trimipramine doesn't work well for you is, you have dominating obsessive worries and trimipramine is not a proven anti-obsessive antidepressant. The only tricyclic having anti-obsessive property is ANAFRANIL (Clomipramine). And it is the best. The newer antidepressants like fluoxetine, fluvoxamine and sertraline have unique anti-obsessive properties, but they are more activating than Clomipramine. Clomipramine has excellent sedative properties and it can do wonders to stop obsessive worries.(Based on my own experience)
Now if you want to stop those obsessive worries, stop the medication valium and try klonopin (clonazepam) at once. Stopping valium abruptly will not be a problem, if you substitute it with clonazepam because clonazepam will cover all those withdrawal symptoms of valium. Clonazepam has unique anti-obsessive properties and unlike diazepam it will not aggravate depression. I don't advocate a benzo monotherapy for you because obviously depression has taken dominance in you and benzo monotherapy alone can't bring relief to depression once it takes dominance. So
consult with your treating physician whether he can prescribe ANAFRANIL (Clomipramine) for you instead of trimpramine and nortryptiline. Anafranil will kick in within days or sometimes it may take as long as two to three weeks. Not more than it. Then slowly you can cut down the dosage of clonazepam. If you take 6 mg of diazepam now, the equivalent clonazepam dosage is 1 mg.
Trimipramine can't treat your depression if you have dominating obsessive worries. I have a similar experience in my life. I was obsessing too much and consequently developed major depression. My doc put me on 150 mg of Elavil (Amitryptiline) with no effect. What helped me at that time is clonazepam combined with fluoxetine. I don't recommend fluoxetine to you because it can aggravate your agitation. Or you will have to take fairly high amount of clonazepam which will counteract the agitation of fluoxetine and adequately control the activation. But if your goal is to come off benzos completely, anafranil is the best option. Be brave! it is only a matter of time. Yes!! only a matter of time.
HIBA
poster:hiba
thread:124497
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021019/msgs/124631.html