Shown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by craig allen on October 13, 2003, at 18:45:34
i suddenly became very depressed 9 days ago, haven't been able to shake it. not my usual dysthimia kind of depression - this is the major depression variety. naturally, i'm trying to figure out what is happening. for the past few weeks i've been taking clonazepam almost daily. at the most, i take .75mg in a day but most days i've been more in the .5mg range. it takes the edge off a little bit - nothing i'm writing home about - but it helps enough to keep taking it. has anyone experienced a very dramatic decline in their mood while on this drug? my hunch is that the clonazepam is not the culprit, but i'm curious about other poeple's experiences. incidentally, i'm on my 6th day of nortriptyline (75mg) and it's been a complete bust so far. i'm in some rough shape.
Posted by scatterbrained on October 14, 2003, at 0:22:29
In reply to can klonopin worsen depression?, posted by craig allen on October 13, 2003, at 18:45:34
I'm sorry to hear that your in rough shape, so am I. My experience with sedatives, specifically klonopin is that at first they seem to take the "edge off" as you put it but gradually they tend to have no effect at all. When that happens I stop the drug, wait a few weeks and start it again. As an experiment you might want to try stopping the klonopin for a few weeks and see what happens; see if your mood lifts but wait more than one weeks if your going to do it because this paticular sedative has a residue effect of about a week and a half.If your mood doesn't elevate go back on the klonopin and you will be pleasantly suprised how strongly you feel the drug.Hope you and everybody else get well soon
Posted by platinumbride on October 14, 2003, at 1:20:29
In reply to Re: can klonopin worsen depression?, posted by scatterbrained on October 14, 2003, at 0:22:29
sigh......
I kinda wish i could say no, but yeah, benzos can make me a bit weepy sometimes.......
that is why the doc makes neurontin the drug of choice for anxiety
But klonopin has such a nice calming effect when it goes down adn you get that minty feeling in your esophagus.......
I;m just a junkie :)Diane
Posted by femlite on October 14, 2003, at 6:19:29
In reply to can klonopin worsen depression?, posted by craig allen on October 13, 2003, at 18:45:34
this is just my unprofessional opinion of course, Has any thing happend in your life that might have triggered this depression?.
I was once diagnosed dystimic, I was given wellbutrin.
Ive since come to the conclusion that depressoion is not my ONLY problem, BUT the wellbutrin has helped my depression.
Ive only had one dramatic experience with benzos (klonopin like meds) it was very upsetting and my response was so embarassing, but I digress...I can imagine once tolerance is reached with a bezo it would be very effective for anxiety. But without something more activating I personally would feel depressed. But thats me.
What is the nortryptaline for?
Maybe your mood swing is a side effect. If you can ride it out, youll probably be able to tell. It sounds rough, Im sorry.
I had some real ups and downs till the wellbutrin side effects subsided.best regards
> i suddenly became very depressed 9 days ago, haven't been able to shake it. not my usual dysthimia kind of depression - this is the major depression variety. naturally, i'm trying to figure out what is happening. for the past few weeks i've been taking clonazepam almost daily. at the most, i take .75mg in a day but most days i've been more in the .5mg range. it takes the edge off a little bit - nothing i'm writing home about - but it helps enough to keep taking it. has anyone experienced a very dramatic decline in their mood while on this drug? my hunch is that the clonazepam is not the culprit, but i'm curious about other poeple's experiences. incidentally, i'm on my 6th day of nortriptyline (75mg) and it's been a complete bust so far. i'm in some rough shape.
Posted by zeugma on October 14, 2003, at 10:19:34
In reply to Re: can klonopin worsen depression? » craig allen, posted by femlite on October 14, 2003, at 6:19:29
> this is just my unprofessional opinion of course, Has any thing happend in your life that might have triggered this depression?.
> I was once diagnosed dystimic, I was given wellbutrin.
> Ive since come to the conclusion that depressoion is not my ONLY problem, BUT the wellbutrin has helped my depression.
> Ive only had one dramatic experience with benzos (klonopin like meds) it was very upsetting and my response was so embarassing, but I digress...
>
> I can imagine once tolerance is reached with a bezo it would be very effective for anxiety. But without something more activating I personally would feel depressed. But thats me.
>
> What is the nortryptaline for?
> Maybe your mood swing is a side effect. If you can ride it out, youll probably be able to tell. It sounds rough, Im sorry.
> I had some real ups and downs till the wellbutrin side effects subsided.
>
Nortriptyline CAN cause mood swings, and I found that it intensified emotions to some degree at first, which was rough. Part of its effect is to 'normalize' emotions that have fallen out of balance. That's just been my experience, of course.
> best regards
>
> > i suddenly became very depressed 9 days ago, haven't been able to shake it. not my usual dysthimia kind of depression - this is the major depression variety. naturally, i'm trying to figure out what is happening. for the past few weeks i've been taking clonazepam almost daily. at the most, i take .75mg in a day but most days i've been more in the .5mg range. it takes the edge off a little bit - nothing i'm writing home about - but it helps enough to keep taking it. has anyone experienced a very dramatic decline in their mood while on this drug? my hunch is that the clonazepam is not the culprit, but i'm curious about other poeple's experiences. incidentally, i'm on my 6th day of nortriptyline (75mg) and it's been a complete bust so far. i'm in some rough shape.
>
>
Posted by platinumbride on October 14, 2003, at 10:58:57
In reply to can klonopin worsen depression?, posted by craig allen on October 13, 2003, at 18:45:34
Craig,
I really shouldn't have answered your post....
I really take too much klonopin on some days, and the next day I really feel down in the dumps, so I don't think you are in the same boat. Maybe you are adjusting to meds of another type.
Sorry,
Diane
Posted by wsj on October 15, 2003, at 23:45:53
In reply to can klonopin worsen depression?, posted by craig allen on October 13, 2003, at 18:45:34
in my opinion any sedative has the potential to make depression worse.
Posted by Elle2021 on October 17, 2003, at 4:22:51
In reply to Re: can klonopin worsen depression? » craig allen, posted by wsj on October 15, 2003, at 23:45:53
I completely agree with you, Klonopin seemed to worsen my depression also--but it did wonders for my insomnia. -Elle
> in my opinion any sedative has the potential to make depression worse.
Posted by msanjelpie on October 20, 2003, at 2:40:44
In reply to Re: can klonopin worsen depression?, posted by Elle2021 on October 17, 2003, at 4:22:51
While I was taking Prozac, and Lamictal I was going to bed around 4am each night... Doc decided to put me on the Klonopin.
I absolutely loved it. The feeling that came over me and how easy it was to go to sleep and stay asleep. Sometimes I would sleep all night and then half of the next day too... Great for when I'm exhausted and just can't sleep... I thought I had found my wonder drug..
Skip ahead 2 weeks... The depression hit which was weird because I hadn't experienced those feelings in the years since starting Prozac. I had actually forgotten how awful it was... Not only did it hit though, it hit hard... Suicidal depression, the worst kind for me...
I threw the klonopin in the trash and was feeling my normal self again by the end of the week... Told the doctor and he said that it's a well known fact that Klonopin can make existing depression worse... 'Well gee thanks doc!'
Tried several others, none work for very long, still searching for one as 'nice' as Klonopin without the nasty depression tagging along.
After about 6 months I decided to try the Klonopin again... Found out that if I just take it once or twice to help me sleep when especially tense, and then not the rest of the time, that it works great as a quick fix sleeping aid, and no depression attached... So now a bottle lasts me about a year...
Posted by nickm on October 21, 2003, at 8:34:23
In reply to Klonopin can worsen depression..., posted by msanjelpie on October 20, 2003, at 2:40:44
I've seen it with my wife. She was kept on Prozac and others cocktails, and finally, in 2003, on Zyprexa, Prozac, Lamictal, Klonolpin, and Provigil. She looked like a zombie. Got up at 10-11 am, and had to go back to bed by 8 pm. During her awake hours she had no concentration or focus, and began losing her memory. Anything said to her had to be repeated several times.
With Prozac and Zyprexa she developed akathisia, dyskinesia, and EPS. Her lips trembled, her hands shook, and her gait became a shuffle. She was on only 0.5 to 1 mg of Klonopin before bed.
Finally, to get rid of the akathisia, another doctor tried Wellbutrin, Abilify, and Xanax. As soon as she went off the Klonopin she began having panic attacks, and in two weeks she had akathisia again.
The new doctor told us she was dependent on Klonopin because of taking it for several years. I've read that even if on a small dose, if it's taken for more than 2-4 weeks patients develop dependence.
Yet another doctor put her back on Klonopin up to 4-5 mg per day, after a series of ECTs. The effect of the Klonopin only lasts 2-3 hours, and she started needing it more and more. This third doctor wouldn't even admit she had akathisia, or EPS, and kept saying Klonopin was best because of long lasting action. I asked him about anti-cholinergics, beta blockers, or even coginet, mirapex, levadopa or other Parkinson's drugs she could go on for the akathisia. Since he wouldn't admit to the akathisia he would do nothing, and kept saying it was okay to stay on Klonopin at those doses.
I was afraid she'd end up with 10 mg a day of Klonopin and she's over sixty.
I took her to another doctor who prescribed benadryl for the akathisia symptoms, and to help her sleep.
Hopefully, the akathisia will subside and she will need the Klonopin less and less.
Klonopin, Ativan, Xanax, etc., are addictive, and don't let any quacks tell you they're not.
N
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