By Geoff Bloomquist

 Klonopin (clonazepam) is a prescription which is used in the therapy of an a growing number of health issues. Initially approved as a therapy for controlling seizure illnesses such as epilepsy. Today its most well-known use is for fighting several different social, anxiety, and panic illnesses such as social anxiety disorder (SAD), panic attacks, acute mania, and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)..

Current studies have shown it can be especially effective as a short-term anti-depressant when given in conjunction with a selective seratonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy which includes Paxil, Prozac, or Zoloft. Recently a study 84% of participants noticed modest to substantial improvement in their disorders with the beginning of clonazepam's anti-depressant effect almost a week into the research. Substantive reductions of final scores on the Beck Self Rating Scale and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were also reported right after the trial.

Another clinical trial carried out on 55 patients over 28 days with a depressive disorder a full remission was produced in 60% of the people. The final scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale lowered by approximately 50% after 1 week. The most significant clonazepam side effects noticed by the authors were fatigue and drowsiness in forty percent of the participants, and hypotension in 20% of individuals.

The combination functions effectively due to the fact that the clonazepam works to relieve the detrimental effects of the SSRIs, primarily those correlative to insomnia, anxiety, and panic attacks. The clonazepam might also boost the potency of the SSRI medication, however additional study will need to be done this is confirmed. The response time in the effectiveness of the SSRI is also accelerated by the cotherapy of the medication.

Lasting outcomes of the combined medication treatment haven't been sufficiently examined, most studies are short-term (three to four weeks). One research study carried out over a 18 week time frame with 50 study members found the cotherapy of SSRIs and clonazepam to be safe and effective. More documentation is necessary in advance of this will become advocated, however.

One of the well-known properties of clonazepam is its affinity for patients to end up being dependant upon it, both psychologically and physically. The body can also rapidly develop a tolerance to the drug, calling for increases in dose to sustain performance. The speed at which tolerance and dependence develop varies by individual, although higher doses and lengthy use escalate the rate at which both occur. Several people have been known to develop dependence on the drug in as soon as two to three weeks.

Further Reading:
clonazepamdepression.webs.com
Information From The FDA