Posted by Shawn. T. on August 3, 2002, at 1:53:44
In reply to Urgent advice needed for a social anxiety med!!!, posted by Rocket Jackson on August 3, 2002, at 0:10:32
I would recommend Wellbutrin. Because you are on Klonopin, you should not experience the intitial agitation that is a potential side effect of Wellbutrin during the first few weeks of treatment. I am of the opinion that high noradrenaline levels often play a role in social anxiety disorder (note that some sources argue for a role for dopamine as well). Although Wellbutrin is a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor, it effectively decreases noradrenaline levels in the brain after a certain period of time. Its mild effects on dopamine reuptake inhibition may aid in social anxiety disorder; I would argue that this function may give you more energy and motivation in social situations. I do not have a problem with social anxiety, but I have found that Wellbutrin makes me less worried about how others might perceive me in social situations. You should have no problem tolerating Wellbutrin as long as you don't start off with a high dose (that applies to all psychiatry drugs really).
"HAM-A scores decreased by 59% for both treatment groups."
http://www4.infotrieve.com/search/databases/detailsNew.asp?artID=21628184
"Time to clinically significant anxiolysis did not differentiate between treatment groups or between responders to each agent [Wellbutrin and Zoloft]. These results contradict the commonly held, but unsubstantiated, belief that in clinically depressed anxious patients, serotonergic antidepressants are especially anxiolytic and that such patients preferentially benefit from the antidepressant or anxiolytic effects of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Thus, the clinical decision to select between these two agents when treating depressed outpatients cannot rest on either levels of pretreatment anxiety or on anticipation of more rapid or more complete anxiolysis."
http://www4.infotrieve.com/search/databases/detailsNew.asp?artID=29135235
Here is some information on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale:
http://www.fpnotebook.com/PSY71.htmShawn
poster:Shawn. T.
thread:115021
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020731/msgs/115031.html