Posted by laima on February 8, 2007, at 9:51:17
In reply to Re: Benzo Confidential ), posted by Squiggles on February 8, 2007, at 9:25:24
> Is it possible that the paradoxical results are dependent on a model of clonazepam putting it in the same class as the anxiolytic benzos and old barbiturates, and alcohol? An anti-epileptic drug may share some of the same brain receptor stimulation but have other brain effects or different ones.
That makes sense to me.
> What you say about having nasty withdrawal effects, reinstating the dose or raising and yet still getting no stability, is interesting.
Isn't it? For the longest time, I thought the problem was that I was just obviously deteriorating into a mess. Didn't think the drug could have anything to do it, but Heather Ashton actually planted the notion in me that it could be withdrawal/tolerance/drug related. My own doctor noted I was developing a tolerance, but didn't address the question of whether or not the actual clonazapam could be making matters worse. Just never came up, and it didn't occur to me to ask.
Well, my doctor did talk about seizure risk from too rapid withdrawal, noting clonazapam is of course also an anti-convulsant, but evidently felt his schedule was slow enough to prevent that risk from manifesting- and indeed, no seizure.
So I don't know what he'd think about withdrawing from xanax- I actually used it for awhile around the beginning of my clonazapam era- just switched over. Xanax is shorter acting, and I would get agitated when it wore off. (Hmm..another clue to short term withdrawal?) It also is not considered an anticonvulsant, and doesn't do anything for restless sleep, or myoclonus. A few years later it came up again, and this time he said he'd soured on prescribing xanax because it could be troublesome- didn't elaborate- I heard it has a pretty nasty withdrawal. Maybe he had patients with addiction or withdrawal problems? Maybe it's especially tempting for people to abuse, because it can produce an awfully "nice" feeling along with its anti-anxiety effects? Or some other reason? I just don't know.
He has mentioned that withdrawal, particularly sudden withdrawal, off most drugs can result in a rebound effect of whatever the drug was treating, until brain restabilizes from the shock.
But I say, just to be on the safe side, taper plenty slow enough to reduce any possible seizure risk. Give your body a chance to adjust itself. My comprehension of clonazapam withdrawal is: you got the benzo/rebound anxiety issues to deal with, and you got the anti-convulsant issues to deal with. I have no idea if other benzos could ever cause seizures if stopped suddenly, but I don't remember that being mentioned. I'm not up for digging out the answer- someone else would have to do that if curious.
Good luck!
poster:laima
thread:730516
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070207/msgs/731072.html