Antidepressant effects of lorazepam ?

[Kdem]

After briefly switching from lorazepam to clonazepam and back to lorazepam,

Does anyone have experiences with this antidepressant effect, is there a known mechanism of action ?

 

[Nagelfar]

I do know that changing differing benzos often times doesn't 'maintain' the same full effect of whatever benzo you were on to whatever benzo you've switched to. It seems people need to stay on the one their body is used to and keep with it for the full effect.

Whether this is due to metabolism or not I cannot say. However such seems to be a prevalent occurrence.

Although there may be some mechanism of anti-depressant affect had in lorazepam not had in that of clonazepam, but I personally am not elucidated on what that may in-fact be.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

I always thought clonazepam was the one with the antidepressant effect, whereas lorazepam was less addictive. Here's something (at least) to back this up: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hup.1015/abstract

 

[Kdem]

I may have noticed some initial but temporary antidepressant effect with clonazepam.

About the abstract: 2.5 - 6 mg a day, that's criminal ! 6 mg would be equivalent to 120 mg diazepam .

 

[adder]

I always thought clonazepam was the one with the antidepressant effect, whereas lorazepam was less addictive. Here's something (at least) to back this up: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hup.1015/abstract

I doubt lorazepam is less addictive than clonazepam. Being a hypnotic it should have at least a fairly high affinity towards alpha-1 subunit which seems to be the major subunit involved in reinforcing properties of benzodiazepines. I didn't find clonazepam to be particularly pleasurable, it was actually one of the dullest benzodiazepines I ever took. I think the addiction to benzodiazepines may be broken down to physical dependence and psychological dependence which depend on different subunits of GABA-A receptors. Clonazepam is certainly one of the worst benzodiazepines to get off due to the severity of physical and neurological withdrawal symptoms but I never found it to be much reinforcing.

 

[Ainslinn]

Also, a side effect of bezos is depression so be aware of that. Are you on anything else, like an SSRI?

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

I doubt lorazepam is less addictive than clonazepam. Being a hypnotic it should have at least a fairly high affinity towards alpha-1 subunit which seems to be the major subunit involved in reinforcing properties of benzodiazepines. I didn't find clonazepam to be particularly pleasurable, it was actually one of the dullest benzodiazepines I ever took. I think the addiction to benzodiazepines may be broken down to physical dependence and psychological dependence which depend on different subunits of GABA-A receptors. Clonazepam is certainly one of the worst benzodiazepines to get off due to the severity of physical and neurological withdrawal symptoms but I never found it to be much reinforcing.

Actually, despite your anecdotal report, lorazepam is indeed generally hailed as a less pleasurable benzodiazepine. Mileage varies, of course.

 

[Kdem]

No, nothing else.