Posted by HelenInCalif on August 2, 2007, at 16:35:22
In Short:
I'm seeing my pdoc tomorrow to discuss my newly growing anxiety in reaction to recent life stresses. We're going to have a philosophical difference over the best way to treat it, based on an earlier short June consultation.How can I work through this disagreement? Have you seen a conflict between SSRIs vs. Klonopin for anxiety?
She'll suggest starting Celexa for anxiety. I'd rather take nothing than Celexa if I'm not depressed. The side-effects I get aren't worth it. Even the idea of starting a SSRI makes me feel anxious. Klonopin, on the other hand, worked for me. No SSRI did 5% of what Klonopin did for anxiety.
Question:
Is it possible for pdocs to prescribe Klonopin for an "As Needed" treatment? Is there a prescription level that *in her mind* is unlikely to lead to tolerance?(1)Note that I also take ritalin for ADD: I've taken it continously for 11 years and have never changed my dosage. That and the bcp are my only regular prescriptions.
Thanks,
Helen
-------------------------more details:
I've taken SSRIs several times long-term in the past 2 decades for depression: if they ever could have also helped me with anxiety, I should have seen it. I never did. Until Klonopin I never knew what "not feeling anxious in public speaking situations" felt like. Never.
I'd much rather take Klonopin a few times a week and only during anxiety-provoking events. This way I can continue to break the connection between "feeling anxious" and "public speaking" for example. I found that if I take Klonopin 3 times in a row for a type of event, then on the 4th time I barely feel that stress, because I've unlinked "stressful" from "event."
It seems like that's much more focused and efficient than taking an SSRI continuously, especially as I'm not feeling any depression.
SSRIs in my experience:
1. do help with depression, but don't help with my anxiety- else they would have in the past, and
2. don't stop the depression from starting, IF the depression is caused by anxiety.
3. have dreadful side effects- sex, drymouth, horrid headaches and more on withdrawal.Background / more on history:
In late June I was facing several stressful events: job loss, job interviews, public speaking. So by phone consult she prescribed a short (2 week) course of Klonopin, but suggests I should move to Celexa full time after tomorrow's appointment.I'd first (and last) had Klonopin in early 2004-early 2005, and Celexa in mid 2004-mid 2005.
The reason I started Klonopin in 2004 was to help with a big issue- a severely ill relative in the hospital for months before he died, plus two other relatives died that year. I'd started Celexa as well not long after because all that death got me depressed.
When I took Klonopin for the first time, it truly helped with anxiety- both at the hospital and for more ordinary life situations. I was able to do things like give a lecture without anxiety: I'd never done that before.
After early 2005 I didn't have more Klonopin, but I did save some last pills for "emergency" use: interviews, public speaking, etc. Even when I was still talking Celexa the Celexa didn't help with anxiety, not the way one Klonopin could.
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(1) Quite frankly, I took Klonopin daily for months back in 2004 and didn't develop a tolerance, but that doesn't seem relevant to her or the HMO's guidelines.
poster:HelenInCalif
thread:773587
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070730/msgs/773587.html