What is making my anti depressants stop working

[squirrel_girl]

I’ve been on 300 mg Wellbutrin for a bit now, and it was rly helping with my depression. I tried a bunch of diff meds for anxiety, but nothing worked so doc finally gave me a klonopin script.
Clearly the klonopin is helpful for my anxiety temporarily, but when it wears off I’m more depressed and anxious than ever. I don’t want to tell my doc this bc I don’t want her to take me off it bc it’s the only thing that’s even remotely helped with my anxiety but I’m just worried that its making the Wellbutrin not work because I feel more and more depressed every time I take it.
Could it be that the klonopin is messing with the Wellbutrin? I’ve also been drinking a LOT more than usual, could that make the Wellbutrin stop working / make me depressed again?

Has anyone had experience w alc fucking up ur antidepressants? Or benzos fucking up your antidepressants?

Thanks and sorry if this is incoherent I’m quite stressed rn

 

[Steady Scootin]

So you want your doc to help you with depression and anxiety, all while you also find a way to maintain and abuse a benzo script? Pardon me of I misunderstood your post.

 

[Mmp85]

Drinking will mess with your meds.
Alcohol is a deppresant and is likely bringing down your mood in general making it seem like an antideppressant isn't working.
You can't regularly mix alcohol with antideppressants or anti anxiety meds.

 

[Mmp85]

I've never had a problem taking benzos with antideppressants. They're not an inherently bad combo and a lot of doctors prescribe them together.

 

[GiNa LyNnxx]

Your Wellbutrin dose needs to be higher,, your body gets immune to the dose after so long,, also klonopin can be very addicting and hard to get off of,, that's more for panic attacks or moments of bad anxiety, I am on Zoloft and trazadone for sleep works good. Alcohol causes anxiety

 

[Keif' Richards]

What's the Clonazepam prescription for specifically?

How much Alcohol are you consuming per sitting and how frequently?

What was a detailed history of your prior experience with Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and general sedatives prior to this point in time?

 

[d1nach]

Well if we keep it as simple as possible isnt wellbutrin stimulant like and benzos depressant like. So maybe you might have anxiety and get relief with benzos its still in your system slowing things down making you feel like the stimulant like drug isnt working.

 

[Newbie25]

I have a question can Meth make your antidepressant and birth control stop working

 

[truenamebrand]

OP,

I was on Wellbutrin and clonazepam at the same time myself. For me, the Wellbutrin made my anxiety worse. At first it was somewhat tolerable because it was working, but once it stopped working after a few months (like everything seems to) I wasn’t going to deal with the extra anxiety. Wellbutrin is definitely known to do that.

I was on several different benzos over about 14 years, and the last one was clonazepam. I don’t remember, but I was told by my gf that I was a real asshole when I’d be “coming down.” I read somewhere it has serotonergic activity, unlike any other benzo. That could play a role in your issues, as it clearly did with me. I was unstable as hell.

As far as the booze... it’s going to fuck with just about any medication. An antidepressant won’t keep you stable when you’re getting extreme emotional swings from the alcohol. Shit causes anxiety, depression, and just makes you feel like shit in general. Cut it loose if you’re not hooked.

 

[Newbie25]

I’m not hooked but I have been on antidepressant since I was 13 due to my sister died in a car accident she was 10 and I was just asking if meth would effect what I’m on

 

[Keif' Richards]

I'm not really sure what happened to squirrel girl. I was hoping to hear some more details from her and then approach the thread from that direction, but alas. It seems like there is a general question regarding the usage of recreational drugs in conjunction with licit Psychiatric therapy. Even if OP is AWOL currently, I think there's some potentially useful information here that I'm sure a lot of BL'ers need to consider.

Those of you who know me and have experienced my philosophy understand where I'm coming from already, but for those of you who don't, none of what I say regarding "do's and don't's" comes from a position of moral or ethical judgement. If you are driving drunk or throwing an infant off a bridge, then yes, I will give my opinion, but in general, I'm just trying to help everyone get the most out of their lives.

With all of this in mind, I think that if you're engaging in activities like Methamphetamine binges or excessive Alcohol/Sedative/Hypnotic dependency, you are unlikely to experience a lot of positive benefit from continued work with a Psychiatrist. Your relationship with your doctor is predicated upon both of you being honest with each other. In the best of circumstances, with honesty being assumed, it's a difficult process. If, behind the scenes, you're drinking a 30 beers a day, or are engaging in stimulant binges, you have very little, if any hope, of improving your situation.

I'm not saying it's pointless to see a Psychiatrist if you're a drug addict, but I think it's best to have a realistic notion of what is going to come from it. My point is, if you're asking "Is a Methamphetamine binge going to effect my SSRI therapy?" then you are asking the wrong question.

 

[squirrel_girl]

sorry i've been awol, did not have internet for a sec, will respond to everything now and hope that it can help other ppl/ i can get more specific answers. but thanks for the replies so far i do rly appreciate all input.

 

[squirrel_girl]

So you want your doc to help you with depression and anxiety, all while you also find a way to maintain and abuse a benzo script? Pardon me of I misunderstood your post.

i'm not trying to abuse the benzo script. i do actually have an anxiety disorder that was fucking up my life have taken higher than prescribed dose a couple of times, but it's not the high for me/ i have many friends addicted to benzos and i see how scary they r

 

[squirrel_girl]

Your Wellbutrin dose needs to be higher,, your body gets immune to the dose after so long,, also klonopin can be very addicting and hard to get off of,, that's more for panic attacks or moments of bad anxiety, I am on Zoloft and trazadone for sleep works good. Alcohol causes anxiety

i have tried a mix of zoloft and wellbutrin unfortunately already im scared to get a higher dose bc wellbut already makes my anxiety worse and has other not great side effects, but im gonna talk to my doc. thank you!

 

[squirrel_girl]

What's the Clonazepam prescription for specifically?

How much Alcohol are you consuming per sitting and how frequently?

What was a detailed history of your prior experience with Benzodiazepines, Alcohol and general sedatives prior to this point in time?

It's for generalized anxiety disorder, i was drinking maybe 4 drinks in a sitting everyday but i've stopped as it was causing a ton of other problems (stomach issues etc).

i used to drink quite a bit, cut down major, and i've never taken benzos or sedatives prior to this.
hope this can be helpful, thank you for your reply!

 

[squirrel_girl]

OP,

I was on Wellbutrin and clonazepam at the same time myself. For me, the Wellbutrin made my anxiety worse. At first it was somewhat tolerable because it was working, but once it stopped working after a few months (like everything seems to) I wasn’t going to deal with the extra anxiety. Wellbutrin is definitely known to do that.


I was on several different benzos over about 14 years, and the last one was clonazepam. I don’t remember, but I was told by my gf that I was a real asshole when I’d be “coming down.” I read somewhere it has serotonergic activity, unlike any other benzo. That could play a role in your issues, as it clearly did with me. I was unstable as hell.

As far as the booze... it’s going to fuck with just about any medication. An antidepressant won’t keep you stable when you’re getting extreme emotional swings from the alcohol. Shit causes anxiety, depression, and just makes you feel like shit in general. Cut it loose if you’re not hooked.

i'm glad (not glad but you know) to hear that somebody else has experienced this. my doc told me there would be no "comedown" with klonopin, but i did think i was feeling one when i took it and was confused.
i def think i'm going to try to cut the alc out as most people have said that probs is the problem. hopefully it will help!

 

[squirrel_girl]

I'm not really sure what happened to squirrel girl. I was hoping to hear some more details from her and then approach the thread from that direction, but alas. It seems like there is a general question regarding the usage of recreational drugs in conjunction with licit Psychiatric therapy. Even if OP is AWOL currently, I think there's some potentially useful information here that I'm sure a lot of BL'ers need to consider.

Those of you who know me and have experienced my philosophy understand where I'm coming from already, but for those of you who don't, none of what I say regarding "do's and don't's" comes from a position of moral or ethical judgement. If you are driving drunk or throwing an infant off a bridge, then yes, I will give my opinion, but in general, I'm just trying to help everyone get the most out of their lives.

With all of this in mind, I think that if you're engaging in activities like Methamphetamine binges or excessive Alcohol/Sedative/Hypnotic dependency, you are unlikely to experience a lot of positive benefit from continued work with a Psychiatrist. Your relationship with your doctor is predicated upon both of you being honest with each other. In the best of circumstances, with honesty being assumed, it's a difficult process. If, behind the scenes, you're drinking a 30 beers a day, or are engaging in stimulant binges, you have very little, if any hope, of improving your situation.

I'm not saying it's pointless to see a Psychiatrist if you're a drug addict, but I think it's best to have a realistic notion of what is going to come from it. My point is, if you're asking "Is a Methamphetamine binge going to effect my SSRI therapy?" then you are asking the wrong question.

again sorry i was awol! didnt have internet. i think you rly bring up a good point. i very much am trying to cut down on my drug abuse and i rly hope that will help alleviate symptoms. i know it def can't be helping

 

[T. Calderone]

Hey squirrel girl, thanks for the update. It's true when people say that antidepressants don't work as they should when a person is drinking. I'm an alcoholic in recovery and there was a time where I thought I could limit myself but just couldn't. Just had my third sober Christmas.

I've recently switched antidepressants and been on so many different ones over the years. I also use temazepam at night which is a benzo and don't have any problems as of yet. See how your Wellbutrin works when you're not drinking at all. If you find yourself stuck, maybe your doctor can adjust your dose.

If you need support with quitting alcohol, you can visit our Sober Living section. Just know we're here for you!

 

[Keif' Richards]

One important thing to note Squirrel Girl, is the cross-tolerance between Ethyl Alcohol and Benzodiazepines. There is a very close relationship between the two, which leads some to call Benzodiazepines "Alcohol in a Pill". They do not completely overlap, but in general, you can drink Alcohol to relieve Benzodiazepine withdrawal and vice versa. I'm just saying this because I want you to know that your Alcohol consumption and your Benzodiazepine consumption should be viewed as a more aggregate issue.

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) is a stimulant, basically and I experienced pretty severe anxiety when I took it. I really think that the Bupropion could be playing a large role in the level of anxiety you're experiencing, but this is really a wild guess and to be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[squirrel_girl]

haven't had a drink in about a week and i have to say that it has definitely helped :') might make it a more permanent thing. i think my anxiety has even been better! grateful i was able to stop.
i'm also trying to take the klonopin as infrequently as possible, which i think is helping in general because i'm not getting used to the feeling it gives me.
it's crazy that it seems like it was the alcohol causing so many problems when i thought drinking was normal and fine!
thanks all!