Brief Answer:
Explained below
Detailed Answer:
Thanks, XXXXXXX I too had a great Christmas!
It is true than
Klonopin can cause
headaches as a side effect, but there are so many other things that too can cause head aches, ranging from
anxiety itself, gastric problems,
hypertension, exposure to cold weather etc. I think you can be sure by slightly lowering the dose of Klonopin and seeing if it reduces the headache. But that can cause an increase in anxiety so it will be better not to reduce the overall dosage at first. For example, if you were taking 0.5 mg twice daily and experiencing headache after each dosage, try taking 0.25 mg in the morning, 0.25 mg in the afternoon and 0.5 mg as previously at night. If you notice that the headache is less after taking lower dosage in the morning and the afternoon, then you can continue with this regimen or consider lowering your total daily dose, depending on how severe your anxiety is.
I remember you were planning to try
duloxetine (
Cymbalta). Have you done it? Whenever you try a new drug, make sure you start at the lowest possible dose since you are prone to side effects. You can then gradually build up the dosage as required. Usually gastro-intestinal side effects of all anti-depressants last only for a few days and are usually gone by two weeks. If you start with very low dosages (less than what is the recommended starting dose), then I think you may find that you are able to continue on the medicine long enough for the side effects to wear off.
Apart from Cymbalta,
Lexapro (escitalopram) or Celexa (citalopram) may also be tried. Citalopram and Escitalopram have lesser gastric side effects than other SSRIs and are better tolerated than the others.
Please also try to find some time for the relaxation exercises.
Best wishes.
Dr Preeti Parakh
MD Psychiatry