Anti depressant or not? Benzo withdrawal

[[Ti...]]

I am in Benzo withdrawal now for 80 days.  The deoression I a, getting is absolutely sickening. It's like I am living in a different world to everyone else. I am so unhappy with my life, my surroundings, and myself.  The depression I have is fierce. .

 

My question Is should I go to someone for anti depressants?  I know this isn't a site for medical advice but just wanted to know if anyone has taken an anti depressant?  I need something. I've also tried a bunch of them and nothing helps. 

 

Is there any hope?  I know my problems will never go away but this depression is awful. I'm living in the past thinking about my ex wife and how stupid I was to get divorced.

[[do...]]

Hi Timmy

 

Well, I just tried to taper Prozac and I do notice that my depression has taken over to the point where eating feels useless and thoughts of dying are just too much. It feels like I don't even want to get better. I am going to go back on the Prozac.

 

I thought it might be slowing my healing, but it might be just the opposite. As of right now I feel as if it MAY have been making my life just bearable.

 

It might be worth a shot? 

[[Ju...]]

I have the same concerns, as I am taking imipriamine , an older Tricyclic AD while tapering, but I found this article online.

I always had bad side effects with SSRI's , so I went back to an old standard. Docs arent pressured to prescribe the older stuff because the patent has run out, so these drugs are very cheap (generics), no money to be made, so they'd rather give you Remeron or Abilify, to keep the money rolling. ANyway, this is it, AbstractSend to:

Am J Psychiatry. 2000 Dec;157(12):1973-9.

Imipramine and buspirone in treatment of patients with generalized anxiety disorder who are discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine therapy.

Rickels K1, DeMartinis N, García-España F, Greenblatt DJ, Mandos LA, Rynn M.

Author information

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Patients with generalized anxiety disorder (N=107) who had been long-term benzodiazepine users (average duration of use=8.5 years) were enrolled in a benzodiazepine discontinuation program that assessed the effectiveness of concomitant imipramine (180 mg/day) and buspirone (38 mg/day) compared to placebo in facilitating benzodiazepine discontinuation.

METHOD:

After a benzodiazepine stabilization period taking either diazepam, lorazepam, or alprazolam, patients were treated for 4 weeks with imipramine, buspirone, or placebo under double-blind conditions while benzodiazepine intake was kept stable (treatment phase). Patients then entered a 4-6 week benzodiazepine taper and a 5-week posttaper phase with imipramine, buspirone, and placebo treatment being continued until 3 weeks into the posttaper phase, at which time all patients were switched to placebo for 2 weeks. Benzodiazepine plasma levels were assayed weekly. Benzodiazepine-free status was assessed 3 and 12 months posttaper.

RESULTS:

Study subjects were long-term benzodiazepine users with an average of three unsuccessful prior taper attempts. The success rate of the taper in this study was significantly higher for patients who received imipramine (82.6%), and nonsignificantly higher for patients who received buspirone (67.9%), than for patients who received placebo (37.5%). The imipramine effect remained highly significant even after the analysis adjusted for three other independent predictors of taper success: benzodiazepine dose, level of anxious symptoms at baseline, and duration of benzodiazepine therapy.

CONCLUSIONS:

Management of benzodiazepine discontinuation can be facilitated significantly by co-prescribing imipramine before and during the benzodiazepine taper. Daily benzodiazepine dose, severity of baseline symptoms of anxiety and depression, and duration of benzodiazepine use were additional significant predictors of successful taper outcome.

Comment in

Benzodiazepine discontinuation in generalized anxiety disorder. [Am J Psychiatry. 2002]

[[do...]]

Is imipramine the AD that Dr. Heather Ashton recommends?

[Guest [pu...]]

I was off AD's for 15 months while tapering. I'm still tapering and started Prozac 20mg 4 weeks ago and it has been night and day. I was so hesitant to go back on one, as they all have given me horrible sxs and worse anxiety. This has not been the case at all with Prozac (of me). The depression was consuming every aspect of my life and becoming quite scary. So glad I decided to go on one. My anxiety has decreased, depression gone and made my PMS ( which was debilitating) vanish. I so hope I continue to see positive results, as I've tried everything under the sun. This was my last ditch effort and am sooooooo beyond relived I did. But now that I've typed this, I'm sure it will backfire and I'll spiral back into a pit of doom.

[[Ju...]]

I didn't know that Dr. Ashton had an opinion on AD's, I'll have to read more of her link.

As far as Prozac, I tried it for a week back in 1990, and it made me feel quite awful, so I stopped.

Everybody's body is different, as well as our mind's attitude as to what we're taking. There's

people on here who Cold Turkeyed Benzos without too much trouble, because they didn't EXPECT trouble.

Yet, I wouldn't recomment C/T to anyone. Stick w Ashton.

good luck,

J-man

 

[Guest [pu...]]

I didn't know that Dr. Ashton had an opinion on AD's, I'll have to read more of her link.

As far as Prozac, I tried it for a week back in 1990, and it made me feel quite awful, so I stopped.

Everybody's body is different, as well as our mind's attitude as to what we're taking. There's

people on here who Cold Turkeyed Benzos without too much trouble, because they didn't EXPECT trouble.

Yet, I wouldn't recomment C/T to anyone. Stick w Ashton.

good luck,

J-man

 

It's weird because Prozac was one of the first Ones I tried, but it was prescribed first time at a whopphing  100mg. I didn't even last a week. This time I started at 5mg and slowly worked up to 20mg. 

[[La...]]

Remeron or as some people call it Mirtazipine. I have read that they are using it in benzo withdrawal. It is very good at getting rid of deep depression and will make you sleep. NOTE: the LESSER the dose the MORE sedative the effect. Some people complain about the initial sedation and that it gives you a craving for sweets so that you put on weight. Those of us with the deepest depression could care less about this. It worked so well for me when I first used it (not for benzo withdrawal)...but pooped out mostly now. I am ultra med sensitive and this is one of the ADs I could tolerate. I even went for a day without taking my ativan (not smart!!!) but it calmed me that much and more importantly killed that damn devil depression.

 

Laurie

[Guest [Le...]]

It worked so well for me when I first used it (not for benzo withdrawal)...but pooped out mostly now. I am ultra med sensitive and this is one of the ADs I could tolerate. I even went for a day without taking my ativan (not smart!!!) but it calmed me that much and more importantly killed that damn devil depression.

 

Hi Laurie, how long did you take Remeron before it pooped out?  My doc just started me on this, for sleep and depression, but the effects are as spotty as any of the natural remedies I have tried, so I may want to jump now, before my body gets used to yet another toxic chemical, ugh.

[[La...]]

Hi!

 

Well, I never took it  in any dose over 15mg. Mostly, 7.5mg or under (I shaved the pill). I even used the microdoses like a benzo. (I am not a doctor, just telling you what worked for me). The poop out was in the antidepressant effect and that took about 5 years. I still use it for sleep. I'd say it's on of the more tolerable ADs I've been given. When I needed a break form unrelenting depression I would move up to 15mg, but the sedation was almost too much (I know I stated that the lower the dose the more sedative the effect, but that is just when you initially start taking it...was for me anyway.). Best of luck to you!!

 

Laurie

[Guest [Le...]]

Thanks, Laurie, that's really helpful - I think I may stick with it until this benzo thing is over.

 

If I tweak the dose up between 7.5 and 15 it may be the right level. I took 15 mg the first night and was a zombie the next day. But at least I slept!!! 

[[La...]]

Hi Leslie-

 

Yes, the zombie effect wears off eventually. Personally, I liked it as it calmed me down and yes- SLEEP! Our bodies def. need it to repair the damage done by these benzos! I wish it worked on the depression for me now. It also kicks in way faster than almost any other AD.

 

All the best to you!!!

 

Laurie

[Guest [Le...]]

Hi Leslie-

 

Yes, the zombie effect wears off eventually. Personally, I liked it as it calmed me down and yes- SLEEP! Our bodies def. need it to repair the damage done by these benzos! I wish it worked on the depression for me now. It also kicks in way faster than almost any other AD.

 

All the best to you!!!

 

Laurie

 

Thanks Laurie - I'm sure your depression will lift as you taper.

 

I noticed that my mood improved with each Ativan cut (up until I crossed over to Valium, which dropped me into a pit, so I returned to Ativan), even though the other WD symptoms have been difficult.

Wishing you a safe and comfortable taper! 

[[Pi...]]

I had a bad reaction to Paxil. The day after I took my first pill, I could not get up without falling over and every muscle in my body ached. I started having crazy thoughts and ended up in the e.r. where I got a prescription for hydroxyzine. I haven't taken any yet. My brain is still healing from the Paxil. Obviously, most people don't react like I did. If your doc said to try, you can and see if it will help. The only thing that has really helped me is listening to Meditations for Panic and Anxiety. I found one line really helpful. It was our mind that caused the anxiety in the first place, so it is only our mind that fix it. Yes, I still have Panic Attacks nearly everyday, but they are not as scary. And stay positive during the taper. I'm trying to everyday. I to went looking for another pill to fix the problem the first one only made worse. Everyone is different, though.Good luck!