Posted by viridis on October 27, 2002, at 20:23:29
In reply to Antidepressants are so disappointing; is it me????, posted by joy on October 27, 2002, at 10:41:06
It sounds like your depression has a major anxiety component. Although some would argue this, I think that for some people anxiety leads to depression, especially if you also suffer from chronic insomnia. That's certainly the case for me -- treating the anxiety seems to be the key, and antidepressants just make things worse.
I had a bad time with antidepressants, but have done very well with a low dose of Klonopin (a benzodiazepine, in the same class of drugs as Xanax). It drastically reduced the anxiety, worry, and insomnia, and the episodes of severe depression finally stopped. Some doctors are reluctant to prescribe these drugs because they're supposedly "addictive" (a misleading term; they can cause medical dependency, but then so can ADs). There's a huge thread on this further up the page.
Anyway, since you've responded well to Xanax, you might ask your doctor about Klonopin. Doctors are more likely to prescribe it than Xanax (it's longer acting, so is thought less likely to cause addiction, dependency, or whatever). It's especially favored for those who experience panic attacks in conjunction with their anxiety. Klonopin is a wonderful drug for many, and I've had great success with it.
poster:viridis
thread:125417
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021025/msgs/125481.html