Posted by Viridis on August 26, 2003, at 5:51:05
In reply to SP, ADD, depression: ANY GOOD MED COMBOS?, posted by psycho D on August 24, 2003, at 23:05:17
As Ames said, benzos like Klonopin are very safe and effective. I recommend Klonopin highly, and have found that it combines very well with Adderall and Strattera, which I take for ADD. For most people, the initial side effects of benzos (sleepiness etc.) disappear quite quickly, but the anti-anxiety effects do not. I've been on the same dose of Klonopin for over two years without needing an increase, and my pdoc says he's had patients on the same dose for many years.
Like many, many other drugs, benzos are likely to cause medical dependency, which is very different from addiction, even though many people (including doctors!) use the terms interchangeably. Dependency means that if you decide to discontinue the med, you need to do so slowly. This is also the case with most antidepressants (which actually cause worse withdrawal than benzos for many people), some blood pressure meds etc. Once your system gets used to a medication, it can be dangerous to stop taking it suddenly, so you need to reduce the dose gradually. This is standard procedure, and nothing to worry about.
If you do fall into the very small minority who actually enjoy benzos and start taking more and more, obsessing about the drug, abusing it such that it interferes with your life, etc., then that's addiction. But this is rare with benzos, especially for the people who really need them. The goal is simply to feel normal, and that's what Klonopin does for me. I can't imagine abusing it, any more than I would want to take extra aspirin etc.
poster:Viridis
thread:253710
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030823/msgs/254248.html