Klonopin and Depression

   Hello Dr Gould,
I would appreciate you input on Klonopin and effects on depression.  I have a friend who is 11 weeks post-partum and has been having increase depression and anxiety.  She has been using Klonopin over the past two months and has slowly been using it more.  It seems to help here get through the difficult anxiety/panic times, but the depressive symptoms seem to be getting worse.  I have been doing some online searching for her.  I have found some articles saying that Klonopin decreases serotonin levels and that this can cause increased problems with depression.  I am also trying to understand the different actions of the benzodiazapines.  Is it true that only Klonopin has a negative impact on serotonin?  Could she try using Xanax or Ativan to get the positive effects and not the negative effects on serotonin?  Just trying to help here some.  She is so confused about what to even try next and afraid to try an SSRI.  Any advice would be appreciated.  THanks!
Brooke

[Venora Moonwind]

this is the patient to patient forum.but I will try to help. Tell your friend to get to the doctor and tell what you have told here.Then go from there.it would be good for her to go to therapy as well as the meds.Depression is conquered by a combo of meds and therapy.Btw you are very good friend to help.
I am bi polar and I take mey meds go to therapy and eat a balanced diet ,exercise and getr regular rest.This is soooo important for depression patients to do this.Let me know how it goes for your friend.
Love Venora

[uphill7584]

Xanax, Ativan, and Klonopin are all pretty similar drugs. Benzodiazapines are usually prescribed for anxiety disorders rather than depression. I have taken all three for my severe anxiety. They do help with that, but at the same time do increase my secondary condition which is also depression. Now, I am not in the medical field, but I have tried just about every drug there is for anxiety and depression. I think your friend might benifit from an anti-depressant like prozac or possibly a mood stablizer like lamictal. Just some thoughts, the best idea would be to talk with her doctor. It is hard to find a good medication combintion when you have anxiety and depression together because as you can see each drug can magnify the other conditions symptoms. My doctor suggested that I do detailed journaling for my anxiety and depression for two weeks, being sure to indicate with came first, what precipitated it, the changes or transitions from anxiety to depression, and what non-medicinal things helped curtail the feelings. After reading my journal, he was better able to understand my condition and we came up with a drug regimine that has been quite successful.

Good luck toyou and your friend1

[uphill7584]

ps...this is a patient to patient forum, the doctor will not respond here. You have to pay for a doctor's response in the upper section of the start page.

[BrookeP]

Oh, I did not really read the directions!  Thanks for the input.  My friend is very hesitant to try an antidepressant and I think that is what she needs right now.  It is kind of hard.