Posted by zeugma on August 21, 2004, at 18:54:56
In reply to pdoc insists i stop xanax, posted by justjustine on August 21, 2004, at 17:53:46
> i have been taking xanax for years (1mg or less a day) and recently had to switch doctors. my new doctor is insisting that i taper off of xanax, she put me on wellbutrin, and wants me to take .5mg klonopin at night because she says this will help me taper off the xanax.
>
> thing is, without the xanax i'm a wreck, whether i take klonopin or not. now she says the xanax is "masking" my depression and i need to add lexapro to the mix. i can't seem to get below .75mg/day, which isn't much, but when i take less i just cry all the time? just thinking about being forced off it makes me upset.
>
> opinions? xanax seems like it works to me, and i'm not very interested in more ssri's after going through effexor withdrawal for over a month this past winter... is it really that bad to be on a benzo long term? why can't i keep a medication that seems to work?I can't imagine how it's worse to be on a benzo long-term than it is to be on an SSRI long-term.
As for Xanax 'masking' depression, I wasn't aware that doctors have gotten beyond symptomatic treatments. Prozac, Effexor 'mask' depression as well. Lexapro is no different.
poster:zeugma
thread:380515
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040821/msgs/380539.html