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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Meltingpot on November 23, 2009, at 16:26:53
I've tried taking a small amount of Zyprexa every day but it tends to make me feel really numb and apathetic. It seems to work best if I take 10mg every 7 days and it always has helped if I take it like this. After 7 days I start to go downhill depression and anxiety wise.
Very occasionally I've taken 1mg klonopin and it's odd but once after I'd taken it my mum commented that I seemed like my normal self and the other night when I took it a friend said I seemed much nicer to be around. Not my usual irritable self. I still feel somewhat depressed after taking it but it seems to allow me to concentrate more on other things. The thing is when antidepressants actually kicked in for me the anxiety went away so I know that the anxiety is more related to the depression rather than just being an anxiety disorder on it's own.
I worry about taking Klonopin daily incase of tolerance developing and depression increasing and then ending up in a worst state.
Has anyone on this board taken Klonopin long term and then had it stop working for you, if so what did you do?
Denise
Posted by morganator on November 23, 2009, at 23:58:41
In reply to Can't take Zyprexa every day, Klonopin?, posted by Meltingpot on November 23, 2009, at 16:26:53
You can develop a tolerance to klonopin over time. I would just use it as needed if you are able to function most of the time without it. I cannot say that I have experienced developing a tolerance to klonopin but I have a friend that has. He now takes 6mgs a day! That's way too much for me. I have a feeling he will be facing some problems in the future.
So are you taking any antidepressants? Anxiety and depression typically go hand in hand and many times anxiety is a manifestation of the depression that lingers beneath.
Have you ever considered or heard of EMDR? I heard it can work wonders for anxiety in many cases.
Can you workout/exercise hard and then stretch for some time after. Stretching increases levels of GABA, the same chemical that klonopin works on. Intense exercise does several things including boosting serotoning and dopamine and creating neurogenesis in the area of the brain that is damaged by chronic anxiety and depression.
Sorry I didn't just address the question you asked.
Posted by morganator on November 24, 2009, at 0:01:00
In reply to Can't take Zyprexa every day, Klonopin?, posted by Meltingpot on November 23, 2009, at 16:26:53
It is interesting how you use Zyprexa, I may try this approach. Though I would prefer to get off Zyprexa completely, I currently am down to about 1.75mg/day.
Posted by Phillipa on November 24, 2009, at 0:17:32
In reply to Can't take Zyprexa every day, Klonopin?, posted by Meltingpot on November 23, 2009, at 16:26:53
Denise here's a different way to look at it if a seizure patient can take up to 20mg of klonopin does it poop out for them? I"d say take a smaller dose. It sounds like knock out the anxiety and the depression might also go as didn't you say you had dysthymia? Love Phillipa
Posted by Meltingpot on November 24, 2009, at 6:07:46
In reply to Re: Can't take Zyprexa every day, Klonopin?, posted by morganator on November 23, 2009, at 23:58:41
Hi Morganator,
Thanks for your suggestions. I have tried exercise and it doesn't seem to help at all. When all these symptoms came back in 2001 I was going to the gym regularly.
When I started taking antidepressants and had the initial worsening of the anxiety symptoms, I used to rush out of work at lunch time and go to the gym to see if that would help and it didn't.
When the Seroxat started to work back in 2003 all of the horrible symptoms went away and I actually felt quite good, I could sit and chat to people casually without that urge to just get away from them (which is how I feel now). Then when the Seeroxat stopped working, some of the symptoms came back. I must say I am worst off all medication but even on antidepressants I still find it difficult to just sit and enjoy a chat with somebody.
I'm sorry to hear that your friend is needing to increase his klonopin, how long has he been on it?
With regards to EMDR goes, I really don't have any traumatic incidents from my past that I can't talk about. Anything bad that has happened to me during childhood I'm able to talk about quite freely and openly so I can't see how EMDR would help.
For the time being I'm just going to have to take the Zyprexa every 7 days to stop myself really going downhill.
Denise
Posted by Meltingpot on November 24, 2009, at 6:10:01
In reply to Re: Can't take Zyprexa every day, Klonopin?, posted by morganator on November 24, 2009, at 0:01:00
Hi again,
Do you not find taking zyprexa regularly makes ou feel spaced out and numb to everything. I find that if I take it every day, whilst I have more energy and don't feel so generally crap, I feel a bit spaced out and numb to everything.
It might be worthwhile you taking it as I do, I don't know. What are you taking it for, anxiety, bipolar or Schitzophrenia?
Denise
Posted by Meltingpot on November 24, 2009, at 6:13:03
In reply to Re: Can't take Zyprexa every day, Klonopin? » Meltingpot, posted by Phillipa on November 24, 2009, at 0:17:32
Hi Phillipa,
Thanks for the reassurance, yes I have thought about it like that. I guess that if I did develop a tolerance then I could just resort to taking the Zyprexa every now and again instead.
I do still feel some depression though when on the Klonopin so I don't think it would actually ever get me to where I want to be.
How are your anxiety levels lately?
Denise
Posted by morganator on November 24, 2009, at 15:43:29
In reply to To Morganator - Your suggestions, posted by Meltingpot on November 24, 2009, at 6:07:46
Yeah exercise doesn't help me unless a medication is helping me at least 60 or 70 percent.
As for EMDR you don't have to have difficulty opening up and talking about things or remembering things in order for it to be of benefit. Actually, it is more beneficial for you to be able to remember and talk about your past. Just like therapy requires a good therapist and some hard work done by the patient, same goes for EMDR. It is the process of looking at electrical light go back and forth while you talk about things that helps to "re-wire" your brain and psyche. At least this is the theory behind it. It is at least worth do some research on. I am a total open book. I remember everything I tell all. My therapist and another therapist I spoke to told me they thought I might benefit from EMDR.
I am bipolar and I suffer from severe anxiety and depression. Zyprexa just does not seem to help me much other than making me feel stupid and numb. I admit it probably helped with my acute mixed episode but beyond that it may be worthless for me. I may do just fine on 150 mgs Zoloft and 750 mgs Depakote. I also hate the weight gain and potential long term side effects of Zyprexa. I'm down to quite a small dose and I'm feeling o.k. so I think I will be able to get off of it.
Posted by morganator on November 24, 2009, at 15:45:19
In reply to To Morganator - Zyprexa, posted by Meltingpot on November 24, 2009, at 6:10:01
So do you notice anything extra when you take the 10mgs every 7th day or so? I mean do you feel numb for a day?
Morgan
Posted by Meltingpot on November 26, 2009, at 14:30:43
In reply to Re: To Morganator - Zyprexa, posted by morganator on November 24, 2009, at 15:45:19
Hi,
Well my reactions might be different to yours as I don't suffer from bipolar. But over the years I have noticed that I do feel numb and detached the following two days after taking Zyprexa and then I feel more with it for the rest of the time, the anxiety is not as bad as it had been prior to taking it and I feel more confident. I feel more able to concentrate on other things other than myself.
However after about 7 days the weakness, listlessness, anxiety, irritability and suicidal thoughts start to come back.
I don't really like having to do it like this but I tried taking a small amount of Zyprexa for about 4 or 5 days on the trot and although I had more energy, I had absolutely no desire to do anything at all. I also felt really spaced out and numb all of the time (as you desribed).
This is why I was thinking maybe I should just take klonopin daily, at least until I go back on antidepressants.
Denise
Posted by Meltingpot on November 26, 2009, at 14:37:49
In reply to Re: To Morganator - Your suggestions, posted by morganator on November 24, 2009, at 15:43:29
Hi,
Maybe I should give EMDR a try then although I'm cynical. I feel a bit more open to suggestions at the moment as I'm still feeling some benefits from the Zyprexa, I last took one on Friday night, it's now Wednesday so I have a couple more days to go before I start to deteriorate (something to look forward to).
Over the last 8 years, exercise has never helped me, even when antidepressants have worked, exercise doesn't make any difference at all. In fact when my depression and anxiety was milder back in my early 20s I used to go swimming all of the time because I thought I had some kind of lung disease (didn't realise at the time it was depression and anxiety) and if anything I felt worst, more drained and weak the next day.
The only thing that does help a bit is keeping busy, you know forcing myself to do some sort of job.
I just don't want to have to keep working until I drop down dead.
Denise
This is the end of the thread.
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