Posted by ItsHowdyDudyTime on December 14, 2002, at 7:48:34
In reply to Can Klonopin decrease AD efficacy?, posted by MB on December 12, 2002, at 15:57:56
> I've been on Wellbutrin (again) along with Klonopin to take the *edge* (rage, anxiety, panic, neck cramps, blurry vision) off of the Wellbutrin. Anyway, the depression isn't any better. Could it be that the Klonopin is keeping the Wellbutrin from working? I've heard that benzos can make depression worse (except for Xanax...why *is* that by the way, why is Xanax different?).
>
> MB
>
> Oh, anyway, the doc says maybe Nardil next since SSRIs don't do well by me. Exactly how fat should I expect to get if I take Nardil (I gained 40 lbs on Paxil). I don't like the SSRIs because, after the akathisia (RLS), teeth grinding, neck cramps, headache, insomnia, tachycardia, and sweats are behind me I'm left an emotionless, fat, 14-hr-a-day sleeper who can't have an orgasm. Should I expect Nardil to be any better? I've also thought about ECT, shooting myself in the head, or becoming a heroin addict.
>
> Any advice?
>
> MB
>
>The answer is a definite YES as to whether klonopin and other similar benzos can decrease antidepressant effectiveness. Klonopin is a depressant drug, its a downer. Taken over the longterm it can literally make you depressed or more depressed. I find that when I take even low doses of klonopin with an AD, the AD has about half as much effect as off the klonopin. More than a few cases of "TRD" are due to longterm klonopin usage.
sometimes benzos must be taken longterm for management of severe and chronic anxiety. However, benzos are best used for short term acute management of panic and anxiety, insomnia and things like that. To combat anxiety better for the "long haul" youd be better off taking something like a sedating serotonergic antidepressant like Paxil, Luvox or Remeron. Or taking Buspar. Some of the anti-convulsant mood stabilizers like Neurontin are being used for anxiety as well and dont tend to be quite as much of a "downer" when taken longterm.
To sum up, klonopin is a good drug but its best used for the short term in the majority of anxiety cases. It can definitely decrease antidepressant activation and effectiveness, cause mental slowing and sluggishness, etc.
Howdy Doody
poster:ItsHowdyDudyTime
thread:131530
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021210/msgs/131781.html