![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by SadDoggie on February 3, 2005, at 23:46:55
Does anyone know if you can mix amphetamines like adderall or dexedrine with benzos, or is it dangerous?
SadDoggie
Posted by med_empowered on February 4, 2005, at 0:35:53
In reply to Benzos with amphetamines, posted by SadDoggie on February 3, 2005, at 23:46:55
you sure can mix 'em...welcome to the wild, wild world of upper-downer combos. Sedative/amphetamine combos were common way back when, starting I think with Dexamyl, a combo of dexedrine and Amobarbital used as an antidepressant of sorts...well, bad news struck: amphetamines can cause addiction and induce psychosis in excess. Barbiturates can make people stupid, addicted, and kill them...in addition, the withdrawal syndrome is vicious and kills as many as 5% of addicts trying to abstain. Anyway, back to your question (I like giving background, sorry). After some time in psychiatry's dark closet, the old combos are back, kind of. Lots of people are coprescribed ativan, klonopin, xanax, etc. with a stimulant such as ritalin or adderall. Unlike in the past, we know the risks of both drugs, doses are kept minimal, and we're using the relatively benign benzos as opposed to the death-in-a-bottle barbiturates. I, for instance, used to take 4mgs Klonopin (2mgs, 2X daily) and 40-60mgs adderall. I still take the adderall, but have tapered off the klonopin. Not ALL shrinks are willing to do this; some hate stimulants, some hate benzos, some will look at you like you're a freakin druggy if you dare to suggest this combo...you get the picture. But, yeah, the combo certainly appears to be safe enough.
Posted by SadDoggie on February 4, 2005, at 1:24:28
In reply to Re: Benzos with amphetamines, posted by med_empowered on February 4, 2005, at 0:35:53
The benzos help me to relax but don't do that great a job on the depression (antidepressants don't either) so I wanted to try a stimulant to help with the depression. Do these drugs usually work like I want? Have you found that the adderall alone works on these two things for you?
SadDoggie
Posted by med_empowered on February 4, 2005, at 1:30:34
In reply to Re: Benzos with amphetamines, posted by SadDoggie on February 4, 2005, at 1:24:28
hey! I take BuSpar now for anxiety, and while it doesn't kill off panic attacks like Klonopin did, I feel much more alert. Its a tradeoff, I suppose. At any rate, the adderall I does help elevate my mood SOME, but alone it isn't what I'd consider a terribly effective anti-depressant; basically, it improves the cognitive problems I get when depressed (lack of focus, lack of initiative, etc.) that tend to overlap with and worsen my pre-existing ADD/ADHD symptoms. The adderall also kind of evens out my mood, so when depressed I don't have those horrible highs and lows as the day progresses that I used too. My adderall was RX'd for ADHD and then increased when I became deeply depressed; my doctor added two antidepressants designed to work both with each other and with the adderall, for maximum benefit. I'm pretty much un-depressed now, and my anxiety is OK (BuSpar really does help, but I think just having less anxiety for so long with the Klonopin helped me readjust my behaviors and thinking somehow) and my depression is lifted in part by adderall and in part by antidepressants, and there does seem to be a good synergy with all my meds. Good luck!
Posted by lars1 on February 4, 2005, at 5:26:55
In reply to stimulants+depression, posted by med_empowered on February 4, 2005, at 1:30:34
> my doctor added two antidepressants designed to work both with each other and with the adderall, for maximum benefit.
Which two antidepressants were those, if I may ask?
Posted by lars1 on February 4, 2005, at 5:32:33
In reply to Re: Benzos with amphetamines, posted by SadDoggie on February 4, 2005, at 1:24:28
> The benzos help me to relax but don't do that great a job on the depression (antidepressants don't either) so I wanted to try a stimulant to help with the depression. Do these drugs usually work like I want? Have you found that the adderall alone works on these two things for you?
I have to agree with med_empowered that stims are usually not that effective for depression, at least not by themselves, not long-term. If you tell us more about your symptoms and what you have already tried, maybe the board could suggest some antidepressants or combos that might work for you?
Best regards,
Lars
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.