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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Nic on January 23, 2001, at 9:47:31
I have been on Serzone 600 mg/day and Klonopin 3mg/day for several months now. It seems that since I have been on this combination, that I can get more irritable and angry quicker.
I have been on treatment for over 6 years now for Bipolar, depression, anxiety and panic attacks.
Initially I was on Prozac and Trazadone for many years, but the prozac always made me more anxious and nervous.
Then I was on Prozac + Remeron, but the weight gain was to much.
Then I continued on Prozac and Ativan. That was not too bad , but I continued to have problems with panic and anxiety attacks.
Now I am on Serzone + Klonopin, and seems to be working fairly well, I get lethargic and drink about a pot of coffe a day and about 6 diet cokes in the afternoon.
As far as depression I think I have gone backwards a bit.
Any comments, suggestions or advice would be kindly appreciated.Thanks,
Nic
Posted by Neal on January 24, 2001, at 17:44:38
In reply to Serzone + Klonopin, caffeine and burst of anger!, posted by Nic on January 23, 2001, at 9:47:31
In my opinion, your having too much caffeine, Nic. Panic attacks and caffeine are a bad combo. If you drop the caffeine and get too lethargic, perhaps you would be able to lower the Klonopin a bit, with pdoc's okay.
And if you do that, you'll save all those trips to the restroom!
Posted by Nic on January 27, 2001, at 6:57:56
In reply to Re: Serzone + Klonopin, caffeine and burst of ange, posted by Neal on January 24, 2001, at 17:44:38
> In my opinion, your having too much caffeine, Nic. Panic attacks and caffeine are a bad combo. If you drop the caffeine and get too lethargic, perhaps you would be able to lower the Klonopin a bit, with pdoc's okay.
>
> And if you do that, you'll save all those trips to the restroom!
What would be a more normal caffeine consumption.Also, not sure if the Sezone works as well on the Depression as Prozac did.
Posted by PatJ. on January 29, 2001, at 17:53:36
In reply to Serzone + Klonopin, caffeine and burst of anger!, posted by Nic on January 23, 2001, at 9:47:31
> I have been on Serzone 600 mg/day and Klonopin 3mg/day for several months now. It seems that since I have been on this combination, that I can get more irritable and angry quicker.
>
> I have been on treatment for over 6 years now for Bipolar, depression, anxiety and panic attacks.
>
> Initially I was on Prozac and Trazadone for many years, but the prozac always made me more anxious and nervous.
>
> Then I was on Prozac + Remeron, but the weight gain was to much.
>
> Then I continued on Prozac and Ativan. That was not too bad , but I continued to have problems with panic and anxiety attacks.
>
> Now I am on Serzone + Klonopin, and seems to be working fairly well, I get lethargic and drink about a pot of coffe a day and about 6 diet cokes in the afternoon.
> As far as depression I think I have gone backwards a bit.
>
>
> Any comments, suggestions or advice would be kindly appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
>
> NicDear Nic,
I noticed that after I have been very depressed and get on an antidepressant that works for me I usually get angry, too. My theory is that I had turned the anger inward and thus was depressed. When I became less depressed the anger started popping out. For me, caffeine can make me irritable, too, and I drink a bit more than recommended and am going to cut down on it. I think they say 1-3 cups a day is okay. I noticed that the caffeine in Diet Pepsi and Diet Coke can really put me over the edge-it makes me so nervous I get irritable. I have read that too much caffeine can be bad for your heart. I love coffee, though, I must cut down. Especially the gourmet kind :). Prozac made me anxious, as well. It also nauseated me for months on end. Does the serzone make you tired and so you drink more caffeine? I find myself being tired a lot and that is my reason to drink it. I cut down once before and felt better, I recall.
Posted by Neal on January 30, 2001, at 2:07:34
In reply to Re: Serzone + Klonopin, caffeine and burst of ange, posted by Nic on January 27, 2001, at 6:57:56
>I have been on treatment for over 6 years now for Bipolar, depression, anxiety and panic attacks
For someone with that diagnosis; no caffeine is indicated, in my opinion. The only reason you can consume that much caffeine is because Serzone and Klonopin are sedating.
Posted by Nic on January 30, 2001, at 9:08:00
In reply to Re: Serzone + Klonopin, caffeine and burst of ange, posted by Neal on January 30, 2001, at 2:07:34
>Neal,
You mean, you don't comsume any caffeine at all?
>I have been on treatment for over 6 years now for Bipolar, depression, anxiety and panic attacks
>
> For someone with that diagnosis; no caffeine is indicated, in my opinion. The only reason you can consume that much caffeine is because Serzone and Klonopin are sedating.
Posted by DaveH on March 9, 2001, at 4:21:57
In reply to Serzone + Klonopin, caffeine and burst of anger!, posted by Nic on January 23, 2001, at 9:47:31
> > >
" I have been on Serzone 600 mg/day and Klonopin 3mg/day for several months now. It seems that since I have been on this combination, that I can get more irritable and angry quicker.
. . . I get lethargic and drink about a pot of coffe a day and about 6 diet cokes in the afternoon.
As far as depression I think I have gone backwards a bit."
> > >I'm also on a similar Klonopin + Serzone script. 600mg/day Serzone and 4mg/day Klonopin. This I have been on for about two years. Before that it was Klonopin + Paxil. (I started to miss my long-gone libido, though, so the Dr. replaced the Paxil with Serzone) which, thankfully, does not have that side effect, nor much of any sort of side effect, for that matter. (At least to me.) Before that, I went through _several_ different drug therapies. I have been in treatment for depression and anxiety/seizure disorder since 1994 -- and on and off treatment for depression since 1983 (as a teenager).
After detoxing and forever quitting years of foolish and practically suicidal 'self-medication,' I figured that the "tiny everyday household" addictions like coffee and cigarettes were the last thing I needed to worry about. I had kicked (survived) alcohol and heroin for heaven's sake! Nobody was going to touch my smokes or my coffee, dammit!
But I can tell you that after I cut down (and finally eliminated) my caffeine intake -- mainly in coffee and soda pop -- there was a significant decrease in the frequency of my panic attacks. (Which was plenty enough reason for me to happily quit caffeine. Also cigarettes, four years prior.) It seems that many people who have anxiety/panic disorders, with or without depression, are ultra-sensitive to CNS stimulants, which can make their anxiety worse.
That's the way it is for me. Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, and my incidence of panic/dissociative episodes decreased when I quit one, and decreased more when I quit the other. I just wish there were more things I could quit, if it would help as much as quitting caffeine did!
I think it is difficult to objectively assess your level of depression in any case, much less when it is further complicated by the constant blood-level of a high-potency benzodiazepine such as Klonopin. The medication's effect on the CNS can manifest as lethargy and can be erroneously attributed to the same clinical depression that you may have been living with for years. But that is the result of an entirely different chemical reaction. Your body will eventually adjust to the "downer" effects of the Klonopin, just as it will adjust when you quit caffeine.
The sort-term discomfort during this natural adaptation process is more than worth the long-term benefits of being free of the need for these noxious chemicals in order to feel "normal." Life is tough enough.
This is the end of the thread.
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