Does Klonopin cause you to have depression?

Whenever I take Klonopin for anxiety or sleep, it always seems to cause me depression in the following days.

I'm just wondering if it does this for anyone else. It's not a horrible, deep, dark depression, but more of a low-grade down feeling. I'd describe it as feeling down in the dumps.

Let me know that I'm not the only one, or that it's my imagination!

I can't see why it couldn't. When I first started it about a week ago I would wake up feeling like a sloth caught in a net and it was a depressing feeling but as the drug hangover wore off, I felt less depressed and more on the manic side. I wouldn't take it when depressed....it could be something which tips me over the ledge.

Benzodiazepines are all depressants. So make sense.

Everyone is different.

Myself ? I take Valium daily, it's actually more for my Fibro that Bipolar. I don't notice any real depressive issues.

I've taken klonopin every morning with the rest of my morning meds for some 10 years now. It's hard to know how that has affected me since I take so many other meds and have taken it for so long. But more recently, my pdoc has prescribed more, to take PRN, when I feel I'm going to have a panic attack and feel paralyzed and can't get up to do anything. So this is the first time I've taken it, say, in the afternoon, away from other meds. Contrary to making me feel depressed, I feel like it frees me from the panic and the ensuing feeling of paralyzation (sp?) and allows me to get up and do what I need to do. No feelings of depression there.

Being a depressant it wouldn't be surprising. It's like alcohol. But I find personally that it gives me more freedom from anxiety and doesn't seem to cause me that much more depression, I'll continue to take it.

As Cristina mentioned, all benzos are depressants. Only sometimes, according to the person, can bring a different reaction.
In other cases, like mine, smaller quantities produce better effect.
I went from 2mg to .25mg Xanax (I had to mention it. I'm proud of myself) and wake up much fresher that before. And get the same calming effect (I guess). Althought I only use it to sleep.
And some sweet day, when the Vistaril really carries on, I'll be benzo free. Did I mention they are highly addictive?.
Good luck.

Absolutely!! I was on it for years and very seldom not borderline depressed. I then went off all meds but decided later to go back on klonopin because of a crazy sleep disorder. Within 3 days I was sobbing uncontrollably [and I'm not one to cry much] for days on end for no reason. I realized something was very wrong when I started seriously considering how to kill myself. My sister had been told by a neurologist that antidepressants cause anxiety so I wondered if klonopin might being causing the suicidal thoughts so I googled it. Sure enough, there it was! I went off it, and within 3 days was fine again.

Some people are sedated by benedryl and it makes other people excitable. Some people take Tylenol to relieve a headache and for others Tylenol actually causes headaches. Benzos are by their nature a depressant and sedating and depression is fed and kept alive via sedation sometimes. For others as someone here mentioned is true for them, ridding yourself of anxiety and sedating yourself can actually treat and have benefits to depression. It's definately worth discussing with your doctor. (((Hugs)))

Personally it doesn't affect me depression wise. It does help with my anxiety as it should. However I do remember a recent post about another member who said they would have depression for day or two after taking klonopin as a prn for anxiety. So I guess as most have said it depends on the person.

All benzodiazepines can cause or worsen depression. Klonopin, from what I've read, is the worst offender, which is unfortunate since its now so popular for psychiatric indications (Klonopin was mostly used for epilepsy at first...).

Having said that, treating anxiety and agitation can benefit one's mood. Xanax can lift some peoples' mood. From what I've read, xanax was used for some cases of depression, probably more before Prozac and friends caught on and xanax was still on patent (funny how patented psych drugs are good for --everything--...until they go generic...).

I'm glad to be off Klonopin, personally. For me, Ativan as needed was a better option than Klonopin 2-3x daily, all the time.

Maybe you are one of those people who are affected by Clonazepam in this way. Can you contact your pdoc and find an alternative?

For me I most often feel calmer and happier on Clonaz and that is at high doses too. yet I have had the odd occasion where my mood drops a little but nothing serious. We are all different so our bodies process and react to meds in contradictory ways.

Ativan is like a baby aspirin compared to morphine compared with how Klonopin reacts with me. I'm sure I could build a tollerence but my doc told me to only take half and keep taking PRN only so I use for emergencies. I did have about a week of emergencies but have not needed in a few days and think I'm over the humpnand coming down. I've been so physically sick I've just been tired and worn out and sleeping. My doctor said he understood my reaction to the election and wasn't alone and I felt validated. What was I talking about again? Sorry for the sidetrack....if it wasn't for the sidetrack I'd have no track at all these days.

In my experience yes, Klonopin can cause depression.

for me it causes depression. i still use it PRN when my anxiety is really bad

I can take a small daily amount and be just fine.

With higher doses, I feel very hung over and depressed.

A friend of mine, with very high anxiety, can tolerate larger daily doses without depression as a side-effect.


WC