Posted by utopizen on October 11, 2004, at 18:02:07
In reply to Re: Can Klonopin induce Depression/cognitive problems? » utopizen, posted by zeugma on October 11, 2004, at 16:56:42
> xanax has been shown to have AD effects. unlike other benzos, it increases both serotonergetic and noradrenergic transmission.
>
> another, related compound, adinazolam, was investigated for depression, and had promising results (a poster here has tried it) but thanks to politics, and hidebound notions about what an 'antidepressant' is, it was shelved and will likely never surface again.
>Depression alone probably isn't worth going on an addictive benzo over. That, and studies since 1985 have proven Klonopin to have antidepressant properties. Both Xanax and Klonopin have antidepressant properties, and both have patients report depression occuring while taking them. Psychopharmacology isn't that simple.
I thought I was "too cool" and too happy to stay on antidepressants a couple of years ago, since they did nothing for my social anxiety and I never felt depressed in my life back then.
So I took Klonopin and Desoxyn for my social anxiety and ADD. Great. Several months later, depression hits. I'm in denial. Tell myself it's a sleep disorder, get all these tests done, see experts in sleep, etc. Refuse to go on an antidepressant, thinking that's "over-simplifying" my "complicated" problem. I've ended up with a 1.6 GPA. I don't know, you tell me-- did Klonopin help me be a happier person?
Did the Xanax I tried for awhile reverse my depression? No. I got so depressed on the stuff I would skip classes because I felt so miserable there was no reason for me to go out of bed.
I can hardly function today. I had to hit rock bottom, to the point where my friends were having problems just looking at me, before I started asking my psychiatrist for an antidepressant. I'm on Lexapro 20mg, and will try it out for another month before considering Cymbalta with him.
There's nothing wrong with antidepressants. A lot of them won't work for us, true. But each one is different, and you need to try them as you get them, not as you read about them from others. Benzos are not effective antidepressants alone. I don't care what controlled studies claim. A lot of it is that people might have MILD depression, sign up to these trials, there biggest issue is really anxiety, that goes away, they stop obsessing over their mild depression, and then their depression goes away.
Xanax is not going to have you jump out of bed in the morning screaming "What a Wonderful World" out the window at 6 AM each day.
Search Medline for "alprazolam-induced lyrical vocalization pheneomena" and then tell me benzos are antidepressants.
It's bad enough antidepressants don't work well. Adding a benzo like Xanax or Klonopin sometimes make them work better. But thinking any benzo can replace the need to take an antidepressant will lead you to become more like me. And trust me, getting so stressed out you feel a strong urge to check yourself into a mental hospital for the night is not where you want to end up.
Reading Medline abstracts only proves scientists haven't cured procrastination yet (at least, that's the reason why I read them).
poster:utopizen
thread:400416
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041007/msgs/401781.html