Posted by musil on October 1, 2002, at 12:07:49
In reply to Re: Hope first, then Seroquel v. Benzo, posted by Denise528 on October 1, 2002, at 11:47:45
I found clonazepam, lorazepam and diazepam (klonopin, ativan and valuim, respectively) to have a marked antidepressant effect. However, I peaked at 1.5mg clonazepam per day before getting freaked out by anti-benzo rhetoric, tapered quickly, and suffered greatly during the taper.
While on benzos, I never felt "depressed" by them, but I always took them in conjunction with an ssri (celexa).My pdoc says that benzos are incredibly safe to take (we've now got ~40 years of history) and if you're aware of a potentially difficult discontinuance, and can manage tolerance by increasing dosage, the benzos with the longer half-lives (clonazepam, diazepam) can be efficacious for the long term.
If I had allowed myself to quickly resume ssri+benzo, I don't think I would have suffered psychotic manifestations as much as I did. Clearly, I was having anxiety of the worst kind -- but it had a psychotic edge to it that seemed to be getting worse, so I tried the seroquel as an alternative to diazepam.
I seem to be advising myself at this point, probably the best kind for me. I'm sensing some side effects from Seroquel (stiffness, weight gain) but appreciate all it has done for me. It's also allowed me to get a well-rounded picture on benzo use. I might choose to reduce Seroquel in the next six months and, if necessary, augment with benzo.
> Hi,
>
> Yes I have the same concern, I've been helped a great deal by Zyprexa but have the same apprehensions as you do about taking an antipsychotic. I can't really advise you as I haven't taken any benzo but am curious as how you compare the two. Is the benzo just as effective as the Seroquel for calming you down, does the benzo bring you down at all. My psychiatrist won't prescribe me with Klonopin because he says that it can make you even more depressed, have you found this to be the case?
>
> Denise
poster:musil
thread:121796
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020930/msgs/121817.html