Posted by Viridis on November 20, 2003, at 2:06:19
In reply to Re: panic and Wellbutrin » Viridis, posted by psychlover on November 17, 2003, at 23:36:01
I find myself very anxious if I skip my daily dose of Klonopin, but when my pdoc asked if the anxiety was any worse than what I experienced pre-Klonopin, I really couldn't give a definitive answer. In other words, it's hard to tell how much of the anxiety that many people experience when discontinuing benzos is "withdrawal" and how much is simply a return to the previous condition.
I have no doubt that benzos induce dependency, and certainly wouldn't recommend abrupt discontinuation -- that's potentially dangerous. It's just difficult for me to separate "withdrawal anxiety" from the intense anxiety I experienced without benzos.
In any case, benzos (except Xanax) rank pretty low in studies of withdrawal problems. The worst offenders include many of the most commonly prescribed antidepressants. It seems like most of these powerful psychiatric meds have to be discontinued gradually. After all, they have major effects on neural function, and sudden discontinuation is very likely to cause a serious jolt to your brain.
poster:Viridis
thread:223231
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031116/msgs/281545.html