Klonopin for depression?

Question

I have anxiety and depression issues. My anxiety is constant worry about things and about health and such. I don't want to take anymore anti-depressants because i don't like the way they make me feel (very foggy headed, sweaty & hot). Does anyone know if the the klonopin will help with the depression? It makes me very tired. I take .5mg twice daily. It has mellowed me out for sure and my mind is not constantly consumed with worry but i still feel down in the dumps. I have started walking in the evenings and that has helped some with my mood.

Answer 1

You are on a very low dose of Klonopin. I understand your reluctance to take antidepressants, but there are many and all do not have the same side effects and they effect all of us differently. There is a strong connection between anxiety and depression, if the klonopin reduces your anxiety and the result is less depression that is fine...but it does not always work that way.

I have taken different antidepressants for years and have taken klonopin for 15 years now, sometimes alone, sometimes only as needed and sometimes in combination with the antidepressants. Addiction is always something you should watch with a benzodiazipine (the category of medication Klonopin falls into). Because of this, you must always work closely with your doctor.

Good for you on the walking!!!!!

Dusty

Answer 2

Klonopin will not have any effect on depression. Infact a lot of these depressants eg those prescribed for sleep, anxiety, muscular cramps actually cause depression, especially with long term usage and can trigger suicide. Alcohol can do the same.
Klonopin is a benzodiazepine and tolerance to the effects of benzodiazepine develops rapidly. You will probably notice in the coming weeks and months that you become tolerant to the klonopin (it will stop working), and any benefitial effects will be lost and you will likely find that if you try to stop using it after a while that you get anxiety and depression and a dozen other symptoms many times worse than the origional disorder. It can also be dangerous to stop high doses abruptly as you can take seizures and suffer psychosis as part of the withdrawal syndrome. Stopping any psych drug abruptly can be dangerous though or at least unpleasant.
If the meds are not working maybe you should look into CBT or therapy. Maybe try changing your diet cutting out caffeine, aspartame, alcohol. If you have stresses in your life abusive relationship, job stress etc maybe you need to change your situation or lifestyle rather than changing your brain chemistry.
I am sorry you are feeling down in the dumps. Find the cause of your symptoms and then work on tha cause.
I would seriously if I were you check out this http://www.benzo.org.uk/manual/ and read about klonopin and benzodiazepines in general before you become a long term user of klonopin.

Answer 3

I don't know. I take 1.5mg Klonopin and it does not make me tired but my nasty panic attacks and most of my anxiety are gone. That in itself makes me happier. My antidepressant works well for me and does not make me foggy headed, etc.. I take 30mg Lexapro. It just sounds like your antidepressant may be the wrong one for you, not that Klonopin is the answer for the depression. You may have to try other different antidepressants even if you don't really want to. I recently was put on Abilify as a 'mood stabilizer' along with my Lexapro and Klonopin. It hasn't done anything yet but the goal was to hopefully get me off the Klonopin in the future. It's not a drug you want to be on forever if you can help it. The Abilify supposedly should help with the OCD problems I have that can cause some of my panic attacks. My obsessive negative thoughts cause a lot of my anxiety.

Maybe read a bit about Abilify if you haven't already tried it. There are others but Abilify is 'weight neutral' so you supposedly won't gain 20 lbs. It's an atypical antipsychotic rather than an anitdepressant. It's possible something like that may help you. Ask your doctor about them and see what he/she thinks.

Answer 4

What kind of doctor gave you the Klonopin? If you aren't seeing a psychiatrist, you should. They are the only doctors fully qualified to prescribe medications that will help your particular condition.

I'm pleased for you that the Klonopin is helping with your anxiety.

You might want to attempt joining a group to become more active socially: a book club, an art class, a dance class, etc. Walking by yourself is another isolating activity, try asking a friend to come along. Talk about current events, new restaurants, anything but your depression.

Good luck.

Answer 5

i take konopin for the same, severe anxiety and it does help me alot. at first it made me kinda groggy and now my body has gotten used to it so it doesn't affect me like that anymore and i do great for the most part. i have even been working a full time job for the first time in 5 years. i do still have some anxiety every so often but not to the extent that it used to be. i also take the exact same dosage as you .5mg twice a day. i hope that this helps

Answer 6

I take Klonopin 1 mg twice daily,

I guess it could help a little cause it gives you a calming affect which makes things make a little more sense in life.

your on a really low dose, I mean i've talked to people who take 2mg four times daily for siezeurs

Answer 7

Klonopin is highly addictive too. Please dont take it for anything other than what it was prescribed for. All it will do make you sleepy which will in turn make you more depressed. Maybe you should change the anti depressant you are on.

Answer 8

Why do people say how good or bad a psychiatric medication is? Everybody does not have the same chemistry. What qualifies others to tell people that they should or should not take an "badl" drug. Just because it is bad for you it may be a life saver for others.

Answer 9

My daughter was on klonopin for seizures for a while. Bad med. If there is anything else your doctor can suggest, I'd say go for that other one.