Posted by Elizabeth on April 5, 1999, at 23:20:09
In reply to Re: BuSpar and other things for anxiety, posted by Terry on March 31, 1999, at 16:12:50
>I though SSRIs were appropriate for panic?
They are, absolutely.
And what about Klonopin? both are
approved for that indication, as I understand.>I would not use benzodiazepines as a
>first-choice for long-term treatment of panic
>disorder because of tolerance/dependency
>issues.One would think so, but actually there are two things that make me think differently:
1. It turns out that people don't develop tolerance to the antipanic effects of benzos - just to the sedation.
2. People who have PD tend to be hypersensitive to side effects. Since the main side effects of benzos are usually sedation (wears off after a while) and cognitive impairment (different for different people, and doesn't bother some people depending on their profession), this makes them a good alternative if antidepressants aren't tolerated. (Overall I'd still consider an antidepressant the first choice.)Also, Paul asked about an antidepressant for GAD (not PD) - Klonopin isn't an antidepressant (some people even complain of increased depression from it).
-e
poster:Elizabeth
thread:3795
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19990501/msgs/4435.html