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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cubbybear on February 8, 2003, at 3:38:52
I'd like to hear from people who are taking more than one benzo at the same time and if it is considered dangerous even when the total cumulative dosages are statistically considered safe.
I've been on 3.75 mg./day of Klonopin for several months and I've taken it to help me sleep during a prolonged period of depression. I'm now in a state of transition between ADs: I'm tapering off Moclobemide and plan to start MAOI Parnate in early March. The depression is agonizing and there will also be about a 10-day period between my stopping the Moc. and beginning the Parnate. My pdoc suggested also taking .5 mg./day of Xanax since Xanax has been shown to have some anti-depressant qualities. But I'm very scared of adding one benzo on top of another, although I went along with his suggestion anyway. My depression suffering is the worst it's ever been and I need relief but I dread the possible risk of dependency from taking two benzos.
I'm also running another post regarding people's experiences with Xanax as an anti-depressant.
Posted by viridis on February 8, 2003, at 4:07:08
In reply to One benzo on top of another, posted by cubbybear on February 8, 2003, at 3:38:52
I receive prescriptions for Klonopin and Xanax concurrently, and have absolutely no problems. I take Klonopin daily, and Xanax as needed. Xanax augments the Klonopin when I occasionally need it, and my pdoc encourages me to take it according to how I feel.
If you're not used to benzos, then I'd watch out for sedation, clumsiness, etc. Aside from this, there's no danger that I'm aware of. Benzos are very safe drugs (in the absence of alcohol), and I've never had any problem with the combination of Klonopin and Xanax.
Posted by Alan on February 8, 2003, at 9:19:36
In reply to Re: One benzo on top of another » cubbybear, posted by viridis on February 8, 2003, at 4:07:08
I take klonopin 1.5 - 2 mgs and ativan. With a diagnosis of GAD and SAD the combination works well. Klon for GAD and ativan for SAD. The ativan can be stopped and started with almost no withdrawal effect as the klon moderates this phenomenon for me.
This is becoming a more common form of treating mixed anxiety/depression with anxiety being the cause of the depression. Now that the backlash of benzophobia is slowly being untangled my physician says this way of treating anxiety is finally coming back into the mainstream.
I do find though that anything above 2mgs of klon causes me mild depression. I've seen this reported here and in studies about one of the side effects of klon in general or in higher doses.
Perhaps just xanax or ativan monotherapy is an option if the bzds are working for you. They don't have that reported side effect.
Alan
Posted by lostsailor on February 9, 2003, at 16:10:59
In reply to Re: One benzo on top of another » viridis, posted by Alan on February 8, 2003, at 9:19:36
alan, I am in similar sit with dep and klonopin. I was taking klonopin 6 mg + xanax prn and changed the klonoopin to valium with a ton of success. good luck ~tony
This is the end of the thread.
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