What Are the Benefits of Combining Klonopin & Prozac?

For people suffering from depression and anxiety, the right combination of medications is often hard to find. Doctors usually try a patient on various medications before determining which works best to alleviate the symptoms of mental health problems involving depression and anxiety. Medical research, fortunately, reveals a host of benefits of combining the antidepressant Prozac with the anti-anxiety drug Klonopin. Exploring these will help you to discuss this possible treatment combination with your doctor.

Response Time

• One major benefit of combining Prozac and Klonopin under a doctor's supervision is an increased response time to the effects of the longer-term antidepressant, Prozac. Often taking several weeks to a month to begin working for mental health issues such as Major Depressive Disorder, Prozac needs time to accumulate in the brain before it can tackle some of the debilitating symptoms of such disorders.

  According to a medical study by Summit Research Network, the addition of Klonopin--a benzodiazepine anti-anxiety medication--at the beginning of treatment with Prozac increased the antidepressant's effects within the first 21 days of treatment. This increase in the brain's response time is a key benefit of the combination of the two drugs, providing faster relief for symptoms such as depression and insomnia.

Anxiety Relief

• In particular, Klonopin added to a treatment with Prozac alleviates severe anxiety. This is because Klonopin, unlike the antidepressant Prozac, works within 30 minutes to an hour of the first dose, providing immediate effects to counter anxiety.

  A scientific report from International Clinical Psychopharmacology states that for those suffering from Major Depressive Disorder in particular, combining Klonipin with Prozac yields dramatic improvements for anxiety relief. It is important to note that the study also reports that the combination of the antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication showed little benefit for people with depression without accompanying anxiety.

Safety and Other Considerations

• A key benefit of the combination of Klonipin and Prozac is that the two medications have been found safe to use in conjunction with one another, especially at the start of therapy. Summit Research also reports that Klonipin is beneficial in combination with Prozac when a doctor is preparing to increase the dosage of Prozac, in order to treat symptoms that the dose increase has not yet alleviated.

  It is essential, however, to note that while Prozac--a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant--is intended for long term use. Klonipin, however, is indicated for short-term use, mainly because it is both habit-forming and produces a tolerance that may cause the prescribed user to feel the need to "up" his dose to feel the same benefits. Both medications should not be discontinued abruptly, and Klonipin can produce severe withdrawal effects such as insomnia, increased anxiety, and even seizure if suddenly stopped after more than a week or two of use. Be sure to weigh the potential drawbacks of combining Klonopin with Prozac against the potential benefits with your prescribing physician.