Benzo Induced / Sustained Depression

Hi,

I've been on V for nealt 2 years not and have come off of some heavy meds in the last year including Lyrica 300mg and Seroquel 150mg. i finished my Seroquel taper mid Jan this year. Although I was suffering depression before the meds it was only when I was given V to cover SSRI start up that things turned really bad for me and led to polydrugging hell. For the last 18 months my motivation and interest in life have gone. I exist just about but in a permanent state of depressive hell from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. Waking up is a terifying experience and at my best all I can do is sit on a couch all day long. I'm more depressed now than I've ever been and it's getting to a point I don't know what to do. My shrink has denied any of my meds cause depression and just offers Lamotrigene or ECT as he thinks I've treatment resistant depression. I think my depression is being sustained or worsened by the V but atm I'm just not mentally and physically able to start a taper having spent the lst year tapering off of other meds. How long should i leave it before trying to taper my V and is my steady dose of 12mg V enough to sustain or cause depression?

Cheers

Staz

Yup, the depression can be devastating. Can also feel that you are separated off and often leave you suffering in silence. Indeed, has been a freaking nightmare - 18 mo. out - even still having bouts of depression that can drive my self esteem into the ground! If only I had known before ever getting on it. Damn. You may well be treatment resistant, as I was, but no doubt - at least in my case, amplifies it. I've been looking into studies done on treatment resistant subjects under high dosages of Psilocybin done in both the UK and US.

I’m not sure why docs often don’t understand benzo-induced depression – it’s real, and it happened to me. I thought the problem was that the Paxil had stopped working, so I tapered off. Big mistake, because the depression got much worse.

 

Began tapering Ativan, then tried crossing over to Valium, a worse mistake. Switched back to Ativan (an improvement), rapid-tapered and then cold-turkeyed.

 

As horrible as that was, the depression eased up rapidly after I jumped.

 

I don’t recommend doing it the way I did, but there’s no doubt that depression can be terrible from benzos, and Valium can be particularly bad for some of us.

 

I think you’re right to be cautious about believing your depression is ‘resistant,’ especially while you still have Valium in your system. 

1. Find another psych.

2. Taper off valium or crossover to another long-acting benzo like clonazepam (which is less likely to induce depression, might even help aleviate it due to serotonergic properties).

 

I got off clonazepam 2 years ago but due to some traumatic events i had to reinstate a benzo, i thought valium would be the best choice.

Valium made me extremely depressive with daily crying spells, i'm a guy who otherwise never cries....

Luckily ive only been on V for 6 weeks now and have tapered down to 0.625mg, will jump in 5 days. My depression is lifting.

 

So yes, V can make you feel depressed and totally worthless, especially if youre dealing with problems.

 

Do consider that everyone is different. I have found Clonazepam to be the more depressive of that and V and X. But that's just me. I'm actually at a more depressed place now at 18 mo. since the start. I was worse though in 1968, 2010 and 2015 for other reasons. So many factors/variables.

Are you still taking the SSRI? Which one and what dose?

Are you still taking the SSRI? Which one and what dose?

No I'm not taking any SSRI's just Mirtazapine and Dosulepin which is a tricylic a/d and then the 12mg of V

Cheers

Staz

Thanks responding guys,

I've heard V has a bad reputation when it comes to depression and unfortunately I can't fire my shrink although I'd love to. Here in the UK you get a shrink the NHS give you and that's it. I could ask to swap over to another benzo but I'd doubt he'd agree and it's a bit of a crap shoot as to wether it would make any difference from what you are telling me.

I'm really not sure where to go from here but I think my mind needs a break as I've been tapering off of one drug ot another consistently for the last 18 months. My Seroquel taper was quite rapid and I only finished that the end of Jan.

Cheers

Staz

Today is hell. Raging depression and anxiety. I hope I survive this.

 

1. Find another psych.

2. Taper off valium or crossover to another long-acting benzo like clonazepam (which is less likely to induce depression, might even help aleviate it due to serotonergic properties).

 

I got off clonazepam 2 years ago but due to some traumatic events i had to reinstate a benzo, i thought valium would be the best choice.

Valium made me extremely depressive with daily crying spells, i'm a guy who otherwise never cries....

Luckily ive only been on V for 6 weeks now and have tapered down to 0.625mg, will jump in 5 days. My depression is lifting.

 

So yes, V can make you feel depressed and totally worthless, especially if youre dealing with problems.

 

I can relate Nick,

I cry daily for hours sometimes and get nothing from life. I'm glad you are getting off quickly and your depression is lifting.