Posted by Viridis on October 28, 2003, at 2:01:53
In reply to Re: Agitated depression; anxiety bad in morning, posted by dannen on October 26, 2003, at 19:04:55
I've found Xanax very helpful, but I did build tolerance to it quite suddenly and now have to take much more to achieve the same effect than I did initially. Since I've always used it just as an occasional adjunct to Klonopin, this really hasn't caused me any problems. However, its short half-life, combined with the potential for tolerance and thus the need for higher doses, can cause problems for some people, especially those who use it regularly. My pdoc is quite willing to prescribe a set (fairly small) amount every three months, but also says that if my frequency of use increases, that's a cause for concern. Fortunately, I haven't had any desire to use it more often (once every week or two, on average). He doesn't seem nearly as comfortable with it as with Klonopin.
Klonopin is powerful stuff too, but I find it much more subtle, and most people seem to be able to get anxiety relief with the same dose for long periods of time. That's been my experience, and my pdoc says the same thing is true for many of his patients. However, like all benzos (and most antidepressants), if you decide to quit it, you need to do so gradually. Klonopin's gentle effects and long half-life may make it seem milder than Xanax, but it's a very potent med. However, so are most of these psychiatric drugs. They all change your brain chemistry, after all (which is what they're supposed to do, for the better) and if you've been using any of these meds for long it's best to discontinue slowly.
poster:Viridis
thread:271647
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20031025/msgs/274148.html