Posted by zeugma on May 22, 2004, at 20:35:38
In reply to Anyone taking klonopin for social phobia? » rvanson, posted by erik98225 on May 22, 2004, at 19:12:33
I'm currently taking .5 mg Klonopin twice a day for social phobia.
I've noticed people acting differently around me- because I seem a little more 'normal' around them, less likely to erupt into a panic attack at the slightest provocation.
It is my experience that most pdocs have no understanding of social phobia. If you tell them you're anxious around people they lump it under 'generalized anxiety disorder' which is a FAR milder and easier-to-treat condition (e.g. with virtually any antidepressant).
I take .5 mg in the am, and .5 mg in the afternoon when it begins to wear off. Right now I am going through a lot of medication changes (i.e. titrating off one AD and planning to add something else when I meet my pdoc next). I have a script for 1.5 mg/day but right now 1 mg seems to be keeping my symptoms of SP under control, more or less. When I went from .5 mg to 1 mg a day I did feel slightly drunk for a few days, not mentally but physically (I was a little unsteady). I can tell you that getting my social phobia treated has got to have been one of the most FRUSTRATING experiences of my life. Taking drugs that did nothing for it (SSRI's, Buspar, TCA's), trying treatments that were wholly counterproductive (CBT) and persuading my dr. to prescribe me something so I could literally keep my job (people with SP are often sacked for their 'strange' behavior around others), not to mention the personal misery this disorder causes... I have been through a lot with this disorder, and Klonopin does work, it is one of the few drugs that has solid evidence of benefit in this disorder. Best of luck,
z
poster:zeugma
thread:347048
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040521/msgs/349753.html