# Clonazapam and Citalapram



## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

I am in Sydney have just seen a professor who has successfully treated someone with clonazapam and citalapram. Am a week into this treatment and am very hopeful, have heard really good things and Dr Sachdev talked about a remarkable improvement when the benzo (clonazapoam was added to to SSRI. Keeping hopeful. Have just got my act to gether with 20 mins twice a day at the gym and this has definateley brought some relief. Last thing I wanted to do but definate improvement. Welcome any responses from others who have tried this combo. Best wishes and happy to share stories with anyone.

sarah in Sydney x


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

Well good good good good good luck. I hope it works for you.
Clonazepam and an SSRI seem to be on the way to becoming "the" treatment for dpd.
There is another major treatment and it is clonazepam and an epileptic drug that starts with an L.
I could look it up or you could ask MrMister who is trying it.

Correct me if I am wrong about this anyone.

The other big thing is getting your life in order and getting excited about whatever you do. Seems like you are doing that.

Best of luck.

If you recover I will have a little party with cake and ice cream with my kids. 
If you don't....... well......we will have one for you anyways.


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

Thankyou so much Mark..The thpought of an icecream cake party did make me smile. I am so keen to share any positive experiences of recovery as I know the heart break that is out there. Thanks for the reasssurance, There is a great posting called 'you can get better' I am sure you have read fron "dr Beatie". I was greatly encoraged by that. Have tried osteo as well with cranial treatments. I think the best thing that came froim that was a refreshiung reminder that our bodies and minds work as one. I am in a private hospital in Sydney at the moment and I have been doing a lot of work on accepting this temporary reality and bringing it with me so I can still make decisions which give me a valued. passionate life. I think that that was what you were talking about in doing things that you enjoy. It has given me some relief. I am a school tecaher and I think I have just decided to do some casual teaching and take some small actions towards planning for that. I am already feeling more just thinking abpout that and experiencing some great relief. I have found that acceptance and commitment or ACT therapy has been an alternative to CBT. I will definately be letting you know when the drugs kick in or whe I start to take more steps in the direction of my core values..

Anything that you are aiming for that could be celebrated over here in sydney let me know. Sounds like you have already achieved a lot. Are you experiencing relief from symptoms?

Sarah in Sydney keeping hopeful


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

Lamotrigine I think


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## Mark (Jul 21, 2008)

> Anything that you are aiming for that could be celebrated over here in sydney let me know. Sounds like you have already achieved a lot. Are you experiencing relief from symptoms?


So we can fly over and have cake and ice cream in Sydney? I think it would taste better over there.

If you are in hospital it sounds like it hit you pretty hard.

I have no relief from my symptoms at all. My dpd never changes. 
It is my attitude that changes and that is related to how smoothly my life is going.

Yes I think it is Lamotrigine.
Why not try that?

I have my own therapy what other people might use one way or another.
I just said this the other day.
I believe that I have the right to lie in bed all day and feel sorry for myself. That is how bad this thing is.
If I do anything above tha,t then I am a hero. If I sit outside on the front porch and gain some sort of enjoyment then I am a hero.
I get a lot of strength from that thinking.

I will be looking for your updates.

Mark


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

So haven't tried any meds? any reasons for that? Yeah my dpd got to the point of making me dysfunctional. Think the distress has lessesned since I have labellled this thingand seperated it fromme personally. Lot of my self esteem has been based on the DP being my personality. I am flabergasted by the underdiagnsosing and lack of recognition of DP.

I have heard some reports about lamotrigine that I wanted to look into more and since I saw a doctor who had prescribed citalapram i wanted toi replicate that. I hope you have soime relief. I understande hoe debelitating this horrid thing is and how difficult it is to treat. I am just glad I am throiugh the years of being misdiagnosed. A Dr over here wants to do a functional MRI and I am ca to take part in whatever can help. My next step will be MAOI Marplan and I have good feelings about tHAT.

Take care sarah


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Just wanted to say that one of the meds I take to successfully treat my dp is Lexapro which is very similar to Citalopram. (Also take Abilify which is awesome stuff.) It took about a month for the Lexapro to kick in, but once it did, what a difference. Have also tried Klono and it too helped but stopped because I was too tired. Could go back on it if I wanted to since I've discovered some help for the tiredness (Provigil or Adderall) but don't think I need to--Lexapro and Abilify seem to be enough.


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

Thanks

Any other names for abilify.. Citalapram is vber similar to lexapro or Escatalipram the drug name. I also had amazing relief with Anafranil but it didn't stick and whe it didn't work it bought on sever DP. I will do a search for Abilify to see waht else it comes up as. Might try the lexapro and the Clonazapem. One moleculr difference apparently and 10 mg is eqivalent to twenty ofd citalapram. 
Thanks for tips.. am in hospital and checkiing for postings is a distraction and a source of relief. Take Care
Sarah
Keeping Hopeful


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

Im on 30mg Cipralex daily, I think its helping in the way that it makes the lows "not so low". Cipralex is similar to these drugs right?

EDIT: This is apparently Abilify, which I know nothing about.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abilify

EDIT2: I wonder why the drug-index in my country lists Clonazepam as an anti-epileptic drug when we know for a fact that it is a bensodiazepine, an anxiolytic drug (panic and anxiety). All the other benso?s are not.


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Abilify is an atypical antipsychotic that can glue the mind together helping to get rid of dp. It has done so for me. While it obviously doesn't work for everyone, I know several who have been significantly helped by this drug.

Klonopin (clonazepam) is a benzo. Don't think it is an anti-epileptic.

Lexapro is the next generation of Citalopram. Whether it works better the Citalopram for dp I don't know since I've only had Lexapro. It gets rid of anxiety and obsessive thoughts which can be a cause of dp.


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## franz (Jul 9, 2008)

this is exactly what i'm on! just seven weeks now, but i've almost stopped taking the clonazapam except in particularly bad times. on 30mg of citalopram.

so far...definitely a lot more stable. i was getting to a point of almost complete inability to function and being totally overwhelmed by everything. dp and anxiety were constant and out of control. i'm getting back to feeling a lot more steady. have the same sort of thoughts or sensations but i find my body doesn't react to them in the same way. also feel more capable of seeing that things can be worked out and will get better, which i couldn't before.

the first few weeks my "symptoms" were way worse - this might be because i was apprehensive about taking anything and it sort of fed into my feeling of being out of it. the clonazapam really helped with that. i've stopped taking it because it made me really "cloudy" and now i don't feel as overwhelmed by reality in general so don't feel i need it so much. i think i've begun to feel better since i've stopped taking those as regularly. the one bad side effect i have is being tired all the time.

it's still early stages, but things feel slightly improved with this treatment.


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

> the one bad side effect i have is being tired all the time.


I recommend trying Provigil to combat the tiredness should you not get used to the celexa (citalopram). It is a natural feeling stimulant that doesn't interfere with sleep.

So glad you are feeling better. SSRIs can be a vital med in combatting dp. Should you continue to feel a bit of anxiety or depression I also recommend abilify for that as well. Abilify amplifies the effectiveness of antidepressents, and can help with dp as well.


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

abilify made me worse... how can it boost an ssri anti depressant? its a dopamine modulator? ... might work for bipolar but i wouldnt go advising people to pop it in order to get an ssri to work better


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Sorry abilify did not work for you. Different medicines work for different people. But abilify has been proven in studies to be a successful add-on to antidepressants.


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

like effexor at high dosage etc? yeah i can see that , ive got comorbid depression with dp/dr myself .. but i cant understand how it would work for dp/dr?

stick the papers up maybe we can find some extra info?


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

I don't yet have enough posts to give a URL. Google "Abilify helps as add-on depression treatment-study" and you'll find an excellent article from reuters about the efficacy of Abilify as an add-on based on a recent study.


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## MrEggsalad (Oct 2, 2008)

I just started Abilify 3 days ago, currently I feel like restless which I'm thinking maybe is a side effect from it while I still get used to it or something. Glad to read that it can significantly help with DPD though, that gives me much needed hope.


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

> I just started Abilify 3 days ago, currently I feel like restless which I'm thinking maybe is a side effect from it while I still get used to it or something.


I had this too. This is also known as akithisia and is a common side-effect of abilify. For me, it went away after a while but it doesn't always. There are medications for akithisia like cogentin that can help should the abilify be worth it. If the abilify works for you as far as dp is concerned it should take only a few more days. Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.


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## MrEggsalad (Oct 2, 2008)

Ah thanks for the good news on that it should be only a few more days, it's getting really annoying. Hopefully this works, I will keep all updated as I continue treatment.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm coming off clonazepam is it's effecting my emotions, dr/dp real bad... *sigh*.


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Emulated Puppet}eer,

How long have you been on klono and at what dosage? How is it affecting your emotions?

Dan


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2008)

two years @ .5mg


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Since you were on it for so long, did it ever help? How do you know the klono is to blame for the dp/dr getting worse? I assume you know that 0.5mg is a fairly low dose. Most people I've known who have been helped by klono for their dp take 1.0 to 1.5mg per day.


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

dan.. cant find any research showing abilify is effective for dp/dr (even forums posts) adjunctive treatment resistant depression ..yes your quite right

please mate be carefull... i know you want to help ..but just blindly recommending drugs like provigil/ abilify is a bit dangerous dont you think?

im not some random high school kid btw , was a biologist before this shit got me..


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

yeah darren hows the clonaz affecting you? 0.5mg is piss all tbh.. you could up it a LOT as dan says

if you dont want it .. post it to me mate


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2008)

It worked.


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

so can i get the leftovers darren? im serious here mate  sierra has my referral but im looking at feb next year until i can actually try some clonazepam...

give you a few crates in return tho


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

MrMister,

Abilify, as my psychiatrist with many years of experience thought, cleared much of my dp in just a few days. (Lexapro then helped my dp more after about a month.) I've also heard many other testimonies of either abilify or other atypical antipsychotics (Seroquel, Zyprexa) helping people with dp. As for research, you're right, but besides a few pyschiatric research outfits like Mt. Sinai School of Medicine who's even doing research on primary dp? Has abilify even been studied?

Dan


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

MrMister,

You can take my klono if you'd like :wink: While it did help my dp, I got too tired on it and have been helped by other means.

Dan


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

in a few days? did you definetly have dp/dr? most psych drugs take a week or more to work

as far ive seen (and experienced) seroquel and other antipsychotics have a minimal (if any ) effect on dp/dr

as i said before, the suggestions via your psychiatrist should not be thrown round giving advice to take potentially dangerous psychatric drugs without any basis , some people might be desperate (like me ..  ) and go buy some drugs online 

ill have your cloanzepam tho  .. not from pakistan or anywhere is it?


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

I had dp (not dr though) for over 5 years 24/7. I felt like I was in a movie ALL the time :? . Went through all the tests (blood, neurological, ENT) and they all came back negative. It wasn't until I read about dp on the internet that I knew what I had. It wasn't until I saw a competent psychiatrist that I got proper help.

As for me throwing out drugs for people to try, let me state clearly that someone should be seeing a competent pyschiatrist first before trying ANYTHING that I say. In other words, someone can suggest to their Dr. they'd like to try such-and-such drug, and leave the final decision up to him or her.


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

that is the problem though.. competent psychiatrists


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

Haven't been able to access this this site Australia for some reson for s month or kept coming up with virus warning. I have reached 40mg of citalopram and 3.5mg of Clonazapam. Been on the 3.5 for only a week or so now. So waiting for some more action from that, Difficult to tellif it is working as I had such a hard time coming off the anafranil. When I had the week or so of success on thr anafranil I felt everything, seeing the world for the first time! so I guess that i my bench mark. I have woken this morning with some more energy, so keeping hopeful. I know someone on Lamotragine who loses coordination from it and have onle quick conversation with my doc with some reservationa about it but thay are basde on little so would lok into it. I am going to post the case study of clonazapm and citalapram form a professor in Stdney that treated someone with it successfully on a website so you can check it out as I am basically following those directions. He said that she experinced a remarkable improvement when the clonazapam was introduced but needed it it stay above a certain level..foggy on details. As i mentioned befor I am going to give this a nother month or two then thinking about MAOI Marplan. Juat difficult and expensive to get it into Australia. Thanks for all the feed bak. There is obviously a lotof buzz about these drugs at the moment so I am hopeful. Find this site really helpful so Hope I can keep accessing it without any troubles. Also taking amino acid Lglutamine , suppossed to help drug get through blood brain barrrier, zinc, manesium and fish oil. Why not hey! Just struggling to exercise. Thats my next thing as I know too well that it helps.

Keeping hopeful Sarah


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Sarah,
3.5mg of clonezapam seems like a pretty high dose. I've heard of 1.0 to 1.5mg being used to treat dp. I wouldn't go any higher unless your doctor agrees and you have some success.

The Marplan sounds interesting. Let us know how that goes.

Dan


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

ThreePlateDan, what worked for you? What did your Doc do?


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

> ThreePlateDan, what worked for you? What did your Doc do?


Abilify, an atypical antipsychotic, has been the main drug that has helped me. I'm still on it. It glues my mind together bringing things to focus, lowering the dp considerably.

I've also tried other atypical antipsychotics such as Seroquel and Zyprexa which also worked but had to go off because of side-effects. Clonezapam also seemed to help, but it made me super tired (somnolence). Recently, Lexapro has helped, but I've been going off of it because of somnolence. If going off the Lexapro doesn't help the tiredness and fatigue I might lower the abilify.


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

My doctors have told me I can go up to about 4mg. i'm trusting them on that. Have been bit tired from it but that is manageable. Will do a net search though to double check that amount but I haave some good docs. Please don't anyone trust this info without looking into it thoroughly for yourself.

Sarah

If any one is interested the site depersonalisation.info speaks of treating DP with MAOI Marplan which I think will be my next step.


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Glad you have some good docs. That's so important! My main concern is that if 3.5mg doesn't help at all, it's unlikely that 4mg will help.


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

Why's that? Noy going to wite it off..I will haave to do some more research before I make that step


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Has 3.5mg helped you at all. What do your doctors think about the likelihood that 4mg will help?


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## MrEggsalad (Oct 2, 2008)

If 3.5mg doesn't help, chances are 4mg won't as I don't think for this medication the dosage is that huge of an increase. Also, you would have felt some kind of effect at 3.5mg (as I do with my uber low dose of xanax that is helping me a lot so far), so like you would at least get less intense dp or something.


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

Think the 40mg citalapram and 3.5 clonazapam may be shifting things a little. I don't as though I AM PRETENDING SO MUCH AND GAINING A BETTER SENSE OF self. So I guess that is what is keeping me going on it. Things still a little 2d so got a way to go?


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Glad the klono and celexa might be helping. Since I assume you can't try Marplan while you are on an SSRI, you might want to try abilify. It's helped me tremendously with my dp.


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

also abilify made my life a living hell... dan.. does you father work for bristol myers ? you really need to stop recommending such hardcore antipsychotics to people who arnt even psychotic..

i know you trust your psych doc a lot but just step back and take a look what your doing, theres no research to recommend any anti psychotic for DP/DR..

take it easy ok?


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## sarah (Jul 8, 2008)

MrMister,

Whats been your best drug combo yet? and whay isn't anyone mentioning MAOI Marplan? See depersonalisation.info..
Saraf


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## ThreePlateDan (Aug 30, 2008)

Mister,
Again, I'm sorry Abilify didn't work for you. No medicine works for everyone. I've seen atypical antipyschotics help too many people with dp to take it easy.
Dan


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## coffeecup (Jun 29, 2008)

best drug combo ive seen from research papers by sachdev,sierra (and this forum!) are:

citalopram clonazepam (around 2 mg seems average? ) and lamotrigine (250mg upto 700mg (!!!!) )

i really want to try this, but my current psych doc wont even read the research papers i give to him...


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