Posted by jasmineneroli on January 7, 2005, at 17:43:55
In reply to Re: Discontinuing Klonopin/clonazepam, posted by djmmm on January 6, 2005, at 9:52:49
Going off slowly and carefully is the only way to do it without possible side effects and re-bound anxiety.
I was able to lower my dose to .25mg per day from 1mg per day without a problem. Others do not find it as easy, though.
Going off Klon. for a while, will be the only way to see if it really has any impact on your depression or not.
It's important to keep careful record notes of how you feel each day, as you drop down the Klon. dose, and then after a week or two without it.
You may find, that in lowering the dose, you will come to a low amount that is both therapeutic as far as anxiety is concerned and does not cause any lethargy.
Be aware that an absence of anxiety maybe misread to be depression.....once you do not feel your major symptoms of anxiety or stress, you may be more aware of any underlying depression. This was perhaps there all along, but when you were anxious, you just didn't notice it.
For myself, before I started Klon. treatment for GAD, I was convinced I didn't have depression....my Pdoc thought otherwise. He told me I had symptoms of mild depression caused by so much anxiety. He said it was extremely common for people with chronic anxiety to have periodic depression.
Stress in itself gives an energetic and driven wound-up response. Without it, you might feel lethargic or low, by contrast.
Some people like "living on adrenalin", they feel more alive...they just don't like the crippling anxiety that comes along with it.
Take care.
Jas
poster:jasmineneroli
thread:438324
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050103/msgs/439105.html